Shubham Went to Spiti Solo with Thrillophilia and Loved Every bit of it

Thrillophilia Verified Booking
PNR: BKDY6QJO5VX
Rating: ★★★★★
Travellers: Shubham Gupta
Trip Duration: 8 Days | 7 Nights
Date of Travel: 13 Jul 2024 to 20 Jul 2024
Package Booked: Spiti from Delhi via Manali | Group Tour
Guest Experience Officer: Vidhi gurjar

Shubham Gupta from Kanpur boarded a Volvo bus from Delhi on the 13th of July 2024, alone, and spent eight days moving through Spiti Valley with a group of strangers. By the time the bus dropped him back in Delhi on the 20th, he concluded the vacation saying "the trip was pitch perfect" and then explained exactly why, department by department. That kind of structured appreciation comes from someone who was paying attention the whole way through.

"It started with the sales team, which did not overpromise anything and showed the true picture of how the trip will be," Shubham said. That line alone sets the tone. A sales team that tells you exactly what a Spiti trip involves, rather than making it sound easier or more glamorous than it is, is doing something that matters more than it might seem. Spiti is remote, the roads are demanding, the altitude is real, and the accommodation is basic in places. Going in with accurate expectations is the difference between a trip that exceeds them and one that disappoints.

Manali to Start

The overnight Volvo from Delhi got him to Manali in the morning of day two, and the first afternoon was a sightseeing day covering Hadimba Temple, the Buddhist monastery, Van Vihar, Old Manali, and the Clubhouse area. Manali is the last recognisable hill station before the landscape shifts completely, and a day there before the Spiti drive gives you a baseline to measure everything else against.

The Drive to Kaza

Day three was the transfer from Manali to Kaza, and this drive is one of the more memorable parts of the trip even before you arrive anywhere. The Atal Tunnel takes you from the Kullu Valley side into the brown badland landscape of Lahaul, the green disappearing behind you and the high-altitude terrain opening up ahead. Kunzum Pass at 14,931 feet, a hot cup of tea at Losar Village, and then the descent into Kaza. The landscape between Kunzum and Kaza is the kind that makes everyone in the vehicle go quiet.

Kaza and Its Surrounding Villages

Day four was a full day around Kaza, covering Key Gompa Monastery, Langza at 14,500 feet, Hikkim with its famous post office that holds the record for the highest in the world, and Chicham Bridge above a thousand-foot gorge. The free excursion to the world's highest motorable villages was included in the package, and the view from Komic and Langza of the Spiti Valley below is one of those things you spend a while just looking at without reaching for your phone.

Day five was the Dhankar, Tabo, and Pin Valley excursion. Dhankar Monastery, sitting on a rocky spur above the confluence of the Spiti and Pin rivers, is one of the most dramatically positioned buildings in all of Himachal Pradesh, a thousand years old and looking like it grew out of the rock rather than being built on it. Tabo Monastery, the oldest continuously operating Buddhist monastery in the Himalayas, has murals from the 10th century that are still intact. Kungri Monastery in the Pin Valley was the third stop, quieter and less visited than the others.

Chandratal and the Drive Back

Day six was Chandratal, crossing Kunzum La again and trekking two kilometres from the vehicle park to the lake. Chandratal rewards the walk. The crescent shape, the colour of the water against the surrounding rock, and the complete absence of any sound except wind and water make it one of those places where the temptation to stay longer than the schedule allows is very real. They camped that night at Sissu rather than at the lake itself, which is a slightly less dramatic overnight stay but considerably warmer.

Day seven was the Atal Tunnel back through to Manali and then the overnight Volvo back to Delhi, arriving on the morning of day eight.

What Made It Work

Shubham broke it down clearly in his review, and each part of it is worth reading. The sales team for setting accurate expectations. The operations team for grouping travelers by age, which meant the group dynamic worked rather than creating friction between people at very different life stages. The guide for being "very supportive of every new idea, keeping in mind the risks and timeline," which is a specific quality that matters on a trip where someone in the group will always want to do something slightly off-script. And the driver, who Shubham called a "heavy driver" with particular affection. "He was so good that the confidence was built since the start of the trip." On mountain roads at altitude, a driver who inspires confidence from the first kilometre is not a minor thing.

"I had a wonderful experience and made some once-in-a-lifetime memories," Shubham said.

Eight days, one solo traveler from Kanpur, a Volvo bus each way, a thousand-year-old monastery, the world's highest post office, and a crescent lake at 14,000 feet. Shubham went alone and came back having made memories he will not forget and friends he probably did not expect.

Also Read: Nikhil Gupta Did the Spiti Valley Bike Tour with Thrillophilia