planning trip to leh in december

PrinceSSshilpz

hey everyone!!

I was wondering if I could get help with planning a trip to Leh. I have never been there but I was given an Itenary for december:

As dec is the only month I can take off for travelling could I please get some advice or help on this matter..

Much appreciated.

itenary:

Day 1 Delhi to Leh (by plane)
Day 2 Rest of the day at leisure to acclimatize
Day 3 Spituk Monastery, Sankar
Day 4 Shey, Thikshey, Hemis
Day 5 Leh- Sarchu (overnight stay)
Day 6 Sarchu-Manali
Day 7 Manali- Dharamshala

I have a few questions on this matter:

1. Is there something to be seen that I am missing in Leh as i have only 5 days to be there?

2. Do I need anykind of documentation to visit these places?

3. Is private hired vehicle better or a Taxi from Leh to dharamshala?


Thank you so much. Regards

Haylo

You do know that all the restaurants are going to be shut and that it's going to be cold there, right?

I don't mean that it's going to be just a bit nippy, I mean it's going to be so cold that there probably won't be any running water or showers and you're going to have to flush toilets by throwing buckets of water down them?

Apologies if you already know this.

EDITED TO ADD: Just noticed that you seem to be planning to drive out via Manali... If you want to drive out, your five days in Leh is more likely to turn into at least five MONTHS! Good luck with that one...

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rickydee

No land approach is availble in the months of December to April. you can only fly in & fly out of the valley. That too when weather is clear.


Temparature in sarchu in those days could be -25 celcious. And Sarchu does not have hotel even in summers. only tented accomdation is availble during few months in summer.


Though December is not a tourist season but you can somehow get accomdation in guesthouse.


If weather allows you then you can see few monestry in or around leh valley.


overall for someone with limited no. of days for vacations it is not advicable to visit Leh in december

Haylo

Out of curiosity, who gave you that itinerary? Not a travel agent I hope!

IF you had told them it was for December, do not trust anything else they tell you, they're utterly clueless!

Welcome to IndiaMike by the way.

indracal

Here's one more person who wish to travel Leh/Ladakh in Dec: Ladakh In December

I had posted a link to another forum where the poster travelled during Dec - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...-december.html

Hmm, good time to experience "COLD" weather at Leh - lot of enthusiats, eh?

Haylo

I loved Ladakh in winter, though sadly I'm too much of a big girl's blouse to do the Frozen Zanskar River trek.

PrinceSSshilpz

thanks so much for ur replies.. well I got this Iteary from sone agency in delhi. Good, now i know not to trust them anymore.

I have been to India just twice before. Travelling with my friends, we wanted to do rajasthan and then leh.. well badluck i guess..

how about Manali and stuff?? are those places still accessible?

thankyou so much

Haylo

Oh, you can still go to Leh, you can even visit some monasteries, because once you're up there a lot of the roads in the surrounding area are kept open, but it will be cold, you will have to both fly in and out, and you will have to allow for flights being delayed due to bad weather.

It is stunning in winter though, and you'll certainly see a different and tourist-free side of India.

Of course, some might say that there's a very good reason for there being no tourists up there at that time of year..!
(I thought it was brilliant, but it seems that it's not only the midday sun that mad dogs and Englishmen go out in... )

vistet

As Haylo & others already has pointed out , this itinerary has been made by a clueless- starting with the fact that the Manali-Leh road at this moment already is closed.

With night tempereratures in Leh already at -13 I´d expect it to be well below -20 at Sarchu - which also has closed for the season.

Daytime is a lot warmer though , even if last year was a bit extreme with temperatures above zero well in to December.

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PrinceSSshilpz

so to understand clearly, If I can get time flexibility , I can fly in and out of Leh and travel in the valley??

Would I have to book anything before hand? and what about Manali? is that place open in december?

Really excited to visit Leh in Dec..

vistet

Road travel in the valley normally works , yes. Either you stay in one of the hotels that are open (with a heater ) , or you opt for the homelier alternative in one of the guest houses - with a good sleeping bag. No need to book , you won´t find many other gosers around to compete with - which is the complete opposite of Manali around Christmas.

Signs of a good guest house is the yellow water solar heater on the roof (which works well in to October ) and a well run , nearly odor less traditional Ladakhi dry toilet on the northern side of the house. This is also what fuels the garden. Water toilets are Evil.

sharonchristina2009

hey guys I am also headed to Leh from Delhi for 3 days flat. Jan 1 - 4th morning. I intend to enjoy some snow and visit monastries and try my hand at ice skating. I have extensively traveled through to the Himalayas but anything about minus 10 is gonna make me go crazy though I have ample winter gear. Any suggestions? I am staying at a 5 star hotel so they have heat and hot water. But tell me is there actually snow in Leh??? Thanks guys. Halo your insights could help. Cheers

nayan

There are 5 star hotels in Leh?

Since you are flying in - be careful about acclimatization. 24 hours rest in your hotel before you step out for excursions.

I donot remember any lake in leh... but then, I didnot go searching for them.

vistet

There is hot water in Leh ??

Jokes aside : I stayed thru a very cold December and January many , many years ago and saw precious little snow in Leh. What´s hard to take in even when you´re there is the dramatic change between both night and day , but also between being in the shadow and in the sun . Out in the open valley snow quickly scorches away , side valleys which are oriented north to south with fewer hours of direct sunlight accumulate more snow. I did manage to move from my first place to Changspa on skis on a lucky day with half a foot of snow , though.

Also remember , even though this year has been colder so far , that Leh was above the freezing point daytime in to December last year.

You´ll find a winter video etc in my high sticks post ( never seem to get around digitizing my own slides ) , these are from February and the SECMOL rink at their place some distance from Leh.

Also take Nayans remark about acclimatization to your heart : first day is about being taken to your hotel , sitting in the garden , short flat walk around the market in the afternoon , tops.

Haylo

Of course there is hot water in Leh, not everyone roughs it like you do.

We stayed in a luxury hotel - which meant that we had a steaming hot bucket of water delivered to our room every morning.

For someone who is used to camping out and having to light a fire first thing in the morning if they want hot water, that was sheer luxury. Ladies of a slightly more delicate disposition might not be too impressed...