Tag: Leh

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Staycation

Budget Hotels/ Camps near Pangong Tso Lake

Before choosing the right place for staying near Pangong Tso Lake, you will have to decide how much is your budget and what luxuries do you want. Since it is a remote place, you will have to compromise on comfort. The biggest luxury that you can find is the attached bathroom which would only be available at the most expensive hotel. You can also opt for Homestays that are less expensive, more homely but with shared or outside toilets.

If you wish to stay near the lake, your only option is camping but if you don’t want to stay in camps, you can opt to stay in Sapngmik or Lukung from where you can have a full view of the lake.

Home Stays at Spangmik: Home Stays like Padma, Gongma, Sasoma Guest House all offer accommodation at cheap prices and excellent views. Mostly all homes at Spangmik Village act as homestays and though you won’t find any hot water, you will get home-cooked food in Ladakhi Style.

Price: Rs 700-1000 (meals included in some) for a double bedroom.

Address:  Spangmik Village, Pangong Tso – Ladakh

  1. Pangong Camp Resort

This is the only cemented hotel near Pangong Tso Lake and though the prices are high, you will get a clean room, good food and nice services. It also has attached bathroom and hot water available in buckets. So if you are not going on a tight budget and give more consideration to comfort, this is the place for you.  Though, you will need to pre-book it since it remains fully booked always. Don’t hope to just land there and find a room.

Price: Rs 3500-4000 for a double bed room.

Address:  Spangmik Village, Pangong Tso – Ladakh

  1. Himalayan Wooden Cottages

If you don’t plan on camping in tents, this is another option. Stay at wooden cottages to beat the harsh winter. They have a great view of the lake and decent food. There’s also limited electricity backup. The pricing is also decent because meals are included in it.

Price: Rs 3500-4000 (Two meals included)

Address:  Spangmik Village, Pangong Tso – Ladakh

  1. Dothguling Guest house Tangste

There are nice clean rooms, also a bit spacey. In case you are unable to find accommodation, elsewhere, keep this as a backup option. You can find hot water here in buckets and they have western as well as Ladakhi style toilets.

Price: Rs 1000-1500 for the double bedroom

Address: Tangste Village – Ladakh / Opposite health centre

  1. Himalayan Retreat

Staying close to the lake means staying in tents. Here you can find tented accommodation that is comfortable with electricity for a limited period as well as a western toilet. The pricing is a bit higher but the place is good with a great view.

Price: Rs 3500 with two meals included.

Address: Spangmik Village, Pangong Tso – Ladakh

You can also find Eco Huts in Lukung Village which are luxury tents with electricity and western toilets but it is pricey. (Around 3500-4500 per person) There are many other dormitory-style dhaba tents running from Lukung Village till Spangmik Village. The price range varies from place to place but the maximum would be Rs 3500 and Rs 500 minimum. Most of them will offer meals and western toilets.

Additional Tip: Avoid visiting the Lake in harsh winters but even if you do, stay at Tangste instead of Lukung or Spangmik to give your body a chance to acclimate itself according to the high altitude. You can find discounted prices for some of the resort and camps but no pre-booking for Home Stays

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Group Travel Himalayas North India Travel Tips

5 reasons to start early and sleep early while in Ladakh

It is as Benjamin Franklin said, “Early to bed, early to rise; makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” Well, normally, we would return with “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man an unhappy wife” but if you are traveling Ladhakh the Benjy advice is very important due to a number of factors. Here we bring you a list of 5 reasons to start early and sleep early while in Ladakh:

1. Beautiful Scenarios

For you don’t come this far to visit Ladhakh if you do not love its natural beauty. The breathtaking views nature has to offer are at their best in time for sunrise and sunsets. And so the first of 5 reasons to start early and sleep early while in Ladakh is to have time to go click-happy and ornament your Instagram account.

