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Old 26th November 2021, 21:48   #1
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Safarnama | An unforgettable road-trip to Ladakh in a Tata Nexon

Safarnama | An unforgettable road-trip to Ladakh in a Tata Nexon-dsc_3329.jpg
Travelling- it leaves you speechless and then turns you into a storyteller.”- Ibn Battuta.

I am narrating this story to you being at my comfort zone. To begin with, I am not good at amalgamating things in the right perspective when it comes to narrating or speaking my heart out. But here I am, giving it a try, which I love to, because life is too short and you can't afford to not tell our own little stories. My journey to the Land of High Passes started with a blank canvas and I was not sure about how I would react to the nature that I was travelling towards.

Prologue


When life gets tedious and you wish to escape from it, make a trip to Ladakh. A road trip to Ladakh is no small feat- it is well and truly the stuff of dreams. Ladakh’s soundlessness, its cobalt blue skies and glistening lakes are pure magic. Like every adventure loving road-trippers, I too was planning for this trip for more than a year. Due to the ongoing COVID situation and too much busy work schedule, I couldn't get enough time to plan for the trip. Finally, this year, the opportunity to turn my long-standing dream into reality knocked on the door and promptly made the plan to hit the roads in October.

To plan for a Ladakh road trip from Kolkata one need to consider minimum three weeks’ time to complete the circuit. So, to manage three weeks leave from office was always going to be difficult and it took me some time to persuade my senior authority for sanctioning my leave application. Finally, it was all GREENS. As the famous Hindi quote says “Kehtehain agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaho … to poori kainath use tumse milane ki koshish mein lag jaati hai”.

Some Pictures to start with


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Colours of nature. @ Gumri.

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Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.

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I respect the Tricolour not to flaunt my patriotism but because
it carries in it the bravest souls of my country.


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Dur in pahado mein kuchh to basta hai, wohi mere sukoon ka raasta hai
jaha na koi takraar hai, na inkaar hai, jaha sirf pyaar hi pyaar hai..

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Maitreya Buddha at Thikse Gompa.

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Pitstop @ Khardung Enroute Nubra.

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A region providing breathtaking visuals of its magnificent landscapes.
That's Ladakh for you.


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Just a random snap. An old generation THAR moving at it's own pace while playing supporting role to a group of bikers.

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Be gentle on my Curves.

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While returning back from Siachen Base Camp. The 215/65/R16 Goodyear Wrangler All Terrain tyres perfectly supporting Falcon on the demanding surface.

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All important bridge on INDUS at Loma. A new bridge is under construction just beside this bridge.

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The best view comes after the climb.

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When the nature decides to treat you with some breathtaking view, nothing comes close to it.

My plan was to start from Kolkata on 2nd October, enter Ladakh via Kargil and return via Manali and reach Kolkata by 24th October. Many people suggested to prepone my plan as Leh Manali highway may get blocked during third week of October. The other option was to change route and exchange entry and exit points. Preponing the trip was out of equation as I didn’t have any other option but to move ahead as this was the only window of opportunity available to me. Now I had to decide whether to enter via Kargil or Manali. Finally, decided to stick to the original plan of entry through Kargil. So once the dates were fixed now the most important part was to arrange necessary items for the trip and most importantly getting Falcon ready for the trip.

The first thought which hit me was how to arrange the luggage in the boot. As we were five members including my daughter and considering October to be very cold in and around Leh, there were bound to be extra luggage for the trip and in no way, those could be accommodated in the boot. So, the only option was to fit either a rooftop luggage carrier or a rooftop cargo box. I was never in favour of the ugly looking cheap rooftop luggage carriers. So I started looking for a suitable rooftop cargo box for Falcon. Before installing a cargo box I had to ensure that the roof rails are good enough to bear the load of the cargo box with luggage. The only positive information that I received from TAMO guys was that the roof rails of XZ+ are bolted and they should be able to bear the load. Once, it was confirmed then the next job was to find a suitable crossbar kit for Nexon specific roof rail.

I had only two brands in mind for the cargo box, Thule and Farad. Thule could not give me satisfactory reply regarding a suitable crossbar kit for Nexon so Thule was cancelled and now my only option was Farad and Farad didn’t disappoint me. Mr. Kalpesh karangutkar, the Farad India representative was very helpful in this regard and he not only answered to each and every question thrown at him by me but also assured me of all kind of post installation help, if required. By all probability Falcon was going to be the first Nexon in India to be fitted with a roof top cargo box. So I was kind of shooting in dark. Anyway once a particular Cargo Box, Corresponding cross bar and crossbar kit was finalised, the payment procedure was completed and within a week I received the Cargo Box with all other accessories.

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Aerodynamic Crossbars. Fit to bear load up to 100KG.

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Main character of the whole story. Roof rail specific crossbar Kit.

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Top view of the car after fitting the crossbars. Just before installing the Cargo box.

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The Cargo Box. Nicely sitting on top of the Crossbars. It has 340 Liters capacity, can carry load up to 75 KG. Weight of the empty box is 12 KG.

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Closer look.

Leaving the Farad India link below.

https://www.faradindia.com/en

Fitment procedure was very smooth and I did all the formalities at home. Didn’t require to visit any accessories shop for the fitment.


Preparation for Ladakh Car Trip

Tyre Change


My stock Goodyear Excellence had done around 27K Kilometers. I was planning to replace them and the trip preparation gave me a perfect opportunity to change them. Hence upsized the stock Goodyear Excellence 215/60/R16 tyres with 215/65/R16 Goodyear Wrangler AT Silent Trac.

Service


My car had clocked just 27K Kilometers, but it has been over or close to 6 months since the last service, so didn’t take any chances and took Falcon TASS (Dulichand Motors) for complete health check-up. During service I stayed with the technician and made sure all the nuts and bolts were checked and screwed in properly. Ensured that nothing is loose and there are no rattling noises anywhere.

Following things were done during service of the car at TASS.
  1. Engine Oil Changed,
  2. Fuel Filter Changed.
  3. Spark Plugs Changed
I had planned to change the Air Filter but it was found to be in good condition. So retained the same Air Filter and carried two extra Air filters for the journey.
Suspensions were checked and found in perfect condition.
Brakes were checked and found perfect.
Changed all the Wiper Blades.
Didn't change Coolant. Instead Carried extra Coolant for the trip.
All the wires and connections were checked to ensure that the electrical system was working fine with no worn-out wires anywhere. The alternator and starter were inspected carefully and connectors were cleaned.
I did not need to change the battery as it was changed couple of months back and in perfect condition.

Carried some necessary Spares


Below is a list of some spares that we carried to complete our car preparation for a Ladakh Trip.
 Headlight bulbs extra were kept
 Fuses
 Tool Kit Set for Car (procured from Flipkart)
 Heavy duty Car towing rope
 Tyre puncture kit
 Portable Car Tyre Inflator (the same one that I had carried during my
Bhutan Trip)
 Car jump-start kit (Procured from Nexdigitron)

Once every thing was done, it was time to execute all the plans to reality.

ITINERARY


Once you do a road trip for more than three weeks there can't be a fixed itinerary. You plan something in advance only to find out that things have moved to a different direction. That's why I was flexible on planning for destinations on the go. Hence sharing the trip detail as it unfolded day after day.

Day 1 (02.10.2021) The D Day


Kolkata to Mughal Sarai


Finally the day has arrived. My plan was to leave early from Kolkata so as to reach the destination for the day early. This time I chose to stay at Mughal Sarai instead of my normal pitstop destination Varanasi. As my main intention was to reach early get good rest and then leave early for next days destination, I wanted to book a hotel which was close to NH-19, so after searching a bit found Hotel Spring Sky to be suitable for my requirement and booked it in advance.

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My excitement level was so high that i couldn't sleep the previous night. It was just like when the alarm bell will ring. Started from Kolkata at 5 AM and reached Mughal Sarai at 7.30 PM. Journey from Kolkata to Mughal Sarai was normal.

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The day was overcast and absent the warming glow of the sun, felt colder than usual.
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A hauler being hauled.

Road from Kolkata to Isri was in very good condition leaving few stretches which were average. Beyond Isri road widening work was gong on resulting in numerous diversions which eventually reduces the speed of the car. In between stopped for breakfast at Shakthigarh and had lunch at Isri.

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Enjoyed hot chapatis along with sumptuous dal fry for lunch.

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Finished dinner with sumptuous Biryani and slept tight for the night.

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Review of Hotel Spring Sky

Location – 4.5/5
Cleanliness – 3.5/5
Staff behaviour – 4.5/5
Food – 4/5
Facilities – 3.5/5
Comfort – 3.5/5
Value for Money – 4/5

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Last edited by Sujoy76 : 17th January 2022 at 22:55.
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Old 8th December 2021, 20:17   #2
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Re: Safarnama | An unforgettable road-trip to Ladakh.

Day 2 (03.10.21) Mughal Sarai to Greater Noida (830 KM)


Today’s destination was Hotel Caspia Pro at Greater Noida. This hotel is conveniently located near Pari Chowk.

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The aim was to bypass the Delhi traffic and travel through Eastern peripheral Expressway. My plan was to leave early but as usual got late to get off the block. No complaints. That’s the beauty of a road trip. Followed the route via Pratapgarh to Lucknow. Journey through LKO Agra Expressway was very smooth. This was my second encounter with LKO Agra E-way.

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Sundown on Lucknow Agra Expressway

Yamuna express way too was impressive but I’m not satisfied with the process of toll collection. Fastag is not accepted here . And there is no petrol station at the beginning of the express way. I found one almost at the end of the road towards greater Noida exit. Someone travelling for the first time on this route with less amount of fuel may land up in an inconvenient situation. Nevertheless, the journey till the hotel at Greater Noida was smooth, this hotel was pre-booked. Reached greater Noida at 11 PM. Didn’t expect it but couldn’t avoid some issues and got late eventually. Now here on the original itinerary got changed. Coming to that a bit later.

Review of Hotel Caspia Pro


The only positive point about this hotel is it's location. I had booked this hotel through an online booking portal. The display images don't reflect the original status of the rooms and washrooms. The rooms are very small and the washrooms are smaller than normal size, It will give you the feeling of a first class railway toilet. Beds were comfortable. Food was average. This hotel sits just beside a Decathlon Store. You are bound to get tempted.

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P.C - Booking.com

Location – 4.5/5
Cleanliness – 3.5/5
Staff behaviour – 4/5
Food – 3.5/5
Facilities – 2.5/5
Comfort – 2.5/5
Value for Money – 3/5

Day 3 (04.10.21) Greater Noida to Ludhiana (390KM)

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Initially my plan for this day was to drive till Patnitop but eventually had to cancel the plan as I had reached Greater Noida late and the body too was craving for some rest. So decided to sleep till late and instead make night halt at Ludhiana. Initially Ludhiana was not in the scheme of things, hence no hotel was booked. We started from Greater Noida at 12.30 PM and set next destination at Murthal for lunch break.

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Soon I was driving on Eastern Peripheral Expressway. To be honest the surface of this expressway failed to impress me. It is uneven at many places. Nevertheless the drive was nice, I could easily maintain triple digit speed. As decided stopped at Mannat Dhaba at Murthal for lunch break. Ordered some green chilli paratha with paneer do pyaza. While waiting for the food to be served, booked hotel at Ludhiana for night halt.

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We are on a dream roadtrip and the smile says it all.

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Green Chilli Parathas an exiting treat for your palate. It gives you the delightful flavour of green chillis, at acceptable spice levels. these parathas are super tasty, and since they are moderately spicy, you don't need any special accompaniment, just curd will do.

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For today our destination was Hotel Regenta Central Klassik at Model Town, Ludhiana. This section of the road has variety of food joints and it is really hard to control temptation to stop over and taste the foods. We too stopped in between at Mannat Haveli at Kurukshetra just to enjoy the ambiance.

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Apart from being a food joint it is a reasonable option for travellers looking out for motel in Kurukshetra. From all the Budget hotels in Kurukshetra, Mannat Haveli is very much popular among the tourists.
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Our journey till Ludhiana was smooth. Google aunty guided us correctly to the hotel. Reached the Hotel at 8 P.M. After Check in there was nothing much to do. Bon Appetite, the in house multi-cuisine restaurant serves numerous flavorsome Indian, Chinese and continental dishes. So ordered our food for the night, did some planning for next days schedule and retired to bed.

Review of Hotel Regenta Central Klassik

Location – 3.5/5
Cleanliness – 4.5/5
Staff behaviour – 4/5
Food – 3.5/5
Comfort – 4/5
Value for Money – 3/5

Day 4 (05.10.21) Ludhiana to Patnitop (350KM)

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I woke up to the excitement of driving up to Patnitop. Today I would be touching the hills. Gradually my dream was coming to reality. According to Google map it was a journey of little over 7 hours but I was sure that for me it would not be less than 10 hrs as I will be doing photography. We left Ludhiana at 9 AM. Skipped breakfast at hotel. As usual Punjab roads are awesome. Gradually crossed familiar roads of Ludhiana then Phagwara. Felt nostalgic while crossing Jalandhar. All the memories of my Air Force days at Adampur were running at the back of my mind. Jallandhar is the place where I spent more than 5 years of my life, this is the place where I learnt driving and the road tripper in me started taking shape.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...11-2019-a.html (Trip down memory lane : Evolution of a BHPian! 4 road-trips from 2011 - 2019)


In between while having breakfast at Mukerian, overheard a very familiar sound, exhaust sound of a MiG 29 doing a routine sortie. Crossed Pathankot and saw an Apache doing a bit of aerobatic stunts.

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Double vaccination certificate at Lakhanpur Border was enough to enter Jammu. Jammu Udhampur highway is taking shape nicely.
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The drive to Patnitop was a lovely one. There are patches of road which are under construction after Udhampur. These patches will slow you down till you reach the branch off to Patnitop. Thereafter it’s a gorgeous drive. Took a cut at Mantalai just before Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel aka Chenani Nasri tunnel and started climbing the hills for Patnitop.

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If you love to drive, you’ll love the Patni Top road. The hill station itself is lovely and green with a lot of tall trees all around. Plenty of hotels to choose from and suit all budgets. For our night stay at Patnitop, I had booked Hotel Forest View. This hotel is nestled amidst the majestic view of natural surroundings and lush greenery.

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The approach road to the hotel is narrow and a bit steep and one has to drive amongst tall pine trees which at night creates a magical atmosphere. This is where I found negotiating the turns a bit tricky. I was gradually getting used to driving on hills. It was dark when I reached my Hotel. It was not possible to explore the greens surrounding the hotel. It's a nice property. Check-in was very smooth. Our rooms were at first floor overlooking the hills. It was a lovely sight watching tiny lights glowing at the hills from my balcony. Keeping track of time is not possible once you sit at the balcony at watch those tiny lights decorating the hills. We all were hungry and ordered some Pakodas and Tea. " Chai kadak banana" this was my special instruction for the tea. Chai and Pakodas were finished in no time. Dinner was served around 9.30 PM. Next days destination was Sonmarg. It was nice feeling to see the dream finally turning into reality.

