Hikkim

Hikkim is one of the plateau villages above Kaza, alongside Komic and Langza. Its post office, opened in 1983 and run for decades by the same postmaster, sits at roughly 4,400 m and is widely cited as the highest functioning post office in the world. Visitors write and post cards home from here, which travel out by the regular Spiti mail runner and van to Kaza. The village otherwise lives on barley, peas and grazing, and has a small monastery. It is usually combined with Komic and Langza on a half-day loop from Kaza.

1. By taxi from Kaza, about 16 km, usually as part of the Komic–Hikkim–Langza circuit.
2. Shared transport is scarce; a hired vehicle or an organised Spiti tour is the norm.
3. Kaza links to Manali (summer) and Shimla via Kinnaur (most of the year).

June to September, when the road is clear and the post office reliably staffed. Deep winter cuts the village off.

• Bring your own pen and know the addresses you want to write to; stamps and cards are sold there but stock runs out.
• Post can take weeks to arrive — it is a novelty, not a fast service.
• The village is above 4,000 m; do not sleep here before acclimatising in Kaza.

Individual pages for these are added as they are reviewed.