The British Governor General of India, Lord Dalhousie (1848-1856) ordered to commission the work of constructing Hindustan Tibet Road in June 1850. Lord Dalhousie wanted to create trade ties with Tibet and this is felt to be the real reason for initiating the road other than his monitoring access to far off regions under British control. Then Commander-in-chief Sir Charles Napier has designed the map of road and immense machinery at the disposal of the East India Company was pressed into service and halfway down the nineteenth century, work on what was then styled as the Great Hindustan Tibet Road began. Beyond Shimla, to the Shipki La pass on the border, the route included a length of 228 miles through Shipki-la till Shipki village in Tibet. 'Shipki La' - The pass which the protagonists in 'Seven years in Tibet' crossed to get into India.
While the Dalhousie road brought the route into focus, the area had long been on one of the peripheral trade circuits of the legendary Silk Route. The path that passed the tract carried goods like musk, borax, wool, livestock, dry fruits, precious and semiprecious stones to and from Tibet, Kashmir, Ladakh and Yarkand. It was basically a mule track constructed and maintained by British. Local traders used to do border trade through other passes also which were Lukma-La (Gongma-La), Yamrang-la, Gumarang-la, Shimdang la, Raniso-la, Keobarang etc. People of Baspa and near-by area used to go to Tibet through Yamrang-la and Chor-Gad valley.
Other places in between are Kalka, Kasouli, Shimla, Kinnaur & beginning of Spiti
Kalka was acquired by the British India from the princely state of Patiala in 1843 as a depot for Shimla. By 1901 the town was marked as a notified area with a railway workshop, and was a market of ginger and turmeric. Kalka Shimla railway line work was started in 1898 and today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Kasouli is a cantonment established by British India in 1842. It is situated at a hill top and offers a wonderful scenic beauty. That time, it was a popular colonial hill station. Before establishing the cantonment, Kasouli Brewery was started in 1820.
Kinnaur and Spiti are two of the most fascinating regions of India fringing the Tibetan plateau. The general state of knowledge about these regions is scanty. The proximity to the frontier resulted in the two regions being categorized as restricted areas for several years after independence of India and the mystique of the forbidden has added to the aura of the unknown.
Kinnaur is a curious amalgam of sub-cultures. Traditional caste-based divisions and village deities rule life lower down the valley, with barely a hint of Buddhist influence. Yet language, dress and features already distinguish the inhabitants from the neighboring hill people. Gradually, the lush greenery begins thinning out, the mountains grow taller, rain clouds begin to lose courage and Buddhism gathers. In the arid, deep valleys of upper Kinnaur, Buddhism finally takes complete hold. Wood carved temples, ancient monasteries, colorful riotous festivals, drink and dance are among the most striking features of Kinnaur.
Spiti, "the middle kingdom," is one of the last undisturbed enclaves of Tibetan Buddhism on Indian soil. Its traditional lifestyle and famous monasteries have had only limited exposure to outside eyes.
The trade at present between India and China through SHIPKI LA
India’s trade with China on the ancient Silk Route was opened in 2004 when India and China both took initiatives to revive the bilateral relation. This year in 2011, 21 traders from Kinnaur made 35 business trips to China, although the total revenue involved was lesser than 2010. It is surprising that since revival of the trade, so far not even a single trader from Tibet has visited Indian border villages.
The items carried by Indian traders to Shipki Village over Shipki La pass (14583 feet) are stocks of spices, oil, jiggery, tea leaves and utensils which are in high demand in Tibetan Villages. They return with shoes, jackets, crockery, goats, Chumurthi Horses etc and most of these items are sold during the LAVI fair of Rampur in November.
The first travelers known to have traversed the region were Gerard Butler, Jacquemont and Hutton. The first official records were brought in by a commission led by Dr. Thomas Thomson in 1847. The more famous travelers would include 'KIM' from Rudyard Kipling's book of the same name and 'AUFSCHNAITER & TREIPEL' from Heinrich Harrer's Seven Years in Tibet, when they used this trade route to escape from Tibet.
