I read somewhere that Spiti is called "A world within a world". I cannot find a fitter description for this magical place.
Our Spiti trip planning began nearly a year in advance. The only decision taken in the beginning was that we would be doing the entire trip from Nasik, Maharashtra by road. We didn't want to miss traversing many Indian states en route in order to save time.
Our Spiti trip planning began nearly a year in advance. The only decision taken in the beginning was that we would be doing the entire trip from Nasik, Maharashtra by road. We didn't want to miss traversing many Indian states en route in order to save time.
It was 6 of us who finally left for the trip. The convoy included 04 bikes (3 RE Himalayan and 1 Thunderbird 350) and of course my mighty and trusty Mahindra Thar.
Before I proceed with the blog, there are a few points I would like to highlight:
1) First and foremost, a big thank you to BRO, ITBP and every other organisation that is involved in keeping Spiti Valley accessible and hospitable. They are doing an amazing job in an unforgiving and treacherous area. Hats off to them!!
2) The pictures credits go to all my co-adventurers Makrand, Ganesh, Shaunak, Gaurav, Harshad and myself. Thanks for sharing and immortalising the journey with me guys.
3) The videos have been shot on Transcend Drivepro 230 Dashcam, installed on my Thar's windshield. Read my review of the Dashcam by clicking here and you can also buy the Dashcam from www.amazon.in, from where I got mine.
4) I have tried to make this more as a photoblog. Please don't hesitate to contact me for any information that you need regarding our trip.
Before I proceed with the blog, there are a few points I would like to highlight:
1) First and foremost, a big thank you to BRO, ITBP and every other organisation that is involved in keeping Spiti Valley accessible and hospitable. They are doing an amazing job in an unforgiving and treacherous area. Hats off to them!!
2) The pictures credits go to all my co-adventurers Makrand, Ganesh, Shaunak, Gaurav, Harshad and myself. Thanks for sharing and immortalising the journey with me guys.
3) The videos have been shot on Transcend Drivepro 230 Dashcam, installed on my Thar's windshield. Read my review of the Dashcam by clicking here and you can also buy the Dashcam from www.amazon.in, from where I got mine.
4) I have tried to make this more as a photoblog. Please don't hesitate to contact me for any information that you need regarding our trip.
But I am jumping ahead. The actual planning began about 6 months before the trip. The plan was to cover Spiti, Leh and Ladakh, since we were going with our own vehicles and realistically, we probably wouldn't go back with them again. So why not cover the entire circuit while we are there?
The plan we made looked something like this:
But after talking to many experienced travellers and researching online, we realised that we were being over-optimistic with the time-frame for completing this trip. Secondly, the trip from Chandigarh to Chandigarh was 19 days. After including the 6 days of driving from Nashik - Chandigarh and return, we were looking at a trip of nearly a month. None of us could afford to take out that much time from work.
So we became a lot more realistic and decided that we would have to compress our trip and maybe skip some of the major landmarks. But God has His own plans, and a couple of months before our trip, permissions for visiting Hanle (the new highest motorable road in the world at approx. 19,300 ft.) were closed, all thanks to some idiot bikers who visited this military sensitive area and posted pics online. So one of our major reasons for visiting Leh was ruled out.
Also, Ganesh the "wise one" in our group repeatedly told us that it is better to experience one place completely, rather than rushing through and not enjoying any place completely. Due to this, we decided to limit our trip only to Spiti.
Our revised schedule for Spiti circuit 2018:
One of the blogs that really helped me in firming up the itinerary was "An experience called Spiti in a Mahindra Thar" on Team-BHP.com. You can also have a look at a blog by Travel Triangle, which was quite informative.
Being true to our adventurous spirit, we did not make any hotel bookings. For travel from Nashik to Chandigarh, the plan was to drive as much as possible in a day, with loose targets for night stay. We started early every morning and drove till evening with short breaks in-between. But not even on 1 day did we drive after dark. We would stop in the closest city at dusk and then continue the next day.
Being true to our adventurous spirit, we did not make any hotel bookings. For travel from Nashik to Chandigarh, the plan was to drive as much as possible in a day, with loose targets for night stay. We started early every morning and drove till evening with short breaks in-between. But not even on 1 day did we drive after dark. We would stop in the closest city at dusk and then continue the next day.
For travelling in Spiti (Chandigarh onwards), we fixed our schedule and night halt locations, but again did not make any hotel bookings in advance.
You can read my blog on my preparation of the Thar for this visit here. A blog from Vargis Khan "How to Prepare your Car for Spiti Valley?" gave me a comprehensive list for preparation of my Thar.
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| And we are off... |
Day 1... August 4, 2018 - We drove from Nasik to Chittorgarh on the first day. We had covered a good 700 kms. in the day, thanks to good roads and average traffic. The only place I will advice to be careful is the Maharashtra - MP border. There was a big traffic jam here. We were advised to go from the wrong side of the road to access the lane for personal vehicles. We did that and got out in 15 mins. Otherwise our time lost could have been in hours.
We reached Chittorgarh at 05:30 pm and checked-in to Hotel Yuvraj Palace.
Hotel Review: Hotel Nandan Palace, Chittorgarh:
Rating: 3/5
Review:
This hotel is exactly opposite the bus stand. So it's very congested area. However, there is basement parking to accommodate 3-4 cars.
We got triple occupancy rooms. The rooms are clean and average size. The bathroom is also clean but don't expect any fancy amenities here. The beds were comfortable and the A/C also effective.
The hotel has a veg restaurant but they serve non-veg in room service. The food served was tasty.
Overall an average stay, good enough for a pocket friendly overnight stay.
On day 2, we left early morning and drove towards Rajasthan. The roads are excellent but the traffic kept increasing as the day progressed.
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| Lafa roll for breakfast.. lol |
We stopped for lunch in Jaipur and met some fellow bikers and adventurers. After Jaipur, we took the Delhi expressway, which was extremely crowded with 2 wheelers and 4 wheelers driving any which way. We could make it to Rewari in the evening, although our target had been to reach Rohtak.
Hotel Review: Hotel OYO Heritage Haveli, Rewari:
Rating: 3/5
Review:
We found this hotel on the highway. It's a big hotel and we got a good deal on the rooms.
The rooms are small and it was a tight squeeze for 3 persons. It's neat and clean though. The bathroom is also small but has a geyser for hot water.
Dinner was served in the room. The food taste was very average.
On Day 3, we left bright and early for Chandigarh. It was important to reach Chandigarh early to rest and get ready for the Spiti circuit drive, which would start the next day.
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| Enjoying parathas after crossing Rohtak |
Hotel Review: OYO 14392 Hotel Pearl Wood, Chandigarh:
Rating: 4/5
Review:
This hotel is just off the main highway in Zirakpur area of Chandigarh. It was perfect location for us as we had to proceed along the same highway to Shimla the next morning.
