Ladakh – A once-in-a-lifetime Road Trip in India

Sometimes in life, you have experiences that leave you speechless. You make some memories that stay with you throughout your life and create many stories to tell. You collect many such memories only when you go to a place beyond your imagination and go through some adventures that make your life more exciting.

Ladakh – Truly A timelapse Journey

Although traveling gives many experiences and everyone has a different story, some places leave a big impression on your heart. Such a beautiful place is sitting far in our country, settled in the Himalayas lap called Leh. Dream for every biker, a road trip every adult wants to take once in their lifetime. Leh is a small town located in the Ladakh region in the lap of the Himalayas. It is an important part of the Jammu and Kashmir state and is no less than a paradise. You can’t even imagine the visuals this road trip has to offer.

Leh Ladakh is always included in the list of teenagers who dream of traveling somewhere. This is the most adventurous and risky road trip in the world. The roads, weather conditions, secluded villages, and limited network connectivity challenge you every moment and put your survival skills at stake. Anything can happen beyond your expectations in this road trip and you must always be ready for negative surprises.

After planning for many years, we finally decided to go to Leh Ladakh. This is the year 2016, when we along with many friends were planning a road trip to Ladakh and after watching people’s videos, we too got tempted and thought that we should do a road trip to Ladakh once in our life and after all, we decided to make a plan.

Later, the same thing happened as happens in every group. Gradually, friends started leaving the plan one by one, and in the end, only three of us were left. We thought that no matter what happened, only three of us would go but we would do the trip to Ladakh and with this intention, we immediately booked the tickets.

There are many routes available to go to Ladakh. Direct flights to Leh are also available from many places but road trip has its adventure. We booked a flight from Bangalore to Chandigarh because of the easy connectivity and the journey from there seemed easier to us, and finally, the day came when our journey to Ladakh started.

After completing all the work, we packed our bags with great excitement on Friday and the next morning on Saturday, we boarded our flight from Bangalore to Chandigarh. After a 2:30-hour flight, we reached Chandigarh which is a military airport. Taking photographs is strictly prohibited here and you will find heavy security because this airport is completely under military control.

After baggage claim at the airport, we came out and had a typical Punjabi breakfast in the military canteen near the airport. We planned to go to Manali from Chandigarh and then further to Leh. We had already booked a cab through Gozocabs to go from Chandigarh to Manali, fare for one way was ₹ 5000, which was quite cheap.

We reached Chandigarh at 10:00 am, had breakfast, etc., and were free by around 11:30 am and our cab was booked at 2:00 pm. Our cab driver came to pick us up at 2:00 PM sharp from the airport itself. After taking us on a ride in Chandigarh for some time, the cabbie also took us sightseeing to some popular tourist places in Chandigarh. He was a local guy and was extremely helpful. He also took us for lunch in the Gurudwara, which was extremely divine.

Around 3:00 in the day, we took the highway from Chandigarh towards Manali and after a journey of 7-8 hours, we reached Manali at night. It was around 10:00 pm and we made a blunder by not booking any accommodation in Manali in advance. When we reached there, we got the biggest surprise that all the hotels were booked because it was the season time. July is the peak season there so we were completely stranded for a while after we didn’t get any space anywhere.

We contacted a local guy and after wandering for a long time, he got us a room in an Airbnb. Thankfully we had some place to pass that cold and tiring night. Even though we got the room at the end moment, it was beautiful. The views from the balcony were breathtaking. Just checkout the room we got at the last moment.

The next morning we had a lovely breakfast at a nearby German bakery that seemed popular among many travellers. It was the abode of Jewish people who came every year to Manali to spend time in the mountains and meditate. The whole vibe could transform anyone’s life in a flash as people played guitar, sang songs, and had a gala time there.

After breakfast, we thought of having a local sightseeing in Manali. Early in the morning, we saw Hidimba Temple, Mall Road, and local sites of Manali on our own. After this, we went to the bike hire shop there because we needed a bike for the Ladakh trip, and after some negotiation, we hired a bike from a place that gave us Royal Enfield Bullets. We hired two 350 cc Bullets and the fare was ₹700 per day. They increase it every year so make sure to check the prices before you make a booking.