Our route in brief
We start chasing the road from Kalka and reach Kasouli. After a night at this popular British resort, we drive to Gambhar Pul, where an old Victoria bridge still remembers the old days. From here we drive through Jubbal Hatti and enter into Shimla after few miles of driving on silent village roads surrounded by several trees and ridges. After Shimla, we reach Narkanda (68 Kms) and get into the totally unexplored region of Old Hindustan Tibet Road through Daranghati sanctuary. The distance in this region is about 180 Kms and we stop at Kareri Village for the night after Shimla. Further the drive takes us to Sarahan, home to The Goddess Bhimakali. Sarahan onwards it kept on the higher ridge, with the Sutlej far below and wound its way through Chaura, Taranda, Ponda, Nichar, Tapri, Urni and finally Kalpa. (The stretch from Sarahan to Nichar of the OLD HT is now a wonderful trekking route where one stays at the century old rest Houses). At Nichar, one descends to main highway (NH22), only to climb towards Urni after Tapri (this all is motorable now). From Urni we wind our way flanked by the grand view of the Kinner Kailash Massif, towards Kalpa. After Kalpa, it again ascends towards Pangi village and then descends towards Aren and further to Jangi. From Jangi the famous Kanum monastery is 16kms as we continue further up on the road towards Pooh. From Pooh the road descends again to meet the Sutlej at Dubling and then we start the ascent towards Namgia village (15 Kms), the last village bordering Tibet before Shipki La.
We strongly suggest you to use our email address info@adventureindiagroup.com for sending your queries directly to us. It is less time consuming than using booking forms. You can give missed call at 919736102222 and our office will call you back if you can't send email.
Our Safari cost includes We strongly suggest you to use our email address info@adventureindiagroup.com for sending your queries directly to us. It is less time consuming than using booking forms. You can give missed call at 919736102222 and our office will call you back if you can't send email.
Transportation
- International airport to hotel in Delhi/ Kolkata transfer by small coach/ medium or large cars as per the group size and back to airport after the trip
- Sightseeing/ monument visits as per the itinerary
- 4 WD safari cars/ jeeps during the mountain safari and open/ covered jeeps/ canters during the wild life tours inside the national parks and sanctuaries.
- Transportation of cook, kitchen staff and safari guide office to office.
- Transportation of camping equipment and food.
Accommodation – city hotels with breakfast & remaining on full board
- Hotels as per the program
- Safari camps with all meals
- Gala dinner at Delhi with expedition mementoes/ souvenirs
- Jungle Resort during a wildlife tour
Staff
- (01) Cook and kitchen helper (01)
- Safari guide/ Indian Escort/ Tour Manager (01) from Delhi- Delhi
- Local sightseeing/ city/ monument guide
Equipment
- Camping tents for the members
- Alpine tents for cook+ helper and safari guide
- Cots, mattresses, quilts, blankets, bed sheets, pillows/ covers and hot water bottles
- Kitchen tent, dining tent, chairs, tables, stools, utensils, crockery and cutlery
- Toilet tents and toiletries including Western Commodes, hot water shower system, LPG gas cylinders
- Medical kit & oxygen cylinders for high altitude safaris
- Maps and directions
Administrative assistance
- Cargo Management if required for big groups on reconnaissance/ study trips
- Inner Line permits/ restricted area permits
The cost doesn’t include
- Air tickets
- Any kind of insurance of the clients
- Personal expenditures of the clients
- Helicopter rescue
- Cargo handling charges
We strongly suggest you to use our email address info@adventureindiagroup.com for sending your queries directly to us. It is less time consuming than using booking forms. You can give missed call at 919736102222 and our office will call you back if you can't send email.
Day 01: Arrive Delhi- on arrival you will meet our representative to take you to the hotel for the night.
