As the road wound into another hair-pin bend, our cab driver Hemraj mentioned, “Backpackers and solo travellers, these are the ones who come to stay in this valley.”
Looking out of the cab window, I’d say anyone looking for absolute peace and serenity wouldn’t mind getting a tag of a solo traveller or a backpacker to travel to this hidden gem of Himachal Pradesh – Tirthan Valley.
So named, after the pristine Tirthan river, which winds through the valley, it is an absolute paradise blessed with a wealth of nature’s treasures! The river originates from the icy glacial springs of Tirth, in the Great Himalayan National Park.
Sowing the seeds of the trip
In my 20 years of travelling solo and with friends/family, the mountains have always intrigued and inspired me with its mysterious charm and simplicity. Especially, the Himalayan ones – I am in awe at the sheer level of imposing peaks, nature’s beauty and smiling and welcoming people.
So, with the lockdown opening up in almost every part of India, taking a short break was well-deserved. However, the aforementioned mountains beckoned me like a magnetic force! From Ahmedabad, short breaks in the Himalayas were out of the question, due to the distance and time taken. And therein, was born a two week break.
This time around, we wanted to stay at one location; not uprooting ourselves every 2 days and spending most of the time on the road.
With such myriad options across Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, I decided to get help – in form of an enthusiastic mountain trekking and tour expert called Amish Shah. (If you ever want to travel to the North-East of India, Kashmir, Tirthan Valley and Bhutan, with a curated playlist of all superb hits, he is your go-to guy. Check him out on Instagram at @footloose_gypsy)
Amish suggested a gem of a boutique homestay in the Tirthan Valley called Kudrat. I knew he had been there a couple of weeks ago and he will be again here for a month in December, to unravel the mysteries of the snow capped mountains. A couple of pictures shared by him, I was sold!
Getting there
Now, getting here is a long journey, from Ahmedabad. We flew via a 2 hour late night flight from Ahmedabad to Chandigarh, spent the night at the very courteous Country Inn by Radisson Blu, Zirakpur. The next morning, we took a 45 minute Air India ATR flight from Chandigarh to Kullu. Bhuntar airport, Kullu, despite its small size and short runway, is nestled in between the mountains.
The flight was a treat as we saw a couple of snow-clad mountains and the landing in the midst of the valley was an amazing experience. The runway, being quite short, is catered by smaller size or ATR flights, so you can imagine the level of brakes the pilots had to push on, after landing!
The flights from Chandigarh to Kullu, costed about 7K INR per person, one way. One can also take the road from Delhi/Chandigharh to Kullu and onwards to Tirthan valley; the journey from Delhi is about 12-13 hours, from Chandigarh it’s 8-9 hours. I have heard reports that the roads are under construction in Himachal Pradesh, which can cause the journey to be bumpy; the roads in Punjab are quite good.
After landing, one can get a cab to Kullu, Manali and other valleys. These can be booked either at the airport, or a pickup can be arranged from the hotel/homestay/tour operator. The cab trip for a sedan such as the Etios/Swift Dzire, costs about Rs. 3000/- INR for a 2 hour ride to Tirthan valley, which is 45 kms. away from the Bhuntar airport, going upto Rs. 3500/- INR for a bigger vehicle such as the Innova.
The road to Kudrat…
For us, since we had heavy luggage (2 weeks worth of winter wear and trekking shoes. Why doesn’t Woodland make lighter trekking shoes???) we took an Innova. The 2 hour journey is quite scenic, including a 3-km recently constructed tunnel. Redevelopment of roads and new tunnels are ongoing, since the Himachal Pradesh government is pulling out all stops to promote tourism.
Hit by a traffic jam twice during the journey, I stepped out to take some quick photos; the majestic mountains were just a small welcome to the grandiose one we would get when we reached our destination.
On the way to Kudrat
Not to be thwarted by such minor hurdles, our cab driver, the aforementioned Hemraj, was determined to know more about why some tourists from Gujarat are looking out for such remote places to live in, rather than the regular tourist hotspots. Times-are-a-changing, my friend!
On the way, we witnessed a wedding underway. The dancing is what caught my attention – the swinging of hands and legs together to the sounds of pahadi music was a treat to watch!
Finally, after climbing a good part of a mountain, we reached our home for the next 2 weeks – Kudrat, situated at 6200 meters above sea level. The tagline stands true to its location – in the lap of nature!
The steps leading to our room was tiring at first, but the mountain air and the superb and ever so hospitable hosts made us more than welcome.
Thank you for reading and do stay tuned for further updates on our stay and wanderings in and around the valley!
Do check out my instagram and facebook page (@maverickchecksin) for regular updates and stories!
Signing off with a photo of the view from our room’s balcony.
View from our room’s balcony at Kudrat