Review of Hotel Forest View

Location – 5/5
Cleanliness – 4/5
Staff behaviour – 4/5
Food – 4.5/5
Comfort – 4/5
Value for Money – 4/5

Day 5 (06.10.21) Patnitop to Sonmarg (265KM)

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Hotel Forest View. P.C: TripAdvisor

Previous day of our journey went as per plan and very effortlessly we covered the distance till Patnitop. I signed off for the day with a target to leave at around 7 a.m. in the morning. The first real encounter with Himalayas by road was about to begin and naturally I was very excited. The destination was set for Sonmarg as it would serve as a gateway for onward journey towards Leh on NH-1D. The route set for the day’s journey was:

Patnitop – Ramban – Banihal – Qazigund – Anantnag – Awantipora – Srinagar – Sonmarg

Excitement for driving on Jammu Srinagar Highway couldn’t let me sleep throughout the night and I left the bed around 5.30 in the morning and straightway went to the balcony. The location of the hotel was such that the balcony served as a Sun Rise point.

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The view of the Sun peeping out from the mountains gave me enough excitement for the day to begin.

As usual we were late in checking out and after finishing breakfast with some sumptuous tasty aloo parathas we straight away hit the highway just after 9 A.M and started our onward journey.

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I was all settled and ready to encounter winding roads, twist & turns of the Jammu Srinagar highway.

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Even though we were running behind schedule but I was driving comfortably enjoying each and every moment with all around scenic view.

I followed the old NH-44 instead going back and entering the Chenani Nashri Tunnel as that would have delayed our journey by some more time.

Encountered a bit of traffic while crossing Ramban and then negotiating the challenges thrown by hilly terrain reached Banihal.

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After moving ahead from Banihal left NH-44 and joined the road towards newly constructed Banihal Quazigund Road Tunnel.

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Last edited by Sujoy76 : 17th January 2022 at 23:05.
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Old 14th December 2021, 22:29   #3
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Re: Safarnama | An unforgettable road-trip to Ladakh.

The newly constructed Banihal Quazigund Road Tunnel has reduced travelling time between Banihal and Quazigund by almost 90 minutes. This 8.5 KM long tunnel has forced ventilation mechanism to extract smoke and stale air and infuse the tunnel with fresh air. At some points inside the tunnel the lighting looks a bit insufficient and it appears dark. Nonetheless Journey through the tunnel was very smooth. After crossing the tunnel, came the moment that I was waiting for, the first encounter with Kashmir. The topography changed completely after crossing the tunnel and I took a halt at Quazigund town to get ourselves imbibed with the essence of valley.

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Pitstop at Quazigund town. We took a diversion from the NH and stopped here.

At the first look itself we felt like awe and lost ourselves to this amazingly beautiful place. A journey of 2316 KMs from Kolkata was worth it and I could sense a pride for doing this.

Long time back Persian poet Amir Khusru had quipped "Gar firdous baroye zameen ast, hami asto, hami asto hami ast", meaning "If there is a paradise upon earth, it is here, it is here, it is here". It was Kashmir, Khushru was referring to.

It has been over eight centuries now since Khusru walked the land of Kashmir. Yet, his words still ring true even to this day. Kashmir, still retains a regal and majestic charm with infinite blessings of nature.

We did not want to get carried away with this as we had a long journey pending for us with a target to achieve. After spending some time and a bit chai-nasta we moved ahead to achieve our target set for the day. The drive in the valley till Srinagar was peaceful was occasional traffic jam due to movement of Army Convoy. The highway is under construction and getting converted into a four lane highway. I could’ve moved ahead while following Srinagar bypass but decided to travel through Srinagar city to have a view of Dal lake which turned out to be a bad decision afterwards. The traffic was also a big hindrance and it took much time to cross the city for our onward journey towards Sonmarg via NH-1D (Srinagar – Leh highway). In between stopped at Ganderbal for our lunch. There is a restaurant called Caffe 90s that serves some delicious foods that includes Wazwan, biryani , Chinese, pizza everything. We tried some pizza and the food was amazing. The café is worth a visit if you are foodie.

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Of course size matters. No one wants a small pizza.

Then commenced our journey towards Sonmarg. At first glance, it feels like a dreamlike sequence. The meandering road, up in the high Himalayas from Srinagar to Sonmarg seem endless, as your eyes remain transfixed on the beauty of it all.

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This pic was taken at Kangan. The spectacular view compelled me to stop the car and click photos. camera lens can't do justice to what you see through your eyes.

The drive does not bore you. we were of course, being adventurous, but even otherwise it was a great drive full of spectacular views.

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Gund welcomed us with some beautiful apple orchards. The huge trees laden with apple were a sight to behold. We spent almost an hour inside an orchard.

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Roadside Apple orchard at Gund

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Every human is innocent and kind, till they become adults. The child in you comes alive at the right moment

Sun was about to set for the day and I decided to interrupt our orchard exploration and leave for Sonmarg. I had another 30 Kms to cover for the day and by the time we reached our hotel it was 7 P.M.

While crossing the road in dark witnessed the ongoing construction work on Z-Morh tunnel. I had booked Hotel Barzman for today’s night halt. This hotel is very famous amongst travellers, especially bikers. We got our room at the ground floor with running hot water. After freshening up and chai pakoda, went out to explore the Sonmarg market. The area near the Taxi stand is a happening place. In between witnessed couple of buses of MEIL (Megha Engineering and Infrastructures ltd) shuttling with workers from the Zozila Tunnel site near Baltal. We wanted to try authentic Wazwan. So after returning back to the hotel, ordered Gustaba, Rista, Rogan Josh and Kashmiri Pulao for dinner. The foods were amazing. After dinner we had nothing much to do. All of us were tired. So decided to retire for the day. Tomorrow is a big day. In real sense my dream trip is going to start tomorrow.

Review of Hotel Barzman

Safarnama | An unforgettable road-trip to Ladakh in a Tata Nexon-barzman.jpg

Location – 5/5
Cleanliness – 4/5
Staff behaviour – 4.5/5
Food – 4/5
Comfort – 4/5
Value for Money – 4/5

Day 6 (07.10.21) Sonmarg to Leh (340 Km)


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Good morning Sonmarg !!

I woke up early in the morning and enjoyed the surrounding area near the hotel. Sonmarg “meadow of gold” truly matches its name that is surrounded by snowy mountains against a backdrop of blue sky.

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Nallah Sindh flows at the back of the hotel and the sound of flowing river acted as a rhythm divine in the morning. Given a chance I would like to spend my entire life in such a beautiful place.
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I had to remind myself that it’s just the beginning of the trip and our destination is Leh.
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Pre-flight inspection and preparation

So after spending some good amount of time at Sonmarg we finally started for Leh at 9.30 A.M. As usual we were behind schedule. We did light breakfast at the hotel because all of us had planned to have Maggie at Zozi La.

My target was to enjoy the panoramic landscapes, tough terrains and most important the thrilling drive. After all this is what I have been dreaming about. For me the journey is more important than arriving at destinations.

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Just after crossing Baltal. First view of some construction work
going on for the ambitious project of Zozila Tunnel. This site
supports construction related work for the Nilgrar 1 Tunnel.

The drive through Himalayas itself is a matter of sheer joy and satisfaction where at every juncture nature throw on us its abundance of beauty that fills us with awe. Due to the beautiful location of the hotel we were very well placed for our onward journey towards Leh on NH1D and the target for the day was to cover the whole distance of 340 KM before sundown. The challenging section of this highway, mighty Zoji La was few hours away and I was eagerly waiting for an encounter with it. I was feeling a bit nervous, as in true sense this was going to be my first major encounter with any high mountain pass. And when it’s Zoji La which was described as one of the deadliest passes in the world then you are bound to feel nervous.

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After crossing Baltal uphill drive towards Zoji La started. I started negotiating twist and turns through the narrow road. The adventure of negotiating treacherous road through this pass with no barrier on mountain edge with the view to the bottom would easily give goose bumps to the experienced of all as well.

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As I continued driving uphill, gradually the nervousness started giving way to confidence.

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A bit of traffic jam Enroute Zozi La

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Zoji La pumped the adrenaline in my body

I could see amazing landscapes all along the way. Slowly and steadily climbed the hill after negotiating narrow roads and reached the zero point at Zoji La 11:45 A.M. Now I realised why Zozila is considered as one of the dangerous passes in the world. Zozila may not be counted amongst the highest passes in the world but it will test your nerve, courage, confidence at every turns. It gave me the necessary confidence for the rest of my tour. Till now I have been watching YouTube video Bikers and Roadtrippers crossing Zozi La and today I've also made an entry into that club.

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Adventure, Without it, why Live??

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You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.

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It's the little memories that will last a lifetime !!

As planned we had Maggi and Kahwa at zero point and after spending almost and hour Started onward journey towards Leh.

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Tastiest Maggie

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The moment that I have been waiting for.

At the highest point on the pass, the Border Roads Organization or BRO has erected a yellow milestone stating its altitude. Like a certification for the feat you have achieved.

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The road is such you can't resist temptation for photography. I had to stop my car every now and then to click photos. Still camera lens can't do justice to what we see through our eyes. Double We were stopped at Meena Marg check post for COVID certificate verification. All of us were fully vaccinated and the Double Vaccination certificate allowed us smooth entry into Leh.

Drive towards Dras

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@ Matayen. Blacktop road towards Kargil. Somewhere behind the mountain is the Eastern portal of Zozila Tunnel

The Dras valley starts from the base of the Zoji La. The unique picturesque landscape was something new to us that we had never witnessed before and were mesmerized by altogether a different view of Himalaya.

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Some beautiful moments spent on the bank of Dras River

The road is excellent with less twists and turns. Kudos to BRO for maintaining the road in this shape. It felt like I was passing through a dreamy world. Sailing into this land of absolute beauty we reached Dras, the second coldest place on earth. This is must visit place for every Indian once in a lifetime. Although I wanted to stay there for some time and explore the place but controlled my desire and continued the journey as I had to cover long distance till Leh so decided not to stop the car frequently. So had to compromise with the urge to click photos of everything that comes on our way. Even I didn't stop at Mulbek. By this time the reaching Leh by evening at looking impossible and gradually I was getting prepared mentally to drive at night. So now on my priority was to cover as much distance as possible before sundown because hill drive at night is always going to be challenging.

Last edited by Sujoy76 : 17th January 2022 at 14:20.
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Re: Safarnama | An unforgettable road-trip to Ladakh.

Kargil War Memorial

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"A soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him but because he loves what's behind him"

After covering 7 KMs from Dras we reached Kargil War Memorial built alongside the highway in remembrance of sacrifices done by our armed forces during 1999 Kargil war. Operation Vijay, operation Safed Sagar and Operation Talwar as it was named by the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy.

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When you enter this area, it makes you feel proud of your country and it's Defence Forces.

Entering the memorial will fill you with patriotism and their stories and bravery will make you think what you did for your country.

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"Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it, it flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it."

Having being served in the forces, my heart was swelling with pride. The memorial has a huge epitaph with names of all the officers and soldiers who gave supreme sacrifice in the war.

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The main attraction of the whole memorial is an indoor exhibition hall knows as "The hut of remembrance " and the Sandstone wall in the open. The exhibition room has the details of war with display of pictures and arms/ammunition recovered from enemy.

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Fishbed. The Falcon Slayer.

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Bofors, the star of Op Vijay. The howitzers turned the tide in India's favour during Kargil war with Pakistan and helped the Indian Army recapture Tololing, Tiger Hill and other posts in 1999.
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The sandstone wall or the Veer Bhumi has the names of all the Indian army personnel, who laid their lives during the Kargil war fighting with intruders in highly inhospitable conditions. The peaks that were captured back from intruders can easily be seen from the war memorial.

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Veer Bhoomi has 318 epitaphs in memory of all those who made the supreme sacrifice in line of duty. Roll of Honour at the Kargil War Memorial has names of 559 martyrs of 1999 Kargil War.
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From the memorial complex the peak of Tiger Hill can be seen. Being the highest peak in the zone overlooking the Srinagar - Leh National Highway 1D , it served as a vantage point to Pakistan and they took initial advantage by establishing their forces there. Indian Army had to redraw the strategy after initial setback. Soldiers braved the numbing cold and freezing rain and launched a surprise attack, shelling and firing the enemy's positions from multiple directions. After five days of ceaseless warfare at an altitude of more than 5000 meters, Tiger Hill was recaptured. It became one of the milestones of the war. Many died, many suffered severe injuries due to continuous exposure to cold weather.

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After Kargil war Memorial , I was ready - ready for the ones yet to come my way. Two more mountain passes lay between us and Leh, Namik La and Fatu La.

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We took the road that moves through the Kargil town. This road is narrow and congested. I drove alongside the Suru river for some time. By the time we left Kargil town sun was about to take leave for the day and I was preparing myself to cover almost 200 Km distance in dark.

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View of Kargil Town
After Kargil town, we began to notice a change in terrain. The bouldered hills on the sides, interspersed by grey streams and accidental greens had given way to a seamless expanse of ridged peaks. It was unlike anything we had ever witnessed or imagined. We gasped in awe.

Some beautiful moments while driving towards Kargil.


We reached Namik La at 6 P.M. The light was almost gone, so without wasting any time we snapped some photos in the fading light. The wind was chilly and blowing in full swing thus making it very difficult to stay out of the car.

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We spent about 15 minutes at Namik La and then proceeded towards Fatu La. the highest pass on the NH 1D highway between Kargil and Leh. Now it was already dark and my I was negotiating the curves slowly and steadily. Driving of hilly road and that too in dark is a different equation altogether which normally people tend to avoid. The situation was tough but by now I had gained enough confidence to drive through. Fatu La was identified through the BRO summit sign that said, "Highest point on the Srinagar - Leh Road". The Buddhist prayer flags were fluttering but there was no scope of getting out of the car and taking photos.

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We moved on. It was already dark and our hotel at Leh was another 130 km away. The famous moon land of Lamayuru was crossed in dark. We decided to stop at Lamayuru for some food as all of us were feeling hungry and I wanted to have a cup of hot tea. We packed some momos and noodle from the hotel for dinner and started towards Leh. Though I kept an eye out for the magnetic hill as we neared Leh, but couldn’t locate it. By the time We entered Leh it was almost 11. When we set out on this trip, we had decided that we would try to avoid traveling after dusk. Yet, we ended up doing just the opposite. That’s the beauty of road trip. Now I was really feeling very tired and was struggling to keep my eyes open. Once for a fraction of seconds my eyes got closed and just a small pat on my shoulder by Dhrubajyoti, my navigator brought me back to sense. Then I discovered the car had started to drift towards right. Fortunately there was no vehicle approaching from opposite direction. We reached out hotel “Yarab Tso” just after 11.30. All of us were tired and finished the formalities of check in very quickly. The rooms were at the first floor with balcony. Dinner was finished off in no time as all of us wanted to sleep tight. Tomorrow and day after we are staying at Leh so no hurry of getting up early and packing the bags. Having quietened our revolting bodies, we sunk into the comforting warmth of the bed, hiding it under multiple layers of soft blanket.

Day 7 & 8 (08.10.21 & 09.10.2021) Acclimatize and Leh Tour.

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The day for me started with a stunning view of snow-clad peaks of the Stock Kangri range from my balcony. We had planned to stay here for three nights and two days. My main aim was to allow our bodies to get acclimatized so that we face minimum issues for the next part of our trip. I was planning to do a trip to Sir Sir La and come back but eventually had to drop the plan as none from my team was interested to spend a whole day for this and eventually, I had to drop the plan. So now we had two whole days at our disposal for local sightseeing. So, these two days were spent visiting places in and around Leh.

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Shey Palace

We left our hotel around 11.30 for local sightseeing and decided to visit Thiksey Monastery first after covering Shey palace and Rancho’s School. Shey Monastery or Shey Palace is about 15 km south of Leh. This ancient monastery of Shey offers some dramatic panoramic views from its complex. The monastery which is mostly in ruins now lies on a hillock of the Leh – Manali Highway towards Thiksey Monastery. We spent some time here and left for Rancho’s School.

