[Rajat347]

I did a solo trip to Ladakh.

Juleh !

Ladakh - Which used to be a part of the Jammu & Kashmir state earlier is now a UT with Leh as its capital. No doubt it is famous for its Snow-clad Himalayan peaks, captivating valleys, wide spread meadows, high mountain passes, white washed monasteries and supreme beauty.
Its a biker's paradise and every biker has a dream of riding his bike atleast once on these high mountain passes. But neither I did a bike trip nor a complete road trip.

But why solo ?

I am a happily married man who always wanted to visit the region but never got a chance. Earlier it never came on my priority list, then life became busy, some excuse or other. Initially I wanted to do a family tour but then i realize that higher reaches of Ladakh won't be welcoming for my 4 years old.
During my trip in the first week of May 2024, the minimum temperature at Pangong TSO fell to - 20 C. Chilling winds with the lack of some of the basic amenities at higher reaches resisted me to bring my family there.

I asked my close friends to materialize the plan but nobody was able to make it. It happens, at times we all get struck in the circles of life.

But one fine day, some thoughts struck in my mind !
Did i forget what gives me happiness ? Why I cannot give myself 8 days and spend few bucks even after paying EMIs, Rents and other dues.
I used to travel alone before as well and believe me it gives an immense joy and freedom. In fact I have covered whole of the UK alone when my fellow on site colleagues refused to explore the place.

But why Ladakh ?
Every one has their own reasons to visit Ladakh. Some people want to enjoy the adventurous bike ride, some want to have a good vacation with family and friends, while some want to soak themselves in the tranquility of majestic Monasteries.
Mine reason was none of them above. I just want to explore the mysterious place and the peace which it is going to offer me.
Some how i wanted to do a road trip from Jammu to Leh but zojilla pass remains blocked during the time I was planning the travel. Hence, I didn't get courage for a lone adventure.

About me ?
I am an IT professional who is also a father of a 4 years old with my native as Jammu and work location as Pune. Going on a solo trip at this stage of life was surely going to invite a lot of resistance.
But I took a step and informed the family only after planning and paying for the trip.

Planning !
July to August is the best time to visit the region but i choose May 1st week as schools in Pune went off for a summer break and we already had plan for our native visit.
All the bookings were done in the month of January and the flight tickets were affordable by then.

I had 2 options in consideration while planning for the trip.

1) To go on a road trip from Jammu to Leh with a travel window of 12 days.
2) Or, get a flight from Jammu to Leh and save travel time.

What I did ?
Took a flight from Jammu to Leh and back and booked a group tour ( with private rooms ) from Thrillophilia but the experience was not 100% satisfactory with them. I will tell you the reason in this travelogue.

The schedule was as follows : -

3rd May : Jammu to Leh
10th May : Leh to Jammu

My son's LKG's assessments were over and we came to Jammu to spend time with our parents. As 3rd May was approaching my excitement was increasing day by day but there was bit of nervousness as well .

2 days to do and the luggage packing started which includes some common medicines, lots of warm clothes and toileteries.

Let the Tour begins :

Day 1 !
3rd May : There is only 1 weekly flight ( Friday Departures ) operated by Air India from Jammu to Leh. The air borne time was just 40 minutes and Air India was generous enough to offer me a window seat with no extra charge and 20 KGs of luggage. As the airbourne time was less so no meals were served.

The first view of snow clad Himalayas :



Thrillophilia had a tie up with a local travel agency called as Himalayan Caravan. They did have transfers arranged from airport to the hotel "The Himalayan Heritage". It was a pretty decent hotel located at Leh - Sanker road in a village called as Chubi, very close to the famoud Lamdon School.

After checkin, I was asked not to exert too much, have plenty of water and sleep. This will help in acclimatizing to Leh's high altitude and avoiding AMS.

But i was getting bored while sitting in the room and decided to have a walk in near by Leh Market. It is a no vehicle zone and there are lots of cafes, banks, handicraft and dry fruit shops in the market. Once can easily buy souvenirs and Tibetan Jewellery from the shops and stalls located there.



While roaming in the market I visited the beautiful Soma Gompa.



I spent some nice time in the Market and soon it was getting dark. While walking back to the hotel I didn't realize that i walked 16000 steps that day which was not at all advised .

Unfortunately i started getting symptoms of AMS and my head was spinning badly. I had my dinner and 1 dose of Diamox 250 and then retired to bed.

Day 2 !
4th May :

What a lovely day today
Sun was shining bright and but the temperature outside was 1 C. The lovely view of Tsemo Castle and Buddhist Chortens from my Hotel's compound was a sight to behold. Being a cold desert, the hills have little to no vegetation but they do get some snowfall in core winters.



