Thursday 17 March 2016

An overview of exploring Ladakh region by road: Part 3: Travel options for travelling from Srinagar - Leh NH 1D

In continuation to our previous posts on 'An Overview Exploring Ladakh region by road' (Part 1Part 2) in this post we will try to explore the travel options available for a journey to Leh from Srinagar by Srinagar - Leh Highway NH 1D. 

Srinagar to Leh road distance is 435 Kms which goes through beautiful landscapes, high mountain passes, some of the coldest inhabited places in our country. In this exciting route there are many places of interest like sonmarg, Kargil, Lamayuru, Alchi, Magnetic hill etc which have been listed in our previous posts 'An Overview Exploring Ladakh region by road' (Part 1Part 2).



 Zozi-la Pass

You may use several travel options which are available to reach Leh from Srinagar-

Opition 1- Self Drive Vehicle: Be it a 4 wheeler or a 2 wheeler, the experience of driving a vehicle through the Srinagar - Leh highway, is definitely a memory which you will cherish your whole life. This is one of the toughest terrain to drive in our country, the roads near and at Zozi-la pass  are nightmare for any person driving the vehicle and also for the fellow passengers. Roads at Zozi-la pass are the roughest patch on NH 1D, despite few more patches on the route rest of the highway is in a good condition. Driving might be a lifelong experience but one should take extreme care while driving on the rough patches, nallas and on all the places where the water is flowing on the road. Special precautions is needed when you are driving in the monsoon season, in a rainy day or a day just after the rains because these rough patches can make your life more tough while driving.


Road near Zozi-la pass at Srinagar - Leh highway

Option 2- By Taxi: Taxis only with a taxi number or tourist permit are allowed on Srinagar - Leh Route. Hiring a taxi is one of the best possible option to travel on the Srinagar - Leh highway. You can hire a taxi from the taxi stand at Srinagar, but do remember to hire a vehicle with JK 10 number plate as only these vehicles will be allowed to stop for site seeing on various site seeing spots in Ladakh region, as per the rules of Ladakh taxi association. Hire a taxi for drop to Leh in 2 days and have a night stay accordingly at Drass/Kargil/Mulbekh on the first day.

Things to remember while hiring and travelling by a taxi:
  • Avoid hiring a taxi with private number if you don't want to get bothered or disappointed in between the route.
  • Only Ladakh taxi number vehicles are allowed for site seeing in the Ladakh region, so do remember to hire a  vehicle with Ladakh number (JK 10).
  • If you have any doubts about the vehicle, you may take a drop up to Kargil by a vehicle hired from Srinagar and after an overnight stay at Kargil, continue your journey to Leh on the next day. If you go for this option you should confirm a taxi pickup from Kargil to Leh before starting.
  • While hiring any vehicle remember to confirm with the vehicle owner/ driver, that you want to have site seeing & stops on various enroute places.
  • Starting early in the morning and completing your day's journey well before sunset is always helpful.
  • Journey from Srinagar to Kargil in 2 days provides your body better acclimatization to high altitudes, and also provides you the opportunity to enjoy the route, so avoid being in a rush to reach Leh in single day.


Option 3- JKSRTC Bus: JKSRTC buses are also available on the Srinagar Leh route and they are the cheapest option to travel to Leh from Srinagar. These buses start early in the morning from Srinagar and have a night stay at Kargil then complete journey to Leh on next day.
Other than the JKSRTC buses there are some private bus operators who ply their buses between Srinagar and Leh.
The bus journey between Srinagar and Leh will cost any where between 900-1500 depending on the type of bus. These buses mostly stop at Sonmarg for a tea break and at Kargil for a night stay on first day. the bus journey is the cheapest mode of travel between Srinagar and Leh.

Option 4- If you want to manage in limited budget, shared taxi is an another option from Srinagar to Leh, these taxis are also available at Srinagar taxi stand and most of them run with 6-8 passengers sharing the vehicle. Most of the taxis complete the journey from Srinagar to Leh in a single day. Be ready for a 14-18 hours long bumpy drive with 6-8 people sharing a single vehicle, sitting in a less relaxed position. You should be sturdy enough if you opt for this option, because your physical limits will be tested in this journey. You will arrive in Leh directly and will not be able for enroute siteseeing. But yes this is cheap and it comes in around 1200-1500 rupees per person.