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Last edited by Sujoy76 : 17th January 2022 at 14:21.
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Re: Safarnama | An unforgettable road-trip to Ladakh.

Rancho’s School

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This school became famous after the movie Three Idiots. The name of this school is Druk Padma Karpo School , this is also known as Druk White Lotus school. The clean and eco-friendly structures of the school is designed to withstand seismic disturbances. The guided tour of the school was not available due to the COVID restrictions. The School was also closed. Just one exhibition cum souvenir shop was open where many interesting facts about the school are displayed and lovely souvenirs are also available for tourists.
This school was damaged by flood caused by cloudbursts in Aug 2010 and it was conferred on of the most beautiful schools in the world by BBC London in the year 2016.

The most popular spot is the wall with painting about the three Idiots movie. One can pose for photographs keeping these pictures in the background.
Initially I thought this is the school was founded by Mr. Sonam Wangchuk but later found out that this school was built while taking inspiration from SECMOL (Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh) which was founded by the wonder man Mr. Sonam Wangchuk. The campus is about 16 Kilometers from Leh.

Thiksey Monastery

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Noted for its resemblance to the Potala Palace in Tibet, Thiksey Monastery is the largest monastery in central Ladakh.

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One of the main attractions of Thiksey Monastery is the Maitreya Temple which was installed to commemorate the visit of the 14th Dalai Lama to this monastery in 1970. The temple has a 15m tall statue of Maitreya Buddha, which is the largest statue in Ladakh covering two-storeys of the building. The building of the complex are arranged in an ascending order of importance and are well spaced. Thiksey Monastery belongs to the Gelug or Yelloe Hat sect of Tibetan Buddhist.

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The 12-storey complex and the temples have items of Buddha art like thangkas, statues, wall paintings etc. It is quite a climb to the top (many stairs) but worth it. There are several different temples and prayer rooms you can go in and unlike a lot of monasteries, they did not seem to limit photography inside.

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Once you reach the top, the view of the Indus valley and the mountains are just splendid. Although we didn't stay here, it was interesting to learn that they have a guest house and restaurant.

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Here are a few guidelines that you should follow while you visit Thiksey Monastery.

1. You cannot carry any food items inside the monastery.

2. Strict silence is to be maintained within the monastery.

3. You are constantly under CCTV surveillance.

4. Keep your phones on silent mode.

5. Carrying pets into the monastery is strictly prohibited.

6. You need special permissions for videography

7. Still photography is allowed in the monastery. However, you should be sure that your flashlight is off.

8. You can often contact the monks of Thiksey monastery who would guide you through the buildings and also explain the architecture in detail.

Confluence of the Indus and Zanskar Rivers

When we finished visiting Thiksey it was about 3 PM and we decided to visit Sangam at Nimmo, where Greenish Indus originating from great Himalayan ranges meets bluish River Zanskar originating from Zanskar Ranges. So set our destination at Google and started our journey towards Sangam. Google guided us through the road which bypasses Leh city traffic and it runs through the backside of Kushak Bakula Rimphochee Airport.

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Spituk Monastery, as seen from the road.

We passed by the Spituk Monastery but decided not to visit as we were in a hurry to arrive at Sangam in day light. Indus view point on Leh Srinagar Highway provided us some breath-taking view of the valley. So had to stop there for some time and enjoyed the beauty. One is bound to get awed as you enjoy the panoramic beauty of the scenic expanse, set beside the background of mountains and snow-kissed summits.

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Mesmerizing view from the Indus View point.

The road after Indus View point is straight forward with less curves. We skipped Gurudwara Patthar Sahib for the day and planned to visit it the next day. The famous Magnetic Hill to was given a miss. When we reached Sangam it was already half past four and the light had started to fade.

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The road towards Zanskar valley.

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Nature therapy, The magical view of Sangam.

This confluence provides ample scope for a great photography, a perfect treat for nature lovers and quite a beautiful place for Instagrammers. Soak in the breath-taking beauty of nature and breathe in the mystic mountain air while you visit the point of confluence of the Indus River and Zanskar River. Indus River is the lifeline of the Ladakhi’s and runs through the region in a stream. I was standing agape in wonder witnessing the view of the vast Ladakh region from this point. Enjoyed some time clicking pictures here which will be treasured as wonderful memories of the journey.

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Aanewala pal janewala hai, ho sake toh is mein zindagi bita do, Pal joh yeh janewala hai

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Falcon soaking in the beauty.

Once you are at this point, it is very difficult to keep a tap on the time. So after spending some very beautiful moments we bade adieu to the place and proceeded back towards Leh. Now our destination was Magnetic Hill and then the Shanti Stupa.

Magnetic Hill

Magnetic Hill looked at bit overhyped to me. Ween I reached there the place was full of enthusiasts who were very excited to test the myth of Magnetic Hill.
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I didn’t want to jostle with them so parked my car at a safe distance and instead enjoyed the beauty of the nature.

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Its one side is flat sand bed surrounded by huge mountains and Indus River on the south of it. Not just picturesque, it is a place where scientific logic is defies, although research on the same will give many stories, but none of it is certified & correct to be written off.

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Shanti Stupa

One of the seven Buddhist Shanti Stupas across the world, the Shanti Stupa in Leh, is an abode of peace and serenity. The purely white, dome shaped structure towers two storeys high above the surrounding landscape. It is designated for world peace as the name signifies, with lovely life stories of Lord Buddha carved all around. It is also known as the Peace Pillar & was inaugurated by Dalai Lama in 1985. Although, sunrise and sunset are considered to provide the best views from Shanti Stupa but when we reached the stupa, it was illuminated with lights.

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Although the beautifully pristine architecture of the structure makes it a marvel during the daytime, the beauty of the Stupa is further compounded during the evening hours when it is lit up from the inside.

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The view of thousands of stars above and shanti stupa lighted so beautifully was a sight to behold. We all stayed there for more than an hour, though it was getting cold but we didn’t want to go back. Anyway, again we had to move to our next destination and all of us were feeling hungry by now. So decided to head towards the MG Market and try out some momos.

For a tourist who is new to Leh and plan to visit MG Market at night, finding a parking place is going to be a major issue. I made three rounds of the market with my car but couldn’t locate a designated parking place. Some cars were parked around a No parking board but all of them were local cars. So after wasting almost half and hour I came to know that the parking is at Polo ground. So another 15 minutes spent on locating a way to the polo ground.

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The road to the Polo Ground is narrow and steep. The ground is located just Infront of the DC Office and the Leh Palace. Once you enter a market, you can’t keep the ladies off from the shops. So it was time to do some shopping. The market is big and full of attractions that one need to give enough time to explore the shops and soak into the lovely ambiance. The market is well lit up with people wearing all sorts of colourful dresses, some of them are traditional Goncha. When we left the market, it was 8 PM and now we had no energy left in our body to roam any further. After returning back to the hotel, I was longing for a cup of hot tea and straight hit the inhouse restaurant after parking my car. The day was spent very nicely and now one more day was left with us to explore other attractions of Leh and do some shopping for necessary items for onward journey, the main item remained a 20L jerrycan for carrying petrol from Nubra.

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Smile, it's free therapy.

Last edited by Sujoy76 : 17th January 2022 at 14:22.
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Old 4th January 2022, 12:55   #6
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Good Morning !! See the dolly?? That's my Grandson

The day started on a casual note. All of us woke up late. Afterall we had to reenergize our bodies for the nest part of the trip which in all way was going to be different and full of adventure. Here after most of the time we would be going to spend our nights at places which are situated at higher altitudes. So after a relaxed breakfast I chalked out the plan for the day. It was decided that we would be visiting the rest of the places at Leh. Like wise set the course for Leh Palace. Leh palace was not very far from our hotel but google could not locate the road towards the palace and instead after asking some local people we ended up at a place which was not in our itinerary but later on turned out to be awesome. We ended up at Namgyal Tsemo Monastery.

Namgyal Tsemo Monastery


Founded in early 15th century, this monastery is renowned for its three-storeys high solid gold idol of Maitreya Buddha. Situated on a mountain top behind the Leh palace, the monastery offers panoramic views of the surrounding countryside, the gently flowing Indus river and the peaks of Zanskar range. The gompa was founded by King Tashi Namgyal in 1430 AD who was a big follower of Buddhism. As a mark of his respect to Buddhism, the king built the monastery above his palace. Situated at the cliff of Namgyal hill, its architecture is impressive. View of Leh from the gompa is breath-taking. The monastery is a favourite with photographers too.

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The monastery as seen from distance.

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The narrow pathway that leads to the monastery.

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Shanti Stupa, as seen from the monastery.

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Leh Palace

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The mighty peaks.

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An aircraft taking off. At the backdrop is Spituk Monastery. Also a Chinook parked at the dispersal.

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Public vehicle parking at the Polo ground.

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Snow-capped mountain peaks.

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Yours truly posing with the favourite gadget

One has to climb up stairs to go to the top of the monastery and there is a platform from where all-around view of Leh is available. The runway at the airport is clearly visible which gives clear view of landing and take-off of the flights. We caught couple of flights landing as well as taking off. Even spotted a Chinook parked at a dispersal area. Unfortunately the doors leading to the prayer hall were closed and we couldn’t catch a glimpse of the Maitreya.

Gurudwara Patthar Sahib

A holy place where Guru Gobind Singhji had meditated for a long time, but it is quite a peaceful religious place to be. History speaks of a very interesting story of "Patthar" kept for display which is said to have an imprint of the body of Guru Nanak & footprint of the demon who tried to kill him.

Hall of Fame

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The Hall of Fame museum is located at a distance of 4 km along the Srinagar highway from the city of Leh. The museum is open from 9 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 7 pm. The entry fee is Rs 25 for Indians and Rs 50 for foreign nationals while the camera fee is set to Rs 50.It is a beautiful museum, maintained by the Army and built in the memory of soldiers who lost their lives during Indo - Pak wars and Kargil War. This museum is absolutely scintillating and creates a sense of pride for our warriors. It is not just a war memorial but also a face to the rich culture and heritage of the region of Ladakh.
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One of the halls play an AV depicting the war, which is worth watching. Being a soldier, who protects the country at every step is not easy, and this AV gives you the real chills of their life, their sacrifices and much more. So much sacrifice, a life in harsh conditions, but patriotism is what you'll get to feel.

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The Hall of Fame Museum is housed in a two storied building and divided into various galleries. One of the sections on the ground floor is dedicated to the traditions and customs of Ladakh. The exhibits provide insights into the food habits, attire, customs, flora, and fauna of Ladakh. A wall portrays the history of the Namgyal Dynasty that ruled the land of high passes. A separate is gallery dedicated to the Sino-Indian war of 1962. It has huge walls lined with photographs taken during the war. Put on display in the center of the gallery are the weapons and ammunitions used in the war. Multiple booths in the gallery speak about the sacrifice and valor of brave souls who have been posthumously awarded the most prestigious awards in Indian army.

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Vijay Sthal, The war memorial in The Hall of Fame Museum.

The museum is extended beyond the concrete structure. There is a kids play area designed as military training camp and a war memorial named Vijaya Sthal which has planks engraved with the names of many unsung heroes who have attained martyrdom in the war of 1947-48.

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War armaments on display outside Hall of fame Museum

There are amenities like rest rooms and coffee shops outside the museum. But due to COVID restriction the Coffee Shop was closed. One more visit at the MG Market and we called it a day. There were many more places in Leh which we couldn't explore. My be they are left for next time.

Review of Hotel Yarab Tso

Location – 4/5
Cleanliness – 4.5/5
Staff behaviour – 4.5/5
Food – 4/5
Comfort – 4.5/5
Value for Money – 4/5

Day 9 (10.10.2021) Leh – Khardung La – Nubra

A big day for me. My dreamt of driving up to my dream destination, to a place high up in the remote Himalayas, to the mighty Khardung-La, one of the famous mountain passes in the world. Is going to turn into reality today. My heart was filled with excitement and I was not nervous anymore. By now I was confident of achieving my goal. My only concern was about my daughter, how she would react to AMS, if she is affected. After completing formalities at the hotel, we checked out at 9.30 A.M. My initial plan was for night halt at Turtuk but as we were late in leaving Leh that seemed a bit unrealistic. No hotel was booked at Nubra also. We planned to look out for hotels after reaching Nubra, if our Turtuk plan doesn’t materialise. After leaving the hotel I straightway drove to the fueling station and tanked up my car. There met some bikers who were also moving towards Khardung- La. Like me every one of them was looking excited. The pass has been widely, but incorrectly, believed to be the highest vehicle-accessible pass in the world, and is the gateway to the Shyok and Nubra valleys. Although Google was showing around 4 hrs. for Nubra but as usual I was sure of reaching Nubra anywhere between 5 to 6 hrs.

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A memorable journey. It has just begun.

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Looking back !! That's where I'm coming from

The journey from my hotel to summit would be just about 40 odd Kilometers but it’s not the distance but the change in elevation that was the challenge. We’ll be climbing around 7000 feet in those 40 odd kilometers and with every few hundred feet ascended, the air will get noticeably thinner and the temperature will drop. I started gaining height gradually while passing by beautiful panorama of the city of Leh from above, and thereafter gradually the panorama gradually started giving way to a view of the surrounding stunning mountain range.

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View of Leh from a view point.

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Pitstop along with some bikers. Everyone wants to frame the moment.
As I moved upward the landscape changed. There was neither vegetation nor civilization but an aggressive series of arid grey mountains that inspire the deepest feelings of desolation. When no cars pass by, you hear nothing. The roads were narrow but they were fairly well finished. The feeling of seeing the stark beauty of Ladakh through the windscreen can’t be described in words. It’s just magical. The first 25 kilometers until the South Pullu check post were very smooth. After reaching South Pullu I stopped there for a while and looked out for the police personnel to show the online permit but couldn’t find any. I was hoping to witness some snow but till now there was no sigh of it. What I just did was the good bit and what lies ahead is pure hell. The road starts to deteriorate a little with the climb. In between some empty stretches with clear hairpin bends allowed me to have some fun.

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Frequency of close calls increased as the road stars showing it’s devilish side. Welcome to the highway to the danger zone. As some porting there is no road but only exposed rock. Fortunately, there were no slush. There are sheer drops along the route and enough hairpins will surely keep you on the edge. You can’t afford to make a mistake here. The gain in altitude can be felt by now as the car was struggling a bit. In-between it stalled once. My daughter started complaining about headache. Everyone, except me was feeling a bit uneasy. So the AMS has finally hit us but still the situation was under control.

The last few kilometers were real big test. Sheer drop on one side and craters in the middle of the road. You need to juggle in between them along with keeping the car at right momentum. You can’t afford to let the car stall because pulling up will be herculean task if it gets stalled at this point and vehicles travelling from both way that may lead to unpleasant situation. At this point my All-Terrain tyres did exceedingly well and provided enough traction to the car to move upward. I was barely doing 5 Kilometers/hour at this moment, slowly and steadily guiding the car forward. It’s tough but it had certain thrill to it.

We reached Khardung La after driving for another couple of Kms. It was early October and there was no snow on road. Only little amount of snow to be seen on the hill at the pass. There were already many vehicles at the top and as usual everyone was busy clicking photographs of their achievement. After reaching the top, finding a parking spot consumed some time. As I opened the door, sudden rush of chilled wind hit me on the face. Man it was damn cold. Quickly I grabbed my camera and rushed towards the big yellow signage. There was a group of bikers from Kerala who were clicking photographs of their members one by one so I had to wait a bit till my turn came and we too had to rush through our turn as more and more people were queuing up for photograph. This is when I realised that we could have started early from our hotel at Leh and perhaps the crowd would have been less had we reached here couple of hours before.

