Kaza, Himachal Pradesh
Above the treeline in Spiti, where the snow arrives in October and stays.
Rooms
The warmest room in the house, and not by accident — the whole south wall is glass onto the valley, and by eleven in the morning it has heated itself. Walls are mud brick over half a metre thick, which is why the temperature holds after dark. The bukhari is lit at six and we bring wood up twice. In winter, ask for this one first.
Two beds under a slanted ceiling, looking straight at the snowfields across the valley. Cooler than the south room because it faces the other way, which in June is exactly what people want and in January is not. We are honest about that when you book. The window seat is the best place in the lodge to watch weather come up the valley.
Traditional seating on three sides, a low table in the middle, and mattresses that come out at night — the way a Spiti house actually sleeps a family. Takes four comfortably and six at a push. Groups end up here after dinner whether they are staying in it or not. The bukhari in this room is the big one, and it holds heat until morning.
Facilities
Kaza, Himachal Pradesh
Kaza is the administrative town of the Spiti valley, at 3,800 m on the river of the same name — a cold desert, treeless, and about as far from the postcard Himachal of pine and waterfall as India gets. Key monastery is thirteen kilometres away and a thousand years old; Langza, Komic and Hikkim sit above at over 4,000 m. Two roads reach here: Manali over Kunzum, open roughly June to October, and Shimla via Kinnaur, open most of the year and much longer.
Nearest airport: Bhuntar (250 km) or Chandigarh (450 km) — both a long way, and that is the point. By road there are two ways in: Manali over the Kunzum pass, roughly June to October and spectacular, or Shimla through Kinnaur, longer but open most of the year. In winter the Kinnaur road is the only one. We will tell you honestly which is running before you set out.
Mid-June to early October if you want the Manali road and warm afternoons. Late September and October for the clearest light of the year. Winter here is January to March: minus twenty at night, the valley almost empty, and the reason some people come. July brings some rain but far less than the rest of Himachal — Spiti sits in the rain shadow.
A thousand years old, stacked up its own hill.
The Buddha, the fossil fields, and the highest post office road.
The world's highest post office; send a card home.
The moon lake, open only when the Kunzum road is.
The hosts
We are Dorje and Pema, and we have wintered in Kaza our whole lives. Snowline is built the way houses here have always been built — thick mud-brick walls, small deep windows, a bukhari in every room — because at 3,800 metres that is what keeps you warm. We run on solar and a generator, the water is hot, and the sky at night is the reason people come.
2 nights / 3 days
Two nights in January with a mountain guide, bukhari going all night.
3 nights / 4 days
Three nights at 3,800 m with a telescope and no light for fifty miles.
Things to do
Sample — Bir Billing Paragliding
Takeoff at Billing, landing at Bir. Fifteen to twenty minutes in the air, and the drive up is included. Certified pilot, one passenger.
If you cancel: Flying is weather-dependent and is often called off on the morning. Nothing is owed: charging for a day the wind decided would be charging for our own risk.
Ask about thisSample — Coastline Boats
Out at six, back by nine. Tea on board. Dolphins are wild and are not promised.
If you cancel: Cancelled by us for weather, nothing is owed.
Ask about thisSample — Himalayan Bike Hire
A 350 with helmets for two, fuelled and checked over. Licence shown at pickup.
If you cancel: Nothing owed if the guest cancels
Ask about thisSample — River Rafting Co.
Shivpuri to Rishikesh, grade III. Guide, gear and safety kayak. Two and a half hours on the water.
If you cancel: Half the price is owed inside 24 hours, because the boat and the guide are committed.
Ask about thisSample — Solang Snow Sports
Twenty minutes on a marked track with an instructor riding pillion. Boots and gloves provided.
If you cancel: Called off when there is not enough snow, at no charge.
Ask about thisRun by local operators we work with. Ask us and we will arrange it for you — nothing is charged here.
Food & drink
Cooked in our own kitchen, from what the market and the garden have.
Butter tea (included)
Included
Salted, churned, and an acquired taste we will not apologise for.
Thukpa
Hand-pulled noodles in broth. The house dinner most nights.
Thenthuk
₹240
Torn noodle soup, thicker than thukpa, for the cold evenings.
Momos, steamed
₹180
Ten to a plate, with a chilli sauce that means it.
Tsampa breakfast (included)
Included
Roasted barley flour, butter tea, apricot from Tabo.
Seabuckthorn juice
₹120
Grown wild along the river. Sharp, orange, full of vitamin C.
Chhang
₹150
Local barley beer, served warm. One glass is plenty at this altitude.
Dishes change with the season and what the market has. Tell us about allergies or preferences when you book.
Guest love
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From 12 noon; early check-in on request.
Yes — all meals; the kitchen runs on what the road brings in.
Yes, but take the altitude seriously: rest the first day.
Kaza is the last town; from Manali in summer, from Shimla year-round.
Request your dates and we will share payment details to confirm your booking.
