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 One
of the pioneers in the field of luxury camping and soft adventure, Banjara Camps
and Retreats was started by Captain Ajay Sud and Rajesh Ojha as a labour of
their love for the outdoors.
With soft adventure family holidays as our main focus, we at Banjara believe in
reintroducing city folk to the wonders of nature in its purest form. Our various
off-beat destinations across the Himalayas, far away from crowded touristy
places, offer people the chance to get acquainted with nature and the outdoors
in a refreshing and phased manner. There is no sudden shock to the system as you
gradually come to terms with life away from the concrete jungle, slowly pushing
yourself to do unusual ‘outdoorsy’ things like forest walks and river crossing,
a meal at a local house in far off village, but without having to forgo any of
the basic creature comforts that you are used to. And for those more inclined
towards real adventure we also offer some spectacular long treks and
breathtaking jeep safaris deep into the inner Himalayas.
We have always endeavored to take people to hitherto unheard of places and
provide them with new, uncommon experiences, that’s why we make use of offbeat
retreats set among some of the most naturally beautiful, remote Himalayan
locales, and are equipped with all the basic amenities (including attached
bathrooms even in tented camps) necessary for a relaxing holiday. We are, of
course aware of the ecological concerns that the Himalayas are faced with, and
are keenly doing our bit at each and every one of our locations. Banjara is also
credited with having opened up the wondrous regions of Kinnaur and Spiti in
Himachal Pradesh to tourism, as we were the first to set up camps there since
the region was opened to tourists in 1993.
The unusual mix of beauty, comfort and adventure that you will find, our
holidays have been carefully cultivated to ensure that you get to experience a
unique activity driven holiday that is physically arduous but mentally
rejuvenating
Banjara camps
& retreats
For six months every year, the Himalayan valleys of Kinnaur, Spiti and Ladakh
emerge from a thick cloak of snow, to reveal a different, secret world to man.
Frozen glaciers and rivers start to flow with unseen fury, the earth turns into
a swathe of colour, mountains unlock secret doorways, and local inhabitants come
out in celebration of life itself.
At dizzying heights of 2,700 m to 4,200 m, the experience is almost surreal,
when god and nature seem to lure man, perhaps even challenge him, to make the
journey into their den of barren deserts, fierce mountains, turbulent rivers,
dense forests, and moody skies. It is as though you are at the last frontier of
civilization, and yet, you're not alone. This is where your journey of discovery
in the lesser-known Himalayas begins, with Banjara Camps to show you the way.
BEST OF BANJARA CAMPS (12 nights 13 days)
Just 190 kms from Chandigarh, lies Thanedar, a small orchard town tucked away
10kms from Narkanda. This was the birthplace of apples in India and affords a
serene and calm experience. For the activity oriented there are some lovely
walks as also a trek to a peak nearby. From here we reach the beautiful valley
of Kinnaur, which is also the land that produces some of the best apples in the
region. Left untouched for thousands of years it emerges only for six months
before being submerged in snow. Situated at a height of 2700m surrounded by
massive towering mountains on all sides the valley also boasts the gurgling
Baspa river, famous for trout fishing possibilities.
A must see little village with a small population is Batseri - a typical
Kinnauri village, with a lovely local Devta temple. Moving from Sangla to
another spectacular journey is a Sarahan, famous for its more than 800 years old
Bhimakali Temple, one of the best examples of hill architecture. The place
provides awesome views of Shirkhand range, reminding us of the greatness of the
Himalayas.
The valley of Spiti is unlike any other. We move from lush green valley of
Sangla into Barren moonscape of Spiti valley with few signs of vegetation. Yet
this land renders visitors speechless with it's harsh raw beauty of the
landscape.
Shoja, on the other hand is an angler's paradise, due to its proximity to the
Tirthan River where Trout fishing is a definite possibility. Shoja at just 5 kms
from Jalori Pass at 3223m provides breathtaking sceneries and walks to nearby
lakes and forts.
Kilometers covered : 2200 kms
Maximum altitude : Kunzum La (4533M)
Best time to visit : June- September
Day 01: Chandigarh - Thanedar - 195 kms/6 hrs
Fly into Chandigarh from Delhi or reach Chandigarh by Kalka Shatabdi express
train around 1200 hrs. Met by our representative and drive to Thanedar. Check
into Banjara Orchard Retreat.
Day 02: Thanedar - Sangla - 158 kms/06
Visit Bhimakali Temple in Sarahan en route.
For six months every year, the Himalayan valleys of Kinnaur and Spiti emerge
from a thick cloak of snow to reveal a different, secret world to man. Your
discovery of the lesser-known Himalayas can begin at the Banjara Camp in the
Sangla Valley. At a height of 2,700 Mts the Banjara Camp is surrounded by
towering mountains on all sides and is set on the banks of the Baspa River that
surges through the valley. Long walks to discover the amazing fauna and flora of
the valley, treks to view snow covered Himalayan peaks, angling for trout,
experiencing some of the local culture and traditions, rock climbing, rappelling
are only some of the delights that are on offer.