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There is a small little souvenir shops covered with colourful prayer flags that sway with the chilly wind. After photo session, we headed towards the café to enjoy a hot cup of tea while looking at the magnificent view that lay in front of us. As I took my first sip of the steaming cup of tea, I was transported to paradise. The mountains looked heavenly and my mind started to calm down. My entire body started relaxing and I felt rejuvenated.

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There are several signposts that warn people not to stay beyond 15 mins since the altitude isn’t too easy to get acclimatised to. But, we stayed at the top for more than 30 mins and then resumed our journey towards North Pullu. My daughter was still complaining about headache. I was sure about her feeling better as we reach normal altitude.


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The surface after Khardung La was in bad shape. Although we were descending but due to the bad surface I had to drive with caution and thus maintaining constant speed was not possible. Here I realised approaching Khardung la from North Pullu side was not as smooth as it was from the South Pullu side. After driving for another 40 mins, we crossed North Pullu and reached Khardung.

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Khardung is a famous breakfast sport for bikers and road trippers. There are few houses and shops around the road. After climbing down and reaching an altitude of approx 3,200 meters, I was feeling hungry. The shops were mostly homestays which had staying options at the backside. Not very luxurious but they were enough to give travellers the required comfort. I parked my car by the side of one such restaurant and ordered Maggi with tea from. Once on a trip like this the temptation of Maggie can’t be resisted.
The mountains and valleys on the side of roads were mostly barren but created a beautiful dramatic landscape with blue sky.

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The road from Khardung to Khalsar was a smooth one. Normally it doesn’t take much time to cover these 23 kilometers but we made it a bit long as I stopped the car at almost every turn and we enjoyed the view all around that mother nature was through at us. Afterall it was the only reason for doing this road trip. The stretch of many miles and no part of living could be seen. Our travel had been lonely on the road, with very few cars and military trucks and of course the bikers passing at intervals.
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Once I reached the junction where the road for Pangong Tso bifurcates, I knew reaching Nubra is just a matter of time. The sun light falling over the mountain tops was creating a mesmerizing view. The vista presented by small road in midst of naked desert mountains on both of your side was awe-aspiring.

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From this point I started driving by the side of Shyok river. Gradually after crossing Khalsar village, took left turn towards Nubra. At the turning a new Indian Oil Fuel station is coming up.

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Nubra Valley is an epitome of beauty; the vast expanse of arid mountains and fertile river beds is what makes it so unique. Also known as Ldumra which means ‘The Valley of Flowers’, Nubra Valley is located at the confluence of Shyok and Siachen rivers. Perched at a staggering altitude of 10,000 feet above the sea level, this valley acts as a demarcation between Ladakh and the Karakoram Range.

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The region actually comprises two valleys: Nubra and Shyok. Both their rivers rise amidst the remote and heavily glaciated peaks and troughs of the Karakoram Range. One more game of ascending and descending through the mountain we finally entered Diskit. I drove past the statue of Maitreya and kept on driving towards our destination of the day, Hundar.

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Around 8 kms from Diskit on a moderate road was the village of Hunder famous for its sand dunes. The average altitude of the valley is about 10,000 ft. above the sea level. From the summit it’s an amazing and surprising proposition to see sand dunes spreading at least over 5-6 kms in the middle of mountainous terrain. Under the cobalt blue sky the desert is surrounded by the barren mountains with camels around! After reaching Hundar our main job was to look out for accommodation. After few hits and misses finally found a nice Hotel named Hill Crest. It’s a new property and still not to be found on online booking platforms. This hotel is relatively new and it has comfortable rooms with 24 hour electricity. Finding a hotel with 24 hrs electricity and running hot water is like hitting a jackpot. The balconies also offer a view of the valley. The food quality was excellent. After check in we had ordered some Pakodas and tea and the Chicken Pakodas were out of the world. One thing you realize while on the trip to this part is, your mobile network doesn’t pick up easily and hence you are disconnected from your life back in the civilization. We were awake till late and kept talking about the place surrounded by long trees, heavy wind and then we slipped into a slumber.

Day 10 (11.10.2021) Siachen Base Camp

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Morning view from my hotel.

The morning was an early one as we had to leave for this very special destination. Ever since Siachen Base Camp has been opened for tourists, I had decided to visit this place. Although it was in the news that the base camp is open for tourists to visit but there was no real news about the permit for this place. Siachen is a sensitive place and there must have been some guidelines for the tourists who plan to visit. After some hard work the only information I could gather that the online ILP was good enough to let us visit till Warsi, the last village before the base camp and likewise I had selected Warshi in my ILP. Even google map also provides direction till Warshi and beyond that point the map doesn’t show any road till the Base Camp. The base camp was almost 125 kilometers away from my hotel and it was going to take us anything between 3-4 hours one way to cover the distance.

We all were ready by 9 and ready to move towards the special destination. I was feeling very excited. Siachen Base Camp is not very famous amongst travellers and only few people prefer to visit this place when they visit this part of Ladakh. Rather, most of them visit Turtuk and come back the same day but I wanted to explore these two places and that too aaram-se. For this reason, I had planned three-night stay at Hundar. Till now there were only few YouTube videos about the road till the base camp and those videos had given me a fair amount of idea about the road till the base camp.

The road till Khalsar was the same that I took the previous day while coming from Khardung La. At the T junction I took left and moved on to the road towards Panamik. Due to some construction work on the road, we were diverted through a small locality called Terith. The roads were unpaved and it was a bit of off-roading at the very beginning of our journey. The road runs alongside the Shyok River and from the car we could the river flowing at it own pace. There are few stay options at this place and tourists can enjoy an idyllic ambience amidst the panorama of green grass and the backdrop of the majestic snow-capped Himalayan Mountain range. We crossed Terith and again joined the main road. The Road is well paved.

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Vast Nubra Valley

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Infect I was a bit surprised to see this type of well laid surface at such extreme place. Kudos to Bro for maintaining the roads in such great shape. We reached Sumur after some time. Sumur is an alternative place to stay. This place has many homestays and hotels. Sumur is situated near the confluence of Shyok and Nubra rivers. Sumur is also famous for it’s proximity to the Samstanling Gompa. We were just watching the colourful prayer flags along the road and continued our journey towards our destination.

As we crossed Panamik, the scenery around us started changing gradually and the green shades around us started giving way to a altogether different shade. That’s when I realised, I’m driving in between the Karakoram range and Saltoro Ridge. By the time we reached Traffic Check post at Sasoma, it was 12.45 and the Army personnel who checked our ILP refused to grant us permission beyond that point. We came to know that we had to reach this point before 12 noon. Thereafter a little bit of persuasion and our ex-servicemen ID card did the job and we were allowed to move beyond Sasoma but with a word of caution that we may be stopped at any point before the base camp and we would have to return back immediately thereafter.

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I didn’t waste a single moment and started driving forward. Few moments later the road bifurcates and we took the road towards Warshi. The other arm moves towards Sesar la which is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.411m (17,753ft) above the sea level. This pass is strategically very important to Indian Army and out of bound for regular traffic. Warshi was another 25 Kilometers from Sasoma and throughout the route I drove by the side of Nubra river.

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The ruggedness of Karakoram Mountain was everywhere to be seen around. The surrounding view was very brute yet beautiful. I was keeping my fingers crossed as we should not be stopped before our destination. I didn’t want to return back without having a glimpse of the base camp after travelling such a long distance. Fortune favours the brave and so it favoured us. Around 2 Pm we reached a point where we located a milestone showing the distance of the SNOUT of the Glacier and after driving for couple of kilometers more located the gate which indicates that you have reached the entry point of the base camp.

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The gate that welcomes you

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Conical Peaks. Looks a bit like Passu Cones.

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Fresh snow on the peaks

At this point we were stopped by couple of Army Personnel. We were informed entry beyond that point was not possible and some VVIP movement was going on at the base camp. Being a member of the uniformed force, I realised the gravity of the matter and didn’t request them to allow us. We stayed there for some time, watched the glacier for the distance and restricted photography to the minimum. We thanked the Army Personnel and leave the place.

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After driving back few kilometers, I stopped the car at a suitable place to click photos. Afterall this moment had to be captured to be relished for the rest of my life. For me this was nothing short than an achievement. The experience of driving all the way from Kolkata to the base of Siachen Glacier will always be special for me.

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The return drive towards Hundar was totally a different experience. The sky was overcast and it was snowing at the higher ridges whereas while returning back the sun was out and shining with all it’s might. The light falling on the peaks with fresh snow on them was creating a magical view. We bade adieu to the Sun while crossing Panamik and covered the rest of our journey in dark. The road was rough but not tough and by now I had gathered enough experience to negotiate the curves under light. After reaching back to the hotel we had nothing much to do. It was just sitting back and relaxing.


Day 11 (12.10.2021) Turtuk

The morning started with two very familiar sounds. First, I heard am IAF IL-76 flying overhead and took my daughter to the balcony to let her have a glimpse of the Gajraj but it was flying at a height so couldn’t get a view. Later heard the rotor sound of a Mi-17 while it was flying through the Shyok river. I had to remind myself that we are very close to the THOIS Air Base.
Our plan for the day was to visit Turtuk, the beautiful village located right next to the Shyok river. Turtuk is famous amongst travellers for being the last village of India before POK but the fact is Thang is the last village of India before the LAC. There are three villages In that area of Gilgit Baltistan namely Turtuk, Tayakshi and Thang out of theme only Turtuk has stay options where tourists can spend their night. Off-late this place has grown into a tourist spot. Tourists normally visit Turtuk from Nubra for a day trip and after visiting the border area they go back to Nubra. I had planned to spend one night at Turtuk as this place has many things to offer to the travellers. It’s not only about the border village Thang but is worth a visit to see the life of people in these parts. You need to trek through the village to reach a monastery and a waterfall nearby, but it depends really on the time you have at hand. That’s the reason I planned to stay there for a night and explore the place as much as I can. Turtuk is a good 2+ hours drive from Hundar. The road is in good shape except few areas wherein loose rocks tumble down from above. All in all, it’s better to start early if you are to get back to Hundar the very same day but as in our case we had a night stay planned at Turtuk, we started off a bit late from Hundar.

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After starting from the hotel drove till the T junction where the Hundar road meets up with the Diskit Turtuk Highway. From here left goes towards Diskit and right goes towards Turtuk. It’s a one lane road with occasional potholes and rough patches here and there. The road passes through the area which is mostly barren and has occasional presence of green. The mountain at the left doesn’t have any sigh on greenery and at the right the Shyok river flown at it’s own pace. The entire road passes by Shyok river till Turtuk. Such a beautiful sight to behold. We crossed the Siachen Brigade headquarters at Partapur. The base has a beautiful Dhaba named Rangla Punjab. Although we didn’t taste anything but the name and ambiance looks very interesting to me. Hereafter the THOIS airfield came up at the right and I felt a bit nostalgic while passing by the buildings and equipment's which were once very familiar to my daily routine. After crossing THOIS the occasional greenery too vanished and now I was driving through barren land.

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Shyok flowing at it's own pace. Unmindful of the surroundings.

Few kilometers down the road appeared a beautiful gompa on the right side of the road and the road then descended sharply after two hairpin bends and a small bridge on a small rivulet took us to the other side. Later got to find out that it was Skuru Gompa. The visuals all around were so intimidating that at times I was finding it difficult to keep focus on the road and drive. The road although was very smooth. Few more kilometers down the line and a new road surfaced. This is a diversion from the original Diskit Turtuk Highway and at this point I was a bit confused whether to follow the route or not. Waited there for some time then saw a truck approaching from the opposite side. I promptly stopped the truck and ask him about the roue, he told me that this was the new route as the old route has been closed permanently due to landslide.
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Till now Shyok was accompanying us on the right side but after crossing the Durga bridge we changed sides. The beautiful valley drive bade us good bye and we started ascending again. Just after the ascent we hit a pleatue and discovered the Shyok War Memorial at a distance. At this point there is a small police check post and a policeman on duty at the post noted down our details and gleefully guided us to a nearby small canteen that is being run by Indian Army. We thanked him and commenced our journey. It was decided that Shyok War Memorial will be visited while returning back. For now, our main aim was to reach Turtuk as early as possible. Just after the War memorial, the road again descended down sharply and joined the old Diskit Turtuk Highway. Shyok was now flowing at our left and the road too was almost running at the level of the river with occasional ascend and descend. We then reached Bogdang. This portion is sometimes referred as Chorbat Valley. Until the 1971 Indi Pak war Bogdang used to be the northernmost village of India. In the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, the Ladakh Scouts conquered Chalunka, Turtuk, Tayakshi and Thang of the Chorbat Valley, making Bogdang safely in the interior of Indian-administered Kashmir. We saw children playing on the streets while crossing Bogdang, some of them approached our car for sweets and chocolates. We happily obliged them with whatever little we were carrying. After Bogdang, we reached Chalunka, the next village on the bank of Shyok. Heavy deployment of IA was noticed at this place which indicated that we were not far from Turtuk. We reached Turtuk at 2.30 P.M. Turtuk has few stay options which offer parking facility. I had decided to book our room at Ashoor Guest House. This hotel is situated right on the Highway and provides parking. Rooms were not pre booked but finding an accommodation for the night was not very difficult. Rooms were clean. We decided to keep our luggage’s at our rooms and head straightway to the border view point at Thang because there was a cut off time of 4 P.M beyond which tourists are not permitted to go beyond the check point at Tayakshi.

An interesting fact about this village is that it was once part of Pakistan and was seized by India after the 1971 war, after which it became one of the last villages on this side of the border, at least for tourist activity. POK is not very far off. The most encouraging part was that GOI had opened the last point of Thang for tourists from 14th August This year. Earlier tourists were allowed till a point before Thang and from there the Pakistani posts over the mountain tops could be seen through binoculars but we were feeling happy to have to opportunity to visit the village itself and spend some time there. We left our hotel at 3 P.M and after driving for 15 minutes arrived at the Army Check Point at Tayakshi. Some local tourist taxis were seen parked at the check post. We had to give the name and number of passengers at the check post and submit any one ID card at the post. After submitting the ID, a token was issued which was to be resubmitted while returning back. Till we return back, out safety and security was the responsibility of IA. Formalities were completed smoothly and we were given go ahead. The drive was full of excitement.

The road runs parallel to the Shyok river for some distance, a Govt. Higher Secondary School is also seen alongside the road, after some time the road bifurcates. While the straight road ahead moves towards an IA forward post, the other part takes sharp right turn and again turns left after crossing Shyok. From this point Shyok runs parallel for some distance before turning towards Gilgit Baltistan under the control of Pakistan. The river vanishes from the line of sight as the road moves up along the Karakoram Mountain. After few kilometers we arrived at the spot which used to be the border view point previously. The abandoned structures are still there to be seen. A drive of another 15-20 mins from this point and we arrived at our destination. The dead end indicates that you have arrived at Thang. It’s a simple village with 15-20 families residing there. After GOI has allowed tourists to visit this area, the local residents have opened restaurants and cafes at their houses, which doubles up as border view point.

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The place which used to serve as border view point previously.

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Shyok turning towards POK. At some spot the river itself acts as LAC

The locals here are very friendly. They also act as guides and tells many interesting stories about pre and post 1971 scenario. This place has prospered after 1971 and they seem to be happy being a part of India. The most interesting aspect of this place is one can clearly see the Pakistani posts and the last village of POK.