Along with giving us the bikes, he also provided us training on how to fix the clutch wire if it gets damaged on the way. Some technical glitches in the bikes are common as roads are pretty bad and you won’t find much help due to the terrain. Training on fixing punctures is important because, between Manali and Ladakh, you will not find any mechanic, doctor, or help. That is why you have to arrange for petrol and all the mechanical things from Manali. After sightseeing, we returned to the hotel because we had to leave early the next day.

We checked out from our hotel the next morning and prepared to leave for Ladakh. We filled ample petrol in a container from the local petrol pump in Manali and fixed the container on both sides of the Bullet. There were three of us and we took only two bikes so that all of us could get a chance to ride the bike and no one felt burdened. Also, if for some reason, someone’s health deteriorates on the way, then another person can seat him, and considering this, we hired only two bikes.

We left for Ladakh from Manali at around 10:00 in the morning and after driving for one and a half hours, our first stop was Rohtang Pass. This is the most beautiful place. In winter it is covered with snow and its path is closed, but in July it is completely green and there is snow at some places. The beauty of this place was unmatchable from where we had been so far. Stopping here for some time, we clicked photos, chatted, and drank tea with local Maggi. After spending some time here, we moved ahead.

Our next stop was Keylong. We reached in a few hours and enjoyed local delicacies like Thukpa and Shaptak. The food at this place was delicious and cheap. After taking photos and strolling here, we left for further ahead. After riding the bike for a long time, it was evening and started getting dark, still, we did not stop and we thought that we would take a rest only after reaching the next stop. Around 9:00 in the night we reached our next stop – Jispa.

Our tents were not booked in advance, so we talked to the local people there and somehow they arranged for the tents. The tent was big enough for three people and he arranged hot water for us. After spending the whole night in the tent, we took a bath and breakfast in the morning and exited the place for our further journey. We reached Darcha after riding the bike for some time. Darcha is a small yet beautiful village surrounded by open fields and mountains. This place was no less than a paradise.

We stopped the bike at various places and kept taking photos and because there was a shortage of toilets in Ladakh, we took the Decathlon tent with us, which we pitched and started using toilets at various places and also went camping. A fun and adventurous trip was going on but suddenly our bike got punctured at some place in the middle and this was the beginning of our biggest adventure. None of us knew how to fix a puncture.

Some people passed by on the way but they could not help us. It was 2:00 in the afternoon and we did not get any help. One person told us that we had to arrange for help quickly because we could be in big trouble if we did not reach our next stop before dark. We were told that army vehicles also passed from here for some time, so we started waiting for them. After waiting a long time, when no army vehicle came, we decided to fix the tire ourselves.

Now Bullet is a heavy vehicle and fixing its tires was not a child’s play. After hours of waiting, we finally took the job into our hands and fixed the puncture. The place where we hired the bike provided us with all the equipment and training so we recollected everything he said and got the job done. A pump to fill the air was also given which was very difficult. Due to being stuck here for so long, we ran out of water, so we bent down and drank water from the Banas River flowing nearby. This was the first adventurous moment in my life where I was learning survival skills on the fly.

After fixing the puncture we left from there. By this time we were quite late. We reached a stop after riding the bike for 2 hours where we had Rajma Chawal. From here we had to go to our next stop which was called Pang. There, an aunt told us that we had to leave this place quickly and not waste time because the path further to Pang was quite difficult.

She told us that if we did not reach Pang before dark, we would be stuck like this and have to sleep on the road which would be very risky. And meanwhile, the health of one of our friends deteriorated. He did not dare to go ahead. Somehow we gathered his courage and tied him with a rope so that he would not fall because his condition had become worse due to the exhaustion and extreme cold and he was vomiting repeatedly. Around 6:00 pm we left the place for Pang.

The route from here to Pang was only 50 kilometers but considering the condition of the road, this route was impassable for four-five hours. After facing cold and rain for a long time, we finally reached Pang late at night around 10:30 pm. Many tourists had already reached and all the rooms were full. Pang is not a very populated place, hence the rooms here were limited. We requested a lot from the tent owner there but he said was helpless as all the rooms were sold out as we were late.

