Tinan Valley : A paradise north to the Atal Tunnel : Sissu and Gondhla
Hello all,
When I opened my eyes, I was in a cosy bed with at least three blankets. It must be – 1 degree C outside, but I felt warm, not due to blankets but due to genuine innocent happiness. Something in the air made me feel light-hearted, and when I looked out the window, I couldn’t see anything because there was a layer of condensation making everything hazy, just like my mind. I got up and opened the balcony door, and there I was, welcomed by a view of snowy mountains in front of me—the mountains, which were partly hidden by the clouds the day before. The lush green valley was providing perfect contrast to the brown rocky mountains capped with pristine white snow. My heart was dancing to the tunes of the gentle wind, and I was grinning from ear to ear without any reason. Was I still sleeping and dreaming about this? NO! I was in a little village in the Tinan Valley of Lahaul.
You know, I have written at least three times about the opening of this blog, and every time, I felt that something was missing. I couldn’t express the flutters of my heart that I felt that morning. I couldn’t compose the beautiful views in words. And I couldn’t create the charisma of mountains. Somehow I was, no, I am not doing justice. Still, here I am!
Tinan Valley extends from Khoksar village to Tandi. It is a beautiful gateway to the majestic Lahaul Valley. Once you enter from Atal Tunnel, you will be amazed by the beauty surrounding you. We went there on June’s first weekend and were mesmerized by seeing snow-laden mountains with dense yellow trees of willows and poplars on either side of the road.
Places to visit:
Sissu Village (Khwaling)
Located just 40 km from Manali, on the banks of Chandra river, it is now becoming a town with increasing touristy activities. Still, it is very much less crowded than Manali. There are many spots where you can relax and feel calm. There is something for everyone in Sissu, be it trekking lovers or adventure lovers, pahado wali peace lovers or star gazer and astronomers.
Sissu Waterfall :
If you are in Manali spare a day at least and visit this place. It is a less explored gem in the region. It is omnipresent in Sissu; you can see it from almost everywhere.
It is located just 1 km away from the main Leh-Manali Highway falling from a height of 50 meters. You have to take a left turn from Sissu Nursery and cross a bridge on Chandra River, and then there is a short hike of almost 1 km but a little steep one. Half of the road is paved and well-maintained. Small yellow and purple flowers along the trail are a feast for the eyes! There are few cafes along the way. Most people don’t go beyond the last café because there is a narrow trail from there. But if you want to feel the beauty of the falls, go on that trail. Once the trail ends, there are a few boulders with narrow passages in between, and after crossing those, you will reach the base of the falls and what a fantastic site it is! The cold mist and roaring sound of the falls will want you to sit there for hours and hours.
The place is sacred for local people, so you have to maintain proper decorum like you can not shout and definitely, you can not litter!
Height of fall – 3200 meters.
Trail distance – appx 1 km.
Grade – Easy to moderate
Best time to visit – March to June, however, winter has its beauty as in winter the waterfall freezes completely.
Sissu Lake
It is an artificial lake, located near the helipad. The place is developed as a main tourist attraction. When we went there, it was crowded, so we preferred to roam in the nearby region, which has dense serene willow and poplar trees with yellow leaves. During winter, this lake gets frozen and gives splendid views.
Labrang Gompa
Again a small hike of appx 3 km from Sissu will lead you to the Labrang Gompa. You can take a motorable road also. That’s the best part of Lahual: there are almost motorable roads to all points.
Gephan Lake and Temple
You can also go to Gephan Lake if you are a trekking lover. The total trek length is 33 km, a moderate to difficult trek. You should take a guide with you, which also requires camping for a day or two.
The Gephan temple is one of the valley’s most essential and sacred temples, and it is dedicated to Lord Gephan (Gyephang). Lord Gephan is called Raja / King of the Valley and the protector of the people in the Lahaul Valley. People believe it to be so sacred that outsiders are not allowed to enter the temple
Gondhla Fort
Gondhla Village is located at a distance of 16 km from Sissu, with the motorable roads will take appx 20-25 minutes to reach there. The village is lush green with beautiful scenery all around.