2. Avoiding delays

There are plenty of construction projects forever in motion in Ladhakh sometimes blocking roads for hours, in fact, there are many scheduled road closures. The later you start, the more chances of being stuck in a road closure. So next in our list of 5 reasons to start early and sleep early while in Ladakh is that it is your best option if you wish to avoid delays or waiting for long hours in traffic. You may as well stay in your urban city if that is what you were going to do. Right? Besides the fact that delays will eat into your precious time (a traveler can never have enough time), they are just annoying and mood killers.

3. Avoiding snow slides and landslides

Another reason in our list of 5 reasons to start early and sleep early while in Ladakh is that it is your best option if you wish to avoid snow slides and landslides. With an increase in temperature during the day, the snow starts melting causing problems on roads and even closing roads especially during the latter half of the day.

4. Avoiding shooting rocks

Yes you heard it, there is such a thing as shooting rocks and it is not a very pleasant thing.  The strong wind can carry stones at the speed of bullets which won’t be good for your cars’ glass windows. The later in the day, the more the speed of the wind. It is thus fourth in our list of 5 reasons to start early and sleep early while in Ladakh. Like with watersides, your car might have to suffer from shooting stars because of your laziness. Show mercy on the poor thing!

5. A contingency plan

With so many factors working against you, it is always good to have a contingency plan. For it is not a very good thing if you end up at nowhere place in Ladhakh in the middle of the night. The cold climate, if nothing else, would bug you. Thus the last of 5 reasons to start early and sleep early while in Ladakh is to make sure to reach your destination well in time before darkness.

Conclusion

So this is all from our list of 5 reasons to start early and sleep early while in Ladakh. We hope this blog helps in planning your trip. In fact, some of these reasons hold good for traveling in rough mountain regions at high altitudes in particular and all kind of travels in general. If you are lazy or a night animal like us, it is easier said than done but we do hope this blog will give even the laziest among you reason to get up early. ☺

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Culture Festival

Experiencing the Kumbh in Himalayas- Naropa Festival

Commemorating the millennial birth anniversary of Naropa, the Naropa Festival sees the enthusiasm of thousands of Ladakhis who wait under the sun, with the chants of music, drums, cymbals adding spiritual chants to increase the level of festivity, giving the literal Kumbh Mela feel surrounded by the Himalayas. The festival is held just once every twelve years and the crowd that gathers is massive with people from all over- Bhutan,  Thailand, Nepal and of course, Ladakh joining together. The festival begins even before reaching the region as one sees beautiful views of Ladakh on the way.

We were there to see the magnificent festival- often referred to as the Kumbh of the Himalayas. Though, it is our belief that the festival need not attach itself to the Kumbh since it is majestic in its own space. The festival takes place near the Hemis Monastery of Ladakh which is also the largest Monastery of the reason along with being most distinguished where millions of people gather around to witness it in entirety. It is located at a distance of approximately 40km from Leh. Though Buddhism is at the core of the festival, that isn’t entirely what it is all about. There are music, dance and excitement like any other festival, perhaps even a college fest but with a vast population. One is surprised even looking at the various types of crowds, some braving the sun with the colorful umbrellas while families and nuns sit patiently waiting for something to happen, often chatting with each other and even chanting occasionally. The festival was a historical event made special by the disciplined crowd along with the events.

Many Buddhist philosophers have come and gone, preaching about life, learning, patience and just living in general.  Saint Naropa (1016-1100 CE) was one such saint who preached about learning through experience and pioneered the thought of infinite love. He was once a philosopher in the Nalanda University who later on moved to Ladakh, around a 1000 years ago gradually attaining the highest level of spiritualization (becoming one of the mahasiddhas). His thoughts and ideology shaped the Drukpa sect of Buddhism. He is also credited as a fundamental pillar in Vajrayana tradition for creating the Six Yogas. His life reflects perseverance, endurance, and compassion. His teachings are still followed largely in Ladakh region. He was adorned with the six bone ornament by Dakinis after his enlightenment, the same ornament which is now donned by His Holiness.

