[adimicra]

Thanks for all the advice. I will keep Tso Moriri optional. However, talking to a few who have been to Ladakh and it seems one major attraction of the Ladakh trip is the drive to and from Leh.

What I have gathered is the ideal way would be Srinagar Leh and Leh- Manali on the way back. But I don't have time to do both journeys. I might be able to squeeze one of these. I understand that Leh Manali is more scenic but more dangerous and higher chances of AMS.
Please advise should I consider Manali Leh option rather than directly flying to Leh?
If yes, should I do it in 2 or 3 days considering traveling with family? Where should I stay at the nights? And where can I book cab with reliable driver?

[arjithin]

Originally Posted by adimicra

Thanks for all the advice. I will keep Tso Moriri optional. However, talking to a few who have been to Ladakh and it seems one major attraction of the Ladakh trip is the drive to and from Leh.

What I have gathered is the ideal way would be Srinagar Leh and Leh- Manali on the way back. But I don't have time to do both journeys. I might be able to squeeze one of these. I understand that Leh Manali is more scenic but more dangerous and higher chances of AMS.
Please advise should I consider Manali Leh option rather than directly flying to Leh?
If yes, should I do it in 2 or 3 days considering traveling with family? Where should I stay at the nights? And where can I book cab with reliable driver?

Please keep in mind that Nubra to Pangong and Pangong to Tso Morriri routes are not a preferred route for cab drivers (based on my conversations with few cab drivers, chances of car damage are higher, chances of road blockage s are higher and chances of rocks falling on cars are higher). So be explicit when you book your cab. A good place to start for the cab search is your hotel people. You can get shared cab as well your own cabs; most of the cabs are either Xylos or Innovas.

A lot people travel directly to Leh and start the trip, so that should not be a problem if you are worried about AMS. Coming via Srinagar can help because you are gaining altitude gradually, but your cost can go up. My personal choice will be to include Srinagar in the itinerary than Manali because of better roads between Srinagar -Leh section.

[SJM1214]

Ladakh taxi union has published the Leh – Ladakh Taxi Rates 2018 – 19. The new season for Leh – Ladakh travel is about to begin in 2018 and as expected by this time of the year.

Srinagar – Leh in 2 days = Rs 18400
Leh Local sightseeing = Rs 2500-3000
Leh – Nubra Valley 2 Day = Rs 10566
Leh – Pangong Tso 2 Day = Rs 10301
Leh – Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Sarchu – Manali 2-3 days = Rs 29056
Leh – Manali 2 Days = Rs 21588
Leh – Pangong Tso 1 Day = Rs 8653
Leh – Nubra Valley 1 Day = Rs 8053

Rate list is available at their official website:http://www.ladakhtaxiunion.com/rate%20list.html

New source : http://www.holidayshunt.com/blog/leh...rates-2018-19/

[bugatti]

Cut to summers and it’s not uncommon to see at least 300 cars, carrying 1,500 people, visiting the lake every day....

This makes water a precious commodity. “Ladakhis, by nature, use very little water,” said Nordan Otzer, director of the Ladakh Ecological Development and Environmental Group. “They are accustomed to a life where water is scarce and even sacred. Our studies show that an average Ladakhi uses about 20 litres of water a day, compared to at least 75 litres used by tourists. The glacier on which Leh depends is estimated to melt completely in the next five to six years.”

https://scroll.in/article/872942/lad...-water-starved

Our greed for summer getaways is taking a toll

Udayan Mukherjee's commentary on this:

Life in the mountains is fragile

If you were to drive up from Delhi, you’ll see that all the hill stations that are reasonably close to the city are all destroyed—Shimla, Nainital, Dehradun, Mussoorie. They’re ruined because people have built recklessly. Resources in the hills are very scarce. Ladakh and Kumaon have a massive water problem. People have no water, yet they are building these giant houses. And nothing is being done to replenish the resources, which are declining every month. So a crisis is looming. How does the crisis show up? In Darjeeling, you’ll have a landslide. In Garhwal, there will be a cloudburst. This is nature’s way of telling you that something unsustainable is happening. The water I get in Uttarakhand comes from one perennial stream. There’s no government supply of water in the mountains. If the stream dries up; I will have no water. That’s how fragile my life in the mountains is.