The towering fort, also called Char in the local language, is an old monument built 300 years ago by Raja Man Singh of Kullu, and it is the only fort in Lahual.
It is a seven-story house built with stone, a wooden verandah on all sides in the upper storey, and a wooden staircase, giving it a true Himachali vibe. The building has many apartments, with the 5th floor exclusively kept for Thakur, which has a private prayer room and verandah to listen to people.
Places To Eat In Sissu
There any many cafes, dhabas and hotels where you can have fantastic food. But our must-visit recommendation is Croissant Patisserie bakery. They have amazing cakes, croissants and cookies. I loved their carrot cake!
Places To Stay In Sissu
Homestays and homestays!!
Though there are many hotels, we prefer homestays over hotels. It provides us with the best opportunities to learn about the culture of the people. We stayed at a fantastic homestay in the village of Phuktal named Valley View Homestay. I am attaching the Google link and contact number below.
So this was our day in Tinan Valley, where we mainly visited Sissu and Gondhla. Just close your eyes. Imagine gigantic mountains on all four sides in shades from white to green to brown to grey, with a tranquil valley in between and a river bouncing merrily through that valley. You see thin white lines of waterfalls and glaciers from afar, but they are speaking a thousand words with you. You pass through those zig-zag roads, and the gentle wind caresses your cheeks. Your hair flows in all directions, but you don’t mind because you are at peace, with yourself and with this world. You might feel the coldness on your cheek because a small tear drops down from your eye, but it doesn’t lessen the completeness of your heart. Can u picture this sukoon? If not, visit this place. You definitely will.
If you want to go further in Lahaul Valley, read this…
Google links:
Sissu waterfall : https://goo.gl/maps/dtR2qCpicVAPDtaMA
Sissu lake: https://goo.gl/maps/3R4xawUFJvbXJAaw8
Valley View Homestay: https://goo.gl/maps/YjKjhGaJpovj1UU97
Gondhala fort: https://goo.gl/maps/W2DTaPrrJKDMVa266
Croissant Patisserie: https://goo.gl/maps/mdkKYbZKt5TPEYpD9
Contact numbers:
Mr. Rakesh of Valley View Homestay: 9459248568
Hippie in Hills: 8978614753
Thank you…
Kajal.
Just spare some time and post a description on BaraLacha Pass !
Yes lahaul is as good as spiti according to all as both of them have a fair amount of insane monasteries, villages.
But when it comes to the lakes, waterfalls , i feel its Lahaul and not Spiti.
We haven’t visited Spiti yet so can’t compare. But Lahaul definitely has our hearts. The peace and calmness is what we all want.
And yes definitely going to post about the pass in next few posts. Thank you…
Bless u dear !
Amazing description as i visited this in 2000 and still it took me 3 days to reach here and now i think we need to revisit as its easily accesible
Thank you so much…yes it is now just matter of hours. you cross Atal Tunnel and you entree into this majestic place…
This is good as many people feel spitti is good and lahaul is unheard !
looking to the google maps i feel its hardly any distance from atal tunnel
hope its approachable and must be a to do for any one visiting atal tunnel for day trip
Thanks for sharing as we visited atal tunnel but are unaware of this majestic spot
Yes! Spiti is well known since many years. But Lahaul was accessible just for 6 months a year before Atal Tunnel. But now after Tunnel opening it is very much easily accessible to both locals and tourists.
Where water is the Boss and Land must Obey !
Kudos to the Kids for doing it !
weather seems to be perfect but it must be Windy and also cloudy !
Kajal ! Its good that u describe such a lovely place to its perfect way that people like us feel they have been there
Thank you so much for indulging me. Feeling truly grateful. And yes it was windy and drizzling lightly. Satva was not comfortable at first but with little motivation and patience he did it finally.
Jordar !
simply out of the box and its like i visited it
Many many thanks. Truly appreciated…