TravelEscapades
BY MOUNTAIN TRAIL HOLIDAYS PVT LTD
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Once in a lifetime kind of an itinerary. You can but usually don’t do such long, off beat road trips frequently. Spectacular as it’s overloaded with scenic splendour. You are destined to reach the scenic and splendid Sangla Valley at a height of approx. 2260 ft. ASL. Located in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh.. Stay at Sangla is along the river Baspa and the retreat is surrounded by towering snowcapped mountains. After you leave Thanedar / Narkanda on day two, the drive is very scenic, mostly along the river Sutlej. The drive on these scenic mountain roads with the river flowing along makes the whole trip super exciting. Once based at Sangla we go for village treks, glacier treks, visit apple orchards, if it’s the right season and experience the hypnotic magic of raw nature.
ITINERARY DETAILS
Day1
Stay at Thanedar / Narkanda – Meal included – Dinner
Schedule: Plan to leave Delhi early by about 5am and reach Thanedar / Narkanda before sunset, normally takes about 11-12Hrs. Enjoy a relaxed evening, by the bon-fire if it’s cold enough. Thanedar / Narkanda is at a height of about 2300mtrs ASL so mornings and evenings can get cold.
Day2
Stay at Sangla – Meal included – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Schedule: Leisurely departure from Thanedar / Narkanda post breakfast around 9-10am. We drive down to river Sutlej and then drive along the river. Today we cover approx.150 Kms in 5 hrs to reach the pristine Sangla valley. We can refuel at Jeori but we have fuel station up till the Sangla town so nothing to worry about. We cross the prospering and bustling town of Ramapur en-route and then via Wangtoo – Karcham drive to Sangla. We will reach close to sunset and the evening will be at leisure. Enjoy the starlit skies and the fresh air from the snowcapped peaks around. Stay warm by the bon-fire and retire after a sumptuous meal.
Day 3
Stay at Sangla – Meal included – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Schedule: Today we will head out to explore the neighbourhood on foot. Mostly by the river until we choose a picturesque spot to relax. We have an option of carrying packed lunch today if desired. Being the first day we will just absorb the nature and scenic splendor and take it easy by being at the retreat and around.
Day 4
Stay at Sangla – Meal included – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Schedule: Today we plan a trek, based on your preference of how much you’d want to walk we select and plan it for you. The aim today is to climb to the snow lines, if possible glaciers and experience the altitudes up till about 12000 ft ASL. A guide and packed lunch is arranged and if necessary a vehicle too for the initial climb up. The higher reaches around the Sangla valley are a must do. It could be a trek to Rakcham Village or to the Sangla Meadows locally known as Sangla Kanda.
Day 5
Stay at Sangla – Meal included – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Schedule : Today we relax at the retreat and enjoy the day at leisure.
Day 6
Stay at Sangla – Meal included – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Schedule : This is a day reserved for CHITKUL. The last inhabited village on the Indo-Tibet border at a height of 11300 Ft ASL. It’s one of the most beautiful villages, nestled on the banks of the Baspa River, surrounded by mountains. For the offbeat enthusiast in you this would some experience. The drive to Chitkul is about 1hr, one way. The postcard like village with a mere 650 inhabitants has wooden houses and a vibe which tells you that the villagers here are very happy and wouldn’t want it any other way. Enjoy some local food, the regular Tibetan delicacies - Momos and Thukpas are available for you to snack on. The drive to and from Chitkul is not on a very good road but mesmerizingly scenic so you wouldn’t complain.
Day 7
Stay at Chail – Meal included – Breakfast and Dinner.
Schedule : Post breakfast we leave Sangla at around 9am for a 7-8 Hr drive to reach Chail. Overnight stay to break journey. Tomorrow we are on our last lap to reach Delhi before sunset.
