MANALI TO LEH – ROAD LESS TRAVELLED

Arrive in the beautiful town of Manali in the morning and transfer by vehicle to the tiny hamlet of Solang. We have an option to stop in Manali and visit Hidimba Temple, Vasishta hot springs, or visit Mall Road in Manali before proceeding to Solang. Solang is known for its ski slopes and also for the range of adventure filled activities available there like paragliding, zorbing, zipline, etc. Alternatively just relax in the hotel which has great views of Friendship and Shitidaar peaks. Overnight in the hotel.

From the lush green Kullu Valley we travel along the winding road to reach the famous Rothang Pass (3,978 m / 13,050 ft). This is the entry to Lahaul Valley. The landscape changes dramatically and is replaced by barren hillsides, blue skies and the route is dotted with green fields of barley, peas and potatoes. We check into the hotel.

The next day we drive towards Sarchu. We come to Darcha the last village before entering the Ladakh region. We are now in the arid, barren land, slowly turning to desert. We visit Deepak Taal and Suraj Taal and do the customary acclimatization / photography session. Then the high pass of Baralacha at 4,892 m / 16,050 ft we repeat the process and then we motor down to a campsite at Sarchu, the highest altitude where we make a night halt. Sarchu is a plateau, practically a no man’s land, located between the Baralacha La in the south and the Lachulung La in the north. We have so far not spent a night at such a high altitude and this will be a test to see how our bodies are acclimatizing. We suggest that you take it easy but keep yourself active. An evening walk to the edge of plateau is advised. Here the deep gorge and colours make for and altogether fascinating landscape worth photographing. We settle for the night in a deluxe campsite. Overnight at the campsite.

After a night at this altitude we check to see if all is well, have breakfast and continue our drive to Leh. The ever-changing scenery keeps us looking out. We are to cross three passes today. Nakee La, Lachulung La (5,059m / 16,600 ft) and Tanglang La (5,325 m /17,469 ft). Nakee La is famous for its succession of 21 Gata Loops, sharp switchbacks as we descend down the Nakee La and come across Whisky Nullah and climb up to Lachulung La and reach the vast Pang plateau, this stretches on all sides, offering us a 360 degrees view of arid mountains. We take a break in one of the many interesting parachute-converted tents for some tea and stretch and acclimatize. After ascending and descending 2 high passes it a great experience to drive on flat land for 42 km. The odyssey continues and we hit the winding road to cross Tanglang La at an impressive altitude of 5,325 m / 17,469 ft and get out to acclimatize, walk around take pictures. From here we are to enter finally into the famed Indus Valley. The drive from Rumtse to Upshi is a spectacular drive as we can see many colours in the mountains. Overnight at Leh.

This day is for taking in the sights of Leh and to use this as an opportunity to acclimatize further. We visit Hemis Monastery, Thiksey Monastery and Stok Palace.
Hemis Monastery stands on the western bank of the Indus River. The monastery boasts of a very rich collection of ancient relics. The Hemis Monastery also serves as the venue of the annual Hemis Festival. Thiksey Monastery houses one of the largest Buddhist statues, the 15-metre-tall Champa, the Buddha of Future. Thiksey is one of the most frequently visited and most photogenic monasteries in Ladakh. About a hundred monks live here.
The Stok Palace is where the current royal family lives. The museum at the Stok Palace has an intriguing collection of Buddhist art, weapons, jewelry and artifacts, including thangkas painted with colors derived from crushed precious stones. Also on display are the ceremonial head dresses or ‘peraks’ of the erstwhile rulers of Ladakh. These headdresses are decorated with turquoise, lapis lazuli and coral and gold, making them an exotic sight.
We then visit Leh Palace, Hall of fame and head to Shanti Stupa which is a Buddhist white domed stupa on a hilltop in Changspa. We enjoy the panoramic view of the city at sunset. From here we can choose to leave the vehicles and walk down to Leh taking some quite back roads and into the Leh market to wander around at leisure. Overnight at Leh.

Back on the road this time towards Khardungla pass (5,602 m / 18,380 ft), the world’s highest motor able pass. After a photography session and acclimatization break on the pass we cross it and head towards Nubra Valley. Nubra Valley is sandwiched between the Karakoram Mountains to the north and the Ladakh range to the south lie the Shyok and the Nubra Rivers. The villages of Nubra are scattered along these two valley floors. This is a beautiful region that once formed a part of the Silk Route into Afghanistan. Because of the lower altitude a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and grains are grown, creating an impression of abundance. Relax here at your beautiful tented campsite after a long drive. You can visit Hunder sand dunes in the evening. We check into a deluxe tented campsite/guesthouse.

After breakfast, we set off to visit the white sand dunes and if lucky one can take a ride on the double- humped Bactrian camels. We have lunch at Hundar and then head to Diskit Monastery, right on the top behind Diskit Monastery stands a 106-foot-tall Buddha statue, the tallest in the Ladakh region. This day you can also choose to go explore the tiny hamlet of Nubra on your own or on a small excursion to the hidden lake on the other side of Hundar. Dinner and overnight into a deluxe tented campsite / guesthouse.

After the morning breakfast, visit the Samstanling Monastery and then embark on a return drive to Leh via Khardungla Pass. In the evening, you can do some last minute shopping in the Leh markets which are famous for Pashmina shawls, pearls, Chinese cutlery and Ladakhi wooden handicraft items. Dinner and overnight stay in a hotel. Option: We can organize for mountain bikes to cycle down from Khardung La to Leh at an additional cost.

Spend the day cycling, rafting, explore monasteries or simply laze around.

Early morning, we drive to Pangong the world’s highest brackish water lake – Pangong, 150 km long and 4 km wide spans two countries, India and China (2/3rd of the lake lies in China). Enjoy the views of the lake and the surrounding mountains. Evening is free for leisure. Overnight at Hotel Leh.

Early morning depart for Leh airport for your onward journey.