Kunzum La: Scenic mountain pass connecting Lahaul and Spiti Valleys

Rohtang La, Lahaul valley and the highway to Leh lie to one side of it and to its other side lie the beautiful high altitude villages of Spiti valley. Standing tall between all these spectacular destinations lies Kunzum La, a 14, 931 feet high mountain pass in the Eastern Kunzum range of the Himalayas. The most special attribute about Kunzum pass has to be the journey to reach the top of the pass. If you are coming from Kaza, you will have to cross the semi-arid cold desert landscape of Losar and if you happen to be coming from Gramphoo, you will be crossing the treacherous Chenab river valley before you start the steep ascent from Batal.



Unlike the other mountain passes in the region, the Kunzum pass is the one that offers the toughest road conditions. Mountain streams overflowing onto the roads, huge boulders falling on to the roads, umpteen landslide zones and overall steep and rough terrain greet you on this route. Add to it the absolutely gorgeous Chandra Taal lake enroute and you have a dream rugged road trip.



Although it is not recommended to spend a lot of time on the top of high mountain passes, especially ones like Kunzum La, one can spend enough time to explore the Kunzum Mata temple, a small stupa like temple structure on the top of the pass. Visitors on this route usually stop their vehicles here for a short while to seek the blessings of the Kunzum Mata for a safe journey. One can also explore nearabouts and indulge in some photography. If you are one of those adventure lovers and if you have already acclimatized to the high altitude atmosphere, you can embark on the 15 km trek from Kunzum La to Chandra Taal lake, one of the more beautiful high altitude treks of Himachal Pradesh.

Kunzum pass is one of the more rugged, yet beautiful mountain destinations in India. If you can handle a bumpy road trip with raw nature around you, then Kunzum la is the ideal mountain holiday destination for you.

Note: Only thing to remember here is that the roads are at the mercy of mother nature here (floods, landslides, snowfall, falling rocks, etc.) and it is best to check in with the local authorities about the current state of the roads before embarking on your journey.



Other nearby tourist attractions:

1) Chandra taal lake: A magical family camping destination in the Himalayas

2) Keylong: Paradise for walkers in Lahaul

3) Rohtang pass: One of the most famous mountain passes in Himachal Pradesh

4) Kibber: The village of the snow leopard

5) Langza: The Himlayan village that is known for fossils of marine animals

6) Komic: One of the world’s highest villages with road connectivity

7) Dhankar: Prettiest village of Spiti

8) Pin valley national park: A spectacular mountain national park that is home to the iconic Pin Parvati peak

Continue Reading...

Tabo: Himalayan Village famous for its delicious apples

It is referred to as the ‘Ajanta of the Himalayas’. It is home to a Buddhist monastery that is over a thousand years old and that is considered one of the holiest monasteries in all of India and the Himalayas. It is also the place where you can find some of India’s most delicious apples. I am talking about Tabo, the simple Himalayan village of mud huts that is situated in a bowl-shaped valley by the Spiti river in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh in India.



Situated at an altitude of 10, 760 feet, Tabo village lives a quiet existence amidst the mighty Himalayas. People usually visit this laidback Himalayan village for its 10th century Buddhist monastery with its many beautiful murals and wall paintings. The Tabo monastery, is one of those rare Buddhist monasteries to be located in a valley than on top of a hill. Just above the monastery, there are a number of caves carved into the cliff and that were used by monks for meditation. These caves are also home to an assembly hall and some faded paintings. It is these caves that give Tabo the title of ‘Ajanta of the Himalayas’ as they bear an uncanny resemblance to the Ajanta caves near Aurangabad in Maharashtra. In addition to these caves and the monastery, one can see a whole bunch of stupas and chortens all throughout the Tabo rocky landscape. While the monastery, caves and stupas are certainly special, I love Tabo for its juicy and absolutely lip smacking apples. Tabo’s apple orchards, located in the fertile valley of the Spiti river, bear fruit every year between August and October and I think they are the best apples in all of India. The colder environment ensures that the apples are juicier and that they get fully ripe a good 45 to 60 days later than most of the other apple orchards of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir.

Tabo is also a lovely destination for a Himalayan village holiday. Fresh food, great hospitality, spectacular landscapes, lots of walking trails and lots and lots of sun make it the kind of place where you can completely de-stress and rejuvenate your physical and mental batteries.



Personally, I will always go to Tabo in September and October for its apples. The joy of biting into a fresh apple plucked straight from an apple tree and letting its juice fall on to your t shirt is something truly special. Not only are these apples simply outstanding, they are also available super cheap (like INR 40 per kg for the golden apples). Which means, during apple season, you can totally indulge in apples by having them throughout the day and in different forms.