Another option in season time are the tempo travelers that run between Srinagar and Leh, you have to get in touch with the travel agents or tour operators at the Srinagar taxi stand to book your seat. It will also cost around 2000 rupees.

Alternate route option: After Kargil you can take a different route to Leh via Batalik, Dah, in this route you will not be able to visit Lamayuru, also you have to obtain permits from DC office at Kargil if you want to access Leh via this route. Kindly remember that the route through Lamayuru is the most popular and usual route to Leh, from Srinagar.


Are you planning to travel to Leh? Get in touch with us by posting a comment below or you may drop an email at k.optimumtours@gmail.com, or get in touch through our face book page @ optimum tours.

Wednesday 16 March 2016

An overview of exploring Ladakh

In continuation to our previous posts on 'An Overview Exploring Ladakh region by road' (Part 1, Part 2) in this post we will try to explore the travel options available for a journey to Leh from Srinagar by Srinagar - Leh Highway NH 1D. 

Srinagar to Leh road distance is 435 Kms which goes through beautiful landscapes, high mountain passes, some of the coldest inhabited places in our country. In this exciting route there are many places of interest like sonmarg, Kargil, Lamayuru, Alchi, Magnetic hill etc which have been listed in our previous posts 'An Overview Exploring Ladakh region by road' (Part 1Part 2).



 Zozi-la Pass

You may use several travel options which are available to reach Leh from Srinagar-

Opition 1- Self Drive Vehicle: Be it a 4 wheeler or a 2 wheeler, the experience of driving a vehicle through the Srinagar - Leh highway, is definitely a memory which you will cherish your whole life. This is one of the toughest terrain to drive in our country, the roads near and at Zozi-la pass  are nightmare for any person driving the vehicle and also for the fellow passengers. Roads at Zozi-la pass are the roughest patch on NH 1D, despite few more patches on the route rest of the highway is in a good condition. Driving might be a lifelong experience but one should take extreme care while driving on the rough patches, nallas and on all the places where the water is flowing on the road. Special precautions is needed when you are driving in the monsoon season, in a rainy day or a day just after the rains because these rough patches can make your life more tough while driving.


Road near Zozi-la pass at Srinagar - Leh highway

Option 2- By Taxi: Taxis only with a taxi number or tourist permit are allowed on Srinagar - Leh Route. Hiring a taxi is one of the best possible option to travel on the Srinagar - Leh highway. You can hire a taxi from the taxi stand at Srinagar, but do remember to hire a vehicle with JK 10 number plate as only these vehicles will be allowed to stop for site seeing on various site seeing spots in Ladakh region, as per the rules of Ladakh taxi association. Hire a taxi for drop to Leh in 2 days and have a night stay accordingly at Drass/Kargil/Mulbekh on the first day.

Things to remember while hiring and travelling by a taxi:
  • Avoid hiring a taxi with private number if you don't want to get bothered or disappointed in between the route.
  • Only Ladakh taxi number vehicles are allowed for site seeing in the Ladakh region, so do remember to hire a  vehicle with Ladakh number (JK 10).
  • If you have any doubts about the vehicle, you may take a drop up to Kargil by a vehicle hired from Srinagar and after an overnight stay at Kargil, continue your journey to Leh on the next day. If you go for this option you should confirm a taxi pickup from Kargil to Leh before starting.
  • While hiring any vehicle remember to confirm with the vehicle owner/ driver, that you want to have site seeing & stops on various enroute places.
  • Starting early in the morning and completing your day's journey well before sunset is always helpful.
  • Journey from Srinagar to Kargil in 2 days provides your body better acclimatization to high altitudes, and also provides you the opportunity to enjoy the route, so avoid being in a rush to reach Leh in single day.


Option 3- JKSRTC Bus: JKSRTC buses are also available on the Srinagar Leh route and they are the cheapest option to travel to Leh from Srinagar. These buses start early in the morning from Srinagar and have a night stay at Kargil then complete journey to Leh on next day.
Other than the JKSRTC buses there are some private bus operators who ply their buses between Srinagar and Leh.
The bus journey between Srinagar and Leh will cost any where between 900-1500 depending on the type of bus. These buses mostly stop at Sonmarg for a tea break and at Kargil for a night stay on first day. the bus journey is the cheapest mode of travel between Srinagar and Leh.

