Trip report : kinnaur spiti tour - april 2008

nayan

Hello Koushik
1. I dont know if you see snowy peaks in october. January is not a feasible time to go as all hotels, guesthouse and tourist infrastucture is shut down from November to April. High Chance of getting stranded in the snow.

2. would not advise you to go during Puja times without prebooking. See what I have written in reply to Anindyas posts above.

3. Yes you can go direct from Simla to sangla if you start very early in the morming.

I would suggest the following

day 1 reach shimla - ok
day 2 shimla to sangla - max 9 hrs (including lunch, photo stops etc)
day 3 stay in sangla with day trip to chitkul.
day 4 Start after breakfast sangla to kalpa - 3 hrs
day 5 Kalpa
day 6 early morning start from kalpa to kalka - max 10-11 hrs.

Sarahan will not seem anything special AFTER you have seen sangla, kalpa, chitkul.

Dilliwala

Already planning the next trip, Kousik?

Plenty of snow views in October.

KOUSIK MUKHERJEE

I was not very much interested about the trip before I saw the pictures in this site. Now I am thinking about it if I can manage 2-3 days extra leave with Puja holidays & most importantly train ticket . You know in West Bengal we get Puja Holiday & most people plan their trip at that time. When I went to Kumaun (in March 2007) they said "we call October as Bengali Season".

Dilliwala

Believe me, the entire western Himalaya is "Bengali season" in Oct!!
(no doubt same in the eastern Himalaya).

Ok, when do the puja hols start/end this year? When is Dassehra/Vijaya Dashami? I wud say try and go towards the end of the chhutti period, slight difference in crowd numbers. At least that's what I noted in 2006.

KOUSIK MUKHERJEE

This year DP is from 6 th to 9 th Oct. Vijaya Dashami is on 9 th oct. You are 200% correct that at the end of that period it would be less crowded & cheaper also, like you I also noticed it in 2005 when I went to Simla Manali during Deepavali. But I will not get any leave after Puja vacation this time. So, if I go, I will have to go at that time.
Is there any chance of Snowfall at the begining of Octoger? What type of Woolens should we carry there?
please suggest whether our following schedule is ok or not--
day1--- simla
day2---- simla to Sarahan
day3----- sarahan to sangla
day4----- sangla to kalpa visiting chitkul
day5----- kalpa to Rampur
day6------ Rampur to Kalka to catch train in the night.
if required we can add max one day to this list.

Dilliwala

if you're very lucky, you might experience one night of snowfall!
Light woollens are sufficient for the day when the sun is out. After dark may be a little chilly - I suggest to carry a thick jacket addtionally if poss. That way you'll have enough warm clothing to mix and match the weather, and not be carrying too much stuff.


Slightly hectic, but manageable. If you CAN throw in another day without trouble, I wud suggest to do so. Otherwise I suggest move further downstream on Day 5, unless there's something in Rampur you want to see. Narkanda is a good idea, otherwise Sainj has a nice little hotel overlooking the Satluj.
Here are some distances:
Kalpa-Rampur - 104 km
Rampur-Sainj - 31 km
Sainj-Narkanda - 35 km

KOUSIK MUKHERJEE

I am planning to skip Simla and stay at Kufri or some other quiet places with natural beauty but far away from Kalka ( Max 120 km from Kalka)on way to Sangla/Sarahan. Can anybody suggest such place/s with some hotel names/contact nos., budget is around 600 rs/day for 2 beded room? Is there any requirement of prebooking , journey time is 1st week of October just before Puja?

himangshu

Hello Nayan,
Read your travelouge for Shimla-Kalpa-Kaza. It was simply great!!!
I am also planning to make a trip to Shimla - Kaza - Manali this Sept-October (29Sept-Oct7). Is it a good time going there? Also we are planning to hire a car from Shimla to Manali en-route Kaza. Any idea how much it can cost..?
My itenary goes like this:
Day 1:Shimla - Sarahan (night at Sarahan)
Day 2:Sarahan - Kalpa (night at Kalpa)
Day 3:Stay at Kalpa
Day 4:Kalpa - Kaza (night at Kaza)
Day 5:Stay at Kaza
Day 6:Kaza - Manali (Stay at Manali)
Day 7:Stay at Manali
Day 8:Manali- Delhi
How this itenary looks like? Is it okey if we go and book hotels in Manali this time around..we are 3 people (all adults) going..

I know its a hectic tour but this much days are there in my hand for travel.
Waiting for reply..

nayan

Thanks for reading the trip report

we paid 2000 per day for a chevrolet tavera. But i think, after the recent fuel hike/inflation etc the rate will be slightly higher..... maybe 2200-2300 per day.

if you could start from shimla very ealy then you could reach sangla on the first day instead of sarahan.

then - on the seconds day - you start from sangla.... see chitkul and reach kalpa in the afternoon.

k_cborty

I missed my Spiti trip with Ramchandra and his Travera...but my friend and his wife went last week. The charge is 2150 per day.

__________________
Yeh Zindagi ek safar hai suhana...

rumasan

Wow.. 2150 is it ? I am planning the entire circuit Delhi - Simla - Sarahan - Sangla - Kaza - Chandratal - Manali - Delhi with Ram Chand from Oct 1st to Oct 13th and he told me that it is Rs 2300 for the Chevy Tavera.

I guess the rate goes up as the number of days increase.. He has assured me that he will be making the acco arrangements for us in all the places. I am yet to receive the details from him.

Uma Shankar.

Khak

try to bargain with Ramchandra giving reference of friend of k_cborty ...... it never hurts bargaining.....rate does not go up with numbr of days.........rate depends on the places you are visiting.......i guess chandratal may be a factor

__________________
~Khak~

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

KOUSIK MUKHERJEE

I am planning to skip Simla and stay at Kufri or some other quiet places with natural beauty but NOT far away from Kalka ( Max 120 km from Kalka)on way to Sangla/Sarahan. Can anybody suggest such place/s with some hotel names/contact nos., budget is around 600 rs/day for 2 beded room? Is there any requirement of prebooking , journey time is 1st week of October just before Puja?

nayan

does Fagu or Narkanda fit the bill? I dont know myself.

See this page for likely places
http://himachaltourism.nic.in/shim.htm

There are lots of threads about these two in IM. There are hotel contacts etc.

himangshu

I called up manmahesh travels, they said that they will charge 1800/- per day and will provide Tata Sumo Spacio. Tavera costs 2100/-.Any idea if it will be a comfortable ride with Tata Sumo, given the terrain and road conditions..?