Kinnaur

fleur08

Hi Everyone,

I am planning a trip to Kinnaur during mid July this year with my family (two 50+ adults and two 20+ adults). And like always I started checking IM forum for necessary tips and advices regarding the same. So much information about this HP zone in itself speaks volumes about the "popularity" of this place amongst travellers.

But I have some queries:

1) I wish to travel from Delhi and back. My journey would start on a Wednesday night and would end on a Sunday morning. Which means, I will have 4 full days in hand. I understand that Kinnaur trips from delhi and back would usually take around 7-10 days minimum. But I would never get such long off-days at work. So, I think I will have to do the whole area in 2 parts. So, this time I would like to stick to Kalpa and Sangla valley region and wait for my next trip to cover Kaza.

Please suggest whether it is advisable to travel from Delhi by own car (with hired driver) to Kinnaur and back, or I take a night train to Kalka and then hire a car from there to Kalpa? Another thing is, I want to give Simla a miss (wouldn't like to stay there as I already have much less time in hand). Is there a way to bypass Simla on our way to Kalpa?

2) Searing the 'net, I find that the "best time" to visit this area is from April-October. At the same time, there is so much information about the infamous flashfloods in Kinnaur. Is July really the "best time" to visit?? or I should wait for the rainy season to end?

3)What should be the cheapest available comfortable accommodation in the area?

4)Rates of the hired cars?

Please suggest anything else that I might need to know.

Thanks in advance,

Regards,
Fleur

Lucid

I donno the prices of hired cars, but there is no way you can miss shimla, the highway goes through shimla, the cheapest accommodation would be sleeping in your hired car hehe

And do not worry about flash floods its as unexpected as an earthquake in your vicinity(sorry for the bad visuals)

I hope you get some nice time in 4 days, too less in my opinion,

Bye bye

__________________
"The understanding of nature is the understanding of complex integrated systems of such complexity, that to deny them consciousness, is just a reluctance of the reductionist mind"
Terrence Mckenna

manuroc

Hey!

We just completed a 4 day trip ourselves.
Although that's a real short time to cover it all but then you still can enjoy kalpa and sangla atleast...

1) We took a volvo to shimla and back...
Rather than travelling to kalka by train, it'll be better if you travel straight to shimla by bus...there are overnight volvo's
for that...and no you cant avoid shimla...

2) NO clue...but I completely agree with what lucid said on this point of yours...

3) We spent about 700 bucks per night on a 3bed room...but u can get package deals which include cab fares and hotel accomodation..then you can negotiate...

4) Well rates vary...I'll suggest you hire a SUV...a tata sumo costed us Rs.8000 for 4 days...we covered reckong peo(on the way to kalpa), sangla, rakcham and chitkul...
There are plenty of alto's and all on hire from shimla...but I wont suggest taking one of the smaller cars all the way to kinnaur...

Hope that helps..

rajered

If you have a SUV then I would suggest taking your vehicle.
This link will give you a road route from Delhi to Kinnaur http://maps.mapmyindia.com/?where=fr...aur &q=search
Some places to stay Blue Lotus Kalpa, Aucktong Guest House Kalpa, Shivalik Guest House, Chini Bungalow

fleur08

@Lucid - I agree 100% what you say about flashfloods... thanks for providing the motivation!

@Manuroc - I was quite tentative about the 4-day thing, but I guess it can be done, and you already have shown me the way. Thanks for the info. I think hiring an SUV is a good option. Did you stay in Shimla one night and moved towards Kalpa? can you please share with me your itinerary so that I may help some help to plan mine? I read that Kalpa takes 10 hours ideally from Shimla. How long does it take practically?

@Rajered - I have a i-10 and I now from all your opinions I don't think its a good idea to take it to the hills. And of the hotels you listed in Kalpa - in which all did you stay?

fleur08

I just read through more threads on short-Kinnaur trips, and the one Manuroc, you had started - finally did you make it to Nako? The visuals are immense! I just cant let myself go without seeing it...

manuroc

Well I'll be posting my itinerary in that thread that i started...
and no we didn't spend a night at shimla...i've been there hundreds and thousands of times anyways so didnt quite feel like spending a night there...
and for nako I guess you'll have to add atleast one more day to your trip..cant be done in 4 days i guess...

smnray

It is possible to bypass shimla, if you take the road to chail-kufri road, though I am not sre how much time that will save. Also himachal map shows there is a bypass near shimla city.
Taking kalka mail should save you some time, as it reaches Kalka very early. Though note that if you have not hired a taxi from kalka shimla union, then that taxi will not be allowed to pick you up from kalka station. In that case either you have to go to shimla, or have to tell your taxi to pick you up from chandi mandir station ( station before kalka). Kalka mail stops at chandi mandir.

fleur08

@Manuroc - I share similar feeling about Shimla. Have been there for the nth time, and so would love to give it a miss, especially since I have so less time in hand. But most of the itinerary available in the 'net, asks to take a night stop at Shimla/Narkanda... may be because of the long long long road journey from Kalka to Sangla.

After much reading, I have a tentative itinerary:

1) 8th Jul (wed) Train to Kalka from Delhi (to avoid bus journey, which is less comfortable for most of us)

2) 9th Jul early morning reaching Kalka, and straightaway driving to Kalpa with stops in the way. Night stay at Kalpa.

3) 10th Jul - from Kalpa to Nako and back (if rains doesnt block roads), otherwise impromptu planning. Night stay at Kalpa.

4) 11th Jul Kalpa to Sangla and Chitkul. Night stay at Sangla.

5) 12th Jul - Sunday Leave Sangla for Kalka (train leaves for Delhi at around 12midnight)

Does this seem a bit too ambitious???

@smnray - Yes, I do know about this Haryana/HP taxi problem of crossing border. Last time I did face this in a mojor way... but I didnt know about the Chandi Mandir stoppage though. Thanks a lot. I am planning to hire a cab rightaway, do you know of any reliable cab operators/drivers?

Lucid

Wow, that's way too ambitious, unless you want to spend 80% of your travel in a box(car).

Either cut short your places to visit or extend those days, my suggestion is in 4 days..head out to a place where you can feel the fresh air..knowing the land, talking to locals, because for kinnaur if you go through like this..u wont have the fun of himalayas really.
this is subjective though.

All the best !

fleur08

Very true! Thats why I had used the word 'tentative' for my itinerary! Further, it would also be quite hectic I understand travelling in a 'box'! I think I would have to cut down Nako Lake for the time being...!

Can anyone tell me if I can get to see blooming apple trees in July at Kalpa? Or thats only possible in Sept-Oct?

Lucid

Full fledged Blooming time:-
Lower kinnaur (Rupi etc) - in July/August
Middle (Kalpa) - September
Upper (Chango) - October.

smnray

I was not very happy with taxi driver, we hired. But you will find good recommendation in other thread.
e.g.
Trip report : kinnaur spiti tour - april 2008

fleur08

Thanks Lucid. I probably with a little luck might chance upon some apple tress on full bloom... at least I can hope for the time being.

smnray, thanks to you to for all the information in this and the other thread. I myself have motion sickness/car sickness problems in the hills, but thankfully, by now with almost 4-5 trips a year to Hill-stations in Uttarakhand and HP, I have learnt to deal with it... 1) eat less food before starting the journey; 2) take Aceloc-RD in empty stomach; 3) carry lemon. And it does work.

Lucid

Fleur have a great time and don't do what most of the noobs do, take info and vanish, come back and share pictures and your experience with us.

All the beaaast of luck again