Information & Acknowledgements

Ladakh is part of the Trans-himalayan region situated in the northernmost state of India - Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). There are two sub-districts - Leh & Kargil. It is possible to reach Leh either by air from Delhi or by more exciting land routes. going by land may be longer & can get rough, but has the advantage of helping your body acclimatize to high altitudes besides giving you some some amazing landscapes, so be sure to get trigger happy (with the lens of course!)
  1. Delhi - Manali-Keylong-Leh 1024 kms - this is a tougher route crossing some of the highest motorable passes - Tanglangla, Baralacha, lachulung La &  the more well known & popular Rohtang la. You need to spend at least one night in Manali & another night at Keylong (tented accomodation). Manali Keyong Leh is 480 kms
  2. An equally amazing route is via Srinagar - Delhi-Srinagar-Kargil-Srinagar 1245 kms where you pass the Zoji la pass. if you wish to save some time, it makes sense to fly to Srinagar & begin your land travel from there.   an overnight halt is at Kargil (the name evokes memories of the the 1999 Indo-Pak war). Srinagar-Kargil-leh is 434 kms  -slightly shorter & definitely less demanding than the Manali route with equally beautiful landscape. Will try this route on my next sojourn!
It is essential to obtain a medical certificate of fitness from a doctor before visiting Ladakh & strictly follow all instructions to protect against altitude sickness.Compulsory rest for the 24-36, having plenty of liquids (no, not of the spirited kind!), drinking lemon/honey/ginger tea will help you acclimatize & ensure you have a memorable visit to this wonderful land. This is more so if you are arriving by air.

For an amazing trip, i would like to thank:
  1. Bombay Natural History Society for organising this trip & our tour leaders - Sudhir Sapre, Bijoo Khan & Vandan Jhaveri
  2. Dilip Mavadia & Pradip Shelar for organising my Tempo Traveler to ferry me from Manali to Leh without which I could never have embarked on my journey after receiving the sudden news that the Bus for the day had been cancelled. Thanks also to Tarachand & Khubchand at HPTDC Manali for their courtesy & cooperation
  3. The cheerful local staff at Manali, Keylong, Leh, Tented Campsites of Hemis & Tso Moriri  - they served with a real smile & grace despite tough conditions -this is what makes such visits an unforgettable experience! 
  4. The drivers who navigated the vehicles safely through some treacherous roads throughout the day
  5. and of course my cheerful & sporting camp mates!

3 comments:

  1. Avi, a grateful thank you for sharing all this and making those days come alive... I better get moving with my set of photos!

    Mira

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  2. high Avi, thanks to read your blog. u have very well covered and photographed . in fact, few of the places , we miss due to lack of time, seems visited due to your blog. some of the photographs of Tankha paintings and landscape are too good.
    as you did not visit Nubra valley, u missed the double humped camel, BACITRAN.

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  3. Thanx Avi, for sharing your rich and wonderful experience with us. The avid descriptions and the beautiful shots captured make this most exotic place come alive. I would love to have visited this place but don't think I can ever make it in person, so I have enjoyed going through your blog. Happy travelling!!

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