Day 02: Delhi to Kalka by train and drive to Kasouli (30 Kms) - morning we leave Delhi for Kalka by fastest Shatawdi train that takes 4 hours to reach. Kalka is a small but old & famous tourist destination at the hill top. The distance of driving is 30 Kms. Ruskin Bond and Andy Mulligan were born in Kasouli. Good hotels are there for the night stay and mornings are extremely inspiring for following footsteps on old trails of British officers.
Day 03: Drive Kasouli to Shimla via Gambhar Pul (85 Kms): the route goes through the old trails through Sabatho, Gambhar Pul (PUL means Bridge) and reached Shimla. Sabatho is an army cantonment in old structures and Gambhar Pul is an ancient Victoria bridge on the river still holds the impressions to the British Raj. Later we reach to Shimla by crossing close to the airport and nice isolated roads. The trail from Sabatho to Shimla via Gambhar is an integral part of Old Hindustan Tibet Road and rarely used by tourists to reach Shimla. Oberoi Cecil is our hotel here in Shimla which is a heritage hotel and the place from where the owner of Oberoi Group of hotels Rai Bhadur MS Oberoi has started his career as a low paid billing clerk in 1922. In 1934, after the death of Mr. Clark, he gathered all the family resources to purchase Carlton Hotel which was bought by Mr. Clarks with his help and today is known as Oberoi Clarks Hotel.
Day 04: Full day in Shimla to explore heritage monuments, buildings, walking trails and beauty of this hill station which was once the “summer capital” of British Raj in India. Shimla needs no introduction but nostalgia tourism can be enjoyed by the tourists coming from UK who directly or indirectly have relation with any British officer or soldier of that time lived in Shimla. (It was written as SIMLA that time).
Day 05: Shimla to Narkanda (65 Kms) – Baghi- Taklech- Kareri (78 Kms) this morning we leave Shimla and drive high towards inner areas of OHT Road. Crossing Sanjauli, Theog, Fagu and Matiyana, the road moves up to Narkanda. Situated at a distance of 65 kilometers from the city of Shimla, the hamlet of Narkanda is reputed as a ski resort that livens up in the winter months when the snow clad mountain slopes are populated with the adventure seekers and gallant skiers. Encircled by the imposing mountain ranges, the city of Narkanda provides a commanding view of the western Himalayan Mountain Ranges. The region is dotted by the forest and the apple orchards that provide the region with a serene sylvan beauty. After a pleasant tea break we drive to Baghi leaving the modern Narkanda- Rampur highway and enter into the rarely visited region of OHT road. Just after 3 Kms of Narkanda, once we put our vehicles on right diversion, the roughness of road immediately appears to indicate the terrain of next more than 175 Kms. Baghi is a small village where suddenly the road becomes fine for just 2 Kms and once again the excitement of driving on rough road continues with narrow road full of boulders but extremely beautiful surroundings. Close to Taklech is a fantastic traverse which offers the finest views of Great Himalayan ranges and Chanshal peaks. The amazing part of the drive will be the forest of Chinar trees which make the entire passage colorful especially when the morning sun rays touch the earth through yellow leaves of Chinar. Normally the forest of Chinar trees in Himachal is totally unusual. We drive up from Taklech crossing a stream and reach to a beautiful village of Kareri where the old Himalayan architecture is simply visible in the houses of the village. We camp near the village in a nice ground and evening visit village houses to have interaction with them. The entire surroundings give an impression of visiting a different remote world.
