Just completed a part of the vast.....sharing the Turtuk Holiday Camp Brochure

I have just completed Kolkata-Delhi-Mandi-Manali-Sarchu-Leh-Panamik-Sumur-Hunder-Turtuk-Diskit-Leh-Pangong-Man-Merak-Chusul-Loma-Noyoma-Mahe-Chumathang-Tsomoriri-Chumathang-Upshi-Leh-Kargil-Srinagar-Delhi-Kolkata with my family. [5th-21st Aug, 2011] Yahoooooooooooooooo.....

It's awsome.... so many memories to share. But just want to start with a thing.... I had a lunch in Turtuk Holiday Camp, didn't had the time to stay though. Here's their brochure attached. No body asked me to do this but I thought this might be helpful to the people of Turtuk as well as all IM members. Don't know if its right or not in IM.

Mod pls delete it if its wrong to provide direct contacts

I'll upload my pics & share it with you in a few days. Just a few highlights of the tour...

-While going to Nubra got a sunburn on K-Top & while returning had a heavy snowfall....
-Travelled almost 110kms from Fatula to Kargil by a truck as our car broke down & we survived luckly in the first loop of Fatula.
-Had to stay in Chumathang & skip Hanle as my parents had some problem in high altitude.
-Had to skip Tsokar due to road closed in Tanglang la due to heave snowfall.
-After a few kms of Chusul saw a flag march with China on 15th Aug while going from Pangong to Chumathang.... Jai Hind

And in Hunder...

In Leh....

sanndev, great to see you back with a successful trip and it's time to share your experience through a report and snaps

I don't think it's inappropriate share contacts of hotels and guest house and we have a separate section for hotel reviews too where you can post your experience. But where are the contacts for Pangong and Tsomoriri? Have you stayed at Tangtse or Spangmik in Pangong?

Few questions for you:

How easy was obtaining the permits for Chusul circuit?

Where you intended to stay at Hanle in your initial plan?

As fas as I know altitude of Hanle and Chumathang are at par, so why you choose to skip Hanle? Didn't you have any proper arrangement of accommodation at Hanle?

How was road condition in Nubra / Pangong / Chusul / Tsomoriri region?

Have you gone through some agents or gone independently? If you have gone independently, has your cab/driver charged you extra for taking Chusul route? If yes how much extra you paid for that?

Finally you are lucky because you choose to enter through Manali and exit through Srinagar, which should be other way out for better acclimatization. The snowfall that stopped your journey towards Tanglang la via Tsokar, had finally closed Barlacha and Rohtang too and people got stuck for 5/6 days in that route and so if you choose to return via Manali, your plan would have been messed up.

Good night...

Thanks a lot sanndev and the information you provided is extremely valuable. Many people don't have proper idea on how much should be the cost of Pangong - Chusul - Hanle - Tsomoriri sector as you won't get a rate for this in Taxi Union Rate Card. But your post can be very well used as an estimated cost for this sector.

Thanks for information on Chumathang too, it's hot place and that's a valuable information for many. Do you by any chance got any contact number / name of Chumathang Guest House?

Yes the bus accident is true and it came to all leading newspaper during that time, Here the news is in Indian Express and Hindustan Times.

But along with that Manali-Leh highway was blocked and Rohtang last I knew was opened only for light vehicles just 2 days back and many people got stuck on the road.

Well I was lucky then not choosing Manali as the return path and sorry I don't have any number of Chumathang Guest House.... And I also found homestays in Chumathang village.It's little up from the main road.

There's at least 4 homestays in Merak I saw.... took a pic of one but can't find now. Will post later, So anyone can skip Spangmik & drive upto Merek if they want. Nice little village.

There's a PWD guest house & Forest Guest house in Noyoma. It's quite a big place but didn't find any homestays or GH. An airport is under construction before Noyoma, so it's going to be very busy within next few years.

Great information, I was not aware Merak is also an option to stay. Thanks sanndeb for the update, would wait for your report and snaps

One of the homestays in Merak.... Pic not so clear as I was on move....

Thanks for sharing this info sanndeb. Quite useful!!

Great information ...thanks.

Sanndeb, first let me congratulate you for showing the courage to explore the no so well travelled part of Ladakh. Again I would like to thank you for waking me up from a period of deep slumber when I didn’t write in this forum [may be for more than couple of years].

I am planning a similar kind of road trip, albeit I am trying to drive my own car with a small team, may be late Aug - early Sept 2012. So if you can please provide some useful information like…

1. How bad [or good] was the roads as much as u can remember
2. What was your vehicle
3. List of places your driver fuelled up or where you saw a petrol pump.
4. Journey times [point to point] : cover as much as u remember and approximate
5. Lodges/Homestays : you have provided some, have anything more?
6. How cold was it during your visit (if you had a thermometer)?

My request to you is that please take the pain to write up a travelogue [if not very detailed, a one which may act as guide for future travelers like me] which will remain as a treasure for you as well as this forum.

Thanks

The pics will give you some idea about the whole road condition from Pangong-Man-Merak-Chusul-Tsaga la-Loma route. All r running shots.

And some more...