Option 4- If you want to manage in limited budget, shared taxi is an another option from Srinagar to Leh, these taxis are also available at Srinagar taxi stand and most of them run with 6-8 passengers sharing the vehicle. Most of the taxis complete the journey from Srinagar to Leh in a single day. Be ready for a 14-18 hours long bumpy drive with 6-8 people sharing a single vehicle, sitting in a less relaxed position. You should be sturdy enough if you opt for this option, because your physical limits will be tested in this journey. You will arrive in Leh directly and will not be able for enroute siteseeing. But yes this is cheap and it comes in around 1200-1500 rupees per person.

Another option in season time are the tempo travelers that run between Srinagar and Leh, you have to get in touch with the travel agents or tour operators at the Srinagar taxi stand to book your seat. It will also cost around 2000 rupees.

Alternate route option: After Kargil you can take a different route to Leh via Batalik, Dah, in this route you will not be able to visit Lamayuru, also you have to obtain permits from DC office at Kargil if you want to access Leh via this route. Kindly remember that the route through Lamayuru is the most popular and usual route to Leh, from Srinagar.


Are you planning to travel to Leh? Get in touch with us by posting a comment below or you may drop an email at k.optimumtours@gmail.com, or get in touch through our face book page @ optimum tours.

Monday 14 March 2016

An overview of exploring Ladakh region by road: Part 2: Srinagar - Leh highway NH 1D

Nothing can match an experience what you get while travelling to Ladakh by road. In our earlier posts we have discussed about the possible routes, distance etc. In this post we will be explaining about the road journey to Ladakh through the Srinagar - Leh Highway NH 1D.













Srinagr - Leh Road Map

Although the journey to Leh from Srinagar is completed by local taxis in a single day, but tourists visiting Ladakh should take atleast 2 days for this journey, this includes a night stay on the first night at Kargil or Mulbekh and reaching Leh by next day evening.

Journey by Srinagar - Leh Highway which is known as NH 1D provides an opportunity to visit lots of places like Sonmarg, Kargil, Lamayuru, Alchi Magnetic hill, Zozil-a pass etc on the route toward Leh. Mesmerising landscapes with changing color patterns are indispensable part of this road journey.

Srinagar - Leh Highway NH 1D

Time spend on this road journey is also a very good option because with a slow increase in altitude it allows the body to properly acclimatize, which is very necessary to avoid symptoms of AMS/High altitude sickness. The visitors directly arriving by flights in Leh, need to take ample rest to get themselves properly acclimatized, before they start exploring Ladakh region, in order to avoid any complication related to AMS/High altitude sickness.

Place
Information about the place/ Things of interest
Important
Sonmarg
Landscapes, Base camp for Amaranth, Base for trekking to many Himalyan lakes.

Zozi-la Pass
High Mountain pass.
Altitude – 3528 meters. It’s the first high altitude pass on Srinagar- Leh Highway.
Drass
Small Town.
Altitude – 3230 meters. Small town, second coldest inhabited place in world, coldest in India.
Kargil
Kargil war memorial dedicated to Indian Army
Altitude – 2676 meters. Second largest town in Ladakh after Leh.
Namki-la Pass
High Mountain pass
Altitude – 3700 meters. Second high altitude pass on Srinagar Leh Highway
Fotu-la Pass
High Mountain pass
Altitude – 4108 meters. Third high altitude pass on Srinagar Leh highway and highest among the all 3 passes.
Lamayuru
More than 900 years old monastery, Moon land land scapes
Altitude – 3510 meters.
Alchi
Oldest monastery in Ladakh Region, it has well preserved wall paintings dating back to 11-12th century

Other Attractions
Basgo palace, Nimu, Zanskar- Indus confluence (Sangam), Gurudwara patthar sahib, Magnetic hill, Hall of fame.

Lamayuru Monastery, Srinagar - Leh Highway NH 1D

Zanskar - Indus confluence (Sangam), Srinagar - Leh Highway NH 1D

Magnetic Hill, Srinagar - Leh Highway NH 1D

The continuing posts will be about several travel options available between Srinagar and Leh.

