The place is located in the trans Himalayan region.
It consists of Lahaul & Spiti, Zanskar, Ladakh, Leh. It is situated
at an altitude ranging from 3,000m to 4,800m. The climate here is very
cold and dry. It experiences same temperature as Ladakh. Here the
winters are really cold. The best time to visit Lahaul & Spiti is
during the months of June to October.
What to Carry
If you are planning your trip in the winters than you have to make a
lot of preparations as you need to carry lots of heavy woolen stuff.
Your clothes should be of heavy woolen materials. While in summer you
can get away with light woolen clothes and jackets.
How to Reach
If plan to travel by plane than the nearest airport to Lahaul is at
Kullu. By road also you can travel to Keylong from Manali on the
Manali-Leh highway. Bus services link Keylong to Manali and to the Spiti
valley. Daily deluxe buses are available, which are run by Himachal
Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation. There is daily bus service on
the Manali-Leh route with an overnight stop at the tented camp at
Sarchu.
Things to Remember
Before you plan your trip you should be mentally and physically fit.
Lahaul and Spiti are located at great altitudes so to reach there you
should be totally fit. People with heart or lung problem should avoid
this trip or can consult a doctor before going for the trip. People
traveling to heights above 10,000 ft. are likely to suffer from acute
mountain sickness. Some of the common symptoms are loss of appetite,
nausea, disturbed sleep, irregular breathing, coughing, lassitude,
breathlessness and lack of concentration. So precautions should be taken
before hand to avoid any problem.
Main Attractions of the Place:
Trekking
Mountaineering
Buddhist Monasteries
Camping
and water rafting
Attractions in Lahaul are Manali with its forested slopes and pictorial
scenic beauty. The Rohtang pass is not far from Manali so you can visit
that also.
Places of Worships
Just short of Keylong is Tandi from where you can visit the monastery
of Guru Ghantal believed to have been established by the guru
Padmasambhava himself around 800 years ago. You can also visit the
Shashur monastery, which is close to Keylong. The largest Gompa,
Khardong is located in the valley across Shashur. On the other hand
Spiti is the home for many Buddhist Gompas or monasteries. Some of the
prominent monasteries are Dhankar, Ki or Kye, Tabo, Mud, Lidang, Hikim,
Kungri, Sangnam among 30 or more monasteries in Spiti.
Among all these the most sacred and important monastery is the thousand
year old Tabo monastery, it is a center of art and example of flawless
architecture. Over the centuries succeeding generations contributed to
its expansion and beautification and today it has nine temples, which
showcases some of the finest work of murals and painted stucco work that
unfolds the mystic beauty of the region. In the temple du-khang or
assembly hall of the complex are decorated with beautiful frescos in
Indian fashion. Tabo is called the 'Ajanta of the Himalayas' because of
its Indian art form and architecture. Tabo is not far from sumdo on the
kinnaur-spiti border. Ki Gompa is the largest in the valley. It is
located 11 km away, above Kaza at an altitude of 4116 m. Then there is
the Dhankar monastery. Dhankar was once the capital of Spiti. The main
attraction at dhankar is a natural lake at 13,500 ft.