The reception is on the 1st floor and the stairs are very steep. There are a few rooms on 1st floor and few on 2nd floor. The steps to the 2nd floor are equally steep.
We stayed on the rooms on the 2nd floor. The young boys working in the hotel very helpful in getting the luggage up the stairs and again down the next morning. The rooms were large and had A/C and TV. The bathroom was also of good size.
The dinner was served in the room and was very tasty. There is no restaurant, but the kitchen is located on the top floor. Although there is a restaurant on the ground floor of the same building, and a dhaba in the adjacent building. So food availability is not a problem. We even got tea early morning the next day in the dhaba adjacent to the hotel.
Overall a satisfactory stay.
On Day 4, our actual Spiti drive began. Full of excitement, we fuelled up and started our drive to Rampur Bushahr via. Shimla. But just about an hour after leaving Chandigarh, we came to a standstill. There was a lloonnggg traffic jam, extending up the mountain, as far as the eye could see, aparantely due to a landslide in the night. We decided to have breakfast instead of waiting in the traffic jam and turned back to head to a nearby dhaba. As God would have it, we ran into a helpful local guy at the Dhaba who led us onto an alternate road which brought us out ahead of Shimla. We were able to skip the entire traffic jam.
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| Spectacular views and having fun along the way.. |
We reached Rampur Bushahr at 05:30 pm in the evening. Unfortunately, we found it hard to find hotel rooms, as it was crowded. Finally we found rooms in Hotel K C Residency.
Rating: 4/5
Review:
This is as good a hotel as you will find in these remote areas. It was new when we visited in August '18 and probably the tallest building in Rampur. We were given rooms on the top floor. There is no A/C or TV in the room. But the fan was sufficient thanks to the cool weather. The view from the large windows was spectacular.
The hotel has a restaurant and they also provided us room service, but be prepared for long service time. The food was good though. It has enclosed private parking.
On Day 5, we departed from Rampur and topped up fuel in our vehicles. There are 02 petrol pumps in Rampur. We decided to also fill our 20 lts. fuel drum, as we weren't sure about fuel availability ahead.
Driving out from Rampur, we got our first taste of the mountainous roads, cut along sheer mountains.
Clowning around :)
We took NH 5 highway for driving from Rampur to Chitkul. You have to take a right turn after Karcham and drive onwards towards Sangla and then Chitkul. The drive is awesome, and a bit scary as we were continuously driving up steep mountains, with no end in sight. We stopped a couple of times as the clutch was heating up and also the views were fabulous for photography.
After crossing Sangla, we took a tea break at a small village. The locals were wonderful and the elderly persons sitting around were full of stories.
Driving along, we came to an ITBP checkpoint. You have to make an entry, which is crosschecked while returning, just to make sure that you leave :)
The last few kms. to Chitkul are also very picturesque. Seemed like we were driving through a fairyland.
Finally.. we made it !!
We drove through Chitkul upto the next border Checkpost. China border is about 40 kms. from the Checkpost, but It's not possible for civilians to go any further. So we chatted with the sentry and returned to Chitkul. Our original plan was to drive to Kalpa, but the beauty of Chitkul was spellbinding. We couldn't think of leaving from here in a hurry. So we decided to stay here a night, even though it meant using up a buffer day, right at the beginning of our journey.
Hotel Review: Zostel
Rating: 5/5
Review:
We were lucky to get a room, which freed up as a group couldn't reach Chitkul that evening. We took 02 rooms on the ground floor, which had bunk beds. Warm covers are provided with the beds, which are really required in this region. You have to pay for towels though.
The rooms are compact but comfortable. They have an attached bathroom, which has a geyser for hot water and a shower. real luxurious in this small village in one corner of India.
There is an awesome common room, which has a TV, books, indoor games etc. It's a great place to socialise and meet fellow adventurers. I loved this room the most.
The coffee shop / restaurant was under construction when we stayed. But it's going to be an enclosed space with seating. We ended up having all our meals under the open sky, and loved every minute of it. The kitchen is functioning throughout the day and we were supplied with steaming cups of tea and pakodas whenever requested.
The hotel is run by Nitesh Kumar and his team. They are pretty competent and helped us out. Nitesh also took us for a walk around the village. Overall a very warm and helpful guy.
Chitkul village is also very beautiful, untouched and unaffected so far by tourism. Apart from Zostel, there are a few home stays and small shops for essentials. Our village walk with Nitesh was also fun, with the locals welcoming us. The children running and playing are very cute and friendly. The monastery is small, but beautiful.
While we went for a walk in the village, the Himalayans went out to play in the wilderness..
Lets not forget the famous Sharmaji Dhaba, which served us tasty rajma chaval and maggi..
On Day 6, after eating breakfast to our heart's content, we departed from Chitkul for Kalpa. We backtracked on the same road, past the Checkpost and through Sangla to Karcham. From here we took a right turn to head towards Kalpa.
We reached Reckong Peo around 02:30 pm. Unfortunately, due to our lack on knowledge, we found a hotel in Reckong Peo and checked-in there. We didn't realise that Kalpa is approx. 7 kms. ahead, and the stay options there are aplenty.
Hotel Review: J K Hotel:
Rating: 2/5
Review:
The hotel is down a narrow alley and the Thar barely made it through. There is a partially complete building opposite, where we parked.
The rooms are below average and very basic. The bathroom is not maintained and the facilities are broken and not functioning. There is no restaurant or food made available.
It's best to stay in Kalpa.
In the evening, we drove to Kalpa and onwards to Suicide point, which is a sheer cliff. Good for taking pics.
On the way back, we visited the Kalpa monastery, which was closed but they opened it for us. If you walk ahead of the monastery, there is also a temple. The temple door was open, but everything inside was barricaded and locked.
We took some time for photography and just enjoying the slow vibe of Kalpa.
In the evening, we went to Recking Peo market. It's definitely one of the largest markets in this area and you can also find some good eating options. We opted for chaat in a local sweet shop followed up with dinner in Little Chef restaurant. The food here was average and the ambiance also was very dingy.
On Day 7, we left bright and early from Reckong Peo. We topped up our fuel again and drove down the mountain towards our night halt destination of Tabo with a stopover at Nako and Gue Monestary in between. Pretty soon after leaving Reckong Pro, we came across a landslide area, where a water crossing had flooded and closed the road for nearly a whole day. Luckily, the weather was sunny and the road was clear when we crossed.
Breakfast at a small roadside restaurant included awesome omelettes and Maggi. This is definitely the best food you can get in the hills. Soon after, we came along a bridge, where only 1 vehicle can pass at a time. It was quite a hair-raising experience, with the raging river far-far below us and the wooden floorboards of the bridge.
The drive onwards in through a terrain unlike anything I have ever seen. It's mountains after mountains of just dirt and rubble. I am sure that even a loud bang will trigger a landslide. This is definitely the closest that I have felt like driving on the moon.
Tea stop before Nako..
