Ladakh Trip

Ladakh was on my bucket list since couple of years now!! I have heard lot of nice stories from my colleagues who went for biking trip and other adventurous stuff they have done and I too wanted to explore. 

I had went to Rajasthan trip and pinged Arnab, my college friend if he was in Delhi as I had 5 hours of layover. This reminded him of me and after couple of weeks, he pinged me asking if I'm interested in Ladakh trip. I jumped it and asked my college best buddy to join in too! All things fell into place and the two couples booked flight tickets couple of weeks before the trip! 

Here are few pictures and small details from the trip which you can find it useful while planning yours!! 

Itinerary:

Day 01 : 

Arrive at Leh Reach Leh by flight; Drive to Leh (5 min); rest, acclimatize and walk around;

 

Outside our stay at Leh

Day 02: Leh to Hunder (Nubra valley) via Khardung La After breakfast, drive to Nubra Valley via Khardung La. This pass has one of the highest motorable roads in the world. After spending some time at Khardung La, we proceed to Nubra. On the way, we can visit Diskit monastery and the giant Maitreya Buddha statue. Enjoy Camel Safari in the late afternoon. Overnight stay will be in Nubra. 

Butter tea, a very famous local tea

Enjoying the view at Nubra Valley @ camel safari

Day 03: Hunder to Turtuk and back to Hunder We drive to the beautiful Balti village of Turtuk. The LOC is quite close to this place and if allowed at that moment, we can visit a border check-post. We drive back along the beautiful valley to Hunder. 

In the lanes of the Balti village

At the northern most point of India, Thang Village

Day 04: Nubra to Pangong via Shyok We will start the day following the same route towards Leh till we reach Khalsar. From the Agyam bridge, we will take the left route which leads us to the villages of Shyok and Durbuk. The route is rarely used for commuting so traffic is very sparse. After Durbuk, we take left towards Tangtse and follow the traditional route. We drive further to reach Pangong Lake, one of the most beautiful natural brackish lakes in the Himalayas. After spending some time walking and exploring beside the lake, we drive further on the road along the lake. Our stay will be at the small lakeside village of Merak. 

Day 05: Pangong Lake to Tso Moriri On this day, we embark on a journey towards another high-altitude and more offbeat saltwater lake, Tso Moriri (higher than Pangong in altitude). The route goes through some of the most remote parts of Ladakh with villages such as Chushul and Nyoma. Keep an eye out for some wildlife. Our destination, Korzok is a quaint village with a rustic look located beside the lake. 

Day 06: Explore the region of Tso Moriri This entire day is for you to relax, rejuvenate and explore the village and area of the highest saltwater lake of India, Tso Moriri. 

Day 07: Tso Moriri to Leh After breakfast, we start our journey for Leh. On the way we visit Hemis Monastery, Thiksey Monastery and Shey Palace. 

Day 08: Leh – local sights Visit Leh palace, Shanti Stupa, Leh market and Hall of Fame. 

Maitreya Monastery, on the way back to Leh 

Such a big statue of Maitreya Buddha inside the monastery

Day 09: Departure from Leh After breakfast, get transferred to Leh Airport for boarding your return flight.