She saw our condition and my friend, who was not well, so she felt pity and gave us her room and slept outside on a mat covered with a blanket. She said that they are used to it and nothing will happen to them but we have to stay alert in Pang because the oxygen level goes down here at night and it becomes toilful.

Since those people are local, they do not face many problems, but tourists often become victims of dirty diseases. And finally, that is what happened. While I was sleeping, I started having breathing issues and suddenly the oxygen level went down. Panic spread through my body and my entire body became drenched in sweat. When I tried to wake up my friends, they also got scared and became worried seeing my condition. Terrified, I ran outside and tried to breathe open air.

I struggled for oxygen for about half an hour and this was a life-or-death moment of my life. In this one moment, my whole life flashed and I came to know how dangerous a place Pang is and how consciously you have to stay here. Well, somehow that night passed but even in the morning my condition did not improve much. By the morning my friend’s health had improved a little. He told Aunty how my condition had worsened at night, so Aunty had an oxygen pipe and there was some oxygen in it.

She asked me to inhale oxygen, after which I felt good and Aunty said, be careful about all these things and do not take too much risk while riding the bike. Take rest and drive.

We left Pang around 9:30 in the morning after having breakfast and Leh city was not far from here with road conditions also seemed quite favourable. We had already crossed the dangerous route, now there was an easier route from here.

This was the same route shown in the movie Jab Tak Hai Jaan where Shahrukh Khan rides the bike in an Army uniform. We rode the bike with great pleasure and excitement on this route and cruised straight on a stretch of about 70 kilometers and finally after so much effort, we saw the view of Leh city. Now we had entered Leh. We caught our breath seeing our final destination and felt we conquered something.

After riding the bike for two whole days, we were in a bad condition and after entering Leh city, we were out of breath. As soon as we reached there, we checked into our hotel first thing and surrendered our bodies to that comfortable bed that we were seeing after 2 days.

We got up in the evening and took a bath. After a detailed nap, we went to explore Leh City. There were many pubs and discos nearby where we enjoyed ourselves a bit and returned to our hotel early as we were still tired. The next morning we did the local sightseeing of Leh City including Leh Palace and the Museum. Leh Palace is a beautiful architecture sitting on top of the mountain. A monastery is also there for prayers where tantra-mantra rituals are also performed.

After exploring Leh, we planned to go to Pangong Lake the next day where the movie 3 Idiots was shot. You can either go to Pangong Lake yourself but the route is not safe, hence it is recommended that you take a cab. We parked our bikes at the hotel and asked the same local cab driver to pick us up tomorrow morning for Pangong Lake and drop us back after the tour. He agreed and quoted 3000 INR for a return journey that seemed economical.

The cabbie came to pick us up exactly at 9:30. Pangong Lake is about 250 kilometers away from Leh City but this route is quite dangerous and long. It took us 6-7 hours to reach there but the views are breathtaking and worth every hassle. It felt as if we had entered the gates of heaven and could not believe our eyes. We clicked a few pictures there and also ate local momos. The Chinese border is visible from this lake and one can see the Chinese military patrolling.

The locals said that two borders are maintained by only one lake. China is just a short distance from here and their military is always patrolling. After sightseeing the whole day, we left Pangong Lake in the evening and returned to our hotel late at night.

The next day we visited the places around Leh including Magnetic Hill, the War Museum, and other places. We explored many places around Leh for three days and left Leh City on Friday. Our adventure tour was much more fun. We did not feel so tired while leaving Leh for Manali because we understood the routes now and planned our breaks well. After about 2 days of travel, we came back to Manali and spent another day in Manali.

We returned the bike in Manali and took a cab from Manali to Chandigarh. We returned to Bangalore after our adventurous road trip to Leh with many memories engraved in our minds forever. Our road trip to Ladakh was the best experience ever and it is a once in a lifetime experience. If you ever get a chance to go on this road trip, don’t delay it as your survival skills will be at stake along with the mountains waiting to welcome you in its arms. This is the best road trip in the world and could change your perception of life every moment. Ladakh is truly a heaven.

Read our other article to know about our experience on another adventurous road trip in Rajasthan to Jaisalmer.