Introduction
Over the last few years, Kasol and Parvati Valley’s fame has skyrocketed thanks to social media. What was once a quiet unknown destination sparsely filled with hippies has been overflooded with tourists and this has changed the dynamics of the whole valley. With this blog, we hope to cover everything you would ever need to ensure you understand every village’s uniqueness and plan your trip better. We wont recommend any stay or food joints as we want you to explore your own tastes and spending. This guide will just be a guide on what to expect from each location.
Closest airport and major bus stop: Bhuntar
Earliest Bhuntar—>Kasol bus: 6.30am
History
In the form of an ash smeared Naga Sadhu, Lord Shiva meditated here for more than 3000 years. On opening his eyes, the land had transformed into the beautiful valley we know today. Taken aback by the breathtaking views, the Lord decided to name the valley after his wife Parvati. The views were said to have been so mesmerizing that they decided to stay here for another thousand odd years.
Another tale recollected by some locals mentions that Lord Shiva had asked his sons Ganesha and Kartikeya to travel around the world. While Kartikeya journeyed around the world, Lord Ganesha thought that the whole world lied at his parents' feet and circumferenced around them. Impressed by Ganesha’s wit, he was made the king. Years later, when Karthikeya finally returned he was shocked to see Ganesha made king even though he himself was the eldest son. Frustrated, he chose the cave named after him in Kheerganga and went into deep meditation.
Later, Shiva and Parvati came here to take him home. Out of love for her son, Goddess Parvati made kheer flow from the mountain and this is why it was named Kheerganga. Later, Lord Parashuraman on sensing the onset of Kaliyuga realized the kheer could result in a fight among the people and stopped it. Since then, only the hot water remains.
The Parvati River
While the views might be breathtaking, I personally feel the river is what makes this valley special for me. The sheer power and force with which she flows matches the power of the hi-tech and psytrance parties we have here.
After a wild night partying at Pirates of Parvati, the early morning trek back was something I will never forget. Even though the speakers had died down, the music the river made was something that helped me create the bond I have with this valley. Now I know why so many of us dream of living here. It’s because of the ‘music’ of the Parvati River.
The Villages
Kasol, Chalal and Katagla
This is usually the first stop from Bhuntar for most travelers. Kasol can be described as the comfortable traveller’s haven in the hills. Thanks to its road connectivity and early development, you can find all the creature comforts you would ever need. The presence of a lot of cafes also lets you get the best food available in this area. The main highlight is the Kasol Market area for all your shopping needs. If you want to escape the crowds but not let go of your creature comforts, you can cross the bridge and head to Chalal or go back a couple of kilometers until you reach Katagla. As there is no vehicular access(for now), they are less crowded compared to Kasol. This is also the only area where you can safely chill in the banks of the Parvati river. As the location is comparatively at a lower altitude, temperatures are also warmer.
# rating: 1/5 Crowd rating: 1/5 View Rating: 3/5
Rashol
The route to Chalal extends further for a few hours and takes you to Rashol. Rashol is a small village located in the Parvati Valley and is known for its isolated and hallucinated reflection of Italian hippies in search of Nirvana. The village serves as a business hub for cannabis farming, focusing on producing high-quality #. The offering here is second only to Malana and is a major upgrade from what you get in Kasol's streets. Rashol offers a unique experience for visitors, with its stunning views and a tranquil environment, attracting those seeking a comfortably numb life. The crowds are slowly getting bigger and only time will tell what the future holds for Rasol.
# rating: 5/5 Crowd Rating: 4/5 View Rating: 4/5
Grahan
Closest place to Kasol where you can go to disconnect completely. Only walking, no cell phone coverage. The trek to the village takes you through dense pine forests, gushing streams, and picturesque meadows, offering a delightful experience for nature lovers. The trail is relatively well-marked, and it usually takes around 4-5 hours to reach Grahan, depending on individual fitness levels. Can go on multi day treks from here. Sar Pass is the most common.
# rating: 4/5 Crowd rating: 5/5 View Rating: 4/5
Shilha
2nd Closest place to Kasol where you can remote work with very little crowd. Good network. Halfway by car, the other half by walking. It's a unique place due to its location as a midpoint between Kasol and the Dam.
# rating: -/5 Crowd Rating: 5/5 View Rating: 3/5
Tosh
Although Tosh has gotten crowded nowadays, the views it provides is something that no other village can beat. Trek further higher until you reach Tosh Kutla to enjoy the beautiful views and some privacy. There are a lot of nice cafes here as well that provide food equally good as Kasol. Tosh #balls are good as they cost lesser than cream and smoke decently.
# rating: 3/5 Crowd Rating: 2.5/5 View Rating: 5/5
Pulga
Great spot for the uninitiated. Offers everything newcomers would want. Good network, and hence a good remote work location. Cheap homestays with attached bathrooms with water heaters that remain functional until peak winter as well as bigger hotels are available here. You can drive to Pulga. It has the best forest out of any village in Parvati Valley. Fairy Forest is just absolutely beautiful and it's a great TRIP spot. Moderately crowded.
