OVERVIEW

Located on the banks of the Baspa river, Sangla forms the heart of the KINNAUR valley. Immensely charming & located on the slopes of the valley touching the BASPA river, SANGLA is a place to fall in love with. The valley extending from Karcham to Chitkul is called by both names “BASPA valley & SANGLA valley”. There are orchards of apples & apricots at every nook and corner of SANGLA & an abundance of trout fish in the Baspa river. A must visit pristine offbeat destination to soak your tired soul.

GEOGRAPHY 

Sangla is located in the Baspa Valley of the Kinnaur district in Himachal Pradesh. It is at a distance of 222 kms from Shimla & at a height of 2621 metres (8600 feet) above sea level. The Sangla town is nestled on the banks of the Baspa river.

CLIMATE:- Known to be an eternally cold place throughout the year, Sangla is an ideal destination to escape the heat of the urban summers. Winters are extreme with good snowfall. It’s a destination, which can be visited round the year, barring some periods between December to February

MARCH to JUNE :- The most pleasant period with temperatures ranging from 10 deg C to 30 deg.C. A sizeable number of tourists visit the BASPA valley to enjoy the blissful & pristine climate. Hotels & Guesthouses open during this season and business is in full swing.

JULY to AUGUST:- It rains quite heavily and the already fragile terrain buckles under the impact causing landslides & road blocks. It may not be a good idea to visit SANGLA during monsoon. If you must travel, check for weather conditions before proceeding.

SEPTEMBER to DECEMBER:- During September & October, the weather is pleasant & the whole valley turns green with colourful flowers. This is another time slot which is ideal for travel. Its also the harvesting season for apples. This is the best season to travel & enjoy the carpeted valley in the midst of the sparkling Baspa river.

November marks the onset of winter & the weather starts becoming chilly. Hotels & Guesthouses & dhabas close down gradually marking the end of the season.

DECEMBER to FEBRUARY:-Once winter sets, the BASPA valley is full of snow. Travel during this time would give an entirely different experience of a white BASPA valley. But chances are that you may get stranded due to road blockages. While the authorities try their best to maintain the Karcham – Sangla stretch connectivity, the roads from Sangla to Karcham & Chitkul mostly closes down.

BEST TIME TO VISIT SANGLA

SANGLA is accessible throughout the year from the Chandigarh-Shimla side.

  • If you love to see the snowcapped peaks, but not remain confined due to weather issues, March to June should be your preference.
  • For those, who love the fascinating green, golden & vivid colors of the valley should travel during September / October.
  • November & December would not be very comfortable & pretty uncertain with the chilly weather setting in. Overall climate would be a bit gloomy.
  • For someone who would like to see the white SANGLA valley can take a chance & visit during late February. There would still be a risk of getting trapped in one place due to road blocks & landslide. One could be confined to the hotel room & miss out on any outdoor adventure activities

Every season in Sangla offers varied facades of nature’s raw beauty. Just go ahead and immerse yourself in the colors of your choice.

HOW TO REACH SANGLA

BY AIR:- The nearest airport for SANGLA would be SHIMLA (222 kms), but practically CHANDIGARH airport would be a better option due to its direct connectivity with major cities of India.

From the Manali side, BHUNTAR airport (242 kms via Jalori Pass) would be the nearest airport. However, this is subject to Jalori Pass being open for travel. From December to March / April, Jalori pass may be closed due to heavy snow. Again like Shimla, Bhuntar is a small airport with very limited direct connecting flights. In all practicalities, Chandigarh airport would be the best option.

BY RAIL:-The nearest railhead would be Shimla on the Kalka-Shimla route. The narrow gauge route takes you through 105 tunnels & mesmerizing vistas throughout. You should experience this journey, unless you are short of time of course. Practically again, Chandigarh / Kalka station would be faster options.

BY ROAD:-Sangla is well connected by roads to all the major cities of India. Below routes with distances are listed.

  • CHANDIGARH-114 kms-SHIMLA- 61 kms- NARKANDA-66 kms-RAMPUR-23 kms–JEORI-54 kms-KARCHAM-18 kms-SANGLA (336 kms)
  • MANALI-42 kms-KULLU-158 kms-(via JALORI pass)-RAMPUR-23 kms–JEORI-54 kms-KARCHAM-18 kms- SANGLA (293 kms).
  • MANALI-250 kms (via Mandi)-SHIMLA- 61 kms- NARKANDA-66 kms-RAMPUR-23 kms–JEORI-54 kms-KARCHAM-18 kms-SANGLA (472 kms)

At Karcham, while approaching from the Chandigarh / Shimla side, take a right turn & cross the bridge over the KARCHAM dam. The ascend of the next 18 kms road will take you to SANGLA. The road is mostly asphalted barring a few sections of loose gravel. The road takes you through some exciting narrow stretches hugging the hill on one side & valley on the other.

WHAT TO SEE in SANGLA

A view of the Kinner Kailash range from the Kamru Fort
Perched high is the Kamru Fort

KAMRU FORT

An uphill climb from the village for about 30 minutes takes you to this ancient tower like structure called as KAMRU FORT. The village was the ancient capital of Bashahr principate. The tower like structure is prominently visible from all the places in Sangla. Inside the fort, there is also a shrine dedicated to Kamakha Devi brought from Guwahati, Assam. It is a local belief that the 33 crore gods dwell in the fortress.

The Shrine at KAMRU

RAKCHAM

About 15 kms from SANGLA towards Chitkul is this wonderful place called as RAKCHAM. A sleepy village in the midst of the woods with a few shops & houses.  There are a few camping sites near the river bank.  If you are interested in camping, RAKCHAM is the right place for it. There are a few hotels, the most prominent & the best being RUPIN RIVER VIEW HOTEL. If you are really looking for some peace, spend a day here at RAKCCHAM. Go for walks in the woods and spend a few hours gazing at the river. It would really freshen up the soul. 

There is a big trout fishing farm on the other side of Rakcham. Do make a tour to buy some trouts. They do not cook & serve trouts. But of course, you can work on this arrangement with your hotel staff. 

BATSERI VILLAGE

A road between Sangla & Rakcham diverges in the valley below & takes you to this beautiful village called as BATSERI. It is about 7 kms from SANGLA and is located on the left bank of the Baspa river surrounded by Deodar, Pine & Bhojpatra trees.

A nice place to spend some time & experience the hospitality of the local folks. See the exemplary harmony, social bonding between this closely knit community of Buddhist & the Hindus residing in this peaceful hamlet.

The village has fields of apple, apricots & buck wheat. There are temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu & Badri Narayan. There is also an ancient Monastery in the village. There is a ground on which festivals like Uttarayan & Holi are celebrated.

HOTELS IN SANGLA

  • HOTEL KINNER RETREAT
  • Address                        :- VPO Rakchham,Tehsil Sangla, District Kinnaur -172106(H.P.)
  • Tel.No.                        :- +91- 9218102121,9218302121 (Deepak Negi & Manu Negi)
  • E-mail                          :- kinnerretreat@gmail.com
  • Facilities                      :- 12 well furnished valley facing rooms with attached bath, 
  •                                         hot water for 24 hrs, restaurant, room service, 
  •                                         laundry & parking
  • HOTEL BATSERI
  • Address                        :- Village Batseri, Teh.Sangla, Dist.Kinnaur. H.P. 172 106.
  • Tel.No.                        :- +91-98115 59496 / 78074 57545
  • E-mail                          :- sales@hotelbatseri.com
  • Website                       :- www.hotelbatseri.com
  • Facilities                     :- 25 luxurious rooms with attached bath, 24 hrs hot water,                                             buffet service (no room service). A premium hotel in Batseri.
  • HOTEL RUPIN RIVER VIEW
  • Address                        :- Rakcham, Sangla Valley, H.P. 172 106.
  • Tel.No.                        :- +91-94180 92894 / 98166 86789 (Naresh Jishtu)
  • E-mail                          ;- jishtu71@gmail.com; rupinriverview@gmail.com
  • Facilities                      :- Decent rooms with attached bath, Hot Water, garden,
  •                                     restaurant, Room service, Wi-Fi, free parking, TV, Air                                                      conditioning & travel desk.
  • Reviews                 :- Its prime location offers excellent views of the Baspa river. Although, located in a remote location like Rakchaam, it needs prebooking. It may be fully booked if not reserved in advance. When I reached the hotel directly in one of my trips, it was fully booked.

  • HOTEL APPLE PIE
  • Address                        :- Rakcham, Sangla Valley, H.P. 172 106.
  • Tel.No.                        :- +91-8860688496 / +91-8894579727 (Mukesh Sharma)
  • E-mail                         :- hotelappliepiekinnaur@gmail.com; info@hotelappliepie.com
  • Website                       :- www.hotelapplepie.com
  • Facilities                     :- Well furnished rooms with attached bath, parking, glass house, travel desk, bonfire and room service.

  • HOTEL MAHIMA
  • Address                        :- Village/PO Sangla, Near Sangla Bus Stand, H.P. 172 106.
  • Tel.No.                        :- N.A. Bookings can be done on websites directly.
  • Facilities                      :- 12 rooms with attached bath, Hot water, free parking, Free Wi-Fi.

  • HOTEL DEVBHUMI REGENCY
  • Address                        :- Post- Sangla, Sangla, Himachal Pradesh 172106•
  • Tel. No.                      :-+91- 82403 84585
  • Facilities                      :-Good rooms with attached bath, restaurant, hot water & room
  •                                        Service.
  • RAKCHHAM VALLEY NATURE CAMPS
  • Adddress                      :- Rakchham, Sangla Valley, Himachal Pradesh 172 106.
  • Tel.No.                        :- +91-88949 64217.
  • Location                      :- Located on the left bank of the Baspa river at Rakchham. Its an unique experience to listen to the gushing sound of the river water.

PHONE SERVICES

You will find Vodafone, Airtel, Idea etc functioning in some places, but can’t be really sure about whether the service would be available at all the locations. I always carry a MTNL / BSNL postpaid sim card (Jeevansathi Plan, with no rental & pay as you call. Some nominal charges of Rs.100/- apply every 6 months, if your phone is not in use). MTNL / BSNL would mostly cover every region & its surrounding places. You may be without a signal on the routes between two destinations.

ATM

There is an ATM in SANGLA, but not sure if it would have cash all the time. The next reliable ATM would be at RECONG PEO. Please carry sufficient cash & do not rely on Debit / Credit Cards for payments in the valley.

 

 

PETROL PUMPS

There are no petrol pumps in SANGLA. Ther is one at RECONG PEO which is operational. It is advisable to tank up at Chandigarh / Shimla & top up at NARKANDA / RAMPUR. There is a petrol pump at POWARI too, but it is not functional.

TO SUMMARIZE

In this article, I have tried to provide as much information possible on the travel routes, weather conditions, best time to visit, places to see in SANGLA, stay options & services. If you find my article useful, please share it with your family, friends & contact aspiring to visit the KINNAUR valley.

If you still require any further assistance, please feel free to write to me in the box below. I would be glad to be of any assistance to you.