Hotel Review – HPPWD Rest House Nako, Spiti

by Vargis.Khan

HPPWD rest houses are usually the preferred choice of stay for a lot of people for primarily two reasons. First is that they are all located at an unbeatable scenic location. No matter where you go, be it a small remote place or a major town like Shimla; the HPTDC guest house will be at a place with best of the views around. Second is that they are all decently comfortable and luxurious for a very reasonable price. Though I will not really call them a budget stay if you were traveling solo; but the rent you will pay for staying at one of these guest houses will never be too high. One such place that is always my preferred choice of stay is the HPPWD Rest house Nako.

I have stayed at this rest house twice even though I have been to Nako a few other times as well. Problem however was that the caretaker here is mostly missing. Twice I found him to be available and checked into the rest house. Rest of the times the rest house was locked so I had to stay at a different hotel.

Economical

Tourism in areas like Ladakh and Spiti is on a boost and the number of people traveling here increases by each passing year. Effect of this can be seen even in small villages like Nako. About a decade ago, there was just one hotel here but now there are at least 15. You will find more hotels here than houses to be honest. In peak tourist season, average cost of these hotels goes well beyond Rs. 2000 per day. For someone traveling on a budget, this may seem a bit high. As compared to this price, you will easily be able to negotiate your stay for as low as Rs. 1000 at the HPTDC guest; almost half the price.

Location

As I mentioned above, these guest houses are always best located and the guest house at Nako is no exception to it. It is located at a corner of Nako, in a very silent place overlooking the lake. It is a great spot to spend some time in peace and even to walk down to the lake.

Spacious Rooms

Rooms of the guest house are all very large and spacious and so are the washrooms. In the room that I stayed, the bed was large enough for three people to sleep on it.

Clean

This I have found to be a bit of a challenge at some of the guest houses. Since these are not all common hotels and do not always have someone staying in them; cleanliness can be a bit of a challenge sometimes. The HPPWD rest house at Chitkul is a shining example of it. This however is not the case at Nako. This guest house here is very clean and very well maintained.

Food

There is no arrangement of food at the guest house and the caretaker will not be cooking for you. This however is not a problem. There are several restaurants and dhabas merely 5 minutes of walk away from the guest house that you can eat at.

HPPWD Rest House Nako – Final Verdict

At the end, I will say that this guest house is a great place to break your journey in Nako. The only problem however is of finding the caretaker. Of the 6 times I have been in Nako, I have found him available only once. If the guest house is open at the time of your arrival, then you are in luck and should stay here. I hope the information above was of help. If you need any further details; please feel free to ask in the comments section below; or at our Community Forum; and I will be glad to answer.

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3 comments

Ratna Chatterjee July 9, 2019 - 2:37 am

I have called several times in PWD booking offices at Narkanda, Kaza, Sangla, Tabo but none of them picked up the phone. Is there any other option to book these PWD rest houses ?

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Mousumi Bhattacharya June 20, 2019 - 12:53 pm

Hello Mr Vargis,

Thanks for all the information that you provide. They are indeed helpful.

Please can you tell me whether one can stay in Nako Monastry in the month of September? We, 3 of us, would like to do so.

Thanks,
Mousumi

Reply
Vargis.Khan June 20, 2019 - 1:02 pm

Hi Mousumi – There is no accommodation available in Nako Monastery. You will have to come to Tabo if you want to stay in a monastery.

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