Spiti Valley: A journey more than a destination

Dhairya Sathvara
Dhairya Sathvara

Years ago, while I was still in college, I had taken a short vacation to Uttarakhand. Little did I know back then that a short trek to the hills is going to enchant me like no other experience.

Since then, I take every opportunity to make a plan and head to the mountains. For a while, I have been toying with the idea of exploring the Spiti valley. I have always heard so much about it. Be it from the travel magazines or Instagram accounts the valley has always been a topic of discussion for its unmatched beauty, dangerous roads and long journey.

An unfortunate series of events almost made me cancel my plan to go to Spiti. But I was determined to watch a gazillion stars and stare right into the milky way galaxy. The heavenly lights and an ever-increasing number of bright pin-sized dots in the sky, which pushed me not to.

If there is one word which can describe my experience, it is magical.

Right from the glacier topped peaks to the Spiti river and the ever-changing terrains, everything was so exhilarating. The views seemed right out of a picture postcard. Serenity, tranquillity and peace ruled the valley.

Although the trip was a little tiring because of the continuous travelling on the bumpy roads, it made us fresh each time we hopped out to explore something new.

If there is something which I would want to do all over again, then it would be this trip. More than the destination at every stage, we enjoyed the journey so much. The ride to each place was scenic, and for us, it was like a three-hour movie on mountain terrains. Every five minutes, we were in awe of a new landscape. We were surprised at ourselves at not getting bored of it even after looking at the mountain ranges for hours.

A fun-filled, exhausting and a trip which satiated our hunger was a rather short-lived one. In the coming few days, I will be putting up more detailed posts regarding my itinerary and other logistical details as well as tips and travel ideas for Spiti. I will also cover a list of recommended places to visit, eat and explore and places to avoid. Until then visit my Instagram and check out the saved stories on Spiti valley for some visual treat.

Travel

Dhairya Sathvara Twitter

Ardent traveller, big time foodie, credit card & points junkie and a self-professed adventurer. Still has not been able to decide if he loves mountains or beaches more. Always planning his next trip.