The drive upto Nako was uneventful. We entered Nako village for a quick visit to the local monastery. The monastery was buzzing with activity as their chief priest was visiting the next day. Colourful tents covered the grounds and there was unbelievable energy in the air.
After visiting Nako monastery, we drove onwards to Gue monastery. Again, we were lucky to get to a landslide just minutes after it happened. Harshad jumped out of the car, and with some newfound superhuman strength, pushed away large stones to clear the way.
We got into Gue monastery in the afternoon. Gue monastery houses a 565 year old Mummy. It was found by the army during blasting work. It was kept in a closed glass case, but after it's condition started to deteriorate, they opened the glass case and the mummy is perfectly in restored condition. I am told that the hair & nails on the mummy grow till date.
The mummy is kept in a small room and a much larger monastery is currently under construction.
Spectacular views from the monastery..
After Gue monastery, we moved onto Tabo, our halt for the night. Tabo is a small town, which is well known for it's monastery. We had booked ourselves in Hotel Maitriya Regency a day before and we were lucky to get the last 2 rooms.
Hotel Review: Hotel Maitriya Regency, Tabo
Rating: 5/5
Review:
The hotel is at the end of the only road which leads into Tabo. It's a quaint little place, which is run like a family hotel.
The rooms are large and the third bed could be accommodated easily. The rooms are clean and the washrooms are also very well kept. There is a geyser, but it works only if there is electricity.
There is a common room on the ground floor, which has a tastefully done seating area and the dining tables. The lone TV in the hotel is also in this room. Other than that, there is an outdoor seating area and a little space in the reception.
We had our dinner in the room as there was a function of the Army in the dining area. The food was delicious. We also had snacks and tea in the evening and omelettes and parathas the next morning for breakfast. All of the food was very tasty.
The staff of this hotel makes it a class apart. The owner has leased out the hotel to a local person and it's run flawlessly. Of course, there are going to be problems because of the remote location, but the staff really gives it their all. A friend of the owner (I think his name was Mr. Dhani), who stays in the hotel for 4 months in a year to help out is really a gem of a person and I spent quite a few hours in the evening chatting up with him.
Day 8 started with a visit to Tabo monastery. It was established in 996. The positive energy that I felt in this monastery is unlike any other monastery that I visited during this trip. Definitely the best monastery that we visited during our visit.
After breakfast, we were informed that the road ahead was washed away due to rains the previous day. It would take at least 2-3 hours to clear the road. We weren't too anxious as we had an easy day with visit to Dhankar Monastery and then final halt at Mudh valley. So we took the opportunity to do shopping of local artefacts in the shops outside the monastery, walk around the small but picturesque village and even send a postcard home from the local village post office.
Finally we left Tabo around 11 am. We got through the landslide area without any difficulty. We stopped for photos at some awesome locations :)
We reached Dhankar monastery and to our surprise we found that the road leading up the mountain was completely washed away. We found an alternate "kaccha" rasta and went ahead.
The road ahead was luckily in excellent condition and we were able to drive up smoothly. Although this is the first instance where I felt that the Thar was losing power due to low oxygen and I had to frequently use the first gear and clutch to power up steep inclines.
Dhankar monastery is peached up on a mountain and the road narrows as we near it. But there is just about enough space to turn around at the end.
We visited the Monastery. It's a multi-storey building and the prayer room is right on the top floor. Even though this monastery is at about 12,500 ft. above MSL, we were all out of breath. Out of all the monasteries we visited, Dhankar monastery is the only one which charged us an entry fee (Rs. 25 per person) for entering the prayer room.
After coming back to the village, we had lovely ginger lemon tea and parathas in the cafe next to the monastery.
We started our drive onwards to Mudh Valley (It's in Pin Valley National Park). We drove along NH 5 and then turned left about 17 kms. before Kaza to enter Mudh Valley.
The drive ahead upto Mudh village is a mixture of roads. It started with extremely barren landscape with rough roads. Then we moved onto some rocky terrain in the mountains. After that, we came onto a smooth winding road with brick walls on both sides. This area reminded me of driving in the English countryside.
The views in these parts are spectacular. We got pics like the ones below, even when we stopped randomly to check Gaurav's bike tyre, which had gone flat. The scenery makes even an amateur photographer seem like a professional :)
The road is pretty simple. You keep driving straight and the road finishes in Mudh village. This area of Spiti is less explored and often included as a day visit or entirely skipped. We had decided to stay for one night and the friendly persons in Hotel Maitriya Regency, Tabo had helped us in booking rooms in Tara Guest House.
Hotel Review: Tara Home Stay, Mudh Village
Rating: 5/5
Review:
We got 2 rooms at the top floor (road level). 1 room was corner room and had a great view of the valley and an attached bathroom. The other room was behind it and had no window and no attached bathroom. The common bathroom is just a few steps away in the same complex.
The stay was extremely comfortable. It’s very basic but you get a cosy room, warm blankets and clean bathroom. Can you really ask for more?
The food was delicious. It’s a home kitchen and everything is cooked in front of you. We ordered well in advance and got an amazing meal of rice, rajma and Tibetan pizza. The chocolate momos are amazing too. The menu is large and everything we ordered was cooked and served without any fuss. Breakfast included omelettes, French toast, parathas and tea.
The only connection with the outside world is through a satellite phone, which is available in this guest house on nominal charge. There is no mobile range.
The view of the valley from the roof is very good and we also had a great view of the Milky Way from the roof in the night as there are no lights to obstruct the night sky. But we could handle the cold only till midnight.
They have another guest house up the road, but we did not check that out. Book in advance and enjoy your stay here.
The views from the roof are breathtaking.
On Day 9, after an evening well spent in chilling with like-minded travellers, hikers and trekkers and even a group of Israelis travelling on bike, we moved out after breakfast towards Kaza. It was an easy and short drive and we planned to use the day to relax in Kaza and get some required repairs done on our bikes and car.
We backtracked the same way until we reached the turnoff for Kaza and took a left turn. The road further to Kaza is in decent condition and it took us about 2 hours in total to reach Kaza.
There is an authorised Royal Enfield service station right at the beginning of Kaza, while coming from Tabo side. Out riders stopped there to get their bikes serviced. We decided to move ahead to get our car horn repaired, which had stopped working couple of days back.
There are three car garages in Kaza. We visited all 3. The first 2 were ready to do only mechanical work. The third garage, which is at the end of Kaza town after crossing the petrol pump, had a mechanic willing to do electrical work, and our horn was finally repaired. There is only one shop for puncture repair. So get any work done ASAP on arriving as shops here tend to close early.
While getting their bikes checked, the riders came to know that the service station has started a dormitory and cafe right above the station. We decided to stay here itself.