When we reached the place, the whole stage was set, with artificial lotuses and dragons hanging all around. The picturesque view of the mountains and the Naropa palace could be seen. For as long as the festival lasted, that was the only destination for every traveler on the road. The people gathered together, passing the local ‘tsampa’ dish to each other while chit-chatting, until it was time for His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa’s speech because, at that point, everyone fell silent. We weren’t allowed to click the picture of the six bone ornament but its unveiling was done in a beautiful manner. There was this spiritual air all around us. The six bone ornament is protected with strict levels of security since it has a holy and sacred status for the people. But we still felt special for having a glimpse of it since people in thousands gathered to have just one look through the display. As strong as the philosophies are of Saint Naropa, the ornament manifests itself to be a physical legacy and as such holds a lot of importance for the people.

We were quite awed by the presence of His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa as well. With millions of followers worldwide, he has such great power among a whole set of people, who came to the festival specifically to see him live. The devotees bowed down before him as he passed and it just showed the level of devotion and love they had. We had plenty of opportunities to observe him during the week and it just seemed like a sharing of mutual faith and good humor. He used the stage to address all the people to spread social messages, while marveling at the performances, clapping excitedly whenever he liked something

The various important events for one to look out for are:

Thangka Unfurling- Thangka was a mammoth silk brocade which has the incidents from the life of Padmasambhava (a Buddhist master) embroidered on it. It is the largest brocade of Ladakh and spreads far, hanging from the roof of the monastery to the floor.

Then there are the various song and dance performances to look forward to, especially by lamas. It was the first time in our life that we saw the dragon dance in reality and we were awed by it. Another type of dance to look out for would be the Tsam Dance. There was a light show coordinated by French lighting experts who showed 3D images mapping the images of Ladakh’s culture and wildlife while projecting them on the monastery walls.

When the prayer session of Drupka masters begin, with one of the largest assemblies of people witnessing and watching them, it is an out of the world experience. The Kung-fu monks had conducted a bike ride from Nepal to Ladakh which turned out to be the major highlight of the event. They also spoke and spread great messages to the people about various issues like animal cruelty, gender inequality, environmental pollution and education. These talks rose over the boundaries of spiritualism and it was amazing for us to see the spiritual leaders rising above the religious bounds.

This festival has never been all about spiritual activities like we just described, it has social welfare, the picturesque views, the incredible art and culture performances and another special highlight would be the Bollywood performances. There were a number of Bollywood performers who came attracting the audience and captivating them with their performances. There was also one Ladakhi instrumental session which we were quite pleased with.

Those 7-days that we spent in Ladakh for the festival would be our most memorable times in Ladakh. It was so many different cultures, different kind of entertainment all together in one beautiful valley. From the exotic dancers to the cultural performances, to the small shops and souvenirs, everything was perfectly managed and coordinated. Even after we returned to our home, we could still hear the ringing of those chants, cymbals and music in our ears because this was the experience of a lifetime. If you would like to experience all this firsthand, plan a trip to Ladakh, for when the festival happens again in twelve years.

A simple tip for first-time travellers though, give yourself some time to acclimatize with the environment. Try the local roadside food, it is amazing. Strike random conversations with people and try to make the most of your trip to Ladakh.

Categories
North India Staycation

Budget Hotels/Camps near Tso Moriri Lake

It is not possible to find accommodation exactly at the banks of Tso Moriri lake because that area is reserved for migratory birds but you can opt for camping in Korzok village. You will still have a clear view of the beautiful lake in all its magnificence. Depending on your budget and the level of luxury you require, you can find accommodations ranging from Rs 700-800 per person to above Rs 5000. Since it is a remote area, your best options for accommodation are homestays or tents.

  1. Goose Homestay

Address: Korzok, right opposite the monastery/supermarket.

Price range: 700-1000 for a double bedroom

This is a moderate and homely place to stay with a view of the lake from all the rooms. The cost includes food so it is also cheap. The place is clean and comfortable. If you are looking for a place to fit in your budget and still give you all the comfort you require, this is the right place. You won’t get customer service like in a hotel but it has a good family environment.

  1. Mentok guesthouse

Address: Korzok, right opposite the monastery/supermarket.