If you are an apple lover, I would recommend that you visit Tabo during September and October. You can visit during the other times too and go about visiting its monastery, many walking trails and enjoying its pristine setting. It is an important pit stop on the Spiti valley trail and one that I would recommend heavily.



How to reach here:

The nearest airport would be Chandigarh, about 474 kms away.

The nearest railway station would be Shimla, about 362 kms away.

The nearest large bus station would either be Shimla or Kaza.

The only way to reach Tabo is by road. The route is a narrow mountain highway that is at the mercy of nature (landslides, snowfall, accidents, etc.) and hence one should budget in some buffer time to accommodate for delays.

It is best if you have your own mode of transportation. However, buses run by HPSRTC will also take you there, though the number of buses plying every day would be limited to a few.

Best season to visit:

Tabo is open all year round.

If apple season is on your mind, late September to early October should be the best time to visit.

The peak tourist season is between April and July, which also happens to be the summer season. As more people visit Spiti valley during this time, except roads to be busy and all hotels to be booked in advance.

Autumn, winters and early spring are best for people who can handle the cold, the difficulties that come with it, but love the peace and tranquillity as tourists usually avoid these months.



Other nearby tourist attractions:

1) Dhankar: Prettiest village of Spiti valley

2) Nako: A rustic Himalayan gem

3) Kalpa: A hill station that offers spectacular views of Kinnaur Kailash

4) Chitkul: Himalayan village with cleanest air in India

5) Baspa river trek: A scenic mountain trek in Himachal Pradesh

6) Sangla: Another village famous for its apples and views of Kinnaur Kailash

7) Sarahan: A village known for its apples and ski slopes

8) Pin valley national park: A remote himalayan wilderness known for sightings of the elusive snow leopard

9) Langza: The Himalayan village that is known for fossils of marine animals

10) Ki Monastery: A stunning monastery surrounded by snow capped mountains near Kaza

11) Kibber: The village of the snow leopard

12) Komic: One of the world’s highest villages with road connectivity

13) Hikkim: The Himalayan village with the highest post office in the world

Continue Reading...

Kibber: The Village of the Snow Leopard

It is one of the highest villages in the world. It was once the highest polling station in India, before losing the numero uno position to Tashigang. It is one of the highest motorable villages in the world. Spiti valley’s Kibber holds many such accolades, but the one that makes it really special is the fact that it home to the endangered snow leopard.

Located in the high Himalayas of Himachal Pradesh at an altitude of 14, 200 feet, Kibber is primarily an agrarian village. The famous Ki monastery of Spiti valley is located just a few kilometers away and the high altitude villages of Tashigang, Langza, Komic and Hikkim are located close by. Kaza, the main city in the region is located about 20 kms away.

To a first timer, Kibber is special for its Tibetan style stone and brick houses, its high altitude landscapes, its pretty little meadows that come to life during the summer months and the star studded night sky.  But, if you look closer, you will see the wild riches of Kibber. Surrounding the village is the Kibber wildlife sanctuary that is home to high altitude animals such as the Ibex, Blue Sheep, Himalayan Wolf, Tibetan Wild Ass and the elusive snow leopard. Kibber wildlife sanctuary is one of India’s few wildlife sanctuaries that is located in a cold desert. This terrain is not only amicable to wildlife enthusiasts and photographers, but also to trekkers and mountaineers.

If you like remote high altitude villages with pure air, simple homestays, simple food and are into star-gazing, wildlife sighting and trekking, then Kibber village is for you. Like Langza, Kibber is also home to many marine fossils. Overall, Kibber offers a solid package to its visitors. I cannot stop raving enough about its beauty.

Other nearby tourist attractions:

1) Langza: The Himalayan village that is known for fossils of marine animals

2) Dhankar: Prettiest village of Spiti

3) Komic: One of the world’s highest villages with road connectivity

4) Pin valley national park: Heaven for trekkers and nature lovers

5) Chandra Taal Lake: A magical family camping destination in the Himalayas

Continue Reading...

Komic: One of the world’s highest villages with road connectivity

The surreal Spiti valley in the state of Himachal Pradesh in India is home to some of the world’s highest villages. Each of these villages come with their very own tag line. Hikkim boasts of the world’s highest post office. Tashigang is home to the world’s highest polling booth. Langza is the high altitude fossil village.  Dhankar village enjoys one of the highest river confluence views. And Komic at 4,587 meters is one of the world’s highest villages with a motorable road.

In this article, we are going to be talking about the remote high altitude village of Komic. This village whose name literally means ‘eye of a snow cock’ is home to a simple monastery, an absolutely serene atmosphere and surreal mountain views. But, it is the journey from Kaza to Komic that is even more amazing. This journey through some of the world’s highest villages located in rarefied atmosphere and surrounded by a 360 degree mountain panorama makes for a heady experience. It doesn’t matter whether you are on foot, on a bicycle, on a motorcycle or in a car or jeep, you are bound to be mesmerized and captivated by this beautiful mountain route.