We spent the afternoon in Kaza market, visited the famous Himalayan Cafe and did some shopping in the souvenir shop. The evening was reserved for celebrating Shaunak's birthday with some cake and fine single malt, which we had carried all the way from Chandigarh :)
Hotel Review: Grease Moto Club , Kaza
Rating: 4/5
Review:
This is strictly a hostel. There are 3 rooms with bunk beds (6-8 capacity each) and an attached bathroom in each room. Our room had 8 bunkbeds and we crammed in with our luggage and bags.
The rooms are basic with beds and charging points close to each bed. The bathroom is average size but has a geyser for hot water as well. It is very slow and be prepared to wait for 10-15 mins. for a bucket of hot water. Electricity is sporadic as in most of Spiti, and the generator is put on only in the night.
The cafe restaurant is run nicely with a small kitchen. He cooked food as per our requirements and the meals were satisfactory. Coffee made by him deserves special mention. Remember to order meals half a day in advance, as the cook goes to Kaza town to shop accordingly. We ordered dinner at 6 pm on the first day and finally got our meal at 10:30 pm.
Other than this, there are no creature comforts. But it's sufficient for a basic no-frills stay.
On Day 10, the guys headed out of Kaza to visit Hikkim (highest postoffice in the world), Komic (Highest village connected by motor able road) and Langza (Buddha statue). But the unpredictable nature of Spiti had a surprise for us.
We decided to take only the Thar as it had been raining since the last evening and we were going to be coming back to Kaza in the evening. After piling into the Thar, we first visited Komic.
After some much needed hot ginger tea, we proceeded to Hikkim..
After leaving from Hikkim and driving towards Langza, we faced some heavy rains and all of a sudden the road turned into slush. Cars were slipping and sliding and an Innova ahead of us actually turned around 180 deg. and faced us. Taking advantage of the 4X4, we inched ahead and finally cleared the slushy area after a lot of sliding around ourselves. It was a scary experience, especially for my co-adventurers who have had no taste of 4X4 off-roading earlier :)
After our ordeal, we warned 3-4 vehicles heading up towards Hikkim. But I am not sure if they paid any attention to our suggestion of not proceeding ahead.
We all decided to return back to Kaza as we had had our share of adventure for the day and also because the rain was not letting up. Taking advantage of our early return, we headed back to Kaza city in the evening and had dinner at Hotel Deyzor. In my opinion, Hotel Deyzor is the best hotel in Kaza and the food was absolutely delicious. Although let me give you a heads up that they give first preference to in-house guests and very few walk-ins are taken at mealtimes. So head there early, if you want to ensure getting a meal.
On Day 11, we left early from Kaza. It was going to be a long day and one of our toughest drives, with visit to Key Monastery enroute to Chandra Taal. As per my understanding, the roads after Kaza are not open in the winters. Thus, their upkeep even during the summer season is not top priority and the road condition can be quite bad.
The drive from Kaza to Key Monastery is awesome, with silky smooth roads. The views enroute are to amazing too..
We reached Key Monastery really early and found the monks having breakfast in the main prayer room. This was followed by their prayer session. It was a magical experience for me to be present during the rhythmic chanting of the scrolls. I am really privileged to be present in the monastery at this moment.
We drove ahead of Key Monastery after a good breakfast in the on-site cafe and after playing with the small monks in-training. The scenery as we drove ahead is the best that I have seen in my life..
At Chicham bridge, Asia's highest bridge at 13,596 feet.
Driving ahead, the views kept getting better..
We reached Losar around 01:30 pm, where we stopped for lunch. The road had been getting worse after Kibbar and we found several travellers with vehicle troubles and punctures in Losar. We helped out as much as we could with our tools and knowledge.
We were informed that the road ahead to Kunzum Top (one of the highest passes at 15059 feet) and then onwards to Chandra Taal was much worse, which got me worried as the road condition was already pretty bad. We drove ahead with apprehension and the roads indeed were pathetic, definitely the worse that we had encountered in our entire trip. In most of the drive after Losar, there were no roads at all. Also, it was very confusing at times as there were several roads diverging from a point and no signboards. These roads have been made as different travellers chose different routes to drive ahead, leaving us totally lost.
Finally we made it upto Kunzum Top. There is a Kunzum Mata temple at the top and it's a ritual for every vehicle reaching the top to drive around the temple before proceeding ahead.
Driving ahead from Kumzum Top, the road just kept getting bad to worse..
Driving ahead we came to a signboard that said Chandra Taal was 13.5 kms. ahead. I thought we were home free, but boy was I in for a surprise..
The road ahead was mountainous, treacherous, narrow and no boundary or markings on the valley side. We encountered some cyclists and they had to pick up their bicycles on their shoulders and stand to give enough space to our Thar to get through. Don't even ask about the time an Innova came from the opposite direction, which ensured a time consuming game of reversing and making space for two cars. It was a nightmare.
Finally we made it to the camps at Chandrataal. My shoulders felt like rocks and I was exhausted. These last 13.5 kms. are definitely my toughest driving test and I am very proud that I got through without even a scratch on my Thar.
We checked into our camp at 05:30 pm and decided to head to the lake immediately, so that we were free to leave for Manali early the next day. The army post allows permit only till 6 pm to drive towards the lake, which is a 2.5 km drive uphill from the camps area. We made the deadline and moved ahead.
After driving up the mountain, you have to trek for about 20-30 mins. from the parking area to reach the lake, a feat in itself at such high altitude. The exhaustion from driving and the extremely cold weather (coldest in our trip) didn't help much. Finally we made it to the lake, and all the efforts were worth it. The exhaustion disappeared and I felt rejuvenated and refreshed.
It was getting dark by the time we got back to camp.
The temperature was near 0 degree and we desperately needed some warmth. Some scotch and namkeen went a long way and then we headed to dinner. The dinner tent was a large tent with a big chimney in the middle to provide heat. Dinner included some boiled veggies, dal and rice. In such conditions, the food was delicious. Lights out was at 09:30 pm and we didn't need any other excuse to get under the warm blankets and sleep.
On Day 12, inspite of deciding to leave early morning, we departed only by 8 am after feasting on hot chai and bread-jam. Such a simple breakfast never tasted so good. We proceeded ahead quickly as we had to cross 3 major water crossings including the infamous chota dhara.
A video shot on Mack's GoPro might give you an idea about the Chandra Taal road, heading back towards Batal. Believe me, the road is much more treacherous and difficult at the end of the day in fading light, like when we had traversed it while going.
Our first stop was at Batal, at the famous Chacha-Chachi Chandra dhaba. They are well known in these parts for their open hearts and generosity towards travellers.
After a quick tea stop, we proceeded ahead again. The landscape again made me feel as if we were driving on the moon. It was bare, rugged and grey.
Soon, we came across the infamous water crossings. We were lucky to find the water level low, as we were crossing in the morning. The water levels rise substantially in the afternoon, as the ice melts at the top of the mountains with the sunshine and water flows down dangerously. It is not uncommon for a flash flood to occur if a large chunk of ice breaks away. It's always advisable to get through the water crossings as early in the day as possible, and as quickly as possible. Please don't stop and start taking pictures in the middle of it.