Price range: 700-1000 for a double bedroom

Located right next to the above mentioned Homestay, this should be your second option if the other one is booked. The place is similarly comfortable with lake view and carpeted rooms. The homemade food is delicious and the cost is included in the room fare. Though both these homestays are equal in comfort and quality, Goose homestay is preferred by travelers.

  1. Norling Camp

Address: Karzok Tsomoriri Lake, Karzok Gompa

Price Range: Rs 3500 for a double bed

Though the tent is average and the food (cost not included) is not exactly up to the mark, this camp area is fairly close to the lake and shows a great view especially during the night. As it is in the corner, the reflection of moonlight on the lake and the scene that unfolds can be best seen from here.

 

  1. Tsomori Camp and Resort Tso Mori

Address: Korzok, Tso Mori

Price Range: Rs 2500-3000 for the double bedroom without meals.

This place is closest to Tso Mori lake with luxury tents as well as rooms depending upon your preference and budget. The place is clean and comfortable with attached toilets. Hot water is also available in buckets. You can always try to bargain for a lower price unless you have pre-booked. There are many discount options available on websites too but do not pay anything in advance.

  1. Hotel Lake view

Address: Tsomoriri Lake Karzok

Price Range: Rs 5000 and above for a double bed

The room can accommodate up to 3 guests. They have free parking facilities and free WiFi. The breakfast is included in the package. If you think that a Hotel is a perfect place for you, the most luxurious place you can find in such remote place is Hotel Lake view. As the name itself suggests, they have a great view of the lake that you can enjoy through the window.

Places to avoid:

Nomadic life Camp: The place is too expensive and not worth it. If you bargain your way into a lower cost, they take it out on you through not providing good services.

Golden Mark camps: Extremely cold and the arrangements are not good. Avoid the place.

Additional Tip would be to avoid visiting during the winter season as it would be harder to find accommodation since camping would be out of the question. Another thing to remember is you can always bargain at these places. Reach the place early (before sunset) so if one place doesn’t pan out, you have other options to explore.

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Adventure North India

Zanskar Valley, the remote corner of Ladakh is worth visiting for adventure lovers

Covering an area of 7,000 sq km and with a height that ranges between 3,500-7,000 meters, Zanskar is a semi-desert high-altitude tourist destination of Ladakh region. It mainly consists of the part that is situated along the rivers of Doda and Lungnak, the main tributaries of Zanskar River. Despite being one of the parts of Jammu and Kashmir, the valley has striking natural vistas.

Zanskar is bounded by the Himalayan Range in the southwest. That is why it is known as a ‘place wrapped with snow-clad peaks’. Though the place is known for trekking, rafting, and mountaineering, there are other tourist attractions too. Some of the famous attractions in Zanskar are Drang Drung Glacier, Phuktal Monastery, Zangla, Karsha Monastery, Zongkhul, Stongdey Monastery and Panikhar.

How to Reach

There is a weekly bus service that runs from Leh in Ladakh to Padum in Zanskar with a one night halt in Kargil. If seats are available, one can decide to travel to Zanskar valley in this bus. In the morning, buses commence from Kargil for Sankoo and Panikhar, villages in the Suru valley.

Nimu

Nimu, at an elevation of 3150 meters, is a village that is built along the bank of River Indus and is the end point of the river rafting activity in the Zanskar region and the beginning point of river rafting on the Indus River.

Drang Drung Glacier

The source of River Stod, the Drang Drung glacier, has an approximate length of 23 kilometers and an elevation of 4,780 meters. It is the largest glacier in the Ladakh- Zankskar region that is built near the Pensi La mountain pass.

Phuktal Monastery

Constructed by Gangsem Sherap Sampo in the 12th century, the Phugtal Monastery is one of the major tourist attractions in the Zanskar region because of its distinctive architectural work and construction. It has a library, prayer rooms and also houses 70 monks.

Zangla

A home to 150 lamas, the Zangla Monastery situated in the village of Tsa-zar near Zangla is famous for its collection of wall paintings. Further, Zangla is a prominent stopover on the Padum-Stongdey-Zangla-Karsha-Padum trip.