Again I was made to stay in the hotel till 4 PM as the tour operator was waiting for other folks to arrive in Leh. All of us were made to stay in the same hotel with the same itinerary and assigned a Mahindra Xylo. Didn't know that Xylo was so successful and agile in the difficult of terrains of Ladakh.

The group assembled by 4 PM, got briefing from the tour operator and we all introduced ourselves. Unfortunately the others didn't get much time for acclimatization.
Needless to say it was more of a commercial or common itinerary rather than off beat. The tour operators always try to play safe with common itinerary which will be fine with majority of tourists.

Leh Palace - The Palace was constructed in the 17th century and has 9 floors. The palace is now abandoned by the royal Namgyals and is managed by ASI.



The Palace Museum holds a rich collection of jewellery, ornaments, ceremonial dresses and crowns. Tibetan thangka or paintings, which are more than 450 years old, with intricate designs still retain the bright colours derived from crushed and powdered gems and stones.
We did climb over the top of the building and the panoramic views of the entire Leh City was beautiful.



After spending around an hour there, we moved to Shanti Stupa. Shanti Stupa is a Buddhist white-domed Stupa on a hilltop in Chanspa, Leh district, Ladakh, in north India. It was built in 1991 by Japanese Buddhist Bhikshu, Gyomyo Nakamura. The Shanti Stupa holds the relics of the Buddha at its base, enshrined by the 14th Dalai Lama.



Leh market was the part of day's itinerary too and it was my second market visit. We left Leh market at 8 PM for our hotel and ended our day with some nice dinner.

Attachment 2607870

Day 3 !
5th May :

It was the day for some local sightseeing and trip towards Shyam Valley which includes Zorawar Fort, Hall of Fame, SECMOL School ( not a tourist place and should be avoided ), Gurudwara Pathhar sahib, Sangam and back.
We assembled at 9:30 AM after having hearty breakfast.

We skipped the Zorawar Fort and went to Hall of Fame straightaway. Believe me its a must visit place. One can see the equipments used by our armed forces at Siachen Glacier for their living, captured Pakistani Weapons and equipments during the Kargil War and the place also has guided tours provided by ex servicemen. The environment resonates with the tales of bravery and valour shown by our soldiers in safe guarding the Indian borders during the Kargil war.



After spending an hour there, we moved to SECMOL school which I personally believe could have been avoided unless untill one really wants to disturb students out there. 1 mark cut for Thrillophilia for including that in the itinerary. Although the environment there was serene but its definitely not for everyone's taste. BTW, the trees with white flowers behind me are apricot trees which were in full bloom during the season.



After wasting some time and disturbing some students there, we moved towards the Sangam Point. Sangam is the confluence of Indus and Zanskar Rivers in Ladakh. It is located 35km from Leh in Nimmu, on the Leh Srinagar highway.

But on the way comes the "The Magnetic Hill" point. “The Phenomenon That Defies Gravity”. The point is on the National Highway and one can spend 10 - 15 minutes there.



We left the place towards Sangam Point.



One can enjoy some snacks at the Sangam cafe and the place offer Kayaking and river rafting as well.



We spend more than 2 hours there and it was worth it. While coming back to Leh, we paid obeisance at "The Gurudwaara Pathar Sahib". One can have a break there to enjoy Tea and Lip smacking Guru ka Langar 24* 7. The place is very well maintained by the Indian Army and invites every traveller with open arms.



After seeking blessings from Guru Nanak Dev ji we moved to Spituk Monastery. Spituk Gompa of Ladakh dates back to the 11th century. It owes its inception to Od-de, the elder brother of Lha Lama Changchub Od. Od-de led to the establishment of a monastic community at this place. A three-chapel monastery, Spituk is located at a distance of approximately 8 km from the town of Leh.



From the top of Monastery, one can see the clear view of Leh Airport's landing strip and beautiful view of the Leh town.



We left Spituk by 7 PM for our hotel, we relaxed a bit, had dinner and then retired to bed. Next day we need to left for Nubra Valley.

Day 4 !
6th May :

This was going to be an eventful day and Leh vibes were finally in the air. Our driver Tahir was quite punctual and so we were .
After having our breakfast, we checked out from our hotel in Leh and started towards Nubra Valley by 9 AM.
The drive was a constant uphill and the road was being upgraded to double lane. Very less to almost zero vegetation on the hills and cold winds were blowing. As we were climbing upwards, traces of snow were being seen and here comes the very sight of snow just 20 KMs before the mighty Khardungla Pass.