Day 06: Kareri to Sarahan over Daranghati (97 Kms)-Morning is the time to pack up the camp and continue the drive towards Daranghati. The best way to explore the sanctuary is by reaching the nearest forest chowki in the village Kashapaat. Forest rest house is available. Daranghati has totally undisturbed forest areas. Monal, Tragopan, Koklas and Kalij are the pheasants found here. Some of the common animals found here are Musk Deer, Goral and Thar. Drive from Kareri to Mashnu is beautiful and from Mashnu we gain the altitude and drive up to the Daranghati Pass through more rough and narrow road. The valley opens its enormous glory and beauty the moments we drive high. From a distance, a fort like structure is visible, which is a temple of one local deity. We reach the top of Daranghati from where the way to remote village Kasha pat is visible including several mountain ranges, peaks and trekking trails. After spending sometime at the top, we descend down towards Majholi and take right to another unknown valley which takes us close to Sarahan. The romance of the old HT road lies not only in the excitement of retracing a legendary route trod by many adventurous feet but also in the fact that it chronicles in its passage a remarkable transition in climate, vegetation, terrain, people and culture. From the monsoon fed greenery of the foothills, through the snow clad peaks of the main Himalayan ranges, to the barren aridity bordering Tibet, the people and their lifestyle change as vividly as the landscape. Sarahan is known for its majestic Bhimakali Temple and has few good hotels of small size.
Day 07: Sarahan to Kalpa (115 Kms) - Morning we visit inside the Bhimakali temple and continue our journey towards Kalpa. On the way we cross Chaura, Taranda, Ponda, Nichar, Tapri and finally reach Kalpa. Most of the places are now connected with the new road. Beyond Shimla, to the Shipki pass on the border, the route took 228 miles. While the Dalhousie road brought the route into focus, the area had long been on one of the peripheral trade circuits of the legendary Silk Route. The path that passed the tract carried goods like musk, borax, wool, livestock, dry fruits, precious and semiprecious stones to and from Tibet, Kashmir, Ladakh and Yarkand. Maintaining a vibrant tradition, Rampur’s Lavi fair dates back to the trade agreements between Tibet and the former state of Bushair and apart from the goods that plied on the path it was the myriad cultural and historical influences that established the true worth of the Road. Romancing with the OHT Road, we reach Kalpa- the center of Kinnaur Valley. The view from Kalpa is beautiful with an observer getting the feeling that he is sitting in the lap of the mountains with the entire range of peaks being visible including Kinner Kailash.
Day 08: Kalpa to Sangla excursion and back Kalpa (120 Kms) - The view of Mount Kinner Kailash in the morning from Kalpa is awesome. Later we drive to Sangla, the beautiful valley in Kinnaur and further to Chitkul, the last village towards to border. We turn back to Kalpa by evening and visit the monastery at Rekang Poe. Kalpa has 2-3 good small size hotels for the stay. The earlier name of Kalpa was Chini and Lord Dalhousie, the then Governor General of British India used to visit Kinnaur during summers and stay at Chini old Forest Bungalow , which still exists and one can stay here also. One of the missionaries named Father Bruski visited Chini village in 1897 and settled near Old Hindustan Tibet Road by purchasing land from the locals and built a house in 1900 and opened a school in 1899-1907 and propagated craft and art. Kalpa or Chini Forest Bungalow was the place from where Lord Dalhousie has recommended railway line development in Bengal and Bombay on 4th July 1850 from to British Government in England.
Day 09: Kalpa to Nako through Kanum Monastery (112 Kms)- After Kalpa, the road again ascends towards Pangi village and then descends towards Aren and further to Jangi. From Jangi the famous Kanum monastery is 16kms. It is home to many sacred texts and is revered far inside Western Tibet too. It was here that in the early 1820s that a Hungarian Christian monk - Alexander Csoma- studied these texts for amongst other things to learn about the origin of the Magyars- the old predominant people of Hungary. He had also studied in Phuktal Monastery of Zanskar and Hemis of Ladakh. We cross the way through Pooh which is another important place in Kinnaur. In 1865 some Moravian missionaries visited Pooh in Kinnaur who remained there till 1918, many of them died there. Father Peazal of Moravian Mission who went to Pooh in 1865 died in 1886 at Pooh. He was able to convert a few locals in to Christianity and established schools, hospital, training centre for crafts etc. From Pooh the road descends again to meet the Sutlej at Dubling and then we start the ascent towards Namgia village 15 Kms, the last village bordering Tibet before Shipki La. The next spot is Khab, the junction of Spiti River & Sutlej; we drive upwards through an adventurous trail to Nako from here. The Nako village is situated at the altitude of 3662 Meters and cluster of old houses, a huge lake in between and monastery dedicated to Lord Padamsambhava create a situation like explained in a fairy tale. A fixed luxury camp is the best choice of accommodation here just close to the nature.
