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Ten Things to Know Before you Travel to Spiti

Posted on September 12, 2015September 13, 2015

Looking at your comments on my previous posts, a lot more people seem to be willing to travel to Spiti, Himachal Pradesh. To make your journey more comfortable here are ten things to know before you travel to Spiti. It might provide some food for thought as well!

Prepare for High Altitude

high-altitude-spiti
High Altitude needs handling with Care!

Kaza the district headquarter is at an altitude of 3650 meters (11,980 feet). Chandratal is at 4,300 meters (14,100 feet). As there is less oxygen than we are used to, it can lead to what is called AMS or acute mountain sickness. While I am no expert on it, I believe in acclimatization. If you take it easy initially and gain height slowly, your body will get used to the less oxygen.

There is a common medicine called Diamox for altitude sickness as well. All my guides carry it. But I never had any need to use it. The ultimate authority on the topic is your doctor and you. But I do not like what some trekking agencies seem to be doing these days, rush the trip, cut down on acclimatization and prescribe Diamox for everyone!

Drinking and High Altitude don’t Mix Well

head-ache-high-altitude
Headache at High Altitude

I am not big on drinking. One glass of very watery rum is all I might have on the cold nights in the hills. And even that creates trouble for me at high altitude. In the picture above I look lost in thought! I was actually holding my head as I had a hangover from that watery glass of rum mixed with the altitude at Chandratal last year. This year as we reached Chandratal in one go by road, I anyway had a headache. For the first night I didn’t drink any alcohol and I hardly ate anything. By the next day, I was fine.

There are No Roads

spiti-no-roads
There are Hardly Any Roads in Spiti

The roads to Spiti are bad. There are hardly any roads in fact. There is more mud and stone than tar on the roads. It makes for a very tiring journey. A lot of ‘nalas’ flow on the road. The ‘nalas’ get formed due to snow melt. The water increases as the sun gets higher. So it is easier to cross the ‘nalas’ early during the day time. That is why drivers insist on an early start.

Also if you wish to stop at ever bend, and believe me you will want to, to take pictures it makes sense to start early. Your driver will not like it at all if you delay the arrival till late as he is the one who will have to drive on bad roads in failing light.

Private Vehicle is Expensive, Public Transport Sparse

bus-spiti
It is Rare to See a Bus in Spiti

Hiring a private vehicle to Spiti would be the single most expensive addition to the cost of the trip. It gives you a lot of flexibility about when to travel, what to see, where to go etc. There is hardly any public transport in Spiti. People hitchhike, use the rare buses that ply in season, ask for lift in canters, with Lamas and somehow get wherever they wish to. Keep this is mind when you plan your trip. If you are driving your own vehicle, that is another matter. As I have never done it, I have nothing much to say about it.

Homestay is an Option

homestay-spiti
Homestay is an Option in Spiti

People do offer a room in their homes at in most of the villages in Spiti. All the places that I stayed in 2007 were clean and beautiful. Back then not too many people spoke Hindi, but they do now. Homestays seem to be on the rise now.

Guesthouse are the Norm

guesthouse-dhankar-spiti
The Monastery Guesthouse at Dhankar

Other than homestays there are guesthouses where you can stay. There are no star hotels in Spiti. At the time of Buddhist festivals all the guesthouses will get full. If His Holiness, the Dalai Lama is in the region, that particular village will be jam packed.

You Cannot Camp by the Edge of the Chandratal Lake

chandratal-lake-himachal-pradesh
No camps by the Chandratal Lake

However much you may like, no one can pitch a tent next to the Chandratal Lake. The forest department has a restriction of 2 kilometers distance from the lake.

Spiti is Beautiful 

dhankar-spiti-valley
Dhankar Village, Spiti Valley

Do I really need to elaborate on this? This is the view of Dhankar Village in the Spiti valley from the balcony of my guesthouse.

Go with an Open Mind

spiti-smile
The Spiti Smile

The two common traits of the cities do not work well in the hills. First is aggressiveness. Spiti is a quiet region, people are peaceful. You will do better with the gentle people if you leave home your ‘can do’ ‘go getter’ attitude. The other thing that is jarring is that ‘everyone is out there to make a fast buck at your expanse’. Believe me, it will be an insult to almost everyone in this region. The norms are different, the society is different and the pace is different. I am not saying that you trust people blindly, but go with an open mind and less of the city aggression.

Only BSNL Phones Work in the Region

cell-phone-spiti
Cell Phones are Good for Taking Pictures in Spiti, Only BSNL Works!

All the phones become dumb boxes in the region unless you have BSNL. BSNL is the only network that works in the region. At Dhankar there is not even BSNL. In Kaza you can make a STD call like the good old days.

I will give you two bonus tips, there is no airport in the region! From Manali side there will be an ATM only at Kaza and no one can predict if it will have money or not. And you can forget credit cards for the duration of the trip.

