Lahaul Valley

A beautiful valley of Himachal Pradesh

Background of Lahaul Valley

Lahaul Valley is the managerial base of Lahaul and Spiti area of Himachal Pradesh. Among the white and earthy coloured mountain in the area, Lahaul Valley stands apart as the greenery desert garden in the region. With a height of 3440 m, it is the most populated spot in Lahaul district.

There are around 250 houses, and all administration workplaces exist in the area. This is a significant centre point for Lahaul district as transports to different places start from here. The other extraordinary thing about Lahaul Valley is that it is the only place which has an ordinary market. There are no other major markets present in the area.

Beauty of Lahaul Valley

The site is also known for its roads and not in a good way. Due to the location of Lahaul Valley the roads leading through steep and slippery roads have been significantly dangerous over the years. Specific routes know to be so harmful and dangerous that they were featured on the worlds most hazardous roads show.

Lahaul Valley is so beautiful that it isn’t considered fit for human beings, that only god is appropriate for a place like this. The people have been dedicated to preserving nature at all costs and teach the same to tourists that visit. This is why Keylong is much cleaner than its neighboring tourist destination and the Himachal range.

An Insight in the Culture of Lahaul Valley

Lahaul Valley has been home to monasteries and temples for a very long time. It has been the centre of peace for quite some time now. If you need to get away from the busy cities and town life then this the place for you. Majority of the people living here are Buddhist and every major festival celebrated in the area have either a monk or a Lama heading it.

The festival that stands out the most is the Lahaul festival which is celebrated in the month of July is the most popular amongst the locals. It is also considered the best time to visit the place as experiencing the festival first-hand lets one get the place’s full essence. There are a number of cultural activities organised on the day of the festival.

Also Read - Female Friendly Destination In India For Solo Women Travelers

Famous food in Lahaul Valley

A visit to Lahaul Valley would be considered incomplete is one does not try their authentic Tibetan food served hot or cold on your plate. Tibetan food is a specialty in the region; the hand made noodles with different flavoring from soy sauce and other kinds of broths; they are a truly wonderful sensation for your taste buds.

Top tourist attractions in Lahaul Valley

Lahaul Valley is a place for worship, and finding one’s inner self, the true nature of the place is art and nature. Similarly, the three most crucial place one must visit when visiting Lahaul Valley is the three monasteries or Sha Sur monastery, Tayul and Guru Ghantal. All three offer a beautiful art piece, which is an absolute treat to one’s eyes.

The details and story behind each art piece are so deep and pleasing. It is enough to motivate an individual to become an artist. Ghemru monastery is famous for its dance and drama which would be considered a bit unusual from a monastery. But make no mistake in executing these works of art spots in with great storytelling and fantastic use of expressions and costumes.

The famous Gondola Castle

Gondola castle Is another major attraction of the place. An architectural marvel, with enough space for 100 people with Ganesh seeming to be the deity that they prayed to as his statue has been carved on the wall. It has a separate chamber where all those weapons used in the olden days are still kept intact.

Although there is some controversy around when it was built, the government claims that it was built in the 1700s.

Popular Shopping Items

Lahaul Valley doesn’t have a lot to offer in this department. As it is on the same altitude and is usually cold throughout the year, Shawls and other locally made woolens have quite a lot of customers. Olives and almonds are also quite popular in the area as they tend to have a slightly better taste than what you would usually get.

Metal and Bamboo is also something that is of excellent quality. Products are of very high quality and are readily available in a significant market, as Lahaul Valley has the only primary market in the area. Most of these things can easily be acquired at one location.

Best Time to Visit Lahaul Valley

October and November are considered the best time to visit Lahaul Valley. The weather at night during February can drop down to 22°C. It is ideal for tourists coming from hot places such as Delhi.

Although if your someone who enjoys longer days then June is also an excellent option to travel here. As the days are the longest.

Availability of Accommodation

There is an abundance of hotels and bungalows for people to stay in, Airbnbs are also available in Lahaul Valley. The place isn’t costly, and people with all kinds of budgets can come and stay comfortably.

Travel Tips

Although Lahaul Valley is like any other beautiful Himachal Hill station, still there are some things that you need to keep in mind while travelling here.

1. It need to be mentioned that there was a hike in HRTC fares recently. The fare of regular buses has been hiked to INR 1.75 every km from INR 1.45 every km within side the hills.
2. Lahaul Valley has many accommodations of diverse rates. Most of them are placed close to the bus stand and alongside the highway. Solo travelers can effortlessly discover a pleasing room for INR 500.
3. Alcohol is easy to find in Himachal and Lahaul Valley has the same availability. In fact, there's an alcohol store very close to the bus stand.
4. Generally, maximum essential SIM cards can come in handy here in case you need to make calls. Example of 2 sim cards- BSNL and Jio.