I believe this is the situation in many of our hill stations in Himachal, Uttarkhand too.

What they didn’t tell me before I moved to the mountains

Have you come across any hill stations in India that are/will manage a balance of tourists and sustainable resources?

[sharktale]

I think it's just human nature to follow the current trends be it in any sphere from tourism to building constructions to even religions.

The main issue is lax in regulatory and administrative oversight. People WILL follow the trend. No one visited Pangong before the climax scene of 3 Idiots showcased the place. Now you have over a hundred tents serving customers daily.

Ladakh is a closed tourism spot per se, with numerous passes and checks. I think the local council is extremely pressured by holiday companies and local businesses to provide maximum visitors. Afterall, it's all about the moolah!

I think we'd soon have lottery based vacation, like for the Amarnath Yatra. It makes sense too, ecologically.

[Max63]

on 24th March 2018 road from Kargil to Padum was officially declared open and also vehicles are allowed to pass through the Zojilla pass on the Srinagar - Leh Highway. BRO are yet to announce it. May be within a week or so they will announce it.

We are gearing up for our forthcoming Leh - Ladakh - Kaza expedition. As of now six cars are lined up. 3 from Vasai, 1 from Gurgaon and one more add up, will get the confirmation in id April. 1 from Kolkata and 1 from Ludhiana. We are entering from Srinagar and will be doing the Zanskar travel first and then proceed to Leah - Ladakh and at the end will be entering Kaza and will come out from Shimla. Dates are finalised and will ignite the engine on 2nd June early morning at 3.00 AM.

Cheers

Keep revving

Subrata

[Max63]

The route is given below for our trip. Any suggestions are welcome.

Cheers
Keep revving
Subrata
Leh Ladkah Kaza Route Plan.xlsx

[SJM1214]

Originally Posted by Max63

vehicles are allowed to pass through the Zojilla pass on the Srinagar - Leh Highway.

Chairman of Legislative Assembly Haji Anayat Ali visited Zoila and opened it for the vehicular movement after a long period.

Zoji la opening ceremony.

[prashkul]

Originally Posted by Max63

The route is given below for our trip. Any suggestions are welcome.

Cheers
Keep revving
Subrata
Attachment 1745862

Anyone doing the Ladakh trip from Bangalore this year? I'm interested - please PM me. TIA.

[onedotsix]

Originally Posted by prashkul

Anyone doing the Ladakh trip from Bangalore this year? I'm interested - please PM me. TIA.

I am planning the trip from Bangalore in the end of May. Will be travelling with wife and our 20 month old boy in my S Cross.(Wife and son may fly in to Amritsar and join me from there)
The tentative schedule is as follows. Any comments or suggestions are welcome

Day Date From To Kms
1 25-May Bengaluru Navi Mumbai 959
2 26-May Navi Mumbai Ajmer 1024
3 27-May Ajmer Amritsar 734
4 28-May Amritsar Sonamarg 527
5 29-May Sonamarg Leh 340
6 30-May Leh
7 31-May Leh Nubra- Leh 260
8 1-Jun Leh Pangong Tso 150
9 2-Jun Pangong Tso Hanle 172
10 3-Jun Hanle Tso Moriri 150
11 4-Jun Tso Moriri Keylong 336
12 5-Jun Keylong Delhi 670
13 6-Jun Delhi
14 7-Jun Delhi
15 8-Jun Delhi Jabalpur 828
16 9-Jun Jabalpur Hyderabad 778
17 10-Jun Hyderabad Bengaluru 576

Especially need suggestions on the routes for Days 9,10,11.
I am open to reducing 1 day in Delhi(but have it as a backup)

[arjithin]

Originally Posted by onedotsix

I am planning the trip from Bangalore in the end of May. Will be travelling with wife and our 20 month old boy in my S Cross.(Wife and son may fly in to Amritsar and join me from there)
The tentative schedule is as follows. Any comments or suggestions are welcome