Now there were snow capped mountains all around. Finally we reached Khardungla Pass and believe me it was a different feeling all together. As per the advisory one must not spend more than 20 minutes at the pass but we spend more than 1 hour. It was getting crowded and people were standing in Queue to get their pictures clicked at all important points.
The Mandatory Pic at 17982 feet above sea level.



The camera was not able to do justice with the beautiful views but we were happy about the good time we had there.
We started descending towards Nubra Valley and had our lunch at Khalsar.
Our night halt was at Hundar in Nubra Valley. The road to Hundar was running parallel to Shyok river and In fact one to cross the river bed to reach Nubra valley.

Reached Hundar for the night stay and before that we spend some time at the Hundar sand dunes.



Hundar is home to Bactrian or double hump camels. One can spend good amount of time there while enjoying ATV and camel rides. People were enjoying camel rides but i preferred to enjoy on my own at the sand dunes.



We were then taken to our hotel in Hundar "The Skylark" and believe me the experience was horrible.
The rooms were untidy, Washrooms were not functioning properly, food served was uncooked and more over the staff lacked basic courtesy. Moreover, none of the hotel staff member was willing to listen to the feedback. Again 1 mark cut for Thrillophila here.

BTW there is no electricity at private land there. Generators run only for 4 hours in the evening and one can charge their electronics that time and hot water was depended on solar only.

Day 5!
7th May:

We left without having breakfast towards Pangong via Diksit which host the famous Diksit Monastery.
Diksit Gompa hosts a 33m high statue of Maitreya Budha facing down the Shyok river towards Nubra.



Diksit Monatery and Gompa in a single frame. The place offers a great peace of mind and stunning views of the green Nubra valley.



After spending some quality time there, we left for Pangong lake. The road from Diskit to Pangong is not less than an adventure. More than 50 % of it is an off road stretch with a drive across the river bed. In fact BRO and GREF are trying their best for improving the quality of the road but it will take some time.



BTW, JIO has least coverage in the area where as Airtel has the best coverage with their 5G speeds at most of the places.

Reached Pangong lake and it was a sight to behold.
The placid lake with crystal clear waters that change from blue to green to ash to red, locked in bland and mighty mountains, leaves one wondering whether such beauty can exist....



We spent more than 4 hours there, felt relaxed and our eyes absorbed better shots of the lake than my camera did.

By 7 PM, temperature dipped to sub zero and we all went to our hotel "MG cottages" Pangong. Despite of the fact that there are lot of logistic challenges, the resort management did their level best for our comfort.
There were some pointers which we were already aware of.

- Electricity comes only for 3 hours that too in the evening.
- Portable water is scarce there as well so, 1 bucket of water was available for
personal daily rituals minus shower.
- Food was basic but was tasty and no snacks or packaged food was available
in the region.

Pangong offered clear skies during night but due to extreme cold, we didn't get courage to come outside our rooms for star gazing. I some how managed to capture bit of the star laden sky.



As there was extreme cold outside and no electricity and mobile signal we all retired to bed by 11.

Day 6 !
8th May:

We left Pangong by 9:30 AM for Leh but via Changla Pass. The road condition is much better but needless to say again a common itinerary. The taxi operators generally drive in a proper sync so many times there were common and known faces all around.
Widely believed to be the second-highest motorable road in the world, Chang La mountain pass is perched at a height of 17,590 ft above sea level.

Again a mandatory pic :



Advisory says that one must not spend more than 20 minutes there but we took our own sweet time. It was not that crowded as Khardungla Pass.
After ChangLa Pass we had a stop at Hemis Monastery and is a must see. One can feel calmness while meditating in Hemis Gompa. There is a museum as well where very precious and ancient Buddhist artifacts can be seen.



After spending some quality time at Hemis, we proceeded towards Leh and visited Thiksey Monastery on the way. The Monastery resembles Potala Palace in Tibet region and is a must visit.



One of the main points of interest is the Maitreya (future Buddha) Temple erected to commemorate visit of the 14th Dalai Lama to this monastery in 1970. It contains a 15 metres (49 ft) high statue of Maitreya Buddha, the largest such statue in Ladakh, covering two stories of the building. Unusually, he is portrayed as seated in the lotus position rather than in his usual representations, standing or in a sitting posture on a high throne.



From Thiksey Monastery we were taken to the Rancho School. There was a wall painted with 3 idiots paintings which I think can be skipped and personally not as per my taste.

