A night in a Nathang homestay, if acclimatised

Nathang has a handful of registered homestays run by herding families. Rooms are simple, with heavy quilts, basic bathrooms and a shared kitchen where most meals happen. Dinner is usually rice, dal, a vegetable, eggs or chicken, and hot water for drinking. Expect power cuts and little or no mobile signal. Full board costs about ₹1,500–2,500 a person a night, indicative 2026, booked through your Silk Route agent. Bring a head torch and a warm hat to sleep in.

The reward is the valley at its quietest. At dusk the light goes gold on the slopes and the last cars leave. At dawn there is frost on the grass, smoke from kitchen fires, and herders taking the yaks out. In October and November the sky at night is very clear. In winter, from December to March, it is bitterly cold, and the road may close behind you, so only stay then with spare days in hand.

Our rule: sleep at Zuluk, about 2,900 m, before any night at Nathang, and never come straight from the plains. Skip the night if anyone has a headache, poor sleep or breathlessness at Zuluk, and skip it with infants or anyone with heart or lung conditions. If symptoms appear at night, descend to Zuluk, even in the dark; your host and driver will understand. Arrange this with the driver before you go to bed. Check current status before you travel.