Himalayas trekking holiday with homestays
| country: | India |
| location: | Indian Himalayas |
| trip type: | Moderate, high altitude trekking holidays |
| departures: | 2008: 24 Jul |
| price: | From £845 (12 days) excluding flights, based on 2 people travelling together. A discount will be offered to groups of 4 or more. |
the amazing things you'll be doing
A blend of Spiti's rich cultural heritage and natural splendours, this trail provides a unique insight into the Spitian way of life (their homes, cuisine, agriculture and irrigation practices, livestock grazing mechanisms) balanced with the opportunity to explore the habitats of some of the worlds rarest species of wildlife such as the Snow Leopard, Tibetan Wolf, and Blue Sheep.
This is a high altitude trip (max, height 4740 m). Please contact us to discuss the implications of this and your own personal fitness. On arrival to India you will be met at the airport and transferred to the train station, or hotel.
We can arrange optional extensions for sightseeing in Delhi, or a trip to the Taj Mahal at the start or end of this trip. We can also tailor this trip with a rafting expedition or wildlife safari.
This is a high altitude trip (max, height 4740 m). Please contact us to discuss the implications of this and your own personal fitness. On arrival to India you will be met at the airport and transferred to the train station, or hotel.
We can arrange optional extensions for sightseeing in Delhi, or a trip to the Taj Mahal at the start or end of this trip. We can also tailor this trip with a rafting expedition or wildlife safari.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Delhi to Manali (2050 m): 12 hrs. Board the train leaving Delhi at 7.40 am to reach Chandigah at 11.00 am. Then drive north into the Himalaya to Manali. Manali is beautiful hill station in the Alpine lower reaches of the Himalaya. The town has great atmosphere and is one of the top skiing destinations in the greater Himalaya. Overnight Hotel. |
| Day 2: | Rest day Manali. Have a relaxing day after yesterdays long day of travel. Visit Manali market, Roerich Art Gallery, Hadimba Temple, and walk around town. Overnight hotel. |
| Day 3: | Drive Manali to Kaza (3686 m): 8/9 hrs. We start early and drive further north into the Mountains gaining more height today. Over these two days of driving the landscape changes from flat agricultural land, to alpine meadows, peaks and forests, to the barren high altitude terrain of Spiti: a slow but interesting journey. Overnight hotel in Kaza. |
| Day 4: | Kaza to Langza (4400 m): 1 hr. A relatively easy day in order to acclimatise to the increase in altitude. No need to wake up early this day. One can start after a leisurely breakfast and reach Langza by noon in order to pay a visit to the Lang (temple). The Lang is regarded to be the headquarters of all the deities of the valley and houses some beautiful old frescoes and thankas (paintings on silken canvas). Dinner and overnight in a home-stay. |
| Day 5: | Langza to Jureley (4740 m): 5/6 hrs. We start early as it is the first long day of trekking and should be taken slowly, as exercising at altitude can be very draining. The trail traverses along a natural fossil centre with the opportunity to spot some rare relics of Spiti's geological history. For most of the way we follow carefully laid out irrigation channels, getting an insight into the laborious and intricate system of water management. The trail runs parallel to the stunningly striking Pasham Range with the peaks of Chau Chau Khang Nilda (6380 m) and Chau Chau Khang Namo (5964 m) forming a beautiful backdrop. If you're lucky, you may spot Blue Sheep along this route, as well as a host of native flora. |
| Day 6: | Jureley to Mulchay (4560 m): 4/5 hrs. The trail slowly winds itself over pasture lands and the day is spent marvelling at the magnificence and imposing stature of the grazing yaks and horses. The night is spent camping at a summer settlement of the villagers. Every year a few of the villagers shift to these settlements along with the village livestock for the purpose of grazing the animals and collecting winter fodder and fuel. |
| Day 7: | Mulchay to Demul (4357 m): 2/3 hrs. As one leaves Mulchay, there is a sense of anticipation that builds before approaching Demul. Located in one of the most remote areas of Spiti, this village has a very interesting legend associated with its foundation, which you will learn on arrival. After a warm lunch in a home-stay, we take a look around the village and meet the local people. The local villagers are a good source of information, not only for the sights but also for the unique history surrounding the village. |
| Day 8: | Demul to Lhalung (3758 m): 4/5 hrs. The route is primarily all downhill today. Lunch is at a village called Saglung, housing all of two houses. This village, apart from having such a small population, is amazingly picturesque and the people are very friendly. Lhalung, which is not too far, also has plenty to offer. The oldest temple and possibly one of the oldest trees (dating back over a millennium) in Spiti are found here. |
| Day 9: | Lhalung to Dhankhar (3890 m): 4/5 hrs. This route winds itself along the road for a while before a gradual ascent up the mountain side brings us to one of most picturesque spots in Spiti. Dhankhar Lake is cradled in the lap of stark mountains reflecting heaven and earth in its crystal clear waters. Packed lunch can be had here and thereafter a steep descent brings one to the ancient capital of Spiti. Sketched along stone-mud pillars and cliffs, it's hard to describe Dhankhar as words are inadequate for this village, balanced precariously amidst geological relics. |
| Day 10: | Dhankhar to Kaza (3686 m): 1.5 hrs. One can spend the morning visiting the old and new monasteries, the remains of the Dhankhar Fort and the museum of cultural artefacts. We have lunch in the home-stay and then drive to Kaza in the afternoon. |
| Day 11: | Kaza to Manali (2050 m): 8/9 hrs. We drive to Manali, enjoying the landscape as it transforms back to the lush alpine mountains and valleys of the Kullu Valley. Overnight hotel in Manali. |
| Day 12: | Manali to Delhi: 12 hrs. Drive back to Chandigah and board the train to Delhi arriving in the evening. Trip ends. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.how this holiday makes a difference
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We have teamed up with Ecosphere, an NGO developing alternate and sustainable livelihoods for the local community that link to the development and conservation of the region’s culture and nature. Ecosphere ensures that the local community receives a fair price for their services and has developed mechanisms that ensure equitable benefit sharing in the local community.
Staying in somebody’s home, experiencing their way of life, is undoubtedly the best way to view any country in the world. Traditional Spiti homes are made of mud and stone to ensure that they are warm in the winters and cool in the summers. The kitchen is the hub of all activity in these houses. Traditional cuisine in Spiti is similar to Tibetan cuisine of noodles, thukpa, momos and bread. A real delicacy is a dish called Skew, which consists of wheat dumplings in a tasty gravy of vegetables & potato. And of course, one couldn’t visit a home-stay without getting a taste of the famous Butter Tea, which incidentally is salty.  Something that one would never forget are the traditional toilets. The good thing about them is that they are environmentally friendly, use limited resources and in fact ensure you contribute to the region. We have teamed up with an environmental organisation, Climate Care, to help you to repair the impact of your flights on the global climate. Climate Care funds sustainable energy and forest restoration projects in India and all over the world that reduce carbon dioxide on your behalf, by the same amount as your share of the plane’s emissions. We sponsor Clean Himalaya, a recycling and waste management project, dedicated to maintaining the sanctity and beauty of the Ganges and Himalayas. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've lead the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |