Rent from a pro and travel like one, too. Though Ladakh was done in end of August, this year I want to do Spiti but I can make it only in September end. Overnight at Hunder, Day 12 | Hunder Deskit Sumur Panamik Sumur Not only are they incredibly dark, but there is almost never any cloud cover. Finally at 6.41pm i took this snap: We start our hike back to the car. Is it ok..? Kaza/Key Day 11 : 15th June : Chandrataal to Manali. Key Monastery is perched at a hill top, and looks like an out of the ordinary structure surrounded by barren mountains. Hence, running water is a luxury at this time of the year. NPS/Ty Karlovetz Yet our precious natural lightscapes are filled with thousands of visible stars. or should we stay in the camps there. You can Overnight at Tso Moriri lake, Day 20 | Tso Moriri Tso Kar Debring (Manali Leh Highway starts) Moore Plains Pang / Sarchu They say the Roads to spiti are worse than those to Leh. how is american identity changed by the 20th century. In terms of place, you simply need dark skies! The road is empty. O/n Kaza. Last year the road was opened all the way up to December , i am planning to visit spiti by the end of july around 22nd july. Bring along a jacket or a nice blanket to keep yourself from getting too chilled while stargazing. The food will be pretty basic as available in the homestay. Manali to shimla ,? Akshay, very unlikely unless it snows heavily during that time which is rare in recent years. I will strongly suggest that you go through and read my series on Ladakh/Spiti Self Drive tips at the links below: 7 Useful Tips for a Self Drive to Leh Ladakh/Spiti. Would it be feasible if we start somewhere around 25thmay from Chandigarh thru kinnaur and exit via kunzum pass somewhere around 8th to 10th june. Hence, you can only make a trip up to Kaza on this route, and there is always a chance of closure of roads for a few days if it continues to snow for some time during winters. so in mid december which places of himachal Pradesh can we find thick snow??? It's easy to make sure all photos save as RAW while using Pro Mode on the Galaxy S20 Ultra. If Im flexible with days what are the places I can add along with your 16 days itinerary considering 30days max. Just one question. But, I guess you are right about AMS as day 3 would be too early to spend at Chitkul. Sorry for the extremely long Post. A lonely street lamp illuminates a monastery on the crest of the low hill. CEF_Beasts, digitalnirvana, Dr.AD, Evyas, GTO, haisaikat, InControl, PetroNerd, Rehaan, Samba, Samfromindia, supertinu, thirugata, UD17, veloce.95, Venkygupta, Voodooblaster, vredesbyrd, YanTra Makto. It had started rising over the horizon around 10pm and the core would be visible a bit late in the night as it was hidden behind the mountains. Appreciate your efforts for helping fellow travelers on their journey. The more you know about it, the more amazing it is to look up at it and contemplate what youre seeing. At the same time while Sikkim is a great place you can't spend the night at highest altitude locations like Gurdongmar Lake, Zero Point, and Spiti has lot more locations and stay options that suited for my objective of astro-photography. While traveling to Spiti Valley in November you go through some hardships of ice on the roads, lack of electricity, winter cold conditions with sub-zero temperatures topped with basic facilities as most of the guesthouses get closed. The monastery, the Buddhist prayer flags, the lone streetlamp and the velveteen grass anchor mine. In September 2022, the New Moon is on Sunday the 25th. When the months of April May come, the snow starts to melt, and some link roads within Spiti Valley start to open up. . I will recommend that you read: Spiti in Winters Most Common Itinerary and How to plan a trip to Spiti Valley in Winters. Its the amazing place around which every star, including our own Sun and its retinue of planets, revolve once every 225 millionyears. This generally takes time and hence, Manali to Kaza route remains closed for almost six-seven months in a year. You should carry a hand sanitizer with you to best maintain sanitization wherever possible. The road at Nako is closed due to a massive landslide at Malling Nala. Behind the hill is an enormous mountain ridge, snow-clad, alive and awesome with the nebulous gas of the Milky Way sky emanating from each ruck and tuck of its craggy surface. Once you reach Kaza, check the weather and then make a call to drive from Kaza to Manali because getting stuck in between Kaza and Manali due to weather will not be pleasant, Thanks for your suggestions. Definitely, 20th September, you will be able to enjoy more. Dates seem to be OK, if you extend the trip by a couple of days, You can check a very balanced and most common itinerary for Spiti Valley followed by many travellers including me at the link here for 10-11 days: Most Common Itinerary for Spiti Valley. I want to do the complete circuitCan you please suggest the itinerary. Day 10 : 14th June : Losar to Chandrataal lake via Kunzum Pass (if Kunzum is open). In a new timelapse video by Shashanka Nanda, these sights of what is also known as "middle country" - seeing as it is located between Tibet and India - can be enjoyed from the comfort of your own. It took us just over 4h30m to cover 63kms from Batal to Atal Tunnel. Hotels start to come out of hibernation, and things, including fruits/vegetables, start to arrive in Spiti Valley frequently. We then dive into the dusty central region to take a much closer look. We are planning for September 2018. Hi we are planning to Spiti Valley in 9th June 16th June or 7th July 15th July this year. It is nearly impossible to see the Milky Way when the moon is near full. We got up early at 6 am and left by 7.30. You can kick back, relax, and stare into the sky in comfort. I should also add that I can start this trip earlier, around 20 September, if it makes conitions more favorable. Overnight at Leh, Day 14 | Rest day at Leh to enjoy local culture and some shopping OR Monastery tour One mystery we didn't want to solve. Sponsored by The Penny Hoarder Its just me, the mountains, the stars. They are also incredibly quiet, which makes the experience all the more magical. It was going to be trying but I wanted to get it over it and not waste a night. 2023Yankee Publishing, Inc., An Employee-Owned Company A must visit in Kaza. Waimea Canyon, located on the island of Kauai far from the most populated islands, is one of the best places to see our Milky Way in the US. From 6pm, between 11th June - 22nd June. Go to Settings (that's the gear icon) and toggle to "Save RAW copies." Jul 2, 2016 - Milky way rising over Kunzum La The Galactic core rising over Kunzum la, a highest mountain pass in Spiti valley from our camp near Chandrataal. Camping at Chandrataal lake:- Summer is the best time of year to see the Milky Way in the northern hemisphere. It will help if you go there when there is no moon. Milky Way Calendar 2023 Best Milky Way viewing planner, best places to see the Milky Way in the world. In photographing the night sky, while the stars and the Milky Way should dominate your image, its the foreground that anchors the composition. Is Chandrataal lake journey possible at that time? The road conditions in winters on the Hindustan Tibet highway are quite challenging and tough. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Gompo meets us at the homestay. November - December is generally the winter months in Spiti Valley or at least the beginning of winters. It's fun to see the stars emerge as the dark comes. In truth, long exposures made with expensive equipment, and taken in areas with an inspirational foreground like from Arches National Park, are indeedgorgeous. Getting There: Located on West I-70 just past the Morrison Exit 259. Hello Dheeraj, If youre located in Tokyo, Japan (35.6 latitude), you can use this Calendar since the best days to shoot the Milky Way will be the same. Now can u plan me a trip which covers spiti / kinnaur/ lahual/ chandratal in between these days. In April you can make individual trips to these places like flying into Leh for Ladakh trip and going coming back form Shimla Kinnaur side for Spiti Valley trip. Its dotted with bright and faint stars that make it alive with activity and sets it apart from other sections of the sky. You should read my tips on traveling to Kinnaur and Spiti Valley in monsoon time. Thank you in advance. A portable chair that you can recline back in, like a beach chair, is a great way to enhance the experience. Avoid full Moon nights if stargazing is high on your agenda as the lunar light can obstruct views of the Milky Way and other constellations. We took the turn towards Chitkul at Karcham Bridge. The Milky Way Galaxy is about 100,000 light years across and about 20,000 light years thick. Tips to grow your RV rental business. O/n Narkanda. If you are a snow lover then you will not like this month as almost all the peaks around you would be naked without any snow on them. I have read your blog and your advise on the best season to travel to Spiti. Right now, were aimed toward the most concentrated part of the Milky Way Galaxy. From a dark location, it takes about 20 minutes for human eyes to become fully sensitive to faint light. I need a help planning whole Spiti and Leh-Ladakh itinerary. The summer months of March-June are considered to be the best to visit Spiti not only due to the pleasant weather but also fewer crowds. A good book on tape, especially a space opera, is just the thing to spark your imagination. We had 2 nights to try and get this right depending on the forecast. In North America, thats during the summer months. By continuing to browse our website, you agree to our use of cookies. Planet sightings, supermoons, eclipses, and meteor showersstargazing is arguably one of the best parts of spending time outside. It demands travel to remote locales, long prayers to the weather-gods for a clear sky, buying expensive lens and DSLR cameras and lastly bodily endurance for those long nights in freezing temperatures; but when you get that click, its all worth it. Really not concerned of number of days. I have gone through many posts but not able to decide how to plan it .As dalhousie is exactly opposite to spiti and i need to be there in middle of my trip that is on 4th day . This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Less chances of overcast skies. Youre covered with our custom protection packages. The Best Places To See Wildlife In The U.S. Road Tripping with Pets: What You Should Know. Even though the Milky Way can be seen from mildly light-polluted areas, it will only be visible here as a brighter wash across the night sky. Overnight at Hanle, Day 18 | Leh Chumathang Mahe Nyoma Loma Hanle They said to inquire later in the evening if there are no-shows. Hi Dheeraj, The Milky Way is also great for viewing with friends. Kaza to Losar is closed, and hence it is not the best time to visit Kunzum Pass because the road is closed. Posted on July 3, 2022 by . Pl let me know if any changes or improvement is required. Lets findout! To find the darkest area near you, you can use the Dark Site Finder Map. I am planning on a bike trip going from manali to Key gompa and back during end of september beginning of october. See our September Sky Watch. Now we had to wait and watch. Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah. In Western Australia's capital, the Perth Observatory has been around for more than 120 years. Day 03 : Kaza Pin Valley Tabo It was in full view for less than 30 seconds before it went down behind a crevice. I have the Milky Way to capture. Do not forget to pack woolens. PS: Sorry I guess I mistook your query with someone else. In the Eastern U.S., dark skies are pretty hard to come by, but in the west, they are quite abundant. Gompo spotted a pair of Ruddy Shelducks nearby a small pond but were quite far away. Is it possible to plan out anything which can solve my purpose? The new moon is the best time to see the clear Milky Way. The opening of Kunzum Pass and the further road towards Manali from Kunzum Pass takes more time.