Single woman traveller - first solo trip ever - LADAKH

online booking for busses?! I've never heard of it, but stranger things have happened.

Its with the hptdc website.

HPTDC buses can be uncertain especially in August when Rohtang would be expected to be at its worst. I have seen many cancellations in last minute for last 2 years, keep some backup ready if you plan to take buses during that time.

Can you suggest some backup plans from Manali (?) Thanks for warn in advance.

If the road is closed then the back up is to enjoy your time in manali instead of fretting.

True, if roads are closed, you really don't have much options but to wait, hence if I were you, I would have keep a flight ticket from Delhi ready and cancel it if it is not required in last minute from Delhi itself.

If you plan well in advance, sometimes Del-IXL sector fligths are available in unbelieveably low prices.

Otherwise if buses don't ply (They sometimes cancel even with open roads, showing poor road condition,) you have to take a shared cab but be prepared for a canon ball run from Manali to Leh in one go and that won't help you much to enjoy this breathtakingly beautiful roads.

Thank you Kshil. I was also in a fact thinking in considering of flight from Delhi if the road condition came out bad at the time. That is also a good idea to prebook flight tickets and later cancel them if requires. Can you tell me is the HPTDC buses travel daily from Manali to Leh, or it's limited in a week (?)

I am not absolutely sure on frequency but so far I am aware it's daily service in the peak months, atleast in July and August it should be daily. