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The 473
km Manali - Leh Road is open for about three months in the year from early July
to September. For much of its length, it passes through areas so barren that it
is entirely void of habitation. The first major pass on this road, the Rohtang
pass (13,000 ft / 3,978m) that is crossed soon after departure from Manali, cuts
through the Pir Panjal Range of the Great Himalayas. After crossing Rohtang Pass
one enters the Lahoul district, which has a typically trans-Himalayan landscape.
Once Lahoul was a part of Ladakh, which is why you find Lahouli houses are built
in the Tibetan Ladakhi pattern, out of sun-dried bricks. Beyond Keylong, the
main town in Lahoul district, the road follows the Bhaga River up towards its
source, passing a few more villages. Thereafter it hairpins up to the Baralacha-La
(16,050 ft / 4,892m), which is a tri-junction, with a trail from Spiti also
joining in from the southeast. This is the crossing of the Great Himalayan
Range, the watershed between the Indus and the Chenab. You camp en route at
Sarchu. An hour after leaving Sarchu you negotiate 21 hairpin bends known as the
“Gatta Loops” which take you from an altitude of 4210 M/ 13,780 Ft to a height
of 4667 M / 15,302 Ft. Your camp for the night will be at Tso Kar, also called
“White Lake” because of salt deposits around it. The next day you traverse
barren landscape, which becomes positively lunar with dusty plains stretching
into the distance. Driving through grand, dramatic scenery you arrive at Leh,
the capital of Ladakh. At Leh, you will be spending your time sightseeing in the
Indus Valley. There will be time to interact with local people, take photographs
and experience village life in the Himalayas. Your trip culminates with a visit
to Nubra Valley, a place where once caravans passed through on the ancient Silk
Route.
The final highlight is the flight back to Delhi right over the top of the
Himalayas. On a clear day you can pick out K2, the world’s second highest
mountain, and the vast sea of peaks stretching in every direction give you some
idea of the scale of the greatest mountain range on earth.
A journey along this trans-Himalayan route takes you through some awesome
countryside. The lush verdant hillsides with picturesque waterfalls around
Manali, through a gorge where every bend on the road gives you eye-catching
intricate patterns on the rocky escarpments, majestic rocky mountains of
changing colors from that of brown burnt toast to various shades of purple
depending on the sunlight, snow-capped peaks in the horizon and over some of the
world’s highest motorable passes – all this unfolds before you as you progress
along the route.
DETAILED ITINERARY:
DAY 1 ARRIVE DELHI
You will be assisted on arrival and transferred to your hotel. Morning is at
leisure. In the afternoon, drive to visit Humayun’s Tomb built in the Indo
Persian style and a predecessor to The Taj Mahal in Agra; India Gate - A War
Memorial Arch. Also drive past the President's House called Rashtrapati Bhavan,
Parliament House, Government Secretariat buildings and Connaught Place - the
heart of New Delhi and a busy shopping center. Overnight in a hotel.
DAY 2 DELHI – CHANDIGARH – MANDI
BY SHATABDI EXPRESS DEP AT 0740 HRS / ARR AT 1100
HRS – MANDI - BY SURFACE / 197 M / 6 HRS
You will be transferred in time to the railway station to board your train for
Chandigarh. On arrival at Chandigarh you will be received and assisted to your
vehicle, from where you drive to Mandi. It is an interesting drive along the
banks of the River Beas. Mandi has long been an important commercial centre and
the sage Mandva is said to have meditated here. This one time capital of the
princely state of Mandi is a fast developing town that still retains much of its
original charm and character. Mandi is renowned for its 81 old stone temples and
their enormous range of fine carvings. The town has remains of old palaces and
notable examples of 'colonial' architecture. Overnight stay in a Resort.
DAY 3 MANDI – MANALI
BY SURFACE / 110 KM / APPROX 4 HRS
After early breakfast drive via Nagar to Manali. Nagar was the capital of Kullu
Rajas till 1660 A.D. The ancient castle, which has now been converted into a
Tourist Bungalow, overlooks the entire Beas valley. There are two old temples
near the castle. Nicholas Roerich, the famous Russian painter and philosopher
lived at Nagar and his quaint little house has been converted into a small
museum.
