Leh-manali-srinagar June 2017

On day 1 - we started our journey from delhi

At 8:30 we left delhi by scorpio hired from self drive company

Reached manali late by 11:pm . We booked online at old manali but there is a problm regarding parking of the car.. so we changed our hotel where we were able to park our car in front of the hotel .. as we were too tired we only need a bed.. we r on a budget trip .. so the hotelier costs us rs 2500 for a night .. we slept as soon as we got the room becoz someone said u have to go early morning to cross rohtang pass .. as there is too rush on the way near marhi .. due to permits check.. we got our permit online at rs 50 for leh ladakh . Remember if you go to any dealer aur agent for leh permit he will charge more than 500rs ..

Early morning we started our journey.

Manali- sarchu

At 5:30 we left manali but still we r too late.. there is a 4-5 kms traffic on the way to rohtang.. local taxi drivers permit checks trucks on the way. We stuck in traffic for 3-4 hrs.. we reached rohtang at 11:00 am. There is a snow but not too fresh as we travelled on 8 th june.. the road to manali to leh just opened same day..

Now after crossing rohtang.. difficult terrains started.. too bad roads on the way . Speed is just 20-30 .. at 6 we reached sarchu. On the way passes like baralachala talang la have fresh snow which give you a mountain sickness.. do carry dimox medicines. Oxygen level is low at passes on the way due to high altitude. Reaching sarchu is like winning a cricket match for us after the bad roads .. there is a last pump at tandi refill ur car . After that the pump is 365 kms.

At sarchu there is a plenty of option to stay .. 5 kms before sarchu you see some camps ..

there price is high as comapred to home stays in tha sarchu. Dorjee camp.. snow hill camps etc .. costs arond rs 1000 for one person on double triple sharing.. on 9 june as the roads open on same day there are only few camps setups.. there is limited eatries with them at that time .. i il suggest you to go sarchu and take homestays there.. there is good food and the cost per person per night is rs 200 only. Sarchu is at 14000 ft .. we hardly sleep at night.. early morning headache. Drink more of water on the way.. its too cold night at sarchu.. we take 2 blankets still shivering.

Electricity is less there .. we slept early at 10:00 pm..

Now we have to cover sarchu-leh

Started our journet at 9:00am. After a light breakfast.

Now the conditions of roads are still better than than earlier one . Good views on the way.. 2-3 waterfalls you will see on the way falling on roads. 1-2 passes on the way.. there is minus temp and a slow snow flakes with high wind speed. River side road.. beautifull views.. help you refresh your mind.. forgot the sickness.. tiredness. At 5:00 pm we reached leh.. its a busy city.. too much traffic . Too much local taxies. We stayed at home stay near mall road..

Good food options at leh - gesmo restaurant,tibeten kitchen just before the gesmo restaurant .. weather at leh is pleasant.

We planned to go pangong lake .. but we need a permit to go there .. its sunday so the permit office ie dc office opens at 2-6 pm.. we take our permits from local travel agents that costs us rs 600 rs per person for pangong nubra khardungla permit..

on sunday we visited local mall road market .. gurudwara pathar sahib.. magnetic hill.. hall of fame . Sanchi stupa. Evening at the home stay..

you cant take ur self drive or taxi to pangong lake nubra valley you have to hire a local taxi..

We found taxi at rs 5000 for pangong lake .. the price is 7800 officialyy but due to off season the taxi driver agree at a low cost. Travel agents charge more so better talk with the taxi drivers and bargain.

Pangong lake

Taxi driver came at 7:00 am we started our journey at 8:00 am

At karu we have our breakfast

150 kms dustance from leh.. the road is again too bad.

It took long 5 hrs to reach at the lake.. no eatries onthe way.. no shop no residence.. only bad roads.. our back is paining too much due to bad terrains.. at 2:30 we reached at the lake. Fast cool winds not let you stand there more than 1 hr. We stayed there only 45ins as we have to go back . Early before the sunset.

At 9 we reached leh again. Hactic day .. we just need is a bed. We were too exhausted by the roads. Nxt day we are planning to go back .. not in cindition to go back from manali route as srinagar highway is good .. but due to terriorist attacks we were scared also.. someone said you can take a overnight journey from leh to srinagar and its safe.

At 3:00 in the afternoon we started our journey from leh-srinagar

The road conditions are too good .. but a small strech of 30-40 kms near zozi la pass is bad.. but its nh1 so remaining roads are good.. at 8 we reached kargil .. after kargil we are crossing drass suddenly few people come with tourches in hand. Asking.. kha se aye ho? Kha jana hai?

Kitni gadii hai apke sth? Hmari gadi ari thi.. but we felt something wrong is going to happn .. we. Push our accelerator. And ran. After few minutes on road my friend seen someone with torch in mountains like indicating other people.. we were too scared at that time. Bhajans on the sterio. After 5-7 kms we saw a group of sheeps on the way.. 500-600 sheeps on the way.. we we too much scared as we thought its a plan from the robbers. To stop our car . We have bat in our hand and ready to beat if something strange is going to happn. But luckly everything seems good and we reaced sonmarg. There at around 12-1 am we had a tea at a hotel . Opp to the army camps. From there runthrow to srinagar. At 5 am we reached srinagar but someone said not to enter the city so we use the bypass road and headed towards jammu.. on the way a lot of trucks jawahar tunnel on the way .. and our tyre got pentured..

now we are scared of kashmir roits and militants..we see small groups of militry aftr every 500 mts for our safety.. salute to them .. thrilling journey it was.. full of adventure.. views.. channai tunnel is good example of indian achitecture saves fuel as well as time..

we drive for 26 hrs and reached chandigarh . Only 2-3 stops for fuel we have taken.. journey ends with lot of memories ..