Depending on the time of the year, the landscape could either be brown, slightly green or white. Most of the year it is brown on the ground, white on the mountains and blue in the skies. The Komic Lundup Chemmo or Tangyud monastery is the heart of this high altitude village. One of the oldest monasteries in the Spiti valley, it is also one of the highest monasteries in India. Sipping hot butter tea made by the monastery monks in front of the monastery while staring at the spectacular mountain panorama is an experience to be had here. It is also the perfect excuse for a tea time conversation with the monks who share stories of the monastery, their personal lives, the wildlife (ibex, snow leopard, etc.) that frequents here and much more.

At about 18 kms from Kaza, the main town in Spiti Valley, Komic, which is one of the world’s highest villages with road connectivity also happens to be part of my favorite Spiti high altitude village circuit. I highly recommend that you visit this village the next time you head to the mountains of Himachal Pradesh.

Continue Reading...

Langza: The Himalayan Village that is known for Fossils of Marine Animals

Imagine this. A high altitude village in the Western Himalayas of India that is made up of a small group of people living in Tibetan styled mud and stone houses and who are surrounded by snow capped mountains and the rolling hills of the mighty Himalayas. Now, imagine their mountainous land being the home to a rich array of fossils of marine animals and plants from millions of years ago. Sounds impossible right?

Well, such a village exists at an altitude of 4400 metres above MSL in the high Himalayas of Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh. This village called Langza is a picturesque village that lies at the base of the Chau Chau Kang Nilda peak and that is just made up of a few hundred people.



The interesting thing is that Langza and most of Spiti valley was under the ancient Tethys sea many millions of years ago and it was home to many ancient marine flora and fauna. The entire mountain landscape that we see today was all under a huge ocean before the tectonic plates shifted leading to the Indian subcontinent shifting itself from Africa and banging against the Eurasian continent. And which led to the birth of the Himalayas and the Tibetan plateau.

Today, the Tethys ocean is no more, but the fossils of these ancient marine animals still exist in and around Langza and quite possibly other parts of Spiti valley too. All you need to have is a keen eye to spot these fossils or take the help of a knowledgeable local.



It doesn’t matter whether you are a trekker, a bicyclist, a motorcyclist, anthropology lover, mountain lover or just a good ‘ol tourist, this remote high altitude village of Himachal Pradesh is bound to bowl you over. It’s ancient monastery, its friendly citizens, its high altitude lakes (Chumo Tso and Tsonyeti) and other umpteen treks, its green pastures, its snow capped peaks, its rich wildlife including the elusive snow leopard and its many fossil trails are bound to keep you captivated. Do remember to pack for the sharp mountain sun and for cold nights to have a ball of a time at Langza.



How to get here:

The nearest airport would be Kullu international airport. From here, the route to Langza would be via Manali –> Rohtang pass –> Tandi –> Gramphoo –> Kunzum pass –> Kaza and –> Langza. Local buses, taxis or self drive vehicles are your best bets.

The other more popular airport would be Chandigarh. And the route to Langza from here would be Chandigarh –> Shimla –> Recong Peo –> Nako –> Tabo –> Dhankar –> Kaza –> Langza. This route takes you through the heart of Kinnaur and Spiti valley. The route can be long, but the experience will be remarkable.

Best season to go:

Langza is open all year round. Winters can be extremely cold. Summers are the best time to visit, but if you can handle the cold, try late autumn to early winter so that you enjoy the lack of crowds and the apple season.

Key things to keep in mind:

1) Most of these areas are high altitude places with low oxygen. Do plan for AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) and ascend gradually.

2) Some of the high mountain passes can be blocked due to bad roads. Do check the status of roads before starting on your journey.

3) Buying or possessing fossils is illegal in India.



Other attractions nearby:

1) Komic – the highest village in the world connected by a motorable road at 4,587 metres

2) Kibber – a high altitude village known for its stone houses and easy access to snow leopards

3) Hikkim – home to the highest post office in the world at 14, 400 feet

4) Ki Monastery – located at 4,166 metres, it is the biggest monastery of Spiti valley

5) Kaza – the largest town and the headquarters of Spiti valley

6) Kunzum La – At 4, 551 m, it is a high mountain range in the eastern Kunzum range of the Himalayas

7) Chandra Taal Lake – A magical family camping destination in the Himalayas

8) Dhankar – the prettiest village of Spiti

9) Pin Valley National Park – A remote national park known for its high mountains, unique flora and fauna and medicinal plants

Continue Reading...