Manali is situated near the end of the valley on the national highway leading to
Leh. The landscape here is breathtaking. One sees well-defined snow-capped
peaks, the Beas River with its clear waters meanders through the town. On the
other side are deodar and pine trees, tiny fields and fruit orchards.
On arrival at Manali check into your hotel. Afternoon is at your disposal to
explore down town. Manali is famous for apple orchards, its old wooden temples
and its folk music and dance. Overnight in your hotel.
DAY 4 MANALI – JISPA
BY SURFACE / 139 KM / APPROX 6 – 7 HRS
After an early breakfast you commence your journey on the trans-Himalayan route.
Leaving Manali you ascend the Rohtang Pass (3978 M / 13,050 Ft). On your way up
you will be traveling through thickly forested mountainside over which are a
number of picturesque waterfalls. On crossing the pass you enter Lahoul
district. Descending from Rohtang Pass you reach Gramphu, the bifurcation point
on the road to Spiti, from where you get superb views of the glaciated valley of
the Chandra River. You next reach Keylong, the District Headquarters of
Lahaul-Spiti, located on the confluence of the Chandra and Bhaga rivers. It has
the distinction of having a small satellite exchange from which you can dial
anywhere in the world with sparkling clarity. From here you continue your drive
along the Bhaga River for your night halt at Jispa. Overnight in a Hotel.
DAY 5 JISPA – SARCHU (4245 M)
BY SURFACE / 83 KM / APPROX 5 - 6 HRS
From Jispa the road climbs to Patseo, just before reaching Patseo you suddenly
comes across a rocky outcrop amidst which there is a crystal clear lake at the
height of 12,600 Ft. The suddenness with which this appears in an otherwise
barren land catches you by surprise. A little further is Zingzingbar, a 30
minutes zigzag climb through rocky outcrop, and then you go over the formidable
Baralacha La, (4,830 M / 16,500 Ft). Baralacha La means ‘the pass with the
crossroads on the summit’ and here meets the path from Zanskar, Ladakh, Spiti
and Lahoul. This is also the watershed for the Chandra, Bhaga and Yunam rivers.
It is 8 km long. Just below the Baralacha La at an altitude of 4800 M, Surajtal
is the source of Bhaga River. The descent from Baralacha La is into a bowl. You
are greeted with a landscape akin to the Tibetan Plateau – barren rocks with
intricate patterns and amazing colours that are difficult to describe. The bowl
that you descend into has a huge water body and the road skirts around it on its
right. Across the water body is an awesome looking rock face.
From the mountains you suddenly come into a vast broad plateau, the road runs
through the center of it almost as straight as an arrow. It is bounded on either
side by Rocky Mountains, of which some of the peaks are snow covered. There is a
deep gorge that runs along side the left of the road at a little distance. This
is Sarchu. Sarchu is the border between Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir (Ladakh).
DAY 6 SARCHU – TSO KAR
BY SURFACE / 122 KM / 6 –7 HRS
After breakfast at Sarchu you drive into Ladakh. Leaving the Sarchu Plains
behind, you enter a narrow valley of sheer rocky mountains on either side. The
river runs downstream alongside the road. The jaggedness of the rocky faces
gives them intricate designs. Sometimes these designs make them look like an
awesome fortress on the skyline with steep parapets. The backdrop of cobalt blue
skies enhances the majestic awesome grandeur of this stark landscape. A number
of Bailey bridges span narrow streams along the way. An hour after leaving
Sarchu you negotiate 21 hairpin bends known as the “Gatta Loops” which takes you
from an altitude of 4210 M/ 13,780 Ft to a height of 4667 M / 15,302 Ft.
Thereafter, the first pass that you cross is Nakee La (15,547 Ft). The next
pass, which is the highest altitude that you reach on today’s drive, is
Lachulung La (5065 M / 16,616 Ft).
The rocky citadels that were seen earlier are at a closer range. From these
rocks fine gravel slithers down like huge sand dunes descending to the road
below. These sand dune like patches are a unique feature of the landscape in
Ladakh. One then enters a gorge running alongside the river. Some of the rock
faces along the gorge look like huge anthills. Every bend in the road offers
unforgettable views of the intricate patterns of the rocky outcrop. Within the
gorge is Kangla Jal (4,878 M) where you cross a stream. This brings you to Pang.
After a 15 minutes ascent from Pang, you find yourself in the vast expanse of
the Morri Plains, which appears immediately on getting to the top of the climb.
The view of the vastness of the plains with mountains in the background is
breathtaking. Along the Morri Plains the road curves gently to the right and you
descend into a valley. A huge dry lake with a yellow sandy bed is on the right.
About 27 km short of Taklang La there is a prominent dirt track to the right of
the road, which is marked for Tso Kar. Traveling for about 6 km along this dirt
track for around 15 – 20 minutes you come to Tso Kar.
Tso Kar is also called “White Lake” because of the salt deposits around it. It
is a small lake with the backdrop formed by a chain of snow peaked mountains.
The waters are deep blue in colour and the mountains, like the rest of the
Ladakhi landscape are of varying shades of brown and purple with snow capped
peaks. The banks are covered with salt deposits. The water of the lake is so
salty that the salt that is deposited on its banks is sold all over Ladakh and
Kashmir. A Nomad Headquarters (Samad Rockchen) is located next to the lake.
There will be awesome photo opportunities to capture the serenity of the lake.
You will be spending your night here in a tented camp.
DAY 7 TSO KAR - LEH
BY SURFACE / 141 KM / APPROX 4- 5 HRS
After breakfast, your journey today takes you over the second highest motorable
pass in the world - Taklang La (5,336 M / 17,582 Ft) On crossing over the pass
the full force of the awesome stark grandeur of barren mountains greets you. The
near distance mountains are greenish – brown in color, the middle distance ones
are purplish – grayish and snow-capped peaks are visible in the distance.
Approximately an hour’s drive brings you to the bottom of the pass where you
level up with a stream that is caused by melting snows. Thereafter, the road
gradually descends along the river course. Descending from the pass the road
gets you back in to civilization passing through picturesque villages with
well-cultivated fields and finally meets the Indus River at Upshi. From Upshi,
an hour’s drive moving downstream besides the Indus River brings you to Leh.
After the bump and grind of crossing over high mountain passes, the smooth fast
drive on the stretch from Upshi to Leh comes as a welcome relief.
DAY 8 IN LEH – VISIT TO THIKSE (HT 3230 M) – HEMIS GOMPA (HT 3450 M) - STOK
PALACE (HT 3650 M)
You begin the day by visiting THIKSE MONASTERY, which is one of the most vibrant
and active monasteries in the region. It dates back to the 16th century and is
part of the Gelug-pa Sect. It is headed by successive reincarnations of the
Khanpo Rimpoche. The monastery is 12 storied and painted in deep shades of red,
ochre and white. It has evolved around a central courtyard with buildings
surrounding it from three sides. At one extreme lies the main dukhang, which
houses numerous racks containing religious texts. Behind the main alter lies a
small chamber that contains images of revered deities.
Continue your drive upstream along the Indus River to HEMIS GOMPA, crossing over
the Indus at the village of Karu. The most famous of Ladakh’s monasteries, Hemis
or Changchub Samstanling (The love palace of the compassionate person), dates
back to the 17th century and was built over a period of 40 years (1602 – 1642
A.D.). Today Hemis is well known for its festival or Hemis Tsechu commemorating
the birthday of Guru Padmasambhava. In the year of the Monkey (every 12 years) a
giant thangka depicting Guru Padmasambhava is unfurled from the terrace draping
the five-storey facade. Delicately wrought in pearls and appliqué, it is one of
the most famous art treasures of Ladakh. The central courtyard forms the focus
for the masked dances held every year in summer. In the dukhang, remnants of the
original 17th century murals can be seen. The gompa boasts of an excellent
library, well preserved frescoes and murals, silver gilt chortens and a Kashmiri
lacquered wooden throne.
