Nako Lake & Village

The lake itself is small and walkable in about half an hour. Do it slowly. Best done either at sunrise, when the village is still asleep and the water reflects the houses, or in the hour before sunset. Skip the middle of the day, the light flattens everything and the water looks dull.

Walk up through the narrow lanes to the cluster of small mud and stone temples in the upper village. They are generally believed to date back to around the eleventh century. The wall paintings inside are old and fragile, so be respectful, take shoes off, no flash, and ask before stepping inside any chapel.

Below one of the chapels, a rock is locally believed to carry the footprint of Padmasambhava, the saint credited with bringing Buddhism into Tibet. You do not need to believe the story to find the spot interesting, the village clearly does, and the small shrine around it tells you a lot about how Nako thinks of itself.

A roughly 3 to 4 hour walking circuit takes you to Tashigang, a tiny hamlet on the same mountain. Quiet, almost no tourists, and a good half day if you want more than just the lake. Carry water, sunscreen and a light jacket. Walk slowly, you are at altitude.

On a clear morning, climb a few minutes above the village for a clean line of sight toward Reo Purgyil, the highest peak of Himachal Pradesh at around 6,816 metres. The light is best within the first hour after sunrise. After that, the haze starts.

Skip the bigger restaurants if you have a choice. Eat at your homestay or at one of the small village kitchens. Thukpa, momos, dal chawal, and butter or sweet tea, served by the family that cooked it. The food is honest and the conversations are usually better than the menu.

Once the sun drops, the temperature falls fast and the village empties from the lanes. Pull a chair onto the homestay terrace, look at the stars, and let the place settle around you. This is the bit most travellers skip and most regret skipping.