# rating: -/5 Crowd Rating: 3/5 View Rating: 4/5
Tulga
Less crowded than Kalga and Pulga with cheap staying options. It is the starting point if you want to trek to Bhandak which is a flat grassland where you can camp easily or the lake on top of the mountain, Rorag Sor. Personally, Rorag is my favorite spot to trek to and I've had the most magnificent trips camping beside the lake.
# rating: -/5 Crowd Rating: 4/5 View Rating: 3/5
Kalga
Similar to Pulga but slightly less developed. Equal if not slightly more crowd than Pulga due to it being on route to Kheerganga.Has homestays with attached bathrooms. It also has a forest at the end of the village which is also a nice forest to chill in. Excellent network, my preferred place if I need a good internet connection for the work I'm doing. Difficult to climb/come down during peak winter if you aren't used to snow. Takes about 30min and you have to park your vehicle beside the dam.
# rating: 2.5/5 Crowd Rating: 3/5 View Rating: 4/5
Malana
Malana has always been the land of the creme. It was the center of the export business for decades until it fell victim to social media fame. You will probably not find stickier # in any other part of the world. But what most people don't understand is that the majority is either exported or given to high profile clients. Over the past decade, the footfall Malana receives annually has gone out of control. This has resulted in making it much harder to score any decent # without getting scammed. Only good contacts can help and you can have a much better experience trying in Rasol, Grahan or Waichin.
# rating: 5/5(?) Crowd Rating: 2.5/5 View Rating: 4/5
Waichin
Rather than going to Malana, if you continue ahead from Malana Dam you reach Waichin aka Magic Valley. This remote village is located at a higher altitude than Malana and also has no electricity access. A part of the village also has Malana inhabitants and follows the same rules as there. The best part about Waichin is a lot of # from Malana is smuggled through this route hence making this a better location to spend time in. Beware of cold temperatures and low creature comforts. The views are excellent as well and Waichin also acts as the base camp for the Dev Ropa trek.
# rating: 5/5 Crowd Rating: 4/5 View Rating: 4.5/5
Parvati Valley Treks
Kheerganga: Like Grahan, this is a spot to disconnect. However there is often a lot of crowd here due to it being a popular spot to trek to. It is a 4-8 hour trek from Kalga depending on your speed. There is no network here. There are people with fixed line BSNL telephones and they charge exorbitantly if you want to use it. There are only tents to stay in and there is a hot water spring to bathe in which is divided in two with entry based on which sex you present as. You can also trek pretty high up in the forest of you know the route. A common place to trek to from here is Buni Buni which is basically a nice flat land to camp on similar to Bhandak.
Tunda Bhuj: This is where you can start saying you're deep in the valley. A 6-8 hour trek from Kheerganga. No connectivity to the outside world at all. There is one old guy who stays here and can help you with stay/food at his shanty if you don't bring your own tent/cooking material. This is almost the last area in the valley with a forest. This is the last place in the valley where you can spend money.
Thakur Kuan: Another 6 hours trek from TB. Here you can be truly isolated. There is no permanent settlement here by anyone yet. From here the valley is quite barren/rocky/marshy with little plant life. There is actually a decently doable climb up from here to the snowy part of the mountain. Do not attempt it if you are not experienced.
I would not recommend going further ahead into the valley solo unless you are highly experienced as there are difficult spots ahead. I have personally never gone ahead of TK alone.
Odi Thatch: 6-8 hour trek from TK. The Pandu Pul is quite difficult to cross alone. Trek carefully as the drop to the river is pretty high on the way here. Ensure you fill up on water on your way to here, there's a good amount of spots for that. This is fairly high altitude so it's important to keep yourself hydrated
Mantalai Lake: From Odi Thatch, trek for a further 5 hours over the step gradual climb until you reach the lake.
Other treks you can read about online:
BunBuni pass (Kalga)
Devropa (Waichin)
Sar pass (Grahan)
Complaints regarding disrespect to Mother Nature
While we have an all time high in the number of people claiming to be on a spiritual path, none seem to be bothered to respect their nature and surroundings as the real scriptures demand them to be. It is dissapointing to see the valley that Lord Shiva and Parvati praised for its beauty to be desecrated by such unhealthy practices. Seeing all the trash accumulated in the banks of Kasol is a shame, but seeing the trash in higher hilly remote areas is hurtful to say the least. Even though this valley provides people with such amazing experiences, tourists do not even maintain basic etiquette of using dustbins. Hopefully the locals and govt will make sure that the valley remains how it was meant to be. Tourists also need to be vocal on their criticisims against other peers not maintaining good habits to Mother Nature as well as each other.
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"Turn on, tune in, drop out" - Timothy Leary (1966)
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