Day 10: Nako to Tabo- 63 Kms and 2 hours- We visit the monastery in the morning and leave for Tabo through Maling Nalla and Sumdo down at the beds of Spiti River. Some miles away from Nako is a village called TASHIGANG around which are several caves where it is believe that Guru Padmasambhava meditated and gave discourse to followers. A waterfall nearby has snow water falling like a river of milk close to Tashigang. Legend says that it is a heavenly realm of fairies .In one of the cave you can still able to see the live footprints of these fairies or other demigods. Himalaya is the bundle of mysteries. (Tashigang is not in our itinerary). We get down to Sumdo where your inner line permits will be checked again. This is another place from where the Chinese border is just few kilometers. Through the silent roads, we reach Tabo in the afternoon, check into the hotel and evening move out to explore the more than 1000 years old group of monasteries, known as Ajanta of Himalayas. Tabo Monastery was founded in 996AD. With its original decoration and art images intact, it is considered to be the oldest continuously functioning Buddhist monastery in India and the Himalayas. The unique beauty of its art and its pivotal historical role in the transmission of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism and culture in the 10th and 11th century makes Tabo Monastery an historically significant site. Within the ancient monastery's compound are nine temples built between the late 10th and the 17th century and numerous stupas. Tabo has a good hotel to stay.
Day 11: Tabo to Kaza with Dankhar, Lhalung and Pin Monasteries (100 Kms approx)- Morning we can walk to the caves in front of Tabo Monastery where the monks have been meditating for last hundreds years. The view from the caves is excellent. We get down and after breakfast leave for Pin Valley to see Kungri Monastery is Spiti's second oldest monastery, built around 1330 and belongs to Niyangma sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The Gompa consists of three detached rectangular blocks facing east. It is noted for its sword dance by the Buzhens of Mud village. Later we drive back and climb up to Lhalung Monastery which is known as Golden Temple too was one of the earliest monasteries founded in Spiti by the great Tibetan Buddhist lotswa (translator), Rinchen Zangpo, the king of western Himalayan Kingdom of Guge during the late 10th century CE. This beautiful village is 14 km from the main road and is the largest in the Lingti valley. After Lhalung, we visit Dankhar Monastery, another popular monastery of Spiti. Dankhar was the traditional capital of the Spiti Valley Kingdom during the 17th century and has some features dating back to the 12th century. It was the seat of the early rulers of Spiti, the Nonos, who had the right to cultivate the government lands nearby and were required to keep the fort in repair. They also dispensed justice to the people and were noted for their harsh penalties until the British replaced them. Later we get down to the main road and drive to Kaza. Kaza is the head quarter of Spiti and now has many good hotels.
Day 12: Kaza – full day excursion of Kee, Kibber, Langza, Hikkim and Komic Monasteries (50 Kms approx) - All these monasteries are ancient and wonderfully located. These are close to Kaza but the monasteries are extremely different from each other. The landscape of Hikkim and Komic monasteries are exciting and offer a complete Buddhist environment inside and out of the monasteries. The Kee (4166 M) is the biggest monastery of Spiti Valley and a religious training centre for Lamas. It reportedly had 100 monks in 1855 and presently there are 80 monks in this monastery. This is the center of all ritual decisions in the valley. The Komic Lundup Tsemo Gompa is one of the world’s highest at 4587 meters. We drive back to Kaza in the evening.
Day 13: Kaza to Chandertal Lake (98 Kms) - Kaza to Kunzam Pass drive is extremely adventurous with the combination of barren landscape, calmly flowing river and few villages where you can see the Spiti women working. The herds of ibex can be seen on the way in close by barren shining mountains. Hansa and Losar are two nice villages on the road side giving impression of a remote lifestyle. Few kilometers after Losar, the drive climbs up to meet Kunzam Pass (4551 Meters), which offers a wonderful view of several high mountain peaks in front of eyes. We walk to the Chandertal Lake (Lake of Moon) which is one of the most beautiful Himalayan lakes and spend the night in tents.
