DELHI - LEH LADAKH (ROAD TRIP)

It was a family trip, a road trip in our car Innova. There are two routes from Delhi to Leh-Ladakh, the first was via Manali-Rohtang, and the second one was via Srinagar. We chose the prior while going and the latter while coming back(like a circuit route).

We already knew that it would take us a lot of time to cross Rohtang pass because of the check posts which allow a certain number of vehicles to go through turn by turn. That is why we spend our first night in Manali only. The next morning we left early to continue our journey.

After spending a couple of hours in line to cross the check posts, we finally started our journey. There was snow everywhere. Oxygen level was low there, I remember my nani was with us and it was getting tough for her to breathe.

One thing I must say is that the condition of the road, after crossing the check posts in Rohtang, was very bad. The road was muddy(due to snow melting), there were long cracks on the road and it was way too bumpy. After crossing this path, we ended up in a valley known as Jispa. It was wonderful and there were many camps to stay. We reached there in the evening and mutually decided to spend that night in the camps only.

After staying for one night in Jispa, the next morning we left for Leh. The landscapes you witness while going to Leh by road is just mind-blowing. The journey is full of scenic beauty.

Homestay was our choice in Leh. Homestay is the key to experiencing the local lifestyle, local food, and interaction with local people.

On the first day, we went to the market area and shanti stupa. You have to park your car and then a little walk to reach the stupa. Situated at a good height from where you can click areal pictures of leh district.

Due to a shortage of days, we had to make a difficult decision and it was choosing between “Nubra Valley” or “Pangong Lake”. Both the points needed one complete day and because of our nani, we had to choose Pangong Lake because Nubra Valley was at a higher altitude due to which she would have faced breathing problems.

To reach Pangong Lake you cannot take your car, there are rentals. It is the same place where the climax of 3-idiots was shot. Pangong Lake is so beautiful like you can see 7 shades of blue color in the lake. Breathtaking view!

Now our next stop was Srinagar, last location of our trip. Before entering Kashmir, we saw a very rare landscape, small mountains which had unique terrain, like the surface of the moon.

After reaching we decide to stay in Shikara, Dal Lake. It is a whole new experience to stay in Shikara, houseboats. They were very well maintained and the service was pretty good. In Dal Lake, there are adventure sports and even a market area. You can rent a boat to traverse the lake.