Zongkhul

The Zongkhul Monastery belongs to the Drugpa sect and was constructed by Naropa, who is believed to have meditated for 2 years at one of the caves in the monastery. It appears on the Padum-Kishtwar trek route and encompasses the great piece of artwork that belongs to the ancient age. It is home to 15 monks and has precious artifacts like the ivory image of Samvara, texts containing the spiritual songs, a crystal stupa, and thangkas. One of the murals of Zhadpa Dorje, which is 300-years-old, is quite splendid.

Stongdey Monastery

The Stongdey Monastery was constructed by Naropa’s disciple in the 11th century. It is 20 kilometers away from Padum and has over 60 monks. Further, it has seven temples that exhibit several artistic works. Nonetheless, the Gustor Festival, which is held in the eleventh month of the Tibetan calendar, is hosted in the Stongdey Monastery.

Panikhar

On the way to Zanskar from the Suru Valley, Panikhar is one of the most amazing inhabited areas in the Trans-Himalayan region. It is a refreshing stopover on the way to Padum. From the nearby Parkachik La one can enjoy the wide view of the glacier situated north face of the mighty Nun-Kun Mountain. Further, Panikhar is a hub for the trekkers and hosts a number of trekking routes.

Karsha monastery

The Karsha Monastery, which is also known as Karsha Chamspaling, was constructed by Phagspa Shesrab. The Karsha Monastery is the biggest and one of the most renowned pilgrimages in the Zanskar region that have ancient rock architectural works like the Avalokiteshvara temple, which widens the era of Rinchen Zangpo through its wall paintings. The monastery has a number of shrines and relics of Dorje Rinchen. It is also a resident to more than 100 monks. The area is also dotted with other monasteries like the Khagsar Monastery, Phagspa Monastery, and Purang Monastery.

Travel Tips

Zanskar remains cut off from rest of the world between November to May due to heavy snowfall and it is best visited between June to September when the road is free from snow.

On your excursion to Zanskar Valley, tourists could find accommodation along the way in campsites and homestays. Once you reach Kargil via Zozi La Pass, you could cover places such as the Kargil War Memorial at Drass and Tiger Hill View from a roadside Dhaba while relishing your lunch. While at Padum, you can cover places such as Sani, Stongdey and Karsha monasteries, Zang La Fort.

While at Zanskar Valley, spend the night by the river in the lap of the Greater Himalaya mountains and leave in the next morning.

The beauty of the Zanskar landscapes will change your definition of beautiful forever. It is an admired destination for the adventure lovers who board on to the adrenaline rushing journeys in trans-Himalayas every year.

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Rejuvenate

Why Nubra Valley should be included in Leh Itinerary.

Situated at a distance of about 150 km from Leh, the Nubra Valley separates Ladakh from the Karakoram Ranges and to its north, lies the world’s highest and coldest battlefield- Siachen Glacier. This alluring valley is formed by the confluence of the Shyok and the Nubra rivers.

Like the rest of the Tibetan Plateau, Nubra too with an average altitude of 10,000 ft above sea level, is a high altitude cold desert. Despite little rainfall, the valley has the repute of being one of the greenest regions of Ladakh and it is also called its ‘Food bowl’. The fact that the region comprises mountains, rocks, desert, rivers, crop fields and fruit gardens, all within a range of a few kilometers, is awe-inspiring.

Owing to its isolated location, Nubra Valley dissipates an aura of inherent rawness. It is an untouched and unconventional place of visit. To reach the valley, one has to go through Khardung La, which is claimed to be the highest motorable road in the world. Landslides are quite common in the area. In order to visit the Nubra Valley, foreigners are required to get a Protected area permit while Indians do not need an Inner Line Permit now.

Diskit town is the administrative headquarters of the Nubra Valley. It is famous for its 32 metre tall Maitreya Buddha statue maintained by the 14th century Diskit Gompa, the largest and oldest monastery in the region.Located at a distance of about 10km west of Diskit is Hunder village. It is famous for its sand dunes and Bactrian camels. It is the only place in India where one can find double-humped Bactrian camels, which were traditionally used to travel by the Silk Route into China and Central Asia. Therefore, the tourists who visit this place must take advantage of the opportunity of Camel safari. In Hunder, one can find forests of sea-buckthorn, a medicinal and nutritive plant popularly known as ‘Leh Berry’.

