Category: Blog
Insights from SPAI Snow Leopard Population Study in Himachal Pradesh
The state has recorded a 62.7% rise in its snow leopard population since the 2021 SPAI survey.
Exploring Sangla – A Ravishing River Valley in Kinnaur
The picturesque and heavenly Sangla valley — alternatively known as Baspa valley — of Kinnaur attracts backpackers and travelers from across the globe. It is named after Sangla village, the largest in the Sangla valley. People of Kinnaur refer to the valley as the Tukpa Valley. Located in the middle of the valley, 18 km…
Himachal Pradesh Home Stay Rules 2025
The picture on the first page of the Himachal Pradesh Home Stay Scheme 2008 depicts a quintessential Himachali home located by a river. On its slate stone roof, built in the traditional Kath-kuni style, corn is drying. The image also shows people harvesting grains in their fields, cascading hills, and snowy mountaintops on the horizon.…
HRTC Baggage Policy & Terms Decoded (Tips & Fee Chart)
HRTC (Himachal Road Transport Corporation) is well known for its drivers driving buses through vertiginous landscapes of Himachal Pradesh. However, a few people know that HRTC — though established in 1974 — came up with a luggage fare policy only in August 2023. Needless to say, the revenue generation of the corporation have been boosted…
Spiti Valley’s Icy Embrace: Climbers Tale of 3 Frozen Waterfalls
Once I reached the top, there was a small rock surrounded by dry grass. Snow had sloughed off the surface due to the steepness and sunshine. I was in a meditative state as I was all alone at that point without any noise except the faint soothing sound of the river flowing much below me…
Beauty And Hardships Of Living in Kinnaur & Spiti Valley During Wintertime
I arrived at a hotel in Narkanda following the one of the most challenging journeys of my life in recent years. It was a nice hotel, and the owner and staff were friendly and very kind. I visited this part of India before the pandemic (in 2019) and things have changed quite dramatically in less…
Temso – A High Altitude Sacred Lake in Kinnaur
Temso (also spelled as Tem Tso) is a sacred glacier fed lake located high (4979 meters) above Lippa and Labrang villages of Kinnaur. Each year, on 20 bhado, a flower festival — called Fluiach/Ukhayang/Minthko — is celebrated by the villagers of Lippa, Labarang, Kanam and Ropa valley at the shores of this Lake. The Tibetan…
Get Inner Line Permit (ILP) for Kinnaur & Spiti Valley (Step-by-Step Guide)
Inner line permit is an official travel document that allows an Indian citizen to travel to restricted/protected borders areas of India. Prior to August 2021, such areas extended from Ladakh Union Territory to Arunachal Pradesh all along the India-China border. Ladakh UT administration waved goodbye to the ILP condition for domestic tourist in August 2021. …
Top Photo Spots on Spiti Valley (Circuit) Road Trip
Wrapping up my series on the best photo spots from my trip to the Kinnaur and Spiti valley of Himachal Pradesh! Escaping the daily grind, we started on a week-long adventure in the majestic Greater and Trans Himalayan mountains of Himachal Pradesh. The first day was a treat for my taste buds as we indulged…
Tso Moriri – Hiking Shores of Ladakh’s Azure Lake
Sitting alone in silence on a mound overlooking the staggering blue waters of Tso Moriri, while the cold mountain winds froze my face in the searing afternoon heat of high altitude, it felt like life came full circle. Five years before this moment, I was standing at that very same spot where the jeep track…
