A lot popular of places in Himachal are becoming too crowded. Therefore, A lot of travelers are now on the lookout to find unexplored places in Himachal. Being a frequent traveler to such lesser-known places in Himachal, I began to wonder “Is there a downside to offbeat places in Himachal”
Therefore, I’ll be discussing the issues you might face based on my personal experiences when traveling to lesser known places in this blog. Feel free to add the difficulties you have faced while traveling to offbeat places in the comments.
Is There A Downside To Offbeat Places in Himachal
YES, I think there are quite a few downsides to traveling to such unexplored place in Himachal. The positives for sure outweighs the downsides when traveling to unexplored places. But it is also necessary that you know about the downsides.
By the way, I have an interesting stance on offbeat places in Himachal and would love hear your thoughts.
Based out what I have observed and my experiences I have listed these 7 reasons why I think its difficult to travel to offbeat places in Himachal. Please note that I’ll be talking about places and villages which are not on tourist map and receive way less tourists.
| No Accommodation Options in Lesser Know Places of Himachal |
| Local bus timings To Lesser known places in Himachal |
| No Public Transport In A Few Offbeat Villages |
| Budget Issues When Traveling to Offbeat Places in Himachal |
| Traveling Alone is NOT easy To Offbeat Places in Himachal |
| Offbeat Places in Himachal Are Difficult to Reach |
| Influence of Deities in Rustic villages of Himachal |
No Accommodation Options In Lesser Known Places of Himachal
Not having a proper place to stay in beautiful villages is one of the reasons why I think there is a downside to traveling to offbeat places in Himachal.
| And I am not talking about hotels or guesthouses. There are pretty villages in Himachal where there are not even local run homestays which is a really big disappointment for me as I love to stay with the locals and learn more about the place.
For instance, In Lahaul I really liked the Khangsar village in Tod. Although famous its still not frequented by tourists and travelers to that extent. I would have loved to stay here, but unfortunately there were no homestays. Here is list of 17 such lesser known villages of Lahaul. |
One might argue that you can set up your camp, but I personally prefer staying in homestay at such rustic villages rather than staying in a tent.
Local Bus Timings To Lesser Known Places In Himachal
For a lot of rustic villages in Himachal, bus timings are set up in certain way. The bus to such places is usually in the evening and the bus comes back to major village or town the next day early morning.
| Now consider such timings with no place to stay, this means that you cannot make even a day-trip to such beautiful places. And this is a real problem if you are traveling alone which I do most of the times.
The only other option remains are shared taxis. They will only ply if there are a lot of people traveling throughout the day to such villages. And that is not always the case. The private taxis will cost you a fortune if you are solo or backpacking with not a large group. |
Spiti valley has such bus timings. The buses to the villages go in the evening and come back to Kaza the next morning. This is not very ideal for a person who wants to make a day-trip. By the way, I have 27 Easy to follow travel tips for Spiti which will be quite useful for first timers.
No Public Transport In A Few Offbeat Villages Of Himachal
| There a select places in Himachal, where there is no public transport available for commuting. And here I am talking only about villages having roads, and not the places which do not have roads.
As a traveler, reaching such places then becomes extremely difficult and more so if you are traveling solo or in small group with strict budget. |
For instance, In Lahaul, surprisingly enough there are no public transport buses going to Kardang. Kardang is probably one of the most important villages of Lahaul and houses one the biggest monasteries in Lahaul.
Well I assumed it might have been because of bad roads. But for people like me who are always on budget it certainly becomes difficult.
Budget Issues When Traveling to Offbeat Places In Himachal
Well, Traveling to places which are less frequented especially on a budget can become difficult sometimes. A lot of places even which are accessible by road, might not be feasible to reach on strict budget.
There are certain places and villages in Himachal, where the bus frequency is just a single bus per day or there are no buses at all. Therefore, you are left with no other option, than to hire a private cab.
This can really cost you a lot if you are traveling solo or in a small group. Therefore, traveling to offbeat places in Himachal might not always be cost effective.
Traveling Alone is Not Easy To Offbeat Places In Himachal
Traveling alone to offbeat places in Himachal is not always dreamy. There are several dangers you might face during your trip.
| You rarely see any humans on such offbeat places, and if you are going on hikes to places nearby lesser known villages, there will be absolutely no one on such trails.
And the dangers of wildlife always looms large on such desolate trails or lesser known places, so traveling alone in such situations is not always advisable. Therefore, having a local guide or a local folk from the nearby villages helps quite a bit. |
In fact, I have made detailed blogs on Safety in Lahaul and Safety In Spiti valley for travelers. Both of these places are sort of remote and lesser-explored.
But lets say if you are going to a well-know or somewhat popular trail or place like Paravti valley or Kheerganga, you’ll always find people in case you need any help. So popular places has its owns pros and cons.
Offbeat Places in Himachal Are Difficult To Reach
If you want tread on off the beaten path, then be ready to face some challenges. The more remote places you choose the more difficult it becomes to reach them.
For instance, I wanted to reach the Chehni Kothi in Seraj valley. Although famous, it does not receive a lot of visitors and one has to hike for 30 minutes to reach here.
| As I was traveling solo, I opted for a local bus which dropped me 4 km before the starting point of the hike to the village. And on top of that, I ended up picking up a steep trail which further made things worse for me.
I was already quite tired, but I made it eventually. This should give you a fair bit of idea the challenges you might have to face when visiting such beautiful but remote places in Himachal. |
Influence Of Deities In Remote Villages of Himachal
All the villages in Himachal have a chief deity which the locals worship with all their hearts and equally fear so as to not incur wrath of the deity.
And some of these deities are said to be extremely strict. And do not want the villages to be opened up for tourism as it will eventually lead to more and more people visiting the place and potentially disrupting the sanctity of the place.
| Being an outsider, You cannot enter certain temples in select villages. You cannot go near certain trees and springs as the deities reside in them.
Therefore, a lot of such places remain hidden from the tourist map. And traveling to such places without a proper local guide is not advisable. You surely do not want to face the wrath of locals and deities by breaking any of the rules. Just to make things clear, by no means I am questioning the faith of the people and their beliefs. I completely respect their tradition and their rules. |
Its just that you become reluctant to move freely so as to avoid any issues. And this is why having a local guide really helps. But such restrictions really helps maintaining the sanctity of the place.
To conclude, I hope I have addressed the question “Is There A Downside to offbeat places in Himachal” with proper justification. A lot of times its quite difficult, but eventually the beauty of such offbeat places make the struggle worth it.
In case, you have any doubts or any queries regarding offbeat places in Himachal, feel free to reach out in the comments below.