About:
Thanedar
About 80 Kms from Shimla and after a slight detour from Narkanda comes this quaint little fruit growing village of Thanedar. It is the village that famed Himachal Pradesh into an Apple growing state. It’s at a height of about 2400Mtrs ASL facing the valley and the sunset. It’s a perfect hill station for short relaxing stays with some amazing nature walks. Thanedar is a typical Himachal Village with nets thrown over terraced apple orchards to protect the trees from hail and maybe even birds. It’s a sleepy little single street town with houses and orchards on both sides.
.
State: Himachal Pradesh.
Weather: It’s pleasant days and cold evenings from April to June with max temperatures at 27 DegC and lows at around 16 DegC. Monsoons come by Mid June and stay on until end of August with moderate to heavy showers and chances of landslides. Winters are quite cold with snow expected during December / January when temperatures can dip close to and sub zero.
Closest airport: Technically Shimla (96 Kms / 3.15 Hrs) but realistically the only option is Chandigarh airport (197 Kms / 6 Hrs)
Closest Railway Station: Technically Shimla (96 Kms / 3.15 Hrs) but realistically the only viable option is Chandigarh railway station (197 Kms / 6 Hrs)
Best time to visit: April to November
Generally spoken language: Hindi,Punjabi and Himachali.
Altitude: 2300 Mtrs ASL approx.
Sangla
One of the most scenic valleys of India, surrounded by snowcapped peaks and the gushing river Baspa meandering through the slopes gurgling across the prosperous apple growing villages located at a height of 2620Mtrs ASL in the Kinnaur District of Himachal Pradesh. It’s another world, full of nature’s bounties, scenic vistas, glacier treks, village walks, apple orchards, star gazing, fishing for trout and more such adventure activities. It is about 17Kms from Karcham and 160 Kms from Narkanda.
.State: Himachal Pradesh.
Weather: As it’s a valley the weather is enjoyably cold throughout the year except winters as the winters do get to extremes with snow fall and sub-zero temperatures but is has it’s own charm. Summer peaks at 32 DegC with lows of 8-10 DegC. Monsoons - July and August, can receive heavy, regular rainfall and is avoidable as it worsens the road conditions and keeps you indoors mostly.
Closest airport: Technically Shimla (245 Kms / 8Hrs) but realistically the only option is Chandigarh airport (334 Kms / 10 Hrs)
Closest Railway Station: Technically Shimla (223Kms / 7Hrs) but realistically the only viable option is Chandigarh railway station (330 Kms / 10 Hrs)
Best time to visit: March to June the September until November.
Generally spoken language: Hindi, Punjabi and Himachali.
Altitude: 2620 Mtrs ASL approx.
Chail
45 Kms from Shimla lies this lush green hill station blessed with dense Deodar and Pine forests. Compared to both Kufri and Shimla it is much less crowded, much quieter, more green and has scenic views because of which it is perfect for travelers looking for stays slightly off the beaten track. Rich in Wildlife Chail is popular amongst wildlife enthusiasts who visit the Chail Wildlife Sanctuary, home to the Barking Deer, the Black Bear, the Sambhar Deer, the Leopard and a long list of resident and migrant bird species.
Himachal Pradesh.
Weather: Pleasant summers with highs of 32 DegC and lows of 16 DegC. Monsoons get cooler with rains coming in in July & August. The hill station becomes very scenic with the greens all washed, dramatic with the clouds around but it also brings in some landslides which do at times create road blocks. Winters can get very cold and you can expect to experience good amount of snow with sub zero temperaures.
Closest airport: Technically Shimla (61Kms / 2Hrs) but realistically the only viable option is Chandigarh airport (106Kms / 3.30Hrs)
Closest Railway Station: Technically Kalka (83Kms / 3Hrs) but realistically the only viable option is Chandigarh railway station (100Kms / 3.30Hrs)
Best time to visit: April to June and then September until November.
Generally spoken language: Hindi,Punjabi and Himachali.
Altitude: 2620 Mtrs ASL approx.