Sumur, which is located on the far side of the valley is also popular amongst bagpackers. It is a beautiful and the largest village in the region, boasting of fascinating Buddhist relics. Samstemling Gompa- a huge monastery accommodating a school for monks- is located 1 km uphill from Sumur. The picturesque and holy Yarab Tso lake, often referred to as the ‘hidden lake’, is also located close to Sumur.

Panamik Village is yet another place worth visiting that is situated about 28 km north of Sumur. It is known for two things – centuries old Ensa Gompa and hot water springs that are believed to cure a number of illnesses because of certain healing properties.

Turtuk is another village where travelers can enjoy their time and seek peace. It is the last village that is accessible to civilians, after which the Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan begins.The natives of Nubra Valley are amiable and hospitable people. The valley offers serenity and a peaceful life unlike the daily stresses of modern day living. Its simplicity and beauty are truly magnetic. In a nutshell, Nubra Valley is a perfect getaway in today’s hectic world.

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Himalayas North India Rejoice Travel Trends

5 To Do’s at Pangong Lake

Remember the last scene from 3 Idiots movie, when Kareena approaches Aamir in bridal dress and confesses her love to him. That epic shot is from Pangong Lake. The famous lake is 160 km from Leh, and is 14,256 feet above sea level. Nearest airport to reach to the place is Leh airport, from where either you can drive or bike ride to this beautiful lake which makes you speechless and gives you timeless experience. The ride to the lake in itself is scenic as one gets to pass through famous Changla Pass and other small villages. The countryside makes you feel nostalgic and reminds you of childhood paintings. Apparently, it is just the 40% of the lake that lies in India and rest lies in China. The crystal clear blue lake sprawls over an area of 100 kilometers across the borders of two countries in India and China. This is the reason; you may also see the patrolling by the defense personals. It is opened for tourists from May to September, as it is frozen during winters and routes to the lakes are usually closed. During the trip to Leh-Ladakh, one should keep at least 1 night/2 days for the place. Penning down few must to-do’s that one should plan while at Pangong.
Bird Watching at lake
Pangong is bird watcher’s paradise. Though due to salty water, you may not spot much aquatic flora and fauna, but surely you may find migratory birds as the lake is breeding ground for many. Bar-headed goose and Brahmini ducks are the most common, though.

Stroll at the lake
The serenity and tranquility at the lake will let you spend time with yourself. Evening and mornings are the best times when you can go for a quick stroll around the lake or maybe sitting on the banks to soak yourself in the sun. The clear and crystal water will try to lure you, but you are not allowed to take a dip in the lake, so resist yourself and enjoy just being at the bank.

One night stay with Locals in Home Stays
There are several homestays near the lake. You can pick and choose any of them and enjoy their lifestyle by spending one night with them. Panoramic view from them is usually beautiful, as most of them are near the banks. Cooking rice, chopping vegetables, talking to them in sign language, enjoying with their pets and trying to accommodate with locals is super fun. These homestays are budgeted accommodations and are almost close to Ladakh traditions. Usual price range from 3000 to 3500 inclusive of all meals. It gets really cold in the night, but fortunately good homestays like the camp watermark and eco huts provide you with warm water and other amenities to make the life easy.

Capturing Pangong with your lens
You can never get over capturing Pangong’s beauty with your lens. The place is beautiful especially when the sun shines at its peak. One can identify the three different shades of blue in the water. The landscape is beautiful. The place is indeed picturesque.

Eating Momos at 3-Idiots Point
Momos and Chowmein are famous at these small joints that have come up post 3 Idiots movie. Their Momos are different from what usually eat. You may find spinach momos, which are exceptionally good, and it is advised to have your food at these places, as once it gets dark and you enter homestays, you are left with very less options to eat.

Pangong Lake is the must visit place, on your trip to Leh-Ladakh.

Are you ready to book your tickets to the land of gods this vacation?

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