LEH LADAKH

Ways in which you can reach Leh:

Train:
You can take a Jammu Tavi and get off at Ambala(in Haryana).
From there you can take an S.T. Bus to Chandigarh ( It takes approximately 2 hours).
From Chandigarh, you can take a car and drive all the way to Manali(8 hours).
Stay overnight at Manali.(Kanchan Grey Hotel or some guest house you want to book on your own).
Leave from Manali in the morning – En route Rohtang Pass – Stay overnight at Keylong.
Keylong is a very small town at 10,000 feet. The rule is, you always stay at a place which is at a lower altitude after you have travelled at higher altitudes.
Leave from Keylong in the morning – En route Jispa – Darcha – Baralacha La – Sarchu – Phang -Tanglangla – Nakhi la – Morey Plains. (This route is the toughest. It takes about 12 hours to reach Leh. There is absolutely nothing on the way).

2. Flight:

You can take a direct flight to Leh. But it is advisable to stay in your hotel and roam in Leh
for 1.5-2 days to get acclimatized to the high altitude, because you’d be flying from sea
level to 10,000 feet directly.

3. Flight:
You can take a flight till Srinagar and then do a road trip from Srinagar to Leh.

Things you can do in Leh – Ladakh:

Markha Valley Trek: It is apparently a beginner level Trek. But it is quite tough. But you will get the best camping experience.
Rafting in the Zanskar
Visit Monasteries (Hemis- the biggest)
Sanchi Stupa in Leh
Pangong Lake Visit via the Changla Pass
Camping on the Pangong
Visit Nubra Valley through the Khardungla Pass
Confluence ( of Zanskar and Indus )
Tsomoriri (It’s a little off route)

These are the places I know of. I reached leh with the first option.
The Manali- Leh route is extremely difficult. One can get altitude sickness. Carry lots of nuts and water. Do not take dimoxine. Keep drinkiing fluids like dal and garlic soup. I travelled back to Srinagar from Leh. Stayed in a shikara overnight and then took a flight back to Mumbai from Srinagar.

I went with this guy: Prateek: +9869158351
http://lifeawayfromlife.com/

He is a cunning person, but his itineraries are good. So if you’ll book through him, make sure you bargain well and keep me in loop to ensure he doesn’t cheat you. Or you can go with someone else also. In fact try finding someone better. And tell me if you want me to have a look at their itineraries and costing.

If you stay in Leh, stay in Barath Guest House. It’s the best.

Tell me if you need anything else.

Breakfast In Ladakh

It was 6 a.m. in Markha Valley. I was solo hiking in Ladakh. It was day 3 and the sun had risen for 3 hours now. My stomach grumbled and I tried looking for some snacks in my backpack but I had exhausted all of it.

I kept walking for an hour through the flowing river Markha. Sometimes there was the piercing sun, and sometimes the freezing shade covered my shadow all over.

Villages and Ladakh are made of as small as 4 houses. As I walked into a village I felt hopeful of getting some human contact and hopefully a meal too. There were two children, probably of age 2, playing with a wooden stick outside one of the Ladakhi houses. We exchanged our Julley’s (the local salutation). As I ventured to the doorstep, the lady of the house gestured if I needed something;

“Khamzang in a lay?”, I asked her, which means – “How are you?” in Ladakhi.

She invited me inside the house with a big smile on her face. Even the children followed.