And in those earthly tones of the naked landscape, lies an unearthly beauty. Its ruggedness and ruthlessness will mesmerize you, as much as it would intimidate you under harsh conditions. It is for these naked mountains that you would go back every time, for your soul is lost there, as is your heart.
Come September 16th, you can join me on this epic full circuit road trip when we'll enter Ladakh through the breathtaking Srinagar-Leh Highway, explore ways of getting Leh’d, check off Khardung La – the (disputed) highest motorable road from your bucket list, roll in the sand dunes of India’s only cold desert in Nubra Valley and camp by the shore of the ethereal Pangong Tso. And once we are done with all these and more madness like racing to the top of this and that mountain, pelting snowballs at each other and finding those cute marmots (and may be Galdalf’s horse too), we’ll head out of Ladakh through the challenging Leh-Manali Highway which passes through terrains like the Moore Plains, Gata Loops and the Baralacha La. Now who can say No to that eh?
If you have heard about the beauty of LADAKH, imagine how it will be during Autumn when the leaves turn golden brown. It is probably one of the only places in India, where you can see the colors of Fall. So what are you waiting for?
Come along!
Dates – 16th August to 26th September 2015
Group size – 10-12 people
Total price – Rs. 31000
Included in price:
1. Accommodation on CP basis (Breakfast included).
2. All road transfers during the trip.
3. All permits
4. And like you expected – a super fun guide ;)
**5 more seats left!**
Srinagar, often known as heaven on earth, is from where this awesome full circuit Ladakh roadtrip starts. You’ll meet your trip leader, i.e. Me :), at the Srinagar airport and from there we’ll head straight to our houseboats. Later in the evening, as we take a shikara ride in the beautiful Dal Lake, feel free to sing ‘Kashmir ki Kali’ songs to your heart’s content. Overnight at Srinagar.
Enjoy the breathtaking vistas of Kashmir as we start early from Srinagar and head towards Sonamarg through NH 1D or more popularly known as the Srinagar-Leh Highway. Post Sonamarg, the ascend to Zozi La (11649 ft) begins. As we descend from Zozi La, we would finally enter the Ladakh valley. After a brief stop at the Dras War Memorial, we would head straight for Kargil. Overnight at Kargil.
We head out of Kargil and back on Srinagar-Leh Highway. Enroute we pass through Namika La (Altitude 12198 ft) and then Fotu La (Altitude 13479 ft), the highest pass on the Srinagar-Leh Highway. We stop to see Mulbekh Monastery, Lamayuru Monastery (one of the largest Tibetan gompa of Ladakh), the confluence of the Indus and Zanskar river, Magnetic Hill and Gurudwara Pathar Sahib. You'll get to know you are close to Leh as we drive through the straight pitch black road which many lovingly call the Highway to Heaven. Overnight at Leh.
This day is for acclimatization at Leh’s whopping altitude of 11400 ft. In the evening, we ll head out for some local sightseeing, which includes the Leh Palace and the Shanti Stupa. Overnight at Leh.
We make a really early start for Nubra Valley, a heaven where mountains, river and desert meet at one place. On the way, we’ll enjoy a cup of garam chai at Khardung La – the highest motorable road in the world at an altitude of 18380 ft. Once in Nubra Valley, we’ll head to the sand dunes in Hunder, the only cold desert in India, which also has India’s only population of Bactrian camels. What follows is a fun-filled evening on the sand dunes. By the time we head back to our guesthouse, you might want to rename yourself 'Sandy'. Overnight at Hunder.
We check-out from guest house in Hunder and head back towards Diskit. Pit stop at Diskit monastery which has the famous 32 metre tall statue of Maitreyi Buddha. From Diskit we head back to Leh, via Khardung La again.
Overnight at Leh.
Check-out from our hotel in Leh and drive to Pangong Tso - my personal favorite destination in India. Pit stop at Chang La, the third highest pass in the world. Overnight camping on the shores of this enchanting blue lake.
We check-out from our camp at Pangong Tso after breakfast and drive back to Leh. This would be our last night in Leh, so feel free to do whatever you want, be it exploring around, shopping or joining your trip leader as she heads to her favorite cafe in Leh. Overnight at Leh.
We start early from Leh as it’s a long drive day. Pit stop at Moore Plains, the beloved terrain of all adventurers and probably the only place in the Himalayas where you can touch 100 kmph and still be alive. Further stops at stops at Taglang La, Lachulung La and Nakee La.
Overnight camping at Sarchu.
Today we’ll drive from Sarchu to Manali. Pit Stop at Baralacha La, Suraj Taal, Jispa and Keylong. Overnight at Manali.
A day at Manali is incomplete without a visit to the Hidimba temple, trout fish (strictly for non-vegetarians) and the local alcoholic beverage known as chang or lugdi. We’ll surely try at least one of them. ;) As evening draws closer, it will finally be time to say your goodbyes as you board the Volvo from Manali to Delhi to head back to your hectic city lives.
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