Day Date From To Kms
1 25-May Bengaluru Navi Mumbai 959
2 26-May Navi Mumbai Ajmer 1024
3 27-May Ajmer Amritsar 734
4 28-May Amritsar Sonamarg 527
5 29-May Sonamarg Leh 340
6 30-May Leh
7 31-May Leh Nubra- Leh 260
8 1-Jun Leh Pangong Tso 150
9 2-Jun Pangong Tso Hanle 172
10 3-Jun Hanle Tso Moriri 150
11 4-Jun Tso Moriri Keylong 336
12 5-Jun Keylong Delhi 670
13 6-Jun Delhi
14 7-Jun Delhi
15 8-Jun Delhi Jabalpur 828
16 9-Jun Jabalpur Hyderabad 778
17 10-Jun Hyderabad Bengaluru 576

Especially need suggestions on the routes for Days 9,10,11.
I am open to reducing 1 day in Delhi(but have it as a backup)

Day 3 will be a long/tiring day assuming you plan to take the Hanumangarh route; its all the way 2 lane until Amritsar and road work near Amritsar and some bad roads near RJ-PB border. Also be aware that you were driving previous 2 full days full

Day 12 - very tight day. Until you hit Rupnagar PN, your average speed will be 25-30 kmph. We took 14 hours to reach Rupnagar from Keylong last Sept.

Day 15 - Why Jabalpur? Why not Narsingpur route?

Be aware that medical help will be almost zero outside of Srinagar or Leh. You may find Army doctors, but they may not be the best equipped for a 20 month baby. I wont suggest taking the baby to Wagah as well..too many people, very hot and very very dusty.

Day 9, 10, 11 - I drove to these locations last Sept from Bangalore. Have a look my TL to get an idea of time and routes.

[bullet_chacha]

Originally Posted by arjithin

Day 3 will be a long/tiring day assuming you plan to take the Hanumangarh route; its all the way 2 lane until Amritsar and road work near Amritsar and some bad roads near RJ-PB border. Also be aware that you were driving previous 2 full days full

Day 12 - very tight day. Until you hit Rupnagar PN, your average speed will be 25-30 kmph. We took 14 hours to reach Rupnagar from Keylong last Sept.

Day 15 - Why Jabalpur? Why not Narsingpur route?

Be aware that medical help will be almost zero outside of Srinagar or Leh. You may find Army doctors, but they may not be the best equipped for a 20 month baby. I wont suggest taking the baby to Wagah as well..too many people, very hot and very very dusty.

Day 9, 10, 11 - I drove to these locations last Sept from Bangalore. Have a look my TL to get an idea of time and routes.

I'm planning similar route ex Delhi in Aug end - Sept. I would be riding a Dominar. All that I'm concerned about is the fuel availability around Hanle. The Max I can Carry would be 20 ltrs. I've heard, fuel is available in Black at Hanle, Karzok and Pangong/Spangmik. Can you throw some light over it?

[arjithin]

Originally Posted by bullet_chacha

I'm planning similar route ex Delhi in Aug end - Sept. I would be riding a Dominar. All that I'm concerned about is the fuel availability around Hanle. The Max I can Carry would be 20 ltrs. I've heard, fuel is available in Black at Hanle, Karzok and Pangong/Spangmik. Can you throw some light over it?

It is available I believe, though there is no guarantee. You need to call your home stay/hotel owner before you reach to check the availability.

The quality of the fuel cannot also be guaranteed.

[Krishroy]

Originally Posted by SJM1214

Day 4 is fine, on Day5 you should go to Pangong directly from Numbra Via shoylk Aghan route. This will save you one day.

Hi,
I came to know that the road condition from Nubra to Pangkok via Shyok has improved considerably. Is this a confirmed news?

What is the difficulty level of this road now, if compared with following routes
1. Kunzum to Chandra taal route
2. Batal to Chhatru route

In case, I take the Wari La route, how difficult the last 20 km ascend is compared to Kunzum ascend

I will be driving XUV 500 AWD

Thanks
Krish

[SJM1214]

Originally Posted by Krishroy

Hi,
Nubra to Pangkok via Shyok has improved considerably. Is this a confirmed news?

Yes, it is. Some part of the road is tarred now.

What is the difficulty level of this road now, if compared with following routes
1. Kunzum to Chandra taal route
2. Batal to Chhatru route

On this route, practically, you will be driving on the river bed. There will be water and lots of small and big rocks. This route is tougher than Kunzum to C tall and Batal to Chattru. Always try to cover this route during morning hours.

In case, I take the Wari La route, how difficult the last 20 km ascend is compared to Kunzum ascend

Nothing is difficult for an XUV AWD.