On the return journey to Leh, drive to STOK PALACE, which is the present
residence of the former royal family of Ladakh. King Teswang Thondup Namgyal
built the palace in 1825. The last king of Ladakh died here in 1974. The main
palace is five storeys high. The palace museum displays the collections of the
royal family. In the queen’s chamber can be seen royal ornaments such as the
beautifully crafted turquoise studded perak (head dress), the queen’s crown as
well as the necklace of the Balti Princess, Gyal Khatun. Within the king’s room
are displayed exquisite thangkas, most significant of which is the set of 35
thangkas depicting the stories relating to the former lives of Buddha. Other
artifacts include silver chortens, the king’s crown and a 7th century image of
Avalokitesvara as well as jade cups, fine porcelain and ritual objects.
A Gompa is situated behind the museum and contains some ritual dance marks and
frescoes. An annual archery contest is held here in July. Return to your hotel
for dinner and an overnight stay.
DAY 9 LEH - OVER KHARDUNG LA (HT 5602 M) - HUNDER (HT 4350 M) (NUBRA VALLEY)
– APPROX 5 HRS
The road journey from Leh to NUBRA VALLEY passes over KHARDUNG LA (the highest
motorable road in the world) at 5602 M / 18,390 Ft, around 39 km from Leh. From
the pass, one can see all the way south over the Indus valley to seemingly
endless peaks and ridges of the Zanskar range, and north to the giants of the
Saser massif. Nubra Valley is popularly known as Ldumra or the valley of
flowers. It is situated in the north of Ladakh between the Karakoram and Ladakh
ranges of the Himalayas. The average altitude of the valley is 10,000 Ft. above
sea level. The Shayok and Saichen Rivers drain Nubra. The flat part of the river
is sandy & occupied by green farms & myricaria. The villages look pretty with
greenery, willow & poplar trees. Till partition Nubra Valley was one of the
trade centers, the ancient famous Silk Route passed through this area.
Before proceeding to your camp at Hunder, stop to visit DISKIT MONASTERY perched
on a rock overhanging next to a stream, which provides the source of energy used
by mills in the area. The monastery is rich, full of thangkas, magnificent giant
statues, effigies of the Buddha and old mural paintings in which can be noted a
multitude of influences. It was founded by Lama Sherab Zangpo of Stod around
1420 A.D. DISKIT is the main village or headquarters of Nubra Valley, which has
a small market consisting of a row of shops.
After your visit to the monastery and shortly after leaving Diskit you will
comes across sand dunes on the right of the road. Seen in isolation you could
well be amongst the sand dunes of the Thar Desert in Rajasthan. It is indeed a
strange sight since immediately on the left of the road are Rocky Mountains that
characterize the Ladakhi landscape and in the distance can be seen snow-capped
mountains. Overnight in your camp at Hunder.
DAY 10 IN NUBRA VALLEY – BACTERIAN CAMEL SAFARI AT HUNDER - PANAMIK – APPROX
1 ½ HRS - SAMSTANLING GOMPA IN SUMOOR – APPROX ½ HR – HUNDER – APPROX 1 HRS
After breakfast you will get the unique opportunity to ride on a bacterian camel
(double humped) amidst the sand dunes of this high altitude desert with snow
capped mountains on the horizon. Thereafter, crossing over the Shayok River you
will be driving upstream long the Saichen River to Panamik. The place has a
number of hot springs on the right of the road just before entering the village.
Panamik is literally the end of the road for this trip, as one has to return
from this spot. On the return journey you stop by to visit SAMSTANLING GOMPA
founded by Lama Tsultims Nima. The Gompa has some strict rules and regulations
like not allowing women in the monastery after sunset and before sunrise, no
smoking etc. From here you will drive back to Hunder for dinner and an overnight
stay.
DAY 11 HUNDER - LEH – APPROX 3 HRS
After breakfast drive to Leh over Khardung La. Afternoon rest and relax or take
a walk to the local market. Overnight at your hotel.
DAY 12 LEH - DELHI
BY FLIGHT 9W 610 - DEP AT 0735 HRS / ARR. AT 0850
HRS
In time transfer to the airport for your flight to Delhi. Assistance on arrival
and transfer to your hotel. In the afternoon proceed for a city tour of Old
Delhi. Visit Red Fort built by Emperor Shah Jahan; Jama Masjid, one of the
largest mosques in India. Later drive to visit Qutab Minar, the tallest stone
tower in India or you have the option to relax after your stay in high altitude.
Farwell dinner on the way to the airport and transfer to the international
airport for your onward journey / home. |
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