Nubra - overnight at Turtuk or not?

I am planning to spend 3 days/2 nights in Nubra valley in August 2012. I am unable to decide whether I need to spend the night at Turtuk or not.

My tentative itinerary,
Day 1 - Drive from Leh to Diskit to Hunder - camel rides/sand dunes etc. Overnight at Hunder
Day 2 - Hunder to Turtuk early morning, enjoy the scenic drive, spend day at Turtuk, late afternoon, Turtuk to Diskit, overnight at Diskit
Day 3 - Start early morning, Diskit to Sumur to Panamik, Late afternoon, Panamik to Leh, overnight at Leh

Question 1: Should I stay overnight at Turtuk, say on Day 2, and drive (long drive) from Turtuk to Leh on Day 3? Would a day trip to Turtuk suffice?
Question 2: From my tentative plan, isnt Day 3 just a list of long drives? Should I just skip Panamik to have a saner day?

I am traveling with 2 little kids (6 & 8) too. Holiday Camp at Turtuk is asking for Rs5k/- for tented accommodation with meals for the four of us.

Please advice
Sampath

1. I don't think you need a overnight stay at Turtuk. The drive from Hundar to Leh might take maximum of 3 hrs. It is close to 70 km from Hundar. The roads are almost as good as any city roads except in few places. And it is not a long drive back from Turtuk. The scenary is very beautiful you will never realise you are back in Hundar.

2. If you are planning for Sumur and Panamik and back to Leh on the same day, then you might need to start early from Diskit. And yes, it is a long drive. Personally, after seeing Turtuk, I found the drive to Sumur and Panamik less interesting. If you want to see hot springs, you can go there. Otherwise, you can visit the Maitreya Buddha and Diskit Monastery (if not already seen on Day 1) on your Day 3 and start proceeding towards Leh.

And 5000 INR seems costly for a night. But the place is very remote. There isn't as such any tourist spots in Turtuk. You just have to walk around the village on both sides of the bridge. I will post a picture of the bridge and Turtuk soon. You will understand that spending 2 or 3 hours there is okay. Hope this helps.

That is definitely very helpful, lakshmi_87.
I am going to skip overnight stay at turtuk and make it a day trip. I am going to skip panamik too, but need to do some more research before dissing Sumur. I did read somewhere (maybe another thread here) that after the drive from Hundar to Turtuk, the drive on the other side of the river, road to sumur/panamik is not that great, ofcourse only when compared to the former.
Thanks for your advise. Please do post the pictures soon.
Sampath

Hi Sampath,
Please find some photos. The photos are right from the camera without any post-processing. Trust me, it is more beautiful than this. I am not good at taking photos.

Sumur Monastery

Panamik Hot Springs

Hot springs has 2 sources. This is Source -2

In Turtuk, there is a river that flows right in the middle of the village. There is a bridge that can be used to cross the river. The village is on the either side of the bridge. You just have to walk and explore. Few snaps of the bridge and the river.



Please let me know if you have any queries.

The pictures are pretty good. We will probably go to Sumur. I am guessing the walks around the places will not be tiring, I am going with a 6 yr old girl, dont want to tire her out before Pangong trip after Nubra.
One more question, any restaurants or dhabas you would recommend at Nubra - Diskit/Hunder/Turtuk/Sumur?
Please let me know.
Sampath

The walks are not that tiring. The village has huts or houses. We just went a little inside and were chatting with a group of kids.

I don't think there is anything called restaurant/dhabas. Where ever you stay, they provide you food. But in Diskit I remember seeing one or two restaurants. For a list of photos and contacts about the hotels I stayed in, you can check hereand here

For some photos which I have uploaded so far check the link here

Thanks lakshmi.