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Pharnu. That's the village in POK.

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Closeup view.

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A Border post of Pakistan Army. A small pathway leading down to some other post.

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Another Pakistan Army post. Bigger in size with a makeshift Helipad
The village is named Pharnu and it evokes a different kind of feeling after seeing people at the other side of the border leading their daily life which in no way is different from others. Many people residing at Thang still has their relatives at Pharnu but the irony is they can’t visit them. Anyway, we can’t control the Geopolitical situation.

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The northernmost café of India.

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Some beautiful moments at the border outpost. Framed it.

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Children enjoying a game of cricket at the border café

This place having been peaceful since 1999 Kargil War and it was nice to see the people here are living peacefully. IA and Pakistan Army share the mountain tops here and both are placed strategically at advantageous positions. Some of the posts are abandoned temporarily only to be made operational at the time of requirement. Once the light started fading away, we decided to leave for our hotel. There is no road to the place where the cars are parked, in fact we were walking through the courtyards of the houses of locals and that gave us the opportunity to mingle with them a bit and talk to them.

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A cute little Balti Girl.

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Innocence

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Happy faces

The ladies can speak Hindi and they are very shy about-facing cameras. They seem to be very annoyed with You Tubers who they feel invades their privacy. They concern is genuine, many You Tubers really don’t care about others’ problems while they run after their content. While returning back I was feeling very satisfied after visiting two much awaited places in two days. Yesterday it was Siachen Base Camp and today, Thang.

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Shyok, under the fading light

Mother nature was creating magic with the last light of the day and we didn’t miss the chance to soak ourselves in the beauty of the place. While returning back, I found a nice place along Shyok river and stopped my car. We went down to the river bed. A small hanging bridge over Shyok was leading towards apple orchards on the other side.

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A local family was returning back from the orchard with some freshly plucked apples and they offered some to my kiddo. I wanted to pay them but they refused with a nice smile which spoke a lot. The small gesture touched our heart. For a moment I thought we have all the luxuries at our disposal yet we can’t be happy like them.

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The future biker
We returned to our hotel and ordered for some hot tea and pakoda. As soon as it became dark, the temperature went down by couple of degrees and it went further down as the time progressed into night.

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Under these circumstances the best thing is to slip under the blanket and enjoy. We too did the same. Finished our dinner with some sumptuous Chilli Chicken, Paneer and hot tawa roti. Next days plan was getting up early, explore Turtuk village, hike till the Monastery and then head back towards Hundar.


Day 12 (13.10.2021) Turtuk - Hundar

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First light kissing the peaks of Karakoram.


Wonderland of Turtuk, the little hamlet, flanked by Nubra on one side and Baltistan on the other, lies along the shores of Shyok River. It’s an enigma in itself. If you do a night halt at Turtuk then you can’t afford to miss the morning glory of this place. The first light of the day kissing the peaks of Karakoram range is a sight to behold. I too didn’t want to miss out on this and in spite of the chilling cold I woke up before sunrise and straightway went up to the terrace with my camera. Turtuk was gradually waking up and the mist all around was still creating a magical feeling. Slowly the peaks of Karakoram range started to light up. I don’t know how long I stood there and experienced the magic unfolding Infront of my eyes. I was ready to brave the bone chilling cold and stand there for ages and embrace everything that mother nature was throwing at me. The area was so silent that the only sound that was coming out was that of Shyok flowing at it’s own pace.

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While time has not touched the exquisiteness of this place, the friendly nature of its residents is hard to miss. Turtuk has a rich history as colourful as the apricot plantations one sees all around the region. therefore, it is an amalgamation of all the cultures that have lived here. Turtuk has only been opened to tourists since 2010 and is therefore a hidden gem.
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Siblings enjoying each others company.

As with most villages, the best way to explore the little town is on foot. We too decided to explore Turtuk before heading towards Nubra. All of us were ready by 7 A.M and went out to explore Turtuk. Our destination was the Monastery at the end of the village that offers stunning view of the valley. On a bright sunny day mighty Mount K2 can also be spotted from the monastery. The road to the monastery travels through the village and it’s a trek of about one and half hours. All of us were ready to put our bodies through the grind for the view.

The village of Turtuk is integrated by way of three sections:
1. Chutang – Itis a settlement by the river bank.

2. Yul – This the oldest area of the village, Yul, is densely populated, a sanctuary of greenery, tradition, and generosity.

3. Pharol – With open buckwheat fields spreading as far as the mountains would allow, Pharol houses most of the guesthouses in the region. This is the area that offers the view of the K-2 peak from here.

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As with most villages, the best way to explore the little town is on foot. We too decided to explore Turtuk before heading towards Nubra. All of us were ready by 7 A.M and went out to explore Turtuk. Our destination was the Monastery at the end of the village that offers stunning view of the valley. On a bright sunny day mighty Mount K2 can also be spotted from the monastery. The road to the monastery travels through the village and it’s a trek of about one and half hours. All of us were ready to put our bodies through the grind for the view.

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The village is situated at a height. So, we had to do a bit of hiking to arriving at the village. Turtuk boasts of a predominantly Muslim population and the influence of its history can be seen in the local dialect. Here, the primary languages include Ladakhi, Urdu, and Balti. Balti is an amalgamation of Persian and old Tibetan. We were guided by the villagers towards the monastery. The pathway towards the monastery initially crisscrossed through the farm land and in between houses. While moving through them we got the opportunity to have few words with the locals. The people were very friendly and welcoming. We were even welcomed into there houses. The monastery was still far away and we kept moving. Finally, we reached the base of the monastery.

The monastery was very old and built on top of a hill. So again, a bit of hiking till we reached a veranda like flat portion in from of the monastery. The monastery was closed. It was a small, one room, monastery and there was no Lama present there. However, we soon realized that the primary reason for climbing up to this point was the view.

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This is the highest point of the village and the one that offered the best possible view of the Shyok river and the valley around it, along with the high mountains in the horizon. Then came the view of the day.

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The view of Mount K2. Although it was far off but with the help of the camera lens, I was able to see it clearly. The hike to the monastery was tedious. We decided to spend some more time at the monastery and I looked out for an option to enter the prayer room. Then I located a notice which said the key is kept at a designated place and visitors intending to enter the monastery can open the door with the help of the key and later keep the key at the same position while leaving the place. We sat at the prayer room for almost 30 minutes, rejuvenated our body and soul and then decided to return back.

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Last edited by Sujoy76 : 17th January 2022 at 14:24.
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Old 11th January 2022, 23:02   #9
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Re: Safarnama | An unforgettable road-trip to Ladakh.

We returned from the monastery using the longer route. This one passed through a really beautiful stretch and finally I got a clearer idea about the geography of the village. While returning back to our hotel I noticed that although Turtuk is surrounded by barren hills and desert-like landscape, it is very fertile. It is one of the largest apricot and walnut producing areas of the country. Apart from the omnipresent poplars and willows, the green of the village is primarily derived from Apricot and Walnut trees and even vineyards at places. While returning back to or hotel we finished our breakfast at restaurant named “Friends café.” This café is located new Yul and offers some stunning view of the mountain, the river and the blue sky.

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We left our hotel for Nubra at 12.30. Turtuk in Balti literally means “a desire to stay” – which perfectly describes the people here. And no matter what, their love for Turtuk has endured everything. Many places remained unexplored and I was in no mood to leave Turtuk but as a traveler we had to accept the reality that we didn’t have much time to spend here and many more things were still to be explored. So with a heavy heart I started driving towards Nubra with a strong desire to come back here again.

Review of Ashoor Guest House

Location – 4/5
Cleanliness – 3.5/5
Staff behaviour – 4/5
Food – 3.5/5
Comfort – 3.5/5
Value for Money – 4/5

On our way back to Nubra, we stopped at the Shyok War Memorial. This memorial is built in 2006 to honour the soldiers who have given their lives on Siachen Glacier as well as during the 1971 war.
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How a normal soldier becomes a Siachen Warrior.

This war memorial is built alongside an Indian Army base which was described as Post 9 by a soldier present at the war memorial. The memorial is spread over a vast area between the Shyok at one side and the Karakoram standing on the other side. The entrance of the memorial welcomes the visitors with statue of soldiers depicting transformation of an ordinary soldier into a Siachen Warrior.

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The memorial with the names of the Martyred Soldiers.

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Every time I think of them, my heart just fills with pride.

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Falcon !! Standing proudly at the War Memorial.

A person serving at the Siachen Glacier in no less that a warrior. There is a map at the entrance which gives visual details of the areas of the memorial which are there for there visitors to be see. The monument, the main attraction of the War Memorial is situated at a distance from the entrance. While moving towards the monument we spotted couple of buildings at the right which houses a cafeteria, a souvenir shop.

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A snow scooter on display

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Moments that will stay with us forever.

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Cobalt blue sky and brown barren mountain. Only Ladakh can offer you this visual

There is even a bunker displayed for the visitors to get a feel about how our brave soldiers stay at the icy height of Siachen Glacier. There is also a snow scooter displayed at a point. The war memorial very nicely describes facts about the life at Siachen Glacier. A bit of hiking for the area and there is a point which gives stunning view of the entire area. The cafeteria serves some tasty samosa and jalebi. We too tasted some and they were really awesome. At the time of our visit, Bihar Regiment was looking after the memorial. It was very tough to keep track of time once you visit places like this and we too spent more than an hour at the memorial. Spoke to the soldiers stationed there. Heard their stories, shared our stories and then we said good bye to them. Now our destination was Diskit Monastery.

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We followed the same route back to Nubra. The plan was to visit Diskit Monastery and thereafter the sand Dunes at Hundar. Diskit Monastery is the oldest and the largest Buddhist Monastery in all of Nubra Valley. It stands tall at an altitude of 10,300 ft in the cold desert of Ladakh. It was founded by Changzem Tserab Zangpo, a disciple of Tsong Khapa, in the 14th century, and belongs to the Gelugpa (yellow hat) sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It is a sub-gompa of the Thiksey Monastery.

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Steps to Nirvana.

Diskit has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Ladakh. mostly because of the 106 ft tall Maitreya Buddha statue, This Buddha statue in gold and red faces the Shyok River towards Pakistan. The statue is said to signify and promote three intrinsic ideas – protection of Diskit Village, prevention of further war with Pakistan, and promotion of world peace.

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An Aerial view of Diskit Village from Monastery.

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The Diskit Gompa, milky white, is nestled on a high hill at the edge of a road that links with Partapur and Those.

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The road towards the monastery diverts from the Turtuk Diskit highway and there after one has to pay for the entry tickets at the entrance of the complex. Tourists are allowed to fly Drone over the area and for that they need to book separate tickets for it. We decoded to visit the Maitreya Statue first and then planned to visit the monastery. It’s an uphill drive alongside the stunning white Chortens. Since the construction of the mighty Maitreya Buddha statue, the Diskit monastery has seen a multifold increase in the footfall. View from this place gives heavenly peace & ensure that we fall in love with nature once again!

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The all round view of the whole Nubra Valley is something that will keep visitors glued to this place. You can never get bored looking at the vast landscape. It feels like the Maitreya is standing as a guardian and taking care of everything. Such is the beauty of the statue. You look up to the statue and it instantly rejuvenates your soul. The monastery was looking stunning as the light was gradually fading off. Suddenly we realised that we still had the sand dunes to be visited and this was our last night at Nubra. So visiting the monastery was cancelled and we then started our journey towards the sand dunes.

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The light in Ladakh can be misleading; it was almost 6 in the evening and yet the sun was still shining bright. It was only a matter of 15-20 minutes from Diskit Monastery yet it was a bit long as I scrambled to make sure so as to reach the Hundar sand dunes in time for sunset. The modest sand dunes seemed to have attracted the fancy of tourists and it looked like a village fair. Hundar had grown manifold and had turned into the most popular resort town with a plethora of hotels in Nubra Valley. There were more resorts and tents catering to tourists than perhaps the local population.

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Bactrian Camels are originally thought to be from Central Asia and their occurrence in Ladakh is due to the Old Silk Route that passed through this area.

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Nubra Valley lies on the famous Silk Route on which the caravan trade across Central Asia used to take place. The Bactrian camels have two humps which enables them to have a high tolerance to the cold, drought during the arduous journey across Karakoram Pass. Locals were quick to spot the tourist potential and thus begun the camel rides on the modest sand dunes.
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After maneuvering past the crowds gathered at the beginning of the water stream near the sand dunes, we chose to walk ahead to the area where the people were enjoying ride on double humped Bactrian camels. As we reached the spot, I discovered huge rush of tourists waiting for their turn to ride the camels. As there were only 15-20 camels, the operators were having real tough time to arrange camels for every visitor. Quietly I purchased tickets and waited for our turn. In between the time was well utilised through photography. Camel ride is just a part of overall package of Hundar Sand dunes. The rapidly changing light over the horizon gives the visitors every opportunity to be entertained.

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Spectacular evening colours in Hundar.

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Dreamy colours during sunset time in Hundar. Tourists enjoying their camel rides.
Our turn for the ride came almost after an hour of waiting and I chose to walk on the dunes alongside the camels. I just wanted to do some low light photography. By the time we finished our ride the light was almost gone.
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The lights of the hotels and homestays were gradually coming up and the view of those tiny lights from the dunes was creating a magical atmosphere. When we returned back to our hotel it was 8 P.M and all of us were feeling hungry. Straightway we hit the restaurant and ordered whatever they had that time. The staffs were busy preparing dinner so we could only have chai and aloo pakoda.

Very productive and enjoyable three nights at Nubra were nearing it’s end and I was specially feeling a bit upset and my trip too was getting into its last phase. The next day was planned for Pangong Tso and we planned to leave early.

Over the years Nubra has grown into a favourite place for travellers. Local communities once prospered on an extraordinary trans-Himalayan trade which originated with the Silk Road, comprising huge mountains, yawning valleys and vast uninhabited hinterlands, most of Ladakh’s boundaries may look almost impenetrable on a map. After decades of obscurity peppered with geo-political spasms ‒ it remains a sensitive border area. Tourism has gradually injected more visitors and money into Nubra. And as increasing numbers of tourists visit Ladakh each year, more are tempted to go the extra mile and come here.

Review of Hotel Hill Crest

Location – 4.5/5
Cleanliness – 4.5/5
Staff behaviour – 4.5/5
Food – 5/5
Comfort – 4.5/5
Value for Money – 4.5/5

Last edited by Sujoy76 : 17th January 2022 at 14:25.
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Old 13th January 2022, 14:02   #10
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Re: Safarnama | An unforgettable road-trip to Ladakh.

Day 13 (14.10.2021) Nubra – Pangong Tso

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Parting shot. Hotel Hill Crest.

My plan was to leave early for Pangong but eventually could start only at 10 A.M. When you travel with family and a kid your plans are bound to go haywire but that’s acceptable. The time being second week of October and many of the tent accommodation and homestays had already closed their business for the season so I was facing an issue of getting online reservation at Pangong. Most of the homestays and tent owners expressed their inability over telephone. So, I decided to check for accommodation after arriving at Lukung and of possible then go further to Spangmik. Everything depended on how quick we reach Pangong.

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The Maitreya and the Monastery in a single frame.

