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BEST OF BANJARA CAMPS (12 nights 13 days)
Just 190 kms from Chandigarh, lies Thanedar, a small
orchard town tucked away 10kms from Narkanda. This was the
birthplace of apples in India and affords a serene and
calm experience. For the activity oriented there are some
lovely walks as also a trek to a peak nearby. From here we
reach the beautiful valley of Kinnaur, which is also the
land that produces some of the best apples in the region.
Left untouched for thousands of years it emerges only for
six months before being submerged in snow. Situated at a
height of 2700m surrounded by massive towering mountains
on all sides the valley also boasts the gurgling Baspa
river, famous for trout fishing possibilities.
A must see little village with a small population is Batseri - a typical Kinnauri village, with a lovely local
Devta temple. Moving from Sangla to another spectacular
journey is a Sarahan, famous for its more than 800 years
old Bhimakali Temple, one of the best examples of hill
architecture. The place provides awesome views of
Shirkhand range, reminding us of the greatness of the
Himalayas.
The valley of Spiti is unlike any other. We move from lush
green valley of Sangla into Barren moonscape of Spiti
valley with few signs of vegetation. Yet this land renders
visitors speechless with it's harsh raw beauty of the
landscape.
Shoja, on the other hand is an angler's paradise, due to
its proximity to the Tirthan River where Trout fishing is
a definite possibility. Shoja at just 5 kms from Jalori
Pass at 3223m provides breathtaking sceneries and walks to
nearby lakes and forts.
| Kilometers covered: |
2200 kms |
| Maximum altitude: |
Kunzum La (4533M) |
| Best time to visit: |
June- September |
Day 01: Chandigarh - Thanedar - 195 kms/6 hrs
Fly into Chandigarh from Delhi or reach Chandigarh by
Kalka Shatabdi express train around 1200 hrs. Met by our
representative and drive to Thanedar. Check into Banjara
Orchard Retreat.
Day 02: Thanedar - Sangla - 158 kms/06
Visit Bhimakali Temple in Sarahan en route.
For six months every year, the Himalayan valleys of
Kinnaur and Spiti emerge from a thick cloak of snow to
reveal a different, secret world to man. Your discovery of
the lesser-known Himalayas can begin at the Banjara Camp
in the Sangla Valley. At a height of 2,700 Mts the Banjara
Camp is surrounded by towering mountains on all sides and
is set on the banks of the Baspa River that surges through
the valley. Long walks to discover the amazing fauna and
flora of the valley, treks to view snow covered Himalayan
peaks, angling for trout, experiencing some of the local
culture and traditions, rock climbing, rappelling are only
some of the delights that are on offer.
Day 03: Sangla - Chitkul- Sangla – 50 kms/3 hrs
Visit Chitkul and hike up to Nagasthi, the last village on
the old Indo-Tibetan trade route.
Day 04: Sangla - Rakcham - 6 kms/3 hrs
Hike to Rakcham village. This is the signature walk of the
valley. Drive back from Rakcham.
Day 05: Sangla – Kalpa - 57 kms/2.5 hrs
After breakfast, leave for Kalpa famous for its apple
and chilgoza plantations. Kalpa offers the best
panoramic view of the 6,000m high Kinner-Kailash range.
Night stay in Kalpa.
Day 06: Kalpa – Kaza – 210 kms/7 hrs
After an early breakfast, we depart for Kaza, leaving
behind verdant, forest clad mountains as we go over the
tree line towards the Spiti region. En route you may
take a short detour to visit the picturesque Nako Lake.
The terrain will leave you breathless and speechless.
Rock-hard Desert Mountains, torrential rivers and icy
cold winds account for the sparsely populated villages.
Reach Kaza, check into the Banjara Retreat and spend
rest of the day at leisure.
Day 07: Kaza - Tabo - Dhankar - Kaza
After an early breakfast, drive down to Tabo and visit
Tabo Gompa, reputed to be the oldest (an inscription on
a wall here indicates, it was founded in AD 996)
continuously functioning Buddhist monastery in India and
the Himalayas, with its original decoration and
iconographic program intact. We then move on to see
Dhankar monastery. Dhankar, the traditional capital of
Spiti, sits pretty on a hilltop. The fort here overlooks
the Spiti valley and it was used as a jail in olden
days. Today, more than 160 lamas reside here. A statue
of Dhyan Budha where four complete figures of Budha sit
back to back is the main attraction of this more than
seven-century old monastery.
About an hour’s walk (about 3 kms) from here on a
slightly uphill track is a small lake that sits
languidly is a bowl. The size of the lake in the summer
varies every year depending on how much snow the
catchment area had in the previous winter. Your lunch
hamper beckons on reaching the lake. After an al fresco
lunch, we take a 30 minute walk to the car and drive
back to reach the retreat by evening.
Day 08: Kaza - Pin Valley National
Park - Kaza
Declared a national park in 1987, Pin Valley is located in
the cold desert region of the Spiti valley, Himachal
Pradesh. With its snow laden unexplored higher reaches
and slopes, the Park forms a natural habitat for a
number of endangered animals including the Snow Leopard
and Siberian Ibex. The elevation of the Park ranges from
about 3,500 M near Ka Dogri to over 6,000 M at its
highest point. Because of its high altitude and extreme
temperatures, the vegetation in the area is scant and
mostly dominated by alpine trees, patches of Himalayan
cedar and smatterings of several medicinal plants. In
summer, flowers decorate the valley with startling hues.
Along with animals, rare birds like the Himalayan Snow
Cock, Chukor, Snow Partridge and the Tibet Snow Finch
also flourish in the area.Day 09: Kaza
After breakfast visit Ki monastery and Kibber village. Ki gompais a Gelugpa sect monastery. Its hilltop position points to a post-thirteenth century construction. The three storied structure consists largely of storage rooms at the bottom level, while the middle floor houses the Dukhang- the assembly hall- and the uppermost floor has another temple and the head Lama’s quarters, on one side of an open terrace. The greatest wealth of Ki Gompa lies in its collection of ‘Thangkas’ salvaged with difficulty from the devastating raids of the Dogars and the Sikhs in the 19th century.
From here a scenic drive takes you into the pasture country of Kibber. The pastures are spread over hundreds of square kilometers. Kibber is small village and is the take off point for the popular trek to Tso Moriri in Ladakh. Further up six kilometers from Kibber, we drive up to a still smaller village of Gete. Consisting of just six houses, it boasts of being the highest village in Asia connected by road. Drive back to the retreat for lunch and spend rest of the day at leisure – preferably resting.
Day 10: Kaza - Manali - 201 kms/8 hrs
Drive over Kunzum La (4553m) to reach Manali. Manali is
one of the most popular hill stations in India. Overnight
stay in hotel.
Day 11: Manali - Sojha - 117 kms/4 hrs
Drive to Sojha visiting Naggar castle and Roerich art
gallery en route. Check into Banjara retreat on arrival.
Evening at leisure around bon fire.
Day 12: Sojha
Day at leisure/ Hike to Raghupur Fort or Serolser lake.
Overnight stay at Banjara Retreat.
Day 13: Sojha - Bhuntar/Chandigarh - 2/8 hrs
Drive from Manali to Bhuntar airport (2 hrs) and fly back
to Delhi else drive to Chandigarh to board evening
Shatabdi express train departing at 1800 hrs to Delhi.
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