Spiti Valley - Jul '21

This is my 4th trip to Spiti valley – 1st was a road trip with two of my friends in Jun '09, 2nd was a photography trip in Jul '17 (https://www.spiti--jul-17.gopsview.com/ ), 3rd was a trip to capture snow leopards in Mar '18 (https://www.spiti--mar-18.gopsview.com/ ) and now to capture again the beauty of Spiti Valley.

Travel Date : 17th Jul ‘21 to 24th Jul ‘21

Company : Darter Photography by Manish Lakhani

Spiti Valley is a cold desert mountain valley located high in the Himalayas in the north-eastern part of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The name "Spiti" means "The middle land", i.e. the land between Tibet and India - Wikipedia

Lahaul / Spiti can be reached either from Chandigarh or from Delhi. I flew into Chandigarh and from Chandigarh it was by road. Drive to Manali takes about 9 hours, certainly a very long drive. I spent two nights in Manali. I have heard about the Atal tunnel that is built under the Rohtang pass, length of about 9 KMS and above 10,000 feet. I was curious to experience this tunnel. In 2009, when I did my first trip, I had to cross Rohtang pass. It was a nightmare. Many a time we had to wait for hours to cross the pass due to landslide, low visibility etc. and the drive till we cross Rohtang pass was arduous. But with the Atal tunnel it was so smooth and easy and saved us a lot of time.

Atal Tunnel, Video Credit - Manish Lakhani

After a bit of smooth ride we had to take a detour to get to our first stop, Kaza. Most part of the road to Kaza is bad but the icing on the cake were the gorgeous views outside, forcing us to stop every now and then to capture the beauty. Our entry point is the Lahaul region and then into Spiti region after crossing the Kunzum La (pass) which is around 15,000 feet. Once in Spiti region the landscape totally changes with Spiti river, greenery and patches of yellow & pink flowers. Our stay in Kaza was for two nights. Our stay was in Hotel Deyzor. Hotel Deyzor is the place to stay in Kaza – very neat and tastefully done rooms, good location (walking distance to the main market) and above all amazing variety of food. In Kaza, we visited the 800 year old Ki Monastery.

Lahaul / Spiti Landscape, Video Credit - Manish Lakhani

Landscape with flowers all over

Hotel Deyzor-Kaza, Picture Credit - Manish Lakhani

Our next stop was at Langza and a tall Budha statue welcomes you to Langza. It was a homestay situated in the midst of barley and green peas fields and it was so beautiful. It is a small village with about 10 to 15 houses. While in Langza, one should not miss to enjoy the local arrack (chhang) made with Barley. Our stay here was for two days and was well spent exploring the village.

Huge Budha Statue, Langza

Langza Village, Video Credit - Manish Lakhani

Our next and final destination was the much awaited, Chandratal situated in Lahaul valley. Our stay here was in a camp site and in a 5 star luxury tent. The lake situated at an altitude of 14,000 + feet and surrounded by mountains is so serene. We went for a shoot in the evening (sunset) and in the morning (sunrise) but I personally prefer the morning shoot. Our stay here was just a night. A word of caution when you visit Chandratal. There are clear sign boards that mention to stay away from the lake water but many do not take the caution seriously. It is a glacier water and hence it is very clear and hence very deceiving when you step in. Unfortunately we had to witness an untoward incident in the lake. So please stay away from the lake water.

Chandratal Lake, Video Credit - Manish Lakhani

With the photography mission accomplished, we returned back to Manali and then to our respective destinations.

Picture Credit - Manish Lakhani

To view the album --> http://spiti-valley-jul-21.gopsview.com/