I planned to follow the Diskit – Khalsar – Agham – Shyok – Durbuk – Tangtse – Lukung route as it was the shortest one and it being mid of October the chance of Shyok overflowing and affecting the route was less. The distance according to Google was around 165 Kilometers and it was going to take me anything between five to six hours.
After leaving the hotel followed the same route till Khalsar. The most important thing of the trip was now to refuel my car and also to fill the 20 litre jerry can that I was carrying from Leh. The good news is that Nubra now has three petrol filling stations and out of them two were operational. The old one is at Diskit and one more HP petrol filling station is coming up at Diskit. The last one is operated by IOC and it’s at Khalsar. I refueled the car and the jerry can from the IOC pump at Khalsar and thereafter started ascending towards Agham while keeping Shyok at our left.

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The surface was good and I was driving with ease while enjoying the scenic beauty of the place. The feeling of the moment was like let’s watch and enjoy the views for one last time the more I kept moving forward those views were fading away from my rear-view mirror. Here the road runs at a constant elevation with very less twists and turns till the point of diversion towards Khardung La. Thereafter the road starts descending steadily towards the level of Shyok river. At some point the descent is very steep. Till Agham the road was in very good shape. Mostly the road runs along the river and sometimes it runs through the river bed. I was maintaining steady speed as the surface was blacktopped.

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After reaching Agham crossed a small bridge and saw a T junction. Google was showing my route through the left. There I spotted a group of bikers who were enjoying their time at a small tea stall. I got down and confirmed about the route. From them I came to know that the road to the right moves towards Sakti and that’s the other route towards Pangong which moves through Wari la and Chang La. We thanked the bikers and again started our journey. The next destination was Shyok and as expected the road started deteriorating after we crossed Agham. It was another 45 kilometers from Agham but this 45 Kilometers were really tough to cross.

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Tough roads ahead.

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Life is a journey. Not a destination.

Tough on the vehicle, tough on me as well as the fellow passengers. Now I was getting a taste of off-roading. In one moment, I was driving next to the river bed, sometimes on the river bed itself and the next moment on a steep climb with many hairpin bends. This entire route led me up and took me back to the river multiple times. A majority of the route is driven next to the Shyok river. This river is known for its unpredictability. This road is not for the faint of heart or ill prepared. One mistake can have serious consequences. So, I was driving very cautiously as I was totally inexperienced to this type of roads. One thing was giving me a bit of confidence that the tyres were brand new and they being All Terrain tyres had tougher sidewalls than normal HT tyres, which are prone to damage under these conditions. There was a section which by any means can be called road. The area is full of boulders and one need to follow tyres marks to move forwards. While crossing one section my car got stalled and it was not getting enough momentum to move up against loose gravel stones. I had to reverse the car to a good distance and then move up with full throttle.


Short video about some section of Shyok river bed.


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The vast area offers enough opportunity for photography.

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After moving up the section I stopped the car and checked for underbody damage. Luckily there were none. Lot of bikers were also struggling to negotiate the section and they were finding it difficult to climb up. So as a Good Samaritan helped them out by pushing their bikes one by one. The area is so remote, only travellers can help each other out in situations like this. It took me almost two hours to negotiate the stretch between Agham and Shyok and finally we hit some good road after reaching Shyok village.

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This place sits at a height overlooking the Shyok valley and there are many restaurants where travellers can enjoy the view of Shyok River valley while sipping a hot cup of tea along with snacks. These restaurants offer variety of food options ranging for Maggie, Bread Omelette to Fired rice. We too had a pit stop at Shyok and finished lunch at one such café. While crossing Shyok our documents were verified at a Police check post. At this point I noticed a road turning left and moving downward towards the Shyok river which turns left and vanishes from our sight. Later found out that the road connects to the Daulat Beg Oldie ALG which was around 200 Kilometers from that point.

The Shyok Village to Durbuk section is very scenic. This is also the spot where a number of Bollywood movies have been shot. The road has sharp bends in some parts. Reaching Durbuk didn’t take us much time. We noticed heavy presence of IA on both side of the road. Given the recent geopolitical situation and tension along Indo China border this was well expected and it was really satisfying to see how quickly and swiftly IA has built up the infrastructure at these remote locations. Hereafter the route becomes more commercial. This stretch of the road is easy, but as it passes through heavy military area – a lot of places prohibit photography.

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After driving for another one hour, we reached Tangste. By this time, we had already crossed maximum part of our journey and the time was almost 3 P.M. Tangste has many stay options and many travellers prefer to stay here also. This place appeared very colourful with shops all around, prayer flags fluttering alongside the road and more important this place was full of bikers. As reaching Pangong in time was our main objective, I drove past Tangste and keep watching for the road sign which directs towards Pangong. After driving for couple of minutes there came a junction from where the left is called Pangong Lake Road and the right moves towards Chusul through the Changthang Cold desert Wildlife Sanctuary. This road served as the alternate route towards Chusul for the road trippers who intended to visit Hanle or Tso Moriri directly from Pangong as the shortest route through Maan – Merak – Chusul was closed for normal traffic due to the tension between India and China. But I was lucky that prior to our visit the section was opened for normal traffic and that helped me a lot in planning my trip to Hanle directly from Pangong the next day.

Near the end of the journey, I hit a rough patch of road. It has to be known that the Ladakh roads do make you earn your sites. This road ensures the driving is dramatic, the roads were thin and the excitement is immeasurable. At this point a small incident happened.

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There comes a point on the road which gives the first glimpse of the World-Famous Panging Lake. The road after this point gets narrow and here, I had to stop my car to give way to a IOCL petrol tanker which was climbing up. The driver might have been intoxicated that the way it approached at some point of time it felt like the truck would hit me head on. I was finding it really tough to reverse my car and somehow reversed and parked the car at the edge of the road. There was enough space for the truck to pass but surprisingly it hit the rear right portion of my car while passing by. The driver even didn’t bother to stop the truck after that and instead it left the spot quickly. The incident was totally unexpected and it dampened my mood a bit. After assessing the damage, I found out that the sport has deep scratch and the colour has been chipped off. As there was nothing, I could do at that point of time I decided to drive on and not to let the incident spoil the rest part of the trip.
The remaining part of the journey till Panging was uneventful and we reached Lukung around 4 P.M. Now the most important part of the moment was to quickly find a suitable place to park ourselves for the night. After searching through couple of accommodation we found a place which had only two rooms left. We quickly booked the rooms, kept our luggage and went off to the lake to enjoy it’s beauty.

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Pangong Tso has been hugely commercialised after Three Idiots movie. The shore of the lake was full of Three Idiot style scooters and most of the tourist were busy clicking photographs in Three Idiot style. No harm till this provides the local to earn their livelihood. Ladakh administration has been doing it but to keep Pangong lake clean but we still have real idiots who still prefer to litter this place.

If the journey to Nubra Valley leads you through rock and snow and pale, pale sand, around nearly every bend in the mountain highway leading to the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary, where Pangong Tso is located, lies an arresting vista that bowls over even those sold on the region’s stark lunar beauty.

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It was really incredible to see the tranquil lake and its azure blue waters! Pangong Tso is one of the largest saline lakes in Asia. On the Lake shore we walked and saw the effects of changing colours of the lake, aqua green to indigo blue! The saline water of the lake plays with the sunlight and produces different colours. We were told that during winter the lake freezes and become a solid surface to walk over it.

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After spending some time at Lukung we decided to move towards Spangmik. The earlier road which used to run along the shore of the lake has now been discontinued and a new road has been constructed by BRO which also runs along the lake but it runs at a height. The advantage of this road is that it offers a panoramic view of the lake. We reached a point between Lukung and Spangmik and discovered a road descending down towards the lake. The road was bumpy and after a bit of off-roading it led us to a point where other vehicles were also parked. After spending some time we decided to move back to Lukung as the light was fading off and the temperature was dipping rapidly.

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When we returned to our camp, it was dark and the temperature had gone down steadily. As we were staying just opposite to the lake, the wind blowing from the lake was making our life miserable. It was really getting unbearable and we straightway went inside our room and parked ourselves under three layers of blanket and fell asleep. The owner woke us up for dinner at 8 P.M. The cold was so intense that none of us were in the mood of coming out of the rooms. Anyhow we mustered the energy and gathered at the dining hall for dinner. The hall was a makeshift one and the wooden walls were not able to stop the wind from coming inside. All of us were shivering while having dinner. It was just simple dal, rice and Omelette. We finished off the food quickly and rushed inside our rooms. All I wanted was the warmth of the blankets. The accommodation huts don't have constant electricity and it's the generators which do the needful. We were informed that the generator would go off at 10 P.M and accordingly we had put all the phones and other gadgets to charge. the place being damn cold the batteries were losing power rapidly. We all slept like dead. One more exciting day went off nicely.

Day 14 (15.10.2021) Pangong Tso – Hanle

Breath-taking Pangong

I woke up very early from bed. The Sun was still on its way out to mark the beginning of a new day. My wife and kid were still sleeping and I decided not to disturb them and quietly came out of my room. I was literally freezing outside. May be the temperature was still way below the 0⁰ C mark. The crazy cold winds were biting hard at my skin. Yet it was hard to ignore the visual treat that lay around. I straightway went near the lake and waited for the Sun to come out.

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Gradually the rays of warm daylight started pouring into the valley as the Sun started making its way up from the mountains lying on the other side of Pangong.

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All of a sudden, the dull grey mountains started looking magnificent adoring their multi shades of grey as if they too were awakened by the day break. I was feeling really difficult to stand near the lake as my whole body was shivering and fingers were feeling numb. Thousands of years might have had passed ever since this lake was naturally made by feeding glaciers. The nature had hardly left anything to simply beautify this adorable haven with the pure blueness of the lake and the perpetual grey shades of the mighty Ladakhi Mountains.

Last edited by Sujoy76 : 17th January 2022 at 14:26.
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Re: Safarnama | An unforgettable road-trip to Ladakh.

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I managed to stand there for around 30 minutes and then came back to out camp. By that time uncle Ji, the owner of the camp was awake and we sat down and discussed many things over a cup of tea. I came to know that he was and Indian Army veteran and had fought against the Chinese during 1962 War. It was then two veterans sharing their stories over another cup of tea. Although my experiences were nowhere close to that of his. I was told that most of the local managing the accommodations come from Phobrang Village which is on the other side of the lake and the road to Marsimik La goes through Phobrang.

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This is where we stayed at night. Very basic accommodation yet we were humbled by the reception we received from the owner, Uncle Ji. The overhead water tanks which are placed at an height are the only source of water at the washrooms. During day time they are filled with the help of a water tanker. Life is not so easy at this place specially during the second half of October.

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Fast patrolling boat moving towards it's designated area.

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A new experience for Diya

We had almost one and half hour free time before breakfast was ready and decided to use this for exploring the near abouts of our camp. We decided to walk towards the North East bank of the lake taking the Spangmik road. Then we discovered IA patrolling the lake with specialized boats. One after another four boats went towards finger four area. Pangong Lake to our surprise looked as if it had no end.

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It was an ocean of its own. It expanded far far away in the North East direction way into China. Surprisingly only one third of the lake was in India and the rest were in China. Breakfast was served, we had one more round of gossip with uncle ji over break fast table and then it was time to say good bye to him as we had a longer distance to travel toady.


Review of Holiday Resort

Location – 4/5
Cleanliness – 3.5/5
Staff behaviour – 4.5/5
Food – 3/5
Comfort – 3/5
Value for Money – 4/5

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Our next destination was Hanle and the route I was suppose to take was through Maan – Merak – Chusul -Rezang La – Loma. The route was recently opened up for travellers after being closed for the tension between India and China. Otherwise, I would have had to travelled back to Tangste and then follow the route till Chusul. We left Lukung at 10.30 A.M. Throughout the journey I was driving alongside Pangong.

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The different colours of the lake at different place were a thing to enjoy and the view was really stunning. Every moment it felt like let’s stop here for some time and enjoy the beauty of the lake. Gradually we crossed Spangmik. Most of the camp sites were closed down as the season was nearing it’s end. Only the skeleton of the camp sites was standing as if they were guarding the place. We were almost a kilometer away from Spangmik. The lake had taken a semi-circular curve moving in towards the mountains resembling a bay.

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The waters of Pangong adored a pervasive velvety blue. Its top surface was smeared by cascading ripples of several tiny waves softly touching the pebbled shores. The road has been newly laid, the surface was giving me enough confidence to maintain good speed. Reaching Maan was not an issue as the road was moving straight and it took me another half an hour to cover the distance between Spangmik and Maan. The new road bypasses the village it moves along the mountain ridge. Maan too has many stay options and many tourists prefer to stay here rather than staying at Lukung or Spangmik.

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It is said that the beauty of the lake can be explored in a much better way from Maan and Merak. These two places are less commercialised and it offers an opportunity to stay and mingle with the local people. A Bolero Pickup van was moving before me and I was happily following it while keeping an eye on Pangong. After covering some distance from Maan, came to a point where there as no road further. It was totally a dead end as the rock cutting work was going on. That means the new road has been constructed till that point and from here I need to follow the old route which moves along the shore of Panging. Now the most important task was to locate the route. Then I discovered the Bolero that was moving ahead of me, was moving through a rough patch along side Pangong. Now we were looking for an appropriate route that would let us join the old route. The first route that we say was full of boulders and the descent was very steep and I chose not to put the underbody of my car at risk instead decided to move back and look for a route. I was sure of finding one as there must have been a route which people use to travel towards Merak and beyond. Google map was of no use at this point. Only navigating option was looking for tyre marks over the dusty surface.

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After driving backward for couple of kilometers, a safer route was located and I promptly decided to take the one. The trail led us to the old route and I followed the route. We entered Merak. This is a small settlement which has small number of homestays. Now only option of navigating forward was input for local people and following the landmarks given by them. The surface was deteriorating and it was pure off-roading at places.

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After Merak we crossed Kakset and landed in an area where no road was there to be seen. We were standing at an area which was huge with no sign of road. At one side we had Pangong and on the other side huge snow-capped peaks were standing like guard. This place was so remote that I couldn’t find any one around.

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If I had lost direction then finding the right route would be very tough. So, I decided to wait there for some time and luckily spotted a truck coming from the opposite direction. I stopped it and asked for direction, the driver told me to drive straight for some more kilometers following the tyre marks and then look out for a small electrical substation. He repeatedly reminded me to take right turn after the substation then I will get a blacktopped road otherwise I would have to follow the same route for a longer distance.

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After driving cautiously following the tyre marks I was overtaken by a Innova, it was a local tourist vehicle and there on it acted as my reference. I blindly followed the Innova and located the electrical substation. It was a two-room building and true to the direction given by the Truck driver, joined the black topped road again. It was huge relief for me. At least now I can reach Chusul safely. The road is freshly laid and it runs almost parallel to the old unpaved road. Looking at the left we discovered that Pangong has now taken left turn and moved away from us.

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Traveling the road alongside the Pangong is an experience unparalleled. Lake to the left, snowy peaks to the right and a desert ahead! This is the place which keeps urging me to do the drive again; one which has something even if you are doing it the hundredth time.
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Here we realised that we were very close to the Finger Four area and up on the mountain peaks spotted IA positioned itself nicely to negate any mis venture by the Chinese side. India has improved the infrastructure rapidly in this area. Really a sight that instilled a sense of pride. Hereafter our next destination was Chusul.

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We spotted them enroute Chusul. Kiang or the Ladakh wild ass. The kiang is the largest of the wild asses. Its current range is restricted to Ladakh, plains of the Tibetan plateau and northern Nepal along the Tibetan border. Other common names for this species include Tibetan wild ass, Khyang, and Gorkhar.