Are you planning to travel to Leh? Get in touch with us by posting a comment below or you may drop an email at k.optimumtours@gmail.com, or get in touch through our face book page @ optimum tours.




Sunday 13 March 2016

Schedule of festivals in Ladakh for 2016

Ladakh hosts the most mesmerizing landscapes, and the local people in the whole Ladakh region are so cheerful that you will remember them for your whole life. Many tourists visiting Ladakh region return back with memories of the majestic scenery spread around the region, the peace of Monastaries, along with the memories of cheerful Ladakhi people who always welcome you with a smile. While having such harsh conditions for living where the temperatures are almost -20 degrees for almost 6 months in an year, the culture of Ladakh is an attraction for the tourists. You can see the lamas performing with big masks and colorful dresses in the Monasteries during the time of festival as a part of their religious rituals.

Hemis festival

Ladakh festival calender for 2016

Name of festival
Venue
Time
Spituk Gustor
Spituk
January  07 - 08
Dosmochey
Leh & Likir Monastery
February 06 - 07
Yargon Tungshak
Nubra (Yarma)
February 12-13
Stok Guru Tsechu
Stok Monastery
February 16-17
Saka Dawa
All over Ladakh
May 20
Yuru Kabgyat
Lamayuru Monastery
July 01 - 02
His holiness Dalai Lama Birthday
Jewaitsal, Shey
July 06
Hemis Tsechu (Hemis Festival)
Hemis Monastery
July 14-15
Stongday Gustor
Zanskar
July 22-23
Ladakh Polo Festival
Chushot
July 11-17
Sachukul Gustor
Sachukul Monastery
July 21 -22
Phyang Tsedup
Phyang Monastery
July 31 – Aug 01
Karsha Gustor
Zanskar
July 31 – Aug 01
Korzok Gustor
Tsomoriri
August 05 - 06
Dakthok Tsechu
Dha thok Monastery
August 13 - 14
Sani Nasjal
Zanskar
August 17 - 18
Deskit Gustor
Nubra
October 28 - 29
Thiksay Gustor
Thiksay
November 17 – 18
Chemday Wangchok / Padum
Chemday Monastery
November 27 - 28
Gladen Namchot
All over Ladakh
December 23
Ladakhi Losar
All Over Ladakh
December 30

Hemis is the richest monastery in Ladakh region and the Hemis festival is one of the most important  & polular festival celebrated in Ladakh. This festival is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Guru Padmasambhava who is known as the founder of Tantrik Buddhism in Tibet.

Lamas Performing with masks during the Hemis festival

Tradational dances during the Hemis festival

Another Important festival Gustor takes place in various places in Ladakh in different months, the most famous of them are the Gustor taking place at Spituk, Thiksay & Karsha. Gustors are celebrated to mark the victory over the eveil.

Lamas ready with religious masks for performing in the festival

Ladakh polo festival is taking place for the first time in year 2016 at chushot, to create interest among the youth, it will also help in bringing chushot village in tourist map of Ladakh. Dates- July 11 - 17.

Polo at Ladakh

Make sure to make a visit to the festivals, if you are visiting Ladakh in 2016 during any of these festival dates mentioned above, to experience the culture & rituals of Ladakh region closely. 

If you are having planning a visitto ladakh region and you are having any queries, you may get in touch with us by leaving a comment below or by dropping an email at k.optimumtours@gmail.com or visiting our Face book page @ optimum tours.

Saturday 12 March 2016

An overview of exploring Ladakh region by road: Part 1: Introduction

Exploring Ladakh region is a wish that every travel enthusiast has in his mind. Best way to make a quick trip to Ladakh is to take a flight and arrive directly at Leh. However the quick trip will not allow you to experience the breathtaking landscapes, passes etc that are a part of roads towards the Ladakh region. You will also need to take ample rest to get your self properly acclimatized with very high altitudes in the region.



Khardungla pass

A road trip is always a better option if you are not having very tight schedules while exploring Ladakh region.

