|
|
Spiti River Expedition with Home-stays
offered by supplier M18129 (view this supplier profile)
Key Information:
Tour Duration: 13
day(s)
Group Size: 2
- 12
people
Destination(s):
India
Specialty Categories:
Canoeing/Kayaking/Rafting
Cultural Journey
Season: June - July
Airfare Included: No
Tour Customizable: No
Minimum Per Person Price: 500 US Dollar (USD)
Maximum Per Person Price: 1500 US Dollar (USD)
|
|
This trip is a great opportunity to experience the diverse culture of India; visiting Buddhist temples, meeting nomadic herdsmen and staying in the homes of local people. This river expedition is for those wanting a pleasant and relaxing introduction to Himalayan white-water and to sample the unique culture of the region. We stay in home-stays along the way, meet the Spitian people and learn about their ancient way of life.
Surrounded by the Kullu Valley in the south, Ladakh in the north and Tibet in the east, the twin valleys of Lahaul and Spiti are examples of nature at its wildest. This land duplicates and in many ways exceeds the beauty and mystery of the Leh and Zanskar valleys of Ladakh due to its remoteness and less explored terrain. This region is inaccessible for most of the year due to snowed out mountain passes and extreme cold temperatures. The landscape is characterized by glaciers, 6000 m peaks, broad valleys and pastures with a minimum elevation exceeding 3000 m.
This expedition runs along the Hindustan-Tibet road: an old world trade route linking India to Tibet. It is a fascinating land for Buddhist art and culture, unspoilt and practically untouched by tourist traffic and outside influence, a paradise for trekkers and river-runners alike. The people are charming and friendly and have their own traditional dances, ballads, folk tales and legends.
This is a high altitude trip (max. height 4440 m). Please contact us to discuss the implications of this and your own personal fitness. On arrival to India you will be met at the airport. Depending on your personal itinerary you will be transferred to the train station or hotel.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Delhi to Manali (2050 m)
Board the train leaving Delhi at 7.40 a.m. to reach Chandigarh at 11.00 a.m. We then drive uphill into the Himalaya to Manali. Manali is beautiful hill station in the Alpine lower reaches of the Himalaya. The town has great atmosphere and is one of the top skiing destinations in the greater Himalaya. Overnight hotel.
Day 2: Relax in Manali
Have a relaxing day after yesterdays long day of travel. Visit Manali market, Roerich Art Gallery, Hadimba Temple, and walk around town. Overnight hotel.
Day 3: Manali to Paldhar Plains (3120 m)
We start early and drive further north into the mountains gaining altitude along the way. We stop regularly along the way for chai (sweet milky Indian tea) and plenty of photo opportunities. Over these first three days the landscape changes from flat agricultural land, to alpine meadows, peaks and forests, to the barren high altitude terrain of Spiti, a fascinating and adventurous journey. Overnight camp.
Day 4: Paldhar to Rangrik (3550 m)
We wake early and drive one hour to Kiato, the starting point of our river expedition. We have an extensive safety brief and then paddle all the way to Rangrik. The rapids are easy class II and the scenery of snow-capped mountains, glaciers, villages and meadows is breathtaking. Overnight in home-stay.
Day 5: Rangrik to Gette (4270 m) to Rangrik
We spend the day hiking in the area. We visit the villages of Kaza, Kibber and Gette stopping for tea to meet the local people of Spiti. We return to Rangrik in the evening for dinner. Overnight in home-stay.
Day 6: Rangrik to Langza (4440 m)
We start with a leisurely breakfast and the drive to Langza. We stop along the way to view fossils, the rare relics of Spiti’s geological history. In Langza we pay a visit to the Lang (temple). It is regarded to be the headquarters of all the deities of the valley and houses some beautiful old frescoes and thankas (paintings on silken canvas). Dinner and overnight in a home-stay.
Day 7: Langza to Mikkim (3087 m)
We get back on the river and paddle for two and a half hours to Attargo bridge. This section has more nice class II rapids. We take out at Attargo bridge and then drive to Mikkim. We stop at the Dhankar Gompa (Buddhist Monastery) for a visit en route, overnight home-stay in Mikkim in the Pin valley.
Day 8: Mikkim to Tabo (3050 m)
We leave the home-stay in Mikkim after breakfast. We first visit the Kungri gompa and then paddle three hours to Poh, a small village by the river. We take out at Poh and drive downstream to Tabo, checking into a local hotel for the evening, as there are no home-stays.
Day 9: Poh to Tabo
We take the short drive back to Poh and paddle the section of river back to Tabo again. On this section the white-water gets bigger and we encounter many class III rapids. We visit Giu village in the evening to see a mummified monk. Overnight hotel.
Day 10 : Tabo to Sumdo
This our last day on the river has the biggest rapids as we run the lower gorge to Sumdo. We take out at Sumdo bridge just upstream of the confluence of the Spiti and Pare Chu Rivers. River expedition ends.
Day 11: Tabo to Sangla (2880 m): 8 hrs
A long drive today along the Old Hindustan-Tibet road to Sangla, one of the oldest trade routes in the world. We start on our journey back towards the Indian subcontinent and Delhi. Overnight Camp.
Day 12: Sangla to Shimla (2434 m): 7 hrs
We drive further south to Shimla. Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh, was built by the British Raj as a hill station to escape the harsh summer heat of the southern Indian plains. Overnight hotel.
Day 13 : Shimla to Delhi: 8 hrs
We start early and drive to Delhi, making plenty of rest stops along the way. Trip ends.
Note: Please contact us for sightseeing in Delhi, or a trip to the Taj Mahal at the start or end of this trip. We can also tailor this trip with a trek or wildlife safari.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Notes: All itineraries exclude international flight days. The duration of this trip is calculated from Delhi back to Delhi again.
Also see tour packages in:
Asia
India
Canoeing/Kayaking/Rafting
Cultural Journey
Email it to a friend:
Click here to email this vacation to a friend
|
|
|
|