Reaching Chusul was not a problem as we continued following the blacktopped road. After reaching Chusul we looked for some place to have tea and snacks but couldn’t find a restaurant. My idea was the same road would lead me to Rezang La through the Tsaga La road and eventually I would reach Loma and from there to Hanle. After driving for 15-20 minutes through Chusul I reached the Chusul War Memorial Park. I wanted to confirm the route I was following and hence stopped my car and asked two Army personnel standing next to the war memorial. I was told that I had already missed the turn towards Rezang La and came forward. Then I realised where I missed the turn towards Tsaga La. While passing by Chusul, one point comes which passes by the side of Chusul Police station and just after that the road bifurcates. There is a small blue board which gives out the direction and I had followed the route towards Mahe instead of making a left turn and moving towards Tsaga village. Anyway I asked them the best possible route from that point and they suggested me to take the route forward as this one was comparatively in good shape that that of the Rezang La one. Google map was not showing anything, I once again asked them and they assured me that this route will take me to Mahe from there I can reach Loma via Nyoma.
I started driving through the road which was passing by an Army establishment. Then started the ascend and the road got narrow. Here the mountain was made of loose rocks and those rocks had covered almost half of the road. The situation was such that two wheel were constantly moving through the loose rocks. I was praying that no vehicle should approach from the opposite direction because reversing the car at any point of time on that route was going to be very difficult. I was even cursing myself for having decided to follow the route. I was feeling a bit tensed but never let my fellow passengers know about that. I kept on driving keeping my eye on the road as the area was prone to landslide. We crossed couple of Army detachments. The road suddenly appeared to be gaining altitude with hairpin curves with dangerous drop-offs. The inclination at some section was almost 45 degrees. After negotiating many hairpin bends, I found a relatively plan spot.

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Looking back, the view of zigzag road gave me goosebumps.

There I parked my car as I had been constantly driving in first gear keeping the RPM constantly between 4-4.5K. So decided to let the engine cool down a bit. Looking down, the road appeared really twisty and curvy and the sight gave me the required confidence to move up.

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Some unnamed pass on my way up.

By now I was sure of one thing that this road was going to be tougher than Khardung La. Still, I was not sure about what fate had in store for me. By that time, I had nicely settled down and my heart was beating at normal rate. I had started enjoying the climb. The road was totally isolated, not even a single vehicle was there to be seen.

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The road was isolated but the surrounding view was fully justifying my decision to take the route.

The altitude was gradually moving up. I kept on checking the altitude from a mobile app and it started showing 16K and more. By this time my fellow passengers started complaining about headache. AMS had set in. But surprisingly I wasn’t feeling uncomfortable at all. The altitude kept on increasing. Suddenly I discovered a beautiful lake at the left.

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Mirpal Tso
The lake was so pristine that anybody would want to go down near the lake and spend some time. But we were looking at the lake from much higher place and I couldn’t locate a road nearby which leads towards the lake. I was still not sure about the name of the lake. The lake is surrounded by the sand shore. It was unique.

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Up and Up. Mahe still 36 Kilometers away.

Now I was happy that I decided to follow this route. Again, I checked the altitude and once it crossed 17500 ft mark I wondered where were we heading to?

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I got the reply within 10 minutes when I discovered the yellow board welcoming us at Kaksang La @ 17634 ft. Oh man what an achievement.

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Before setting out on this my aim was to cover Khardung La and now I was standing at Kaksang La which is higher than Khardung La. My joy had no limits. I was feeling like jumping and fisting in air. It was really an achievement for me. So, the wrong move turned out to be blessing in disguise for me.

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That's Kaksang La. The road to the summit is more challenging and tougher than Khardung La

Wind was blowing at a terrific speed at the top and it was making our stay at the top really difficult. Now I discovered the lake that we had crossed. It was Mirpal Tso and going by the description of the route I was expecting one more pristine, non-commercialised lake Yaye Tso before I reach Mahe. After Kaksang La the road was descending at a gradual rate and again I encountered lots of hairpin curves but now as I was descending the problems were much lesser. I was only using engine braking and the car was moving nicely along the road.

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Yaye Tso, as seen from a distance.

Then I spotted Yaye Tso on the right-hand side and again enjoyed the view from the top. Yaye Tso is a heart shaped, volcanic lake.

Last edited by Sujoy76 : 17th January 2022 at 14:27.
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Falcon resting at Hora La

Soon after Yaye Tso I reached one more high mountain pass Hora La. I also discovered a road from the base of the pass that leads towards the edge of Yaye Tso Lake. It looked like a very nice place for camping.

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After doing some photography I started onward journey as the destination was still far off.

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After Hora La the road was in good shape till Mahe. I reached a Y junction and stopped there to confirm the route ahead. Then again started towards Nyoma. The surface between Mahe and Nyoma was very good. The route passes by many Army Establishments. By the time we reached Nyoma all of us were feeling hungry and the sign of AMS had reduced considerably. We had some very tasty Rajma Chawal at a local dhaba. Till that time our stay at Hanle was not confirmed as we couldn’t contact any homestay at Hanle. I was only aware about Padma Homestay and Milky way Homestay at Hanle but none of them could be contacted over phone for advance booking. I was asking the owner of the dhaba about a homestay at Hanle and she instantly gave me the reference of Sonam Homestay. She gave me the contact number and asked me to give her reference to the owner. I promptly called up the owner and he denied me about chance of getting accommodation there as they had closed the homestay for the season. Then I gave him the reference of the dhaba owner and let him have some words with her and he then agreed to let us stay there for one night.

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We left Nyoma around 4 P.M and Hanle was still 75 Kilometers away. Our next destination was Loma. The good road continued till 4-5 Kilometers before Loma. We say BRO working rapidly on blacktopping the surface. The last 4-5 Kilometers before Loma was in bad shape but the way BRO was working that section would’ve been black topped within very short time.

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Our online permits were checked at the ITBP check post before the bridge on Indus River at Loma. A new bridge is under construction beside the one that is being used now. While approaching the Loma bend, I discovered the route that comes from Tsaga La.

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After crossing the Loma bridge next landmark was Rongho Village and Hanle was another 45 Kilometers from Rongho. Just after crossing the bridge at Loma, the main road leads towards Rongho and one more road diverts towards left. This road leads towards Koyul then Demchok and finally meets the road to Umling La.

The journey from Nyoma to Loma and up to Hanle was extremely nice with beautiful vistas all around, and in fact, it was one of those beautiful drives which I would love to do ever and ever again. I had never been to such a beautiful place ever. Roads were freshly laid but that could be misleading as there were inverted bumps left on the roads so that the water passes through them. Hats off to BRO, that they have created such smooth roads in the cold desert at such high altitude and harsh conditions. As I moved closer to Hanle, the size of the mountains started to decrease, and we started witnessing series of small mountains clustered together, giving a feeling of a different world altogether. Hanle is very scenic and feels out of the world. However, in actual reality, the place is extremely harsh and difficult to survive, especially in winters. There were only a few accommodations available in the village. When we reached the bridge at the outskirts of the village it was already dark and it took me some time to locate our homestay. The homestay had very good facilities in terms to amenities to keep us warm during the night. Expecting facilities like electricity, hot running water, western toilets, etc. were luxury in itself but we were lucky to have some of them. The source of electricity is solar panels and we were informed that it stays only for few hours and after 10 P.M there won’t be any electricity. So again, we put all our gadgets to charge. Hanle is known for its clear skies and opportunities for sky-gazing and this was one of the reasons for me to come to Hanle. I was so mesmerised seeing numerous photos of the milky way at Hanle, I had decided to shoot them once I visit this place. Although I had no experience in night photography and not very confident about the outcome, the level of excitement was high. We finished off dinner quickly and went to bed. It was decided that we’ll get up around 3 A.M and watch the sky. Likewise, the alarm clocks were set. As decided, we all woke up in time and came out of our rooms. It was damn cold outside but the view of the sky was enough to keep us glued to our place. The experience can’t be replicated in words. As expected, my inexperience in night photography caused a major hindrance for taking photos. I tried many times but couldn’t manage to get a single clear shot of the milky way. Finally, I left trying and instead kept enjoying the views all around. We managed to stay under the open sky for another half an hour and then decided to move back into the rooms as the weather was really harsh and becoming unbearable. I was feeling very low as not being able to take a single photo of the night sky. There’s always a next time and that gives me a good reason to visit Hanle again.

Day 15 (16.10.2021) Bye Bye Hanle. Change in Plan.

I woke up in the morning with slight uneasiness. I was not feeling very fresh like other days. The reason was headache but it was not the kind of headache that I experience. The feeling was strange. That time I realised that this might be the effect of staying over 14000 ft. constantly and it was AMS. Today the plan was to explore Hanle before moving to Tso-Moriri.

Some moments later I discovered that my better half was severely affected by AMS. She was even unable to get up from the bed. Severe headache coupled with fatigue and dizziness had made her uncomfortable. Now this was time when I decided to reconsider the plan of visiting Tso Moriri. It being situated at a higher altitude than Hanle and the weather being harsher then Hanle surely would have made her condition more difficult. So, I was contemplating either to stay at Hanle for one more night or to descend to Karu, which was at a lower altitude. It was 8.30 and we were still not sure about our next course of action. After waiting for half an hour, I decided to head back to karu. The situation was totally unexpected and beyond our control but being safe and healthy was our primary concern at that point of time so plan for Tso Moriri was dropped and we prepared ourselves for return journey towards Karu. So, the return journey which was suppose to start from Tso Moriri started a day earlier. I was feeling a bit disappointed that the trip to Hanle didn’t go as per the plans. Nevertheless, there’s always a next time. After finishing our breakfast, we left for karu at 10.30 A.M. By the time Sharmila was feeling much better and we decided to visit the Hanle Observatory at least before leaving this beautiful place. I had plans for the Hanle Monastery also but that didn’t materialise. The road to the observatory was well laid. It took us 15 mins to reach the top of Saraswati Hill.


Review of Sonam Homestay

Location – 4/5
Cleanliness – 4/5
Staff behaviour – 4.5/5
Food – 3/5
Comfort – 3.5/5
Value for Money – 4/5


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A must-visit when you are in Hanle. The Observatory stands on Mt.Saraswati, Digpa-ratsa Ri in Hanle in south-eastern Ladakh and is operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore. It holds the Himalayan Chandra Telescope, situated at an elevation of 4,500 meters (14,764 ft). We came to know that the observatory was closed for visitors and it has just opened up couple of days before. The wind was blowing at high speed and the sound of the wind hitting the observatory could be heard from a distance. It was even more intense from inside the observatory. The staff inside the Observatory briefed us in details how it works & about his duty as well. He also displayed lot of information on computer to understand the process.

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Amazing to see that people sitting in Bangalore operates this from there. Great!

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This quirky place is managed by the Indian Institute Of Astrophysics in Bangalore and has some interesting kinds of telescopes.

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The views from the top of the observatory are just breath-taking.

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Hanle Monastery
is a 17th-century gompa of the Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, situated on an old branch of the ancient Ladakh-Tibet trade route. The valley is home to about a thousand people, with about 300 people living in Hanle village. The monastery is home to about ten monks while another 33 or so come regularly for prayers. It is roughly 19 kilometres from the disputed frontier between India and Chinese-controlled Tibet.

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The bridge on River Indus at Loma.

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The place is very scenic and feels out of the world. However, in actual reality, the place is extremely harsh and difficult to survive, especially in winters.

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This place is Strategically closer to the Indo-China border. IA makes it's presence felt at regular interval. Our security is in able hands.

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"Hum chalte hain jab aise to Dil dushman ke hilte hain."

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The journey to Nyoma from Hanle is extremely nice with beautiful vistas all around, and in fact, it is one of those journeys which one would love to undertake ever and ever again.

It was a normal drive through the same route till the Y Junction at Mahe. The road till Mahe was very smooth with occasional bad patches. The village of Nyoma is breathtakingly beautiful as it offers a panoramic view of the hills and valleys with majestic mountains in the background. The beauty of the desert landscape is irresistibly splendid. The Nyoma Monastery, also known as Nyoma Gompa standing on top of a mountain was looking beautiful from the road. The picturesque location of the village and the serenity of the atmosphere was simply breath taking. We passed by the advanced landing ground, which remains operational even during cold weather conditions. From the Y junction I took left towards Mahe bridge where the road for Tso Moriri bifurcates. The road after this point deteriorated drastically. From Mahe the road runs alongside Indus River.

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Kabhi kisi ko mukammal jahan nahi milta, Kahin zameen to kahin aasman nahin milta

The road till chumathang was all dirt track. At some places it was in real bad shape and I was driving behind an Army Convoy that was carrying heavy machineries. Driving behind the convoy through the bad road was testing my patience. We reached Chumathang and stopped for lunch. By that time, we had descended to a lower altitude and gradually the feel-good factor had started to creep in. The sign of AMS had reduced and that game me a sense of relief. We were feeling very hungry. So, after parking the car I started looking out for a restaurant. Although Chumathang has many options for food and stay but most of the restaurants were not operating due to the COVID situation. We found a restaurant which had only noodles left to offer. So, we finished our lunch with noodles and tea while enjoying the views of hot springs. I enquired about the condition of the road ahead and got to know that till Kiari the road was bad and after that I’ll get good black topped road till karu. After driving few Kilometers from Chumathang, the road improved drastically and now I started driving on the smooth surface. As I started moving closer to Leh the view also gradually started changing with brown barren mountains now started looking green again.

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While crossing the Kiari village, I came across the most mesmerizing scenes of the towering mountain peaks half-covered with snow, the enchanting Indus River and, beautiful deep valleys. I kept driving through this scenic beauty till the road joined Leh Manali Highway at Upshi. Witnessed sundown just before Upshi and then drove towards our destination for the day, Karu. There was no specific reason behind deciding to spend the night at Karu, we could’ve stayed at Upshi too as the next day my plan was to travel towards Manali. I was of the belief that karu had more options of accommodation than Upshi. After reaching Karu we found a Hotel named “The Buddha Hotel” on the road and decided to have our night stay there. It was just a meet of few hours before we start out return journey towards Manali, so didn’t look out for any other property and settled there for the night. Now all of us were feeling better and the sign of AMS were gone completely. We went out for dinner around 8. All of us were in the mood for some good non-veg stuff but there was not a single restaurant serving non-veg food. We were even surprised to find that most of the restaurants were already closing their business for the day. We hurried up and found a Punjabi dhaba serving some good veg items. So, ultimately our quest for non-veg food gave way to hot tawa roti and sumptuous dal fry. The foods were really tasty. After finished dinner we strolled around the roads for some time as the night was going to be our last night in Leh, so we wanted to enjoy the moments as much as we can. The road was quiet with occasional sounds from the moving cars, bikes and heavy vehicles. So officially my Leh trip has come to its conclusion. Beyond this where ever I visit or stay that would be part of my return journey. I was really feeling very low at that time and wished if I could hold onto those awesome moments for some more days.

We came back to our hotel rooms at 9.30 and then rearranged our luggage. Next day my plan was to leave for Manali as early as possible so I can cross Baralacha La in time and then stay at Darcha or Jispa. The time being mid of October and possibility snowfall at Baralacha La anytime was playing on my mind and then the condition of road between pang and Sarchu was also giving me a bit of headache. My plan was to cross Baralacha La anyhow so that the need for spending the night at Sarchu doesn’t arise. Chances of getting a good accommodation was very less as most pf the camp sites were closed by the time. So one more say went off nicely.

Day 16(17.10.2021) Return Journey. Kahani mein twist.