Day 03: Sangla - Chitkul- Sangla – 50 kms/3 hrs
Visit Chitkul and hike up to Nagasthi, the last village on the old Indo-Tibetan
trade route.
Day 04: Sangla - Rakcham - 6 kms/3 hrs
Hike to Rakcham village. This is the signature walk of the valley. Drive back
from Rakcham.
Day 05: Sangla – Kalpa - 57 kms/2.5 hrs
After breakfast, leave for Kalpa famous for its apple and chilgoza plantations.
Kalpa offers the best panoramic view of the 6,000m high Kinner-Kailash range.
Night stay in Kalpa.
Day 06: Kalpa – Kaza – 210 kms/7 hrs
After an early breakfast, we depart for Kaza, leaving behind verdant, forest
clad mountains as we go over the tree line towards the Spiti region. En route
you may take a short detour to visit the picturesque Nako Lake. The terrain will
leave you breathless and speechless. Rock-hard Desert Mountains, torrential
rivers and icy cold winds account for the sparsely populated villages. Reach
Kaza, check into the Banjara Retreat and spend rest of the day at leisure.
Day 07: Kaza - Tabo - Dhankar - Kaza
After an early breakfast, drive down to Tabo and visit Tabo Gompa, reputed to be
the oldest (an inscription on a wall here indicates, it was founded in AD 996)
continuously functioning Buddhist monastery in India and the Himalayas, with its
original decoration and iconographic program intact. We then move on to see
Dhankar monastery. Dhankar, the traditional capital of Spiti, sits pretty on a
hilltop. The fort here overlooks the Spiti valley and it was used as a jail in
olden days. Today, more than 160 lamas reside here. A statue of Dhyan Budha
where four complete figures of Budha sit back to back is the main attraction of
this more than seven-century old monastery.
About an hour’s walk (about 3 kms) from here on a slightly uphill track is a
small lake that sits languidly is a bowl. The size of the lake in the summer
varies every year depending on how much snow the catchment area had in the
previous winter. Your lunch hamper beckons on reaching the lake. After an al
fresco lunch, we take a 30 minute walk to the car and drive back to reach the
retreat by evening.
Day 08: Kaza - Pin Valley National Park - Kaza
Declared a national park in 1987, Pin Valley is located in the cold desert
region of the Spiti valley, Himachal Pradesh. With its snow laden unexplored
higher reaches and slopes, the Park forms a natural habitat for a number of
endangered animals including the Snow Leopard and Siberian Ibex. The elevation
of the Park ranges from about 3,500 M near Ka Dogri to over 6,000 M at its
highest point. Because of its high altitude and extreme temperatures, the
vegetation in the area is scant and mostly dominated by alpine trees, patches of
Himalayan cedar and smatterings of several medicinal plants. In summer, flowers
decorate the valley with startling hues. Along with animals, rare birds like the
Himalayan Snow Cock, Chukor, Snow Partridge and the Tibet Snow Finch also
flourish in the area.
Day 09: Kaza
After breakfast visit Ki monastery and Kibber village. Ki gompais a Gelugpa sect
monastery. Its hilltop position points to a post-thirteenth century
construction. The three storied structure consists largely of storage rooms at
the bottom level, while the middle floor houses the Dukhang- the assembly hall-
and the uppermost floor has another temple and the head Lama’s quarters, on one
side of an open terrace. The greatest wealth of Ki Gompa lies in its collection
of ‘Thangkas’ salvaged with difficulty from the devastating raids of the Dogars
and the Sikhs in the 19th century.
From here a scenic drive takes you into the pasture country of Kibber. The
pastures are spread over hundreds of square kilometers. Kibber is small village
and is the take off point for the popular trek to Tso Moriri in Ladakh. Further
up six kilometers from Kibber, we drive up to a still smaller village of Gete.
Consisting of just six houses, it boasts of being the highest village in Asia
connected by road. Drive back to the retreat for lunch and spend rest of the day
at leisure – preferably resting.
Day 10: Kaza - Manali - 201 kms/8 hrs
Drive over Kunzum La (4553m) to reach Manali. Manali is one of the most popular
hill stations in India. Overnight stay in hotel.
Day 11: Manali - Sojha - 117 kms/4 hrs
Drive to Sojha visiting Naggar castle and Roerich art gallery en route. Check
into Banjara retreat on arrival. Evening at leisure around bon fire.
Day 12: Sojha
Day at leisure/ Hike to Raghupur Fort or Serolser lake. Overnight stay at
Banjara Retreat.
Day 13: Sojha - Bhuntar/Chandigarh - 2/8 hrs
Drive from Manali to Bhuntar airport (2 hrs) and fly back to Delhi else drive to
Chandigarh to board evening Shatabdi express train departing at 1800 hrs to
Delhi.
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Himachal Guide Map
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