Lahaul

Lahaul, the moonscape of India, is an enchanting place not only for a quick sightseeing trip but also for a long sojourn. Here you'll find yourself surrounded by the barren beauty of the Himalayas, in direct contrast to their lush green avatar in other parts of Himachal. The valley has long been a favorite with adventure enthusiast, who have a taste for the forbidden and the unknown. You can actually listen to the voice of the wind here and it's sure to give you goose bumps. The valley is immensely popular for its adventure trekking routes and gompas (monasteries). One of the most traversed trekking route kicks off from Manali, passes through Lahaul and ends at Zanskar (in Kashmir). The Leh-Manali highway is the main passage for tourists into Lahaul and further on to Leh. This route usually open from July to September, is entirely at the mercy of the Rain God who may decide to wreak havoc just when you plan to make a adventure journey. The journey itself takes a lot of guts and is definitely not for the lily-livered there are some really scary roads with sheer drops!