We woke up early today as all of us were ready for our onward journey towards Manali. Our hotel was situated just at the bank of Indus and the sound of the flowing river was creating beautiful music during the early hours. I witnessed sunrise from my balcony and for one last time rejuvenated my soul with the astounding beauty of this place. We left our hotel at 7.30 A.M and planned to have breakfast at Upshi. We were carrying enough snacks and water with us keeping in mind the route condition till Sarchu.

Review of The Buddha Hotel

Location – 4/5
Cleanliness – 3.5/5
Staff behaviour – 3/5
Food – Food was not available
Comfort – 3.5/5
Value for Money –3.5/5

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Morning view from my Balcony.

The distance between karu and Upshi is hardly 15 Kilometers and we reached Upshi within 10 minutes. I notice many vehicles queuing up Infront of the police station and within couple of minutes got the shock. I asked a person passing by and got to know that Leh Manali highway has been closed for the day due to heavy snowfall at Baralacha La.

Last edited by Sujoy76 : 17th January 2022 at 14:28.
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Old 16th January 2022, 21:07   #13
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We waited there for more than half an hour with the hope that soon we will be allowed to travel towards Manali but we couldn’t get green signal. One by one all the vehicles turned back towards Leh. So, at that point we had to decide whether to stay back for another day at karu and then try again tomorrow or to return back via Srinagar. The possibility of the condition deteriorating further on Lah Manali highway could not be ruled out and if I travel via Srinagar then Manali circuit will be left untouched. I had to take the call and after lot of brainstorming I decided to head back towards Sonmarg. Hence, we would now be taking the same route that was used at the start of the trip. When we turned back from Upshi, it was already 9.30 A.M and I had to cover the distance of 390 Kilometers and it was a journey of 8.30 hrs according to Google. Now the road was straightforward and I had the idea about the surface, So I was driving confidently. I was feeling disappointed for not being able to drive on Leh Manali Highway but there is always something that’s beyond our control. Gradually we crossed Thiksey Monastery, Ranchos School, Shey palace then Leh City, Hall of Fame, the Air Port. All those landmarks which we visited few days back were bidding us good bye one after another.

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After crossing the Indus view point decided to have breakfast and stopped the car at a point where we found couple of restaurants. It’s was just tea and butter toast and we continued our journey towards Kargil. While driving forward crossed the Leh campus of University of Ladakh. The campus is set up at a very isolated but picturesque location. The students must be very lucky.

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Leh Campus. University of Ladakh.

In between while passing by Mulbek, we stopped at the the monastery and spent some time learning about the history of the statue of Buddha.

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Statue of Future Buddha at Mulbek

We reached Lamayuru at 12.45 and decided to have lunch at the same restaurant where we had our dinner while travelling towards Leh from Kargil at the beginning of our trip.

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The restaurant offered nice and clear view of the Lamayuru Monastery. We enjoyed the view of the monastery while having lunch. The sky was looking a bit overcast and I was hoping not to encounter bad weather at Zozila. Beyond Lamayuru our journey till Kargil was uneventful.

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I was driving through the same road that I had taken at the beginning of the trip only difference was the time. While coming it was night and now, I was driving under day light and that enabled me to enjoy the views around. As we approached Kargil the weather seemed to have cleared and we were welcomed by clear blue sky with clouds clattered here and there.

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The road has many view points which gives stunning view of the surrounding places. Fatu La and Namik La were crossed and I travelled through Kargil town. I wanted to follow the Kargil bypass but somehow missed the road. Traffic in Kargil was heavy and after negotiating many diversions, I managed to get out of Kargil and joined the highway.

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The weather just after crossing Dras.

As we approached Dras, the weather started deteriorating and it gave me clear signal about what to expect ahead. We encountered a bit of traffic congestion at Dras and that wasted about 30 minutes of our time. The roads are full of idiots and we can’t do anything about a situation which is purely man made. The road that runs through Dras market is a bit narrow and when someone intentionally blocks that road by parking his car on the wrong side, traffic congestion is bound to happen. Just after crossing Dras the weather continued to change rapidly and as soon as we reached Pandras it started to rain and the intensity continued to increase gradually as we moved forward. By now I was very sure of getting snowfall at Zozila but the issue which was making me worried was crossing Zozila in dark.

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View of the mountain ahead.

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Police personnel stopping vehicles at Matayen Check Point.

The view around us continued to change drastically. When er reached Matayen, it was completely dark and police was topping vehicles at the check post. We were cautioned to drive safely as it was snowing at Zozila. I was driving behind couple of trucks and was using their tail light for navigating through the curvy roads. Otherwise, it was totally dark.

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Approaching Zero Point.

The visibility was very poor and the situation further worsened with my windscreen fogging up. I had to use the blower frequently to clear the windscreen. As I continued climbing up towards Zero point the rain converted into snow. I could see the areas around the road turning white. Although the situation was difficult still the tail light of the truck driving ahead of me was helping me a lot to anticipate and negotiate the turns. We crossed two points where the work on the ventilation shaft for the Zozila Tunnel was going on in full swing. Hats off to the workers of MEIL for braving the inclement weather and working towards the development of infrastructure in this area. Zero point was totally deserted with the shops standing like aliens.

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Dangerous Road after Zero Point. The cement bricks piled at the side of the road made the situation complex. The road was full of slush and craters
.

After crossing zero-point descent towards Baltal started and the road further deteriorated with craters full of water and slush. The road widening work was going on at this area and due to the piling of cement bricks at the side the road had become very narrow. I crossed the point where the old Zozila road bifurcates from the present road and found a vehicle stranded at that point due to malfunction.

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At the check post before Sonmarg. The Isuzu D-Max traveled with me from Leh and we were having a bit of friendly race whenever we got chance. That even continued till the last point.

As I was driving with caution the trucks driving behind me were getting desperate to cross and were blowing their musical horn. Further drive till Sonmarg was comparatively easy with the road becoming smooth. It was still raining and I decided to drive straight to Hotel Barzman. Luckily rooms were available there. . It was the same place Sonmarg, which was the starting point of my Ladakh Road trip. The day was hectic and after a long time I was feeling very tired. The flow of adrenaline through my veins seems like slowing down and the fatigue of driving non stop for so many days started to show its signs. It was raining in Sonmarg and we quietly finished off dinner and retired for the day. It was the same place Sonmarg, which was the starting point of my Ladakh Road trip. The day was hectic and after a long time I was feeling very tired. The flow of adrenaline through my veins seems like slowing down and the fatigue of driving non stop for so many days started to show its signs. It was raining in Sonmarg and we quietly finished off dinner and retired for the day.

Day 17 (18.10.2021) Extended stay at Sonmarg.

As usual I woke up early. Still, I wasn’t feeling fully energised. Then the idea of spending the whole day at Sonmarg hit me. Already my original plan of returning through Manali had gone haywire. So, I did a quick calculation of the days left and the time I need to get back to Kolkata. The idea of staying one more day at Sonmarg seemed feasible to me and the decision was taken and I informed the Hotel staff that we would be extending our stay. Fortunately, they didn’t have any advance booking for the rooms so our booking was extended. I went up to my room and informed Sharmila about the change in plan and she appeared happier than me. I took my camera and went out to witness the morning at Sonmarg.

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First Light of the day

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Falcon drenched in morning mist.

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It was overcast and drizzling outside but the morning view kept me glued to the place. Within a span of two weeks this place looked completely different. Now the mountain peaks were white. Seemed like they were covered with a white sheet. Sign of fresh snowfall was everywhere to be seen.

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Sonmarg literally means ‘the meadow of gold and with snow-capped mountains set against a spectacular blue sky.

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Some personal moment to cherish afterwards.

Gradually the sun came out and the whole place started more beautiful. It was business as usual for the local inhabitants. The ponies were out on the green pasture land around the Nallah -e-Sindh. It looked as if they were posing for photographs.

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As the time progressed the place started bubbling with tourists. Some of them were staying here and some came from Srinagar to spend the day. The sky was still overcast and chill in air could be felt. We planned to visit the Thajiwas Glacier but the local people with ponies were so irritating that eventually we cancelled the plan, The is a walking route till the glacier but due the overnight rain that route had become full of slush and slippery and then there were the guides with ponies. Eventually we cancelled the plan and instead decided to go to the bank of Nallah-e-Sindh and spend time quietly.

Last edited by Sujoy76 : 17th January 2022 at 23:26.
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Old 17th January 2022, 19:28   #14
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The ponies were happy to pose.

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Construction work for a new road in progress.

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Where Eagles Dare.

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Aasmaan ke paar shaayad aur koyi aasmaan hoga, Baadalo ke parbato par koyi baarish kaam ka hoga.
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It takes nothing to join the crowd. It takes everything to stand alone!!

Afternoon hours were spent at the Sonmarg market. We had no specific plan for the day. It was a rest day from office so we spent it leisurely. Soon it was time for the moon to rise and the view was spectacular. I have never witnessed such a beautiful moon rise in my life. Camera lens can't do justice to the stunning view. Below are few moments of the moon rise:


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Snowcapped mountain peaks during sundown.

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Ray of the setting sun.

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Mr. Moon making first appearance.

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Magical View

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Some more magic moments.

It was practically a rest day for us and we did nothing other than resting in our hotel. During night we again went to the market and had dinner at a local restaurant. Now it was time to make preparations for return journey towards home. We just spent most beautiful two weeks of our lives so it was good bye to the hills for one final time until we come back again.

Day 18 (19.10.2021) Journey towards Home. Sonmarg to Jammu

For the day there were no specific planning. The destination for the day was set for Jammu and likewise we booked Hotel Jammu Residency through JKTDC Web portal.

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We left Sonmarg at 9.30 A.M and followed the same route that was followed while coming to Sonmarg. In between stopped at a place and had breakfast. This time I took the Srinagar Bypass. That saved us some time. After crossing Quazigund Banihal Tunnel faced the notorious traffic jam on Jammu Srinagar Highway. It was long queue of trucks and al the vehicles were moving it snails pace. The jam continued till we reached the vicinity of Patnitop. We witnessed the sun setting behind Patnitop Hills. It was dark when I entered Dr. Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Tunnel.

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I couldn't resist stopping my car and taking a snap of the moon. It was looking so beautiful over the hills of Patnitop. Look closely at the tiny white dots, those are the light glowing on Patnitop Hills.

The road after the Chenani Nashri Tunnel was very dusty and in bad shape. the same road that i had crossed in day light but it being night and the dust flying all around was reducing the visibility. We stopped at a local dhaba for tea and there after followed the Udhampur Jammu Highway. The light of Mata Vaishno Devi could be seen while crossing the road towards Katra. We reached the hotel at 9 P.M and straightway headed for dinner. the Hotel looked like a Royal Palace that has been converted into a hotel. The weather had changed drastically and now we had to use the AC. again it was the same routine, we finished off dinner and slept off. Tomorrows destination is Greater Noida.

Day 19 (20.10.2021) Jammu to Greater Noida

Review of Jammu Residency
Location – 4/5
Cleanliness – 4/5
Staff behaviour – 4/5
Food – 4/5
Comfort – 3.5/5
Value for Money –4/5

We left Jammu at 9 A.M, after driving on the twisty and curvy mountain roads for two weeks today onward I would be facing the straight roads again. The usual traffic jam, honking, Zebra Crossings, Traffic Signals all were again going to be a part of my daily route again. It took me some time to negotiate the congested roads of Jammu then once I joined the Pathankot Highway then it was all clear and the drive was smooth.

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We stopped at this place for breakfast.

Soon we entered Punjab , The roads were empty and I was driving at triple digit speed. Driving on Punjab roads have always been a matter of joy for me.

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Evening snacks were enjoyed at Murthal and there after it was straight drive till our Hotel at Greater Noida. This time I had booked The Hideaway at Greater Noida. The hotel is located very close to Pari Chowk Metro Station. It is a nice property. My stay was really very comfortable.

Day 20 (21.10.2021) Greater Noida to Lucknow

Review of The Hideaway
Location – 4.5/5
Cleanliness – 4.5/5
Staff behaviour – 4.5/5
Food – 4/5
Comfort – 4.5/5
Value for Money –4.5/5

As usual we were late in the morning. Todays we had to cover 500 Kilometers and google was showing 6 Hrs to cover the distance between Greater Noida and Lucknow. The route was straight forwards. First the Yamuna Expressway and there after the Lucknow Agra Express Way. Only last few kilometers needed to be covered through the congested Lucknow roads. I had booked accommodation at Novotel at Gomti Nagar. I would be traveling to Lucknow for the first time and hence I was fully relying on Google Map. Crossing Yamuna Expressway not not and issue. Only issue was the toll which i had to pay by cash. Again driving on the Lucknow Agra Expressway was giving me total enjoyment .

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Some beautiful moments on Lucknow Agra Expressway.

We witnessed sunset on the expressway. While leaving the expressway I misjudged a turn and took the road which was longer than the usual one. G-map took me through numerous short cuts and I arrived at Transport Nagar. The area was hugely congested and I was hoping to get out of the congestion quickly. Thereafter the road till the hotel was smooth as I travelled through web of flyovers. Novotel is a nice property situated just opposite to the Sahara Hospital. Check in procedure was very smooth.

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Her Highness !! Princess Diya Kumari.

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Some cozy moments

We wanted to try some authentic Lakhnavi Food. We ordered some Biryani and Galouti kababs for dinner. the foods were really awesome.

Day 21 (22.10.2021) Lucknow to Varanasi

Review of Novotel Lucknow
Location – 4.5/5
Cleanliness – 5/5
Staff behaviour – 4.5/5
Food – 4.5/5
Comfort – 5/5
Value for Money –4.5/5

The trip was gradually coming to it's final round. We left the hotel at 11 A.M. Although I wanted to stay here for one more day but the tight schedule didn't permit me to do that. Anyway Varanasi was not new to me. I have been staying at Varanasi for last few years for my road trips towards the north. Accommodation was booked at Hotel Buddha, which I always prefer to stay when ever I visit Varanasi. We reached Varanasi just after sunset and after checking in to our rooms straightway left for the ghats. Although the aarti was finished by the time but I wanted to feel the vibes near the ghat. Last time when I visited Varanasi, beautification work on the road towards Dashashwamedh ghat was going on but this time the work had been finished and the road was looking beautiful. For the first time I witnessed Varanasi roads fee of overhead wires and one could look to the sky uninterrupted. All the Electrical cables have been made underground. The multi level parking at the junction of the road to the Dashashwamedh ghat is also completed and it's functional. As usual Kashi Chat Bhandar was full of tourists, so i couldn't get an opportunity to taste the awesome Tamatar Chat. We sat at the ghat for some time, rejuvenated our soul. This place always gives me some different kind of energy. While returning back to the hotel purchased some Paan Masala and Rabri. Due to COVID the restaurant at the hotel was not functioning so we had to place order for dinner in advance and by the time we returned back, our dinner was ready. It was simple Rice, Dal and Chicken Curry. The food was like home cooked one and was really tasty.

Day 22 (23.10.2021) Varanasi to Kolkata. Back to Base

Review of Hotel Buddha
Location – 4/5
Cleanliness – 3.5/5
Staff behaviour – 4/5
Food – 4/5
Comfort – 4/5
Value for Money –4/5

Started off for Kolkata at 8.30 P.M. The same NH-19. Nothing much to say about this route. The journey was as usual time consuming. There was huge traffic congestion at Dankuni and we were diverted through the Old Delhi Road. Finally we reached our home at Kolkata at 12.30 A.M.

A very memorable trip finally ended happily. The trip was exiting, driving through various types of roads was very tedious but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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Thank You

Last edited by Sujoy76 : 17th January 2022 at 22:13.
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Old 18th January 2022, 06:08   #15
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