There is a route from Shimla but unfortunately I have not done that till now. I will try hard to rectify this the next year. And in the end I guess I wrote this post just to show you more pictures from Spiti!

PS. My guide for this trip was Rama Kant Sharma.

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70 thoughts on “Ten Things to Know Before you Travel to Spiti”

  1. Gurmeet Singh says:
    September 13, 2015 at 5:39 am

    Beautiful Pictures and Writing 🙂

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 13, 2015 at 4:38 pm

      Thank you so much.

      Reply
  2. Somali K Chakrabarti says:
    September 13, 2015 at 7:09 am

    Very sound tips for anybody planning to travel to Spiti. Would need to revisit this whenever I get a chance to go there.

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 13, 2015 at 4:39 pm

      I hope you will go there soon!

      Reply
  3. Amit Agarwal says:
    September 13, 2015 at 8:07 am

    Great, useful info, Mridula, thanks a lot 🙂 will come handy 🙂

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 13, 2015 at 4:40 pm

      So when are you going?

      Reply
  4. Gaurav Bhatnagar says:
    September 13, 2015 at 9:20 am

    I like the statement – Leave the ‘Can do’, ‘Go getter’ attitude at home. 🙂 All the city conditioning comes crashing down when you confront raw nature and slow pace of life.

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 13, 2015 at 4:41 pm

      True Gaurav and it feels thousand times more jarring in the peaceful hills!

      Reply
  5. Anil Yadav says:
    September 13, 2015 at 9:54 am

    Good tips for the first timers to Spiti!

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 13, 2015 at 4:41 pm

      Thank you so much!

      Reply
  6. Mahesh Semwal says:
    September 13, 2015 at 10:18 am

    informative post !

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 13, 2015 at 4:41 pm

      Thank you Mahesh.

      Reply
  7. Prasad Np says:
    September 13, 2015 at 10:20 am

    It is good that a seasoned Spiti traveler like you is sharing experience…lot of people visit Spiti and Leh without preparing and fall sick..

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 13, 2015 at 4:42 pm

      Some amount of preparation always helps Prasad, I would be scared to go to those heights without any awareness.

      Reply
  8. Sadhvi mythili says:
    September 13, 2015 at 10:31 am

    Helpful post and amazing pics. Glad mine is bsnl .

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 13, 2015 at 4:43 pm

      BSNL would do fine, though not sure if only postpaid ones work 😀

      Reply
  9. Archana Kapoor says:
    September 13, 2015 at 2:15 pm

    Those are some great tips… and amazing pictures, Mridula 🙂

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 13, 2015 at 4:43 pm

      Thank you so much Archana.

      Reply
  10. Deepa Gopal Sunil says:
    September 13, 2015 at 2:39 pm

    The first pic is so surreal! Thanks for sharing info! 🙂

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 13, 2015 at 4:44 pm

      Thank you Deepa.

      Reply
  11. Deepa Gopal Sunil says:
    September 13, 2015 at 3:18 pm

    Thanks for informing about the windmill pic Mridula…I had uploaded it but it wasn’t showing for some reason! 🙂

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 13, 2015 at 4:44 pm

      And I thought that you didn’t! 😀

      Reply
  12. Purba Chakraborty says:
    September 13, 2015 at 4:17 pm

    A very informative post with lovely pictures 🙂

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 13, 2015 at 4:44 pm

      Thank you Purba.

      Reply
  13. Shrinidhi Hande says:
    September 13, 2015 at 4:25 pm

    nice virtual tour of spiti

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 13, 2015 at 4:45 pm

      Take a real one Shrinidhi! Take one of your SUVs though you would need time to explore. And maybe another driver.

      Reply
  14. Kokila Gupta says:
    September 13, 2015 at 4:50 pm

    Well I need to know just One thing – where are my tickets !!! Rest I’ll manage :p
    Loved the first image of the star studded sky to bits ……….

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 13, 2015 at 4:56 pm

      Tickets are with me, come with me the next year Kokila 😀

      Reply
  15. dNambiar says:
    September 14, 2015 at 1:50 am

    Great tips and advice.
    Altitude sickness is something we have to take seriously. We’ve had a few experiences. 🙂

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 14, 2015 at 5:06 am

      I have also had a few mild ones. I want to keep it that way!

      Reply
  16. Ravish Mani says:
    September 14, 2015 at 3:54 am

    Hehe…. Loved the last line. Great pics indeed. 🙂

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 14, 2015 at 5:06 am

      Thank you Ravish 😀

      Reply
  17. Indrani says:
    September 14, 2015 at 4:46 am

    Most of them sounded like warning rather than tips… but very helpful ones. Thanks ! 🙂

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 14, 2015 at 5:07 am

      Indrani that is the ground reality. No resorts, no roads, no network 😀

      Reply
  18. Rathina Sankari says:
    September 14, 2015 at 5:03 am

    I am sure this article would be a ready reckoner for the ones planning a trip to Spiti

    Rathina’s View Space

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 14, 2015 at 5:17 am

      Thank you so much.