Finally, we were coming to the end of the Spiti circuit. The road was still narrow and treacherous but the end of the road was calling us. There is absolutely nothing on this road. So we made good progress.
We started our accent on a severe hill, where the road was completely washed out and there was dried mud everywhere. It had been a large mudslide a couple of day back, and we were lucky to be coming a few days later. Finally, we took a turn and the Malani-Leh highway lay before ahead. It was the first time we were seeing tarmac in quite a days.
We drove towards Manali and reached Rohtang Pass. It was extremely crowded, being August 15 and a holiday.
We drove into Manali and checked into Ride Inn Cafe. It is a specialty B&B, which has been custom made for bikers.
Hotel Review: Ride Inn Cafe, Manali
Rating: 4/5
Review:
We checked into 3 rooms as the hotel does not allow triple occupancy. The rooms are comfortable and all basic necessities are available. The bathroom is very good as well. It was really luxurious after spending the previous night at a tent in Chandra Taal.
The cafe is on the top floor. It's been designed beautifully and the view form the terrace is amazing. We enjoyed ourselves with steaming cups of tea in the chilli evening.
The food also was delicious. The kitchen is looked after by the owner and the quality is evident. We had a good Indian meal at dinner.
The reason that I have reduced 1 star is because of electricity problem. There was no electricity during most of our stay duration. This was because of heavy rainfall the earlier day, but the hotel should have some kind of back-up. During our entire stay, we had electricity for about 4 hrs. only. We spent the evening with our torches lighting the room.
Now that we were back in civilisation, it was time to head back home. The return journey was planned in the same way as the one we took while coming. We would cover as much distance as possible and then stay when dusk settled in.
On Day 13, we departed early from Manali and drove towards Chandigarh. The roads were not in great condition owing to the rains. But we made good headway. Driving throughout the day, the heat of Rajasthan and the traffic let us get only to Rohtak. He decided to call it a day and checked-in to Hotel Lavenir.
Hotel Review: Hotel Lavenir, Rohtak
Rating: 4/5
Review:
The hotel was absolutely new and only 10 rooms were operational when we stayed. The restaurant was also under construction. The hotel promised us dinner in room service and we were happy. Besides we got a good deal as the hotel was still under construction.
We checked-in to 2 rooms on triple occupancy basis. The rooms were large and even a third mattress left enough room to walk around. The rooms were well lit and there was TV and A/C.
The staff was super helpful, maybe because we were one fo the first few guests staying in the hotel.
The tea and sandwich served for snacks was good. The dinner was tasty, but extremely oily. We were told that the kitchen has started and all food was cooked in-house. There is a 'Great Kebab Factory' restaurant in the adjacent building, but we were too tired to venture out for dinner.
On Day 14, we again departed early morning as we wanted to cover as much distance as possible. Today we made it to Neemuch, which was short of our target destination of Chittorgarh. But our rule of not driving after dusk was followed religiously.
Hotel Review: Hotel Tanishq The Resort of Fun, Nimbahera
Rating: 3/5
Review:
We made our reservation on a travel website before reaching and even called the hotel to confirm. Still, we had to wait 10 mins. on the gate while the security checked our reservation. Next, at check-in, the person at reception told us that they will serve us dinner in restaurant only if there was no family eating there. Else, dinner would be served in room service only.
We couldn't understand if they were fussy and suspicious only with us or with all guests.
The rooms were good. The hotel does not allow triple occupancy, so we took 3 rooms. The hotel is very new and everything was in great shape. The bathroom is also large with soaps provided. There are no TVs in the rooms though.
The food taste was good. But the service is really struggling to cope up. As far as I could see, we were the only guests in the hotel. Still we were forced to have dinner in our room. The food was brought to us in batches and the roti was over before the vegetables came. The rice came last, when there was no dal or vegetable left.
Overall, a very average stay.
Day 15, last day... We left early morning the next day. We had to cover 650 kms. to reach Nasik but we were determined to get home. Smooth roads, less traffic and God's grace got us to Nasik at 05:30 pm.
I hope that I have been able to show a little bit of the magic of Spiti through the narration of my experience. Spiti is a magical place and I have definitely left a part of my heart there, which keeps longing to go back as soon as possible.
After crossing Sangla, we took a tea break at a small village. The locals were wonderful and the elderly persons sitting around were full of stories.
Driving along, we came to an ITBP checkpoint. You have to make an entry, which is crosschecked while returning, just to make sure that you leave :)
Some glimpses of our drive to Chitkul
The last few kms. to Chitkul are also very picturesque. Seemed like we were driving through a fairyland.
We drove through Chitkul upto the next border Checkpost. China border is about 40 kms. from the Checkpost, but It's not possible for civilians to go any further. So we chatted with the sentry and returned to Chitkul. Our original plan was to drive to Kalpa, but the beauty of Chitkul was spellbinding. We couldn't think of leaving from here in a hurry. So we decided to stay here a night, even though it meant using up a buffer day, right at the beginning of our journey.
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| Beautiful valley |
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| View through the windshield |
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| Picturesque parking |
Rating: 5/5
Review:
We were lucky to get a room, which freed up as a group couldn't reach Chitkul that evening. We took 02 rooms on the ground floor, which had bunk beds. Warm covers are provided with the beds, which are really required in this region. You have to pay for towels though.
The rooms are compact but comfortable. They have an attached bathroom, which has a geyser for hot water and a shower. real luxurious in this small village in one corner of India.
There is an awesome common room, which has a TV, books, indoor games etc. It's a great place to socialise and meet fellow adventurers. I loved this room the most.
The coffee shop / restaurant was under construction when we stayed. But it's going to be an enclosed space with seating. We ended up having all our meals under the open sky, and loved every minute of it. The kitchen is functioning throughout the day and we were supplied with steaming cups of tea and pakodas whenever requested.
The hotel is run by Nitesh Kumar and his team. They are pretty competent and helped us out. Nitesh also took us for a walk around the village. Overall a very warm and helpful guy.
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| Zostel, Chitkul |
Chitkul village is also very beautiful, untouched and unaffected so far by tourism. Apart from Zostel, there are a few home stays and small shops for essentials. Our village walk with Nitesh was also fun, with the locals welcoming us. The children running and playing are very cute and friendly. The monastery is small, but beautiful.
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| Chitkul Village |
Lets not forget the famous Sharmaji Dhaba, which served us tasty rajma chaval and maggi..
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| Restaurant with a view |
On Day 6, after eating breakfast to our heart's content, we departed from Chitkul for Kalpa. We backtracked on the same road, past the Checkpost and through Sangla to Karcham. From here we took a right turn to head towards Kalpa.
We reached Reckong Peo around 02:30 pm. Unfortunately, due to our lack on knowledge, we found a hotel in Reckong Peo and checked-in there. We didn't realise that Kalpa is approx. 7 kms. ahead, and the stay options there are aplenty.