Assuming base city as New Delhi, the few options available for a journey towards Ladakh will be:

1- New Delhi - Jammu - Srinagar - Kargil - Leh

Distances

Delhi - Jammu
575 Kms
Jammu - Srinagar
300 Kms
Srinagar - Sonmarg
80 Kms
Sonmarg - Drass
65 Kms
Drass - Kargil
55 Kms
Kargil - Mulbekh
40 Kms
Mulbekh - Lamayuru
70 Kms
Lamayuru - Leh
125 Kms
Total  distance
1310 Kms
Srinagar – Leh NH 1D
435 Kms

2- New Delhi - Manali - Keylong - Sarchu - Pang - Leh

Distances

Delhi - Manali
550 Kms
Manali – Rohtang Pass
51 Kms
Rohtang pass - Keylong
61 Kms
Keylong - Sarchu
112 Kms
Sarchu - Pang
80 Kms
Pang – Tanglang-La pass
70 Kms
Tanglang-La pass - Upshi
60 Kms
Upshi - Karu
16 Kms
Karu - Leh
35 Kms
Total Distance
1035 Kms
Manali - Leh
485 Kms

Pros & cons:

Pros:
Proper acclimatization.
Breathtaking views of enroute landscapes and passes.
Opportunity to explore many small enroute places nowhere mentioned in any travel guides.

Cons:
Road journey requires more time.
Roads are not in a good shape at many places, so you can not opt to drive without expert driving skills.
You may not find many petrol pumps, ATM, mobile network & vehicle mechanic/service points, on the route and it may cause irritation & problem if you are running with out proper backup.

Kindly note:

  • Only post paid mobile signals are available in Ladakh & entire J & K region. Prepaid mobiles other than J&K numbers will not work on the route, so be ready for staying away from mobile connectivity for long hours. Some times even the post paid mobiles will not work.
  • Mountain rules when you are in Ladakh, so be ready for spending few more days if the mountains and mother nature does not allow you to follow your travel plan. Always keep some buffer days to avoid any hassles.
  • Accommodation is not available at all the places, so research your options for night stays while planing your trip.
  • Good accommodation options are available when you are in Leh, take proper rest before starting to explore the region.

We will post more updates on the travel to Leh-Ladakh region. If you are having any further queries and you are planning a trip to Leh - Ladakh you may get in touch with by an email at k.optimumtours@gmail.com , or at our facebook page @ optimum tours.

Thursday 10 March 2016

Unmatched experience of Leh-Ladakh

Ladakh is a destination which is not much explored by tourists till now. It is open for tourists for 5-6 months from May to October and rest of the year most of the hotels and other accommodation are non operational due to harsh weather conditions. Only very keen travelers interested for trekking in snow use to travel to Ladakh in winters. Temperature in winters drop down to -20 degrees, or more, in the region making it very hard to remain open for tourism activities. In the season time the experience in Ladakh can not be matched with any other trip.



                                                                                                                                                                          Leh City


While exploring Ladakh region, one can travel to some of the highest roads on earth, you can experience the changing colors of mountains and landscape after every few kilometers, Buddhist Monastaries & some of the most beautiful lakes are situated in the region & one can also enjoy a double humped camel ride on the sand dunes at Hunder.



                                                                                                                                                                    Pangong Lake












                                                                                                                                                               View while entering Nubra valley in October


                                                                                                                                                           Double humped camel at Hundar sand dunes


The Ladakh region is strategically very important as it shares borders with China on one side and Pakistan on the other side. Permits are required for foreign nationals to visit most of the places in Ladakh region, however Indian tourists are exempt from this and for most of the region & permits are required only for visiting few areas.

How to reach: 

Best way to get to Ladakh is to get a flight from your nearest airport. Only few airlines, Air India, Go Air & Jet Airways,  have flights to Leh. Some more airline companies are planning their operations to Leh & we can expect more flights soon.

Roads to Leh NH 1D Srinagar - Leh National highway (434 Kms) & Manali - Leh highway (475 Kms) are open & operational from May - October and remains closed due to heavy snow fall during rest of the year. It is comfortable to complete the journey either from Srinagar or from Manali in 2 days to Leh. How ever shared taxis are available from both Manali and Srinagar and many of them complete the journey in a single day.


JKSRTC and HPTDC buses are also available from Srinagar and Manali respectively to Leh during May to October, however the schedules of these buses keep changing on the basis of conditions of roads.

We will Keep you updating on Leh-Ladakh region in our next post's. If you have any queries about the region you may get in touch with us by leaving your comments below or by Email at k.optimumtours@gmail.com or on our Facebook page @ optimum tours .