      Reply
  19. Sri Kri says:
    September 14, 2015 at 5:53 am

    Wow.Can we join you for the trip?
    Informative Post.Wonderful shots.:).

    Cheers,
    Sriram & Krithiga

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 15, 2015 at 7:31 am

      Yes for the next year 😀

      Reply
  20. yogi saraswat says:
    September 14, 2015 at 6:16 am

    I was looking for this type of information . I feel that You wrote this post for me only with a great stuff and information. Thank you so much Mridula Ji !!

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 15, 2015 at 7:37 am

      Yogi I am sure tum tou jaaoge! Kaab jaaoge ye dekhna hai!

      Reply
  21. Pradeep says:
    September 14, 2015 at 8:29 am

    Mridula – whatever the intent, the pictures are stunning and make me want to go to Spiti 🙂

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 15, 2015 at 7:31 am

      Pradeep the intent is largely good!

      Reply
  22. Ami says:
    September 14, 2015 at 11:45 am

    Now that is some handy information. Am gonna bookmark this for my trip – whenever that happens 🙂

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 15, 2015 at 7:31 am

      Ami I hope you will go, sooner than later.

      Reply
  23. Bikram says:
    September 14, 2015 at 1:18 pm

    Oh yes I have made a point of all of them and also a 11th one Take you along 🙂 he he he

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 15, 2015 at 7:32 am

      Ha ha Bikram, I am always happy to go back to Spiti.

      Reply
  24. kashpals says:
    September 14, 2015 at 2:30 pm

    Thanks for sharing valuable tips on Spiti. 🙂

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 15, 2015 at 7:33 am

      Thank you, I hope you will make use of them in visiting Spiti!

      Reply
  25. Seema Chauhan says:
    September 14, 2015 at 3:47 pm

    Hi Mridula, The first pic seems very scary to me as I’ve never faced so far like this!! Except it, All pic is remarkable!!

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 15, 2015 at 7:33 am

      When you say first you mean the night sky? Or where I am standing on a ledge? I was just posing there.

      Reply
  26. Lady Fi says:
    September 14, 2015 at 5:16 pm

    So very beautiful!

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 15, 2015 at 7:34 am

      Thank you Lady Fi.

      Reply
  27. rupam { xhobdo } says:
    September 15, 2015 at 3:33 am

    Awesome photos, Thanks a lot for your informative post.

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 15, 2015 at 7:35 am

      Thank you Rupam.

      Reply
  28. divsi says:
    September 15, 2015 at 8:24 am

    Thanks so much! 🙂 This is extremely useful!

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 15, 2015 at 9:35 am

      You are most welcome Divsi.

      Reply
  29. Chaitali says:
    September 15, 2015 at 10:25 am

    Extremely useful! Gorgeous places, reminded me of my trip to Ladakh. 🙂

    Reply
  30. Mridula Dwivedi says:
    September 15, 2015 at 10:43 am

    Yes Chaitali to me also the regions look very similar.

    Reply
  31. Rat says:
    September 17, 2015 at 7:05 pm

    Such a fantastic post. Superb photos 🙂

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 18, 2015 at 9:57 am

      Thank you so much.

      Reply
  32. David Johnson says:
    September 18, 2015 at 4:29 pm

    Helpful tips; superb pictures

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 19, 2015 at 11:04 am

      Thank you David.

      Reply
  33. Saara Naseer says:
    September 19, 2015 at 10:21 am

    What a beautiful place… didnt even know it existed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      September 19, 2015 at 11:00 am

      Now you know. I hope you will go too!

      Reply
  34. Vivek Puhal says:
    May 2, 2018 at 3:13 pm

    Can I Travel At Night To Spiti. Am from Dehradun and i was thinking to travel at night around 5-6p.m. and in morning I’ll be in spiti. Is it ok ?

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      May 2, 2018 at 3:23 pm

      Not sure you can surely do the initial stretch at night but not sure about the mountain roads. It is day traffic kind of roads.

      Reply
  35. Apoorva Singh says:
    May 31, 2018 at 11:08 pm

    Amazing blog,you have writren it in the most simple language. Your post has forced me to comment on the website.please provide guidance for my post-http://rovingbay.com/manali-budget-in-6000/ Thanks in advance

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      June 1, 2018 at 11:08 am

      Thank you for stopping by!

      Reply
  36. Prashant Upadhyay says:
    August 7, 2019 at 12:14 pm

    Wonderful post. Really loved the images you have used. Thanks for sharing this.

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      August 7, 2019 at 2:05 pm

      Thank you so much!

      Reply

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About Me

I am Mridula Dwivedi and I started this blog in 2005. It has been an amazing ride. I have visited 33 countries till date! I have worked with many tourism boards and prominent travel companies. My blog was featured on the BBC and the Guardian.

I did my Ph.D. from IIT Kanpur. I worked full time in academics till 2015! I quit my job as a professor, thinking I will take a break for one year, which turned into five.

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