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Outlook Traveller, Heritage Holidays
Banjara Orchard Retreat is set in the inevitable apple
orchard, overlooking the deep valley of the Sutlej and
offering delicious sunsets. The rooms and suites are
comfortable, the sitting and dining spaces homely; the
menu is flexible and comforting; their apples, in both the
jam and chutney forms, are mouth watering. And Prakash
Thakur, the owner, takes good care of his guests, telling
them well connected tales of these hills and guiding them
on the mountain paths.
Alaistair Sawday’s Special Places to Stay
Nearly 3000 meters up, and a short drive from Chitkul, the
last village on the old Hindustan- Tibet road route, is a
remote and remarkable encampment. Reached by roads liable
to landslides (come by jeep), surrounded by towering
mountains, crouched among apple orchards on the banks of
surging Baspa River, its tents are cosier than you could
imagine. Step through a flap from a wicker-furnished porch
to a most comfortable and comforting space. Rajasthani
fabrics enclose you, rugs lay underfoot, dressing tables,
cosily clad beds, heaters and hot water bottles- this is
no typical tent. A second flap opens to your own bathroom
with tiled floor, stone sink, western loo and hot-water
bucket shower, while ‘public rooms’ extend from
bamboo-thatched dining tent to picnic tables for barbecues
to hammocks by the fire. Batseri village and temple is a
mere 15-minute walk away, jeep safaris can take you
further. The Sangla valley is reputed to be the most
beautiful in the Indian Himalaya – and how often do you
combine such natural splendour with such comfort and
service?
Lonely Planet
Banjara camps offers accommodation in luxury tents from
April to October on the far side of the river at Batseri.
Call the Delhi office for more details.
For Banjara retreats in Tabo and Kaza in Fodors guide to
India
……………and you can stay at the friendly Banjara Camps at
both ends.
Frommer’s guide to India
Banjara Camp, Sangla valley’s best lodging is a group of
deluxe tents with full-size beds and attached cement-floor
bathrooms (bucket bath only). At 8850 ft. the camp is
smack on the banks of Baspa River just 30-kms (19 miles)
shy of Chitkul, the last village on the old Hindustan-
Tibet road (some 50 kms from China border). Relax in a
clearing overlooking the water after a rousing day hike,
and listen to the river rush by as you drift off to sleep.
The price includes excellent vegetarian meals, served
three times a day in a mess tent. The friendly attentive
staff can take you on day hikes or drives, complete with
home cooked Indian lunch.
Frommer’s guide to India
Visit
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/kinnaurandspiti/3522010002.html
Jeep Safari specialists- Banjara Camps and Retreats
operates a number of Trans- Himalayan jeep safaris, which
generally start in Delhi and explore different parts of
Himachal and Ladakh. Comfortable accommodations (some in
beautifully situated deluxe campsites) and good meals
accompany you along the way, and you can even design your
own customized safari.
Sangla Valley- you won’t find any flashy accommodations,
but the comfortable Banjara camp, 8 km beyond is an
excellent place to spend a night or two, and serves as the
perfect base from which to explore the remote hamlet of
Chitkul. Banjara camp comprises 17 comfortable tents with
attached toilets and bucket-wash facilities in an open
meadow alongside the Baspa River, beneath towering
Khargala peak. Make use of the opportunity to pick Banjara-
founder Ajay Sud’s brain for details of the best treks in
the area. A selection of tasty Indian and Tibetan-
inspired dishes is prepared at mealtimes, but there’s
nothing stopping you from picking up some fresh fish from
a local farm and asking the kitchen team to cook it for
you.
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