Rupees 200 per person, per night, to stay in this shack. And it still beats the best 7 Star hotels, anywhere in the world.
• Don't litter : Don't demand city comforts : Don't demand aerated cokes, beers, sodas, alcohol, packaged food etc.
• While the pahadi shack owner has a profit incentive to make these things available for you in this remote area, he has NO INCENTIVE whatsoever, to bring the waste back down 14 km and dispose off the garbage properly.
• He will conveniently dump all the litter in the hills around the campsites.
• Please carry your own disposable stuff and bring all your litter down with you.
There are several trek routes to reach Kheerganga. We started from Barshaini and gained 3000ft in height, to reach the springs. Barshaini is a couple of kms before Tosh, on the way from Kasol.
A common mistake we all make is to start our trek late and be on the track from noon to late afternoon. Sun is at its peak and this makes things tiring. Start early morning by 6-7am and be at Kheerganga by 10-11am. Some people return the same evening. Overnight stay is highly recommended.
Stay and food is in makeshift shacks. Accommodation is no more than ₹300-500 per room night, for 2-3 people to a room.
• Route from Delhi is towards Kullu Manali and before Kullu take right from Bhuntar. Then Kasol, Manikaran and Barshaini (just before Tosh). We stayed two nights in Tosh and once night in Kheerganga.
• We skipped Kasol, as it is more commercial and a big party place, which may work better for some people.
• Kheerganga has decent mobile connectivity now.
• There is a row of shacks, on either side of the track leading to these hot springs.
• They are all situated just a couple of minutes, from this hot spring bathing area.
• Almost all the accommodation and eating shacks close down by end November and reopen only in April.
• But for the adventurous folk, nothing is closed. Own camping is a possibility and all equipments can be hired and arranged from Kasol.
• There is one Than Baba's Ashram +91 98052 99358, open for most of the year and they do provide accommodation and tents on hire. He can update about snow conditions and availability of accomodation in winter. Even he may close down when it snows heavily in winter.
• There are no permanent concrete structures and most of the shacks are dismantled at seasons end.
• These are very rudimentary tin shacks with the most basic of amenities. No attached bathrooms, which are again nothing more than 4 walls of tin and a tin roof. Water for the loos and kitchens is drawn from the spring itself, so hot water is assured.
• The atmosphere and the vibe is priceless !
• Mr Guddu runs a shop in Barshaini and runs the Lotus Guest House and Cafe at Kheerganga +91 98054 44220. His is one of the many shacks available.
Kheerganga, 9700 ft, Parvati Valley, Kullu, Himachal. June 2014.