Spiti | Spiti Holiday | Volunteering in Himalayas | Spiti Valley

Overview

Visit Asia’s highest inhabited village nestled in the Spiti Valley. The valley is 8,000 sq. kms and located at an altitude of 3,600 metres in Trans-Himalayan Himachal Pradesh. The warmth of these people will sail you through the adventures of the harsh terrain, whether on the back of a yak or on a mountain bike!

Take a journey through time itself as you visit ancient Buddhist monasteries and fossils embedded for more than 500 million years. Spiti valley can be good for your limbs and your soul offering adrenaline-boosting adventures and soul seeking meditation under the guidance of the Spiti Lamas or Bhuchens. And the goodness doesn’t end there; a holiday at Ecosphere helps the local community and the conservation of its fragile ecosystem.

What we've planned for you...

Explore Spiti responsibly with Ecosphere – on offer are six packages from 7 days to 12 days. The six options are:

The Spiritual Sojourn

Enter the mystic past of Spiti as you experience some of the oldest monasteries in the world. The Spitian Lamas will give you an insight into the Vajrayana School of Mahayana Buddhism.

Rustic Revelations

Discover the authentic way of life in Spiti by living with the villagers in Komic, Asia’s highest inhabited village and learn how they farm at 3,600 m above sea level. Their simple lifestyle and music and dance will refresh you as much as a chug of Spiti’s Chang (Barley beer) or Chaza (Butter tea).

Pugmarks

Track the snow leopards and encounter the Himalayan wolf as you walk through 450 odd species of endangered plants that are natural to Spiti. The wildlife of the Trans- Himalayan region contains 500 million years of geological history! Pack all of that into a few days of fun to enjoy this magical eco-getaway.

Himalayan Trails

From the headquarters of Spiti take eight trails through mesmerizing passes and lakes of the cold desert. Trek through Himalayan trails with a resolve to be back for more!

Adrenalin Inc

Be warned for this trip needs guts of steel and the will power to match the mountains you will set out to conquer. Test your nerves and abandon yourself to the forces of nature as you take on the Himalayan terrain on a mountain bike!

Spiti Kaleidoscope

This is tailor made for those who are seeking a little of everything. Day-long hikes, wildlife trails, mountain biking, yak safaris and a window into the atypical Spitian life.

When...

The best time to visit Spiti is during summer – June to September. For those who really love snow and cold, call us and we can organise a trip!

Tongue Teasers…

Your hosts will treat you with warm Spitian hospitality and provide boiled drinking water and their local cuisine, which is very similar to Tibetan cuisine. You can choose from momos (steamed dumplings), thukpas, Tibetan bread and Kyu, a popular vegetable barley stew. Off late, imports from the plains like rice and wheat are also catching on.

Bunk in...

Choose from home stays in six villages of the Spiti valley - Langza, Komic, Demul, Lhalung, Dhankhar and Mikkim. Mikkim is located in Pin Valley National Park. The others are in the Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary. Guest houses and hotels are also available or better still you could choose to camp under starlit skies.

Bunk in...

In keeping with its name, the Arco Iris provides rooms in colours of the rainbow to choose from! Opt for the violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow or orange rooms to live in. Rooms are both AC and non - AC and there is access to broadband connectivity, a well-stocked library and a common television.

How to get there?

There are two routes to get to Spiti, via Shimla or via Manali.

Via Shimla: Delhi – Shimla – Rekong Peo – Kaza (790 kms.)

Delhi to Shimla can be done by train, bus or flight. Shimla to Kaza via Rekong Peo is 420 kms. And can be undertaken by buses or taxis, this takes over 15 hours.

Via Manali: Delhi – Manali – Kaza

Manali can be reached by rail, road or air. From there Kaza is a 10 hour drive by bus or taxi through mountainous terrain.

Foreign nationals arriving via Rekong Peo require inner line permits that can be organized at the District Commissioner’s office in Shimla or Rekong Peo.

Memories you can take with you...

Holiday with a difference...

Ecosphere recently won the Virgin Holidays Responsible Travel Award for the Best in a Mountain Environment. They have been working close to a decade for development and conservation in Spiti. Everything you spend on this trip goes to a fund that helps in development, conservation activities and capacity enhancement of the local people.

Ecosphere also runs projects to curb the carbon footprint of the region by using passive solar architecture. The local community is involved at every level to offer tourists a comfortable experience without disrupting the unique ecosystem of the region.

How Much?

Surreal Spiti Treks & Tours	Duration	Deluxe	Standard
Cultural Trail	7 Nights-8 Days	₹ 21,100	₹ 17,400
Exploring the Trans- Himalayan Deserts	8 Nights-9 Days	₹ 27,200	₹ 22,500
Spiti Safari	5 Nights-6 Days	₹ 14,900	₹ 11,500
Spiti Kaleidoscope	7 Nights-8 Days	₹ 22,800	₹ 16,700

*Costs per person and excludes the tax of 2.575%

* Prices valid up to 31st March 2012

Extra bed policy & pricing - N.A.

Transfers - can be organized at an additional cost

Meal prices approx. ₹ 600/- per day per person for typical local food (depending on the lunch home / restaurant you choose)

Check-in and check-out time - N.A.

Payment Policy – 100% payment to confirm the booking 2 weeks before arrival and confirmation of the package booking 30 days in advance

Cancellation policy – 4 weeks: full refund, more than 72 hrs and less than 2 weeks - 50% refund, less than 72 hrs - none