Day 14: Chandertal to Manali drive (122 Kms)- morning drive to Manali
crossing Batal at another side of Kunzam La, Chota Dara and Chatru at the base of famous Bara Shigri Glaciers. We cross Rohtang Pass and get down to beautiful valley of Manali. Manali is a popular hill station with large number of hotels and other facilities.
Day 15: Manali- full day excursion and rest- a full day rest is advisable with an excursion of Naggar, 21 Kms from Manali and a house of Russian painter artist Nicholas Roerich. Naggar is a known heritage village and the castle restaurant offers finest views of entire Kullu Valley. After lunch, drive back to Manali.
Day 16: Manali to Delhi by air and later flight to your home- there are couple of flights from Manali (Kullu) to Delhi in the morning and on arrival at Delhi, you will meet our representative to drive you to your hotel. If you are willing to stay longer in India, we can plan your trips to Agra (TAJ MAHAL) or Varanasi.
Essential Information for Safari Tours We strongly suggest you to use our email address info@adventureindiagroup.com for sending your queries directly to us. It is less time consuming than using booking forms. You can give missed call at 919736102222 and our office will call you back if you can't send email.
Getting there: Your nearest international airport is Delhi where you will meet with our safari manage who will escort you towards the initial point of your adventure as per the program details with the first night in Delhi hotel. For Sikkim and Bhutan Holidays, the airport of Kolkata is also used to arrive India.
Air tickets: We have our partners in almost every foreign countries, so if you need any assistance in your air tickets bookings, you are always welcome to speak to us to know about our partner close to you.
Ground transportation: We provide the ground transportation comprising of best available cars/ coaches during the safaris. The high altitude safaris get 4WD cars of Toyota and Mahindra. For the wild life tours, we offer you open jeeps/ covered jeeps and canters.
Insurance: It is a condition of joining our trips that you must be adequately insured. All persons are expected to arrange their own insurance. Polices should cover any potential risks involved in such adventure.
Our hotels and camps: We offer you best economy hotels in cities and towns very comfortable tents with maximum possible facilities in the mountains and deserts during the safaris. We provide the most luxurious camps fitted with dining areas and modern toilet facilities.
Adventure India briefing: We have excellent maps, images and movies of majority of our adventure expeditions/ journeys and sports. A short briefing in our offices is highly recommended for the high altitude and tough journeys, so the team understands logistics, forecast problems and know where the solutions would be. We stress on planning, planning and planning in any adventure expedition and till now we have remained successful in all of our expeditions just because of our planning. So we need you to be an active part of it.
Refreshments & Food: We offer a mixture of Vegetarian and Non vegetarian food during the safaris including several herbs we have individually discovered with the medicinal values. We have cooks who make Korean, Japanese and Continental food along with Indian food. We provide enough refreshments during the safaris including a hot bowl of soup at 5325 meters of worlds’ second highest motorable mountain top.
Our guides & escorts: Our guides and escorts have year’s long experience with them of adventure journeys. We use local guides in even small places of Spiti and Zanskar to boost them, encourage them and train them so they find tourism helpful in supporting economically. Secondly, we wish our clients to have the experience of extreme local life through them, every guide has his own style.
Ground Support system: We are well equipped with ground support system in case of any need, natural calamities and disaster. A wonderful local support team in entire mountains has been developed.
Restricted area/ inner line/ wildlife zone permission: we obtain inner line permits for you to enter in restricted areas and border areas as per the government rules. You need to send your passport, visa and passport size photograph for the same. The permissions to enter in national parks and sanctuaries for wildlife safaris are necessary to confirm well in advance but at few parks, the visitors (you) are required to present and permissions are obtained on arrival.
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