Hotel Review: J K Hotel:
Rating: 2/5
Review:
The hotel is down a narrow alley and the Thar barely made it through. There is a partially complete building opposite, where we parked.
The rooms are below average and very basic. The bathroom is not maintained and the facilities are broken and not functioning. There is no restaurant or food made available.
It's best to stay in Kalpa.
In the evening, we drove to Kalpa and onwards to Suicide point, which is a sheer cliff. Good for taking pics.
On the way back, we visited the Kalpa monastery, which was closed but they opened it for us. If you walk ahead of the monastery, there is also a temple. The temple door was open, but everything inside was barricaded and locked.
We took some time for photography and just enjoying the slow vibe of Kalpa.
In the evening, we went to Recking Peo market. It's definitely one of the largest markets in this area and you can also find some good eating options. We opted for chaat in a local sweet shop followed up with dinner in Little Chef restaurant. The food here was average and the ambiance also was very dingy.
On Day 7, we left bright and early from Reckong Peo. We topped up our fuel again and drove down the mountain towards our night halt destination of Tabo with a stopover at Nako and Gue Monestary in between. Pretty soon after leaving Reckong Pro, we came across a landslide area, where a water crossing had flooded and closed the road for nearly a whole day. Luckily, the weather was sunny and the road was clear when we crossed.
Breakfast at a small roadside restaurant included awesome omelettes and Maggi. This is definitely the best food you can get in the hills. Soon after, we came along a bridge, where only 1 vehicle can pass at a time. It was quite a hair-raising experience, with the raging river far-far below us and the wooden floorboards of the bridge.
The drive onwards in through a terrain unlike anything I have ever seen. It's mountains after mountains of just dirt and rubble. I am sure that even a loud bang will trigger a landslide. This is definitely the closest that I have felt like driving on the moon.
Tea stop before Nako..
The drive upto Nako was uneventful. We entered Nako village for a quick visit to the local monastery. The monastery was buzzing with activity as their chief priest was visiting the next day. Colourful tents covered the grounds and there was unbelievable energy in the air.
After visiting Nako monastery, we drove onwards to Gue monastery. Again, we were lucky to get to a landslide just minutes after it happened. Harshad jumped out of the car, and with some newfound superhuman strength, pushed away large stones to clear the way.
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| Splendid Views |
We got into Gue monastery in the afternoon. Gue monastery houses a 565 year old Mummy. It was found by the army during blasting work. It was kept in a closed glass case, but after it's condition started to deteriorate, they opened the glass case and the mummy is perfectly in restored condition. I am told that the hair & nails on the mummy grow till date.
The mummy is kept in a small room and a much larger monastery is currently under construction.
Spectacular views from the monastery..
After Gue monastery, we moved onto Tabo, our halt for the night. Tabo is a small town, which is well known for it's monastery. We had booked ourselves in Hotel Maitriya Regency a day before and we were lucky to get the last 2 rooms.
Hotel Review: Hotel Maitriya Regency, Tabo
Rating: 5/5
Review:
The hotel is at the end of the only road which leads into Tabo. It's a quaint little place, which is run like a family hotel.
The rooms are large and the third bed could be accommodated easily. The rooms are clean and the washrooms are also very well kept. There is a geyser, but it works only if there is electricity.
There is a common room on the ground floor, which has a tastefully done seating area and the dining tables. The lone TV in the hotel is also in this room. Other than that, there is an outdoor seating area and a little space in the reception.
We had our dinner in the room as there was a function of the Army in the dining area. The food was delicious. We also had snacks and tea in the evening and omelettes and parathas the next morning for breakfast. All of the food was very tasty.
The staff of this hotel makes it a class apart. The owner has leased out the hotel to a local person and it's run flawlessly. Of course, there are going to be problems because of the remote location, but the staff really gives it their all. A friend of the owner (I think his name was Mr. Dhani), who stays in the hotel for 4 months in a year to help out is really a gem of a person and I spent quite a few hours in the evening chatting up with him.
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| The caretaker on the left and the owner's friend on the right |
Day 8 started with a visit to Tabo monastery. It was established in 996. The positive energy that I felt in this monastery is unlike any other monastery that I visited during this trip. Definitely the best monastery that we visited during our visit.
After breakfast, we were informed that the road ahead was washed away due to rains the previous day. It would take at least 2-3 hours to clear the road. We weren't too anxious as we had an easy day with visit to Dhankar Monastery and then final halt at Mudh valley. So we took the opportunity to do shopping of local artefacts in the shops outside the monastery, walk around the small but picturesque village and even send a postcard home from the local village post office.
Finally we left Tabo around 11 am. We got through the landslide area without any difficulty. We stopped for photos at some awesome locations :)
We reached Dhankar monastery and to our surprise we found that the road leading up the mountain was completely washed away. We found an alternate "kaccha" rasta and went ahead.
The road ahead was luckily in excellent condition and we were able to drive up smoothly. Although this is the first instance where I felt that the Thar was losing power due to low oxygen and I had to frequently use the first gear and clutch to power up steep inclines.
Dhankar monastery is peached up on a mountain and the road narrows as we near it. But there is just about enough space to turn around at the end.
We visited the Monastery. It's a multi-storey building and the prayer room is right on the top floor. Even though this monastery is at about 12,500 ft. above MSL, we were all out of breath. Out of all the monasteries we visited, Dhankar monastery is the only one which charged us an entry fee (Rs. 25 per person) for entering the prayer room.
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| Dhankar Monastery Building |
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| View from the top of Monastery |
We started our drive onwards to Mudh Valley (It's in Pin Valley National Park). We drove along NH 5 and then turned left about 17 kms. before Kaza to enter Mudh Valley.
The drive ahead upto Mudh village is a mixture of roads. It started with extremely barren landscape with rough roads. Then we moved onto some rocky terrain in the mountains. After that, we came onto a smooth winding road with brick walls on both sides. This area reminded me of driving in the English countryside.
The views in these parts are spectacular. We got pics like the ones below, even when we stopped randomly to check Gaurav's bike tyre, which had gone flat. The scenery makes even an amateur photographer seem like a professional :)
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| The scenery is from a picture postcard |
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| You can't stop taking pictures in a place like this |
Hotel Review: Tara Home Stay, Mudh Village
Rating: 5/5
Review:
We got 2 rooms at the top floor (road level). 1 room was corner room and had a great view of the valley and an attached bathroom. The other room was behind it and had no window and no attached bathroom. The common bathroom is just a few steps away in the same complex.
The stay was extremely comfortable. It’s very basic but you get a cosy room, warm blankets and clean bathroom. Can you really ask for more?
The food was delicious. It’s a home kitchen and everything is cooked in front of you. We ordered well in advance and got an amazing meal of rice, rajma and Tibetan pizza. The chocolate momos are amazing too. The menu is large and everything we ordered was cooked and served without any fuss. Breakfast included omelettes, French toast, parathas and tea.