We were then taken to Shey Palace which was closed at that moment but we did have our lunch at the cafes outside the palace. Finally we reached our hotel in Leh, re checked in and then the whole evening was left for us to discuss good, bad and best memories about the tour so far.

Day 7 !
9th May :

Again a day which could have been better. The day was reserved for Stok village tour and a complimentary Ladakhi lunch.
Ironically we did relish the Ladakhi food already and there was nothing special. They do serve a local Ladakhi wine called as Chhang which was awful.
We requested our tour operator to swap the Stok visit with Alchi or TurTuk but no luck.
Stok Palace was closed for visitors and the road towards Stok Monastery was also not accessible. Still we managed to reached towards the Stok Budha Statue to have a bird eye view of the Stok village.



We started our day at 12 noon and were free by 3 PM. What to do then ?
We all again went to the Leh Market, did purchase some souvenirs for friends and family.
One can roam around the old Leh town which is accessible from the market to witness some age old cafes and shops. It is a different experience all together.

That evening we all gathered in hotel room to have some chit chat post dinner. Strangers from different walks of life and cities gelled perfectly together. This justified my choice for a group tour. We slept by 2 AM that day and most of us had to leave next day to the reality again.

Day 8 !
10th May :

After saying good bye to this magical land and fellow travellers, i boarded my flight to Jammu at 8:00 AM. With heart full of memories and eyes still have those lovely views, I will visit the region again.

The group :



Reviews about the group tour :

Good ?
- A great group of like minded people.
- Good hotels in Leh and Pangong.
- An experienced, trained and courteous driver named Tahir who knew his job well including First Aid ( even oxygen cylinder handling ).
- Airport transfers.

Bad ?
- Hotel in Hundar was really bad and must be excluded from the panel. Raised this already with Thrillophilia and local travel agents but nobody
winked an eye.
- The itinerary was too common or boring as times. I know that I agreed to it at the time of booking but didn't know that few of the stations could have
been avoided.
- SECMOL, Rancho School and Stok could have been swaped in the itinerary with Lamayuru, Likir, Archi and Turtuk.

Few Tips to Remember -

- The UT of J&K and Ladakh doesn't permit roaming on prepaid SIMs. This rule is there since ages and its not easy to get a prepaid SIM card here as
well. So better get your normal postpaid connection before visiting these areas.
- Airtel offers strongest signal quality.
- If you are coming by air then 48 hour acclimatization is mandatory to avoid AMS.
- Best time to visit Ladakh is from July to August. You may not witness heavy snow at higher passes but can witness green valleys and fruit orchards. The
weather is generally friendly too at this time.
- Photography is prohibited at most of the Gompas, so please respect the serenity of the place of worship.
- Drinking and smoking is not recommended for tourists as this can lead to serious dehydration and AMS.

In the times of quick Insta reels and youtube shorts, many thanks for the read folks .

Juleh !

[KarthikK]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[pd1108]

A very well-written and precise description of your trip. enjoyed reading it. Thanks for sharing

[B-Taurus]

Hey Rajat, Thank you so much for this write up, I’m looking forward to my bike trip to Leh this July and I’m preparing myself for it.
This write up gives me a lot of confidence and also info about the places around.

Any idea about Vodafone coverage?

~B~

[Rajat347]

Originally Posted by B-Taurus

Hey Rajat, Thank you so much for this write up, I’m looking forward to my bike trip to Leh this July and I’m preparing myself for it.
This write up gives me a lot of confidence and also info about the places around.

Any idea about Vodafone coverage?

~B~

Hey,

Every Indian Postpaid works in Ladakh. But Airtel has the best signal strength across the region. At Pangong, JIO, VI had 0 signal where as people were going video call via Airtel

[Rohitthebest]

We can never get enough of Ladakh as many times we go there or as many times we read beautiful posts like yours.
I've been there thrice by car, twice from Mumbai and last year I did a solo trip from Pune. And my heart still craves to do it just once more .
Fantastic post.

[Rajat347]

Originally Posted by Rohitthebest

We can never get enough of Ladakh as many times we go there or as many times we read beautiful posts like yours.
I've been there thrice by car, twice from Mumbai and last year I did a solo trip from Pune. And my heart still craves to do it just once more .
Fantastic post.

I want to do an Off Beat Leh - Ladakh trip now. Will love to sync with you if a new plan comes in my mind.

[Rohitthebest]

Originally Posted by Rajat347

I want to do an Off Beat Leh - Ladakh trip now. Will love to sync with you if a new plan comes in my mind.

Sure. Let’s connect whenever you start planning. More the merrier.