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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 - Tabo - 220 kms/8 hrs
The Tabo terrain will leave you breathless and speechless.
Rock-hard Desert Mountains, torrential rivers and icy cold
winds account for the sparsely populated villages. At a
height of 10,500 ft this high altitude desert is home to
the second most important Buddhist monastery in the entire
Himalayan region - the Tabo Gompa. It is now 1006 years
old and is rumored to be the place the Dalai Lama will
finally settle in.
Day 06: Tabo - Dhankar - Tabo
Visit the Tabo monastery in the morning and participate in
the morning prayers. Tabo monastery is called Chogs-khor
('doctrinal circle' or 'doctrinal enclave'). It is a
complex that holds nine temples, 23 chortens, a monks'
chamber and an extension that houses the nun’s chamber. On
the sheer cliff-face above the enclave are a series of
caves, used as dwellings by the monks and includes an
'assembly hall'.
Tabo Monastery also has the distinction of being the
oldest (according to an inscription on one of the walls,
the monastery was founded in AD 996) and continuously
functioning Buddhist monastery in India and the Himalayas
with its original decoration and iconographic program
intact.
After breakfast, visit Dhankar monastery. Dhankar, the
traditional capital of Spiti, sits pretty on a hilltop.
The hill-top fort that overlooks the Spiti valley also
used to serve as a jail in old 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. We sit for an al fresco lunch and then take a 30
minutes walk to the car.
We get back at the retreat by early evening to take a
much-needed shower and a hot cup of tea.
Day 07: Tabo - Pin Valley National Park - Tabo
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
mts near Ka Dogri to more than 6,000 mts 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 Snowcock, Chukor, Snow Partridge
and the Tibet Snow Finch also flourish in the area.
Day 08: Tabo - Kaza - 47 kms/2 hrs
Drive to Kaza. Check in to Banjara Retreat. In the
afternoon visit the Ki monastery and Kibber village
Kaza is the capital of Spiti Valley. Rudyard Kipling
describes Spiti in "Kim" in these words: "At last they
entered a world within a world - a valley of leagues where
the high hills were fashioned of the mere rubble and
refuse from off the knees of the mountains... Surely the
Gods live here.
Ki Monastery is 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 head Lama’s quarters on the 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. From 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.
Day 09: Kaza - Rest day in Kaza
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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