The only connection with the outside world is through a satellite phone, which is available in this guest house on nominal charge. There is no mobile range.
The view of the valley from the roof is very good and we also had a great view of the Milky Way from the roof in the night as there are no lights to obstruct the night sky. But we could handle the cold only till midnight.
They have another guest house up the road, but we did not check that out. Book in advance and enjoy your stay here.
The views from the roof are breathtaking.
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| Views in the morning |
On Day 9, after an evening well spent in chilling with like-minded travellers, hikers and trekkers and even a group of Israelis travelling on bike, we moved out after breakfast towards Kaza. It was an easy and short drive and we planned to use the day to relax in Kaza and get some required repairs done on our bikes and car.
We backtracked the same way until we reached the turnoff for Kaza and took a left turn. The road further to Kaza is in decent condition and it took us about 2 hours in total to reach Kaza.
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| One of the smaller villages we passed on our way.. Population: 30 :) |
There is an authorised Royal Enfield service station right at the beginning of Kaza, while coming from Tabo side. Out riders stopped there to get their bikes serviced. We decided to move ahead to get our car horn repaired, which had stopped working couple of days back.
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| A true biker.. never leaves his bike in anyone's hand.. inspecting everything himself |
There are three car garages in Kaza. We visited all 3. The first 2 were ready to do only mechanical work. The third garage, which is at the end of Kaza town after crossing the petrol pump, had a mechanic willing to do electrical work, and our horn was finally repaired. There is only one shop for puncture repair. So get any work done ASAP on arriving as shops here tend to close early.
While getting their bikes checked, the riders came to know that the service station has started a dormitory and cafe right above the station. We decided to stay here itself.
We spent the afternoon in Kaza market, visited the famous Himalayan Cafe and did some shopping in the souvenir shop. The evening was reserved for celebrating Shaunak's birthday with some cake and fine single malt, which we had carried all the way from Chandigarh :)
Hotel Review: Grease Moto Club , Kaza
Rating: 4/5
Review:
This is strictly a hostel. There are 3 rooms with bunk beds (6-8 capacity each) and an attached bathroom in each room. Our room had 8 bunkbeds and we crammed in with our luggage and bags.
The rooms are basic with beds and charging points close to each bed. The bathroom is average size but has a geyser for hot water as well. It is very slow and be prepared to wait for 10-15 mins. for a bucket of hot water. Electricity is sporadic as in most of Spiti, and the generator is put on only in the night.
The cafe restaurant is run nicely with a small kitchen. He cooked food as per our requirements and the meals were satisfactory. Coffee made by him deserves special mention. Remember to order meals half a day in advance, as the cook goes to Kaza town to shop accordingly. We ordered dinner at 6 pm on the first day and finally got our meal at 10:30 pm.
Other than this, there are no creature comforts. But it's sufficient for a basic no-frills stay.
On Day 10, the guys headed out of Kaza to visit Hikkim (highest postoffice in the world), Komic (Highest village connected by motor able road) and Langza (Buddha statue). But the unpredictable nature of Spiti had a surprise for us.
We decided to take only the Thar as it had been raining since the last evening and we were going to be coming back to Kaza in the evening. After piling into the Thar, we first visited Komic.
After some much needed hot ginger tea, we proceeded to Hikkim..
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| Hikkim.. World's highest Post Office |
After leaving from Hikkim and driving towards Langza, we faced some heavy rains and all of a sudden the road turned into slush. Cars were slipping and sliding and an Innova ahead of us actually turned around 180 deg. and faced us. Taking advantage of the 4X4, we inched ahead and finally cleared the slushy area after a lot of sliding around ourselves. It was a scary experience, especially for my co-adventurers who have had no taste of 4X4 off-roading earlier :)
After our ordeal, we warned 3-4 vehicles heading up towards Hikkim. But I am not sure if they paid any attention to our suggestion of not proceeding ahead.
We all decided to return back to Kaza as we had had our share of adventure for the day and also because the rain was not letting up. Taking advantage of our early return, we headed back to Kaza city in the evening and had dinner at Hotel Deyzor. In my opinion, Hotel Deyzor is the best hotel in Kaza and the food was absolutely delicious. Although let me give you a heads up that they give first preference to in-house guests and very few walk-ins are taken at mealtimes. So head there early, if you want to ensure getting a meal.
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| With the owner, Karanbir Singh Bedi and his better half :) |
On Day 11, we left early from Kaza. It was going to be a long day and one of our toughest drives, with visit to Key Monastery enroute to Chandra Taal. As per my understanding, the roads after Kaza are not open in the winters. Thus, their upkeep even during the summer season is not top priority and the road condition can be quite bad.
The drive from Kaza to Key Monastery is awesome, with silky smooth roads. The views enroute are to amazing too..
We reached Key Monastery really early and found the monks having breakfast in the main prayer room. This was followed by their prayer session. It was a magical experience for me to be present during the rhythmic chanting of the scrolls. I am really privileged to be present in the monastery at this moment.
We drove ahead of Key Monastery after a good breakfast in the on-site cafe and after playing with the small monks in-training. The scenery as we drove ahead is the best that I have seen in my life..
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| One of my favourite pics.. in Kibbar |
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| With a backdrop like that, how could I not pose for a pic with my Thar :) |
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| Pics clicked randomly along the road |
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| A speck in the vastness of Spiti |
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| View through my window |
At Chicham bridge, Asia's highest bridge at 13,596 feet.
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| Wooden Bridges |
Driving ahead, the views kept getting better..
The roads were starting to show signs of getting bad.. although still manageable..
We reached Losar around 01:30 pm, where we stopped for lunch. The road had been getting worse after Kibbar and we found several travellers with vehicle troubles and punctures in Losar. We helped out as much as we could with our tools and knowledge.
We were informed that the road ahead to Kunzum Top (one of the highest passes at 15059 feet) and then onwards to Chandra Taal was much worse, which got me worried as the road condition was already pretty bad. We drove ahead with apprehension and the roads indeed were pathetic, definitely the worse that we had encountered in our entire trip. In most of the drive after Losar, there were no roads at all. Also, it was very confusing at times as there were several roads diverging from a point and no signboards. These roads have been made as different travellers chose different routes to drive ahead, leaving us totally lost.
Finally we made it upto Kunzum Top. There is a Kunzum Mata temple at the top and it's a ritual for every vehicle reaching the top to drive around the temple before proceeding ahead.
Driving ahead from Kumzum Top, the road just kept getting bad to worse..
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| Road heading down from Kumzum Top towards Batal |
Driving ahead we came to a signboard that said Chandra Taal was 13.5 kms. ahead. I thought we were home free, but boy was I in for a surprise..
The road ahead was mountainous, treacherous, narrow and no boundary or markings on the valley side. We encountered some cyclists and they had to pick up their bicycles on their shoulders and stand to give enough space to our Thar to get through. Don't even ask about the time an Innova came from the opposite direction, which ensured a time consuming game of reversing and making space for two cars. It was a nightmare.
Finally we made it to the camps at Chandrataal. My shoulders felt like rocks and I was exhausted. These last 13.5 kms. are definitely my toughest driving test and I am very proud that I got through without even a scratch on my Thar.
We checked into our camp at 05:30 pm and decided to head to the lake immediately, so that we were free to leave for Manali early the next day. The army post allows permit only till 6 pm to drive towards the lake, which is a 2.5 km drive uphill from the camps area. We made the deadline and moved ahead.
After driving up the mountain, you have to trek for about 20-30 mins. from the parking area to reach the lake, a feat in itself at such high altitude. The exhaustion from driving and the extremely cold weather (coldest in our trip) didn't help much. Finally we made it to the lake, and all the efforts were worth it. The exhaustion disappeared and I felt rejuvenated and refreshed.
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| At Chandra Taal Lake |
It was getting dark by the time we got back to camp.
The temperature was near 0 degree and we desperately needed some warmth. Some scotch and namkeen went a long way and then we headed to dinner. The dinner tent was a large tent with a big chimney in the middle to provide heat. Dinner included some boiled veggies, dal and rice. In such conditions, the food was delicious. Lights out was at 09:30 pm and we didn't need any other excuse to get under the warm blankets and sleep.
On Day 12, inspite of deciding to leave early morning, we departed only by 8 am after feasting on hot chai and bread-jam. Such a simple breakfast never tasted so good. We proceeded ahead quickly as we had to cross 3 major water crossings including the infamous chota dhara.
A video shot on Mack's GoPro might give you an idea about the Chandra Taal road, heading back towards Batal. Believe me, the road is much more treacherous and difficult at the end of the day in fading light, like when we had traversed it while going.
Our first stop was at Batal, at the famous Chacha-Chachi Chandra dhaba. They are well known in these parts for their open hearts and generosity towards travellers.
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| With Chacha and Chachi at Chandra Dhaba |
After a quick tea stop, we proceeded ahead again. The landscape again made me feel as if we were driving on the moon. It was bare, rugged and grey.
Soon, we came across the infamous water crossings. We were lucky to find the water level low, as we were crossing in the morning. The water levels rise substantially in the afternoon, as the ice melts at the top of the mountains with the sunshine and water flows down dangerously. It is not uncommon for a flash flood to occur if a large chunk of ice breaks away. It's always advisable to get through the water crossings as early in the day as possible, and as quickly as possible. Please don't stop and start taking pictures in the middle of it.
Finally, we were coming to the end of the Spiti circuit. The road was still narrow and treacherous but the end of the road was calling us. There is absolutely nothing on this road. So we made good progress.
We started our accent on a severe hill, where the road was completely washed out and there was dried mud everywhere. It had been a large mudslide a couple of day back, and we were lucky to be coming a few days later. Finally, we took a turn and the Malani-Leh highway lay before ahead. It was the first time we were seeing tarmac in quite a days.
We drove towards Manali and reached Rohtang Pass. It was extremely crowded, being August 15 and a holiday.
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| Happy Independence Day from Rohtang Pass |
We drove into Manali and checked into Ride Inn Cafe. It is a specialty B&B, which has been custom made for bikers.
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| Beautifully thought out and decorated cafe |
Hotel Review: Ride Inn Cafe, Manali
Rating: 4/5
Review:
We checked into 3 rooms as the hotel does not allow triple occupancy. The rooms are comfortable and all basic necessities are available. The bathroom is very good as well. It was really luxurious after spending the previous night at a tent in Chandra Taal.
The cafe is on the top floor. It's been designed beautifully and the view form the terrace is amazing. We enjoyed ourselves with steaming cups of tea in the chilli evening.
The food also was delicious. The kitchen is looked after by the owner and the quality is evident. We had a good Indian meal at dinner.
The reason that I have reduced 1 star is because of electricity problem. There was no electricity during most of our stay duration. This was because of heavy rainfall the earlier day, but the hotel should have some kind of back-up. During our entire stay, we had electricity for about 4 hrs. only. We spent the evening with our torches lighting the room.
Now that we were back in civilisation, it was time to head back home. The return journey was planned in the same way as the one we took while coming. We would cover as much distance as possible and then stay when dusk settled in.
On Day 13, we departed early from Manali and drove towards Chandigarh. The roads were not in great condition owing to the rains. But we made good headway. Driving throughout the day, the heat of Rajasthan and the traffic let us get only to Rohtak. He decided to call it a day and checked-in to Hotel Lavenir.
Hotel Review: Hotel Lavenir, Rohtak
Rating: 4/5
Review:
The hotel was absolutely new and only 10 rooms were operational when we stayed. The restaurant was also under construction. The hotel promised us dinner in room service and we were happy. Besides we got a good deal as the hotel was still under construction.
We checked-in to 2 rooms on triple occupancy basis. The rooms were large and even a third mattress left enough room to walk around. The rooms were well lit and there was TV and A/C.
The staff was super helpful, maybe because we were one fo the first few guests staying in the hotel.
The tea and sandwich served for snacks was good. The dinner was tasty, but extremely oily. We were told that the kitchen has started and all food was cooked in-house. There is a 'Great Kebab Factory' restaurant in the adjacent building, but we were too tired to venture out for dinner.
On Day 14, we again departed early morning as we wanted to cover as much distance as possible. Today we made it to Neemuch, which was short of our target destination of Chittorgarh. But our rule of not driving after dusk was followed religiously.
Hotel Review: Hotel Tanishq The Resort of Fun, Nimbahera
Rating: 3/5
Review:
We made our reservation on a travel website before reaching and even called the hotel to confirm. Still, we had to wait 10 mins. on the gate while the security checked our reservation. Next, at check-in, the person at reception told us that they will serve us dinner in restaurant only if there was no family eating there. Else, dinner would be served in room service only.
We couldn't understand if they were fussy and suspicious only with us or with all guests.
The rooms were good. The hotel does not allow triple occupancy, so we took 3 rooms. The hotel is very new and everything was in great shape. The bathroom is also large with soaps provided. There are no TVs in the rooms though.
The food taste was good. But the service is really struggling to cope up. As far as I could see, we were the only guests in the hotel. Still we were forced to have dinner in our room. The food was brought to us in batches and the roti was over before the vegetables came. The rice came last, when there was no dal or vegetable left.
Overall, a very average stay.
Day 15, last day... We left early morning the next day. We had to cover 650 kms. to reach Nasik but we were determined to get home. Smooth roads, less traffic and God's grace got us to Nasik at 05:30 pm.
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| Welcomed back by our awesome riding brothers |
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| Total kms. clocked in entire trip |
I hope that I have been able to show a little bit of the magic of Spiti through the narration of my experience. Spiti is a magical place and I have definitely left a part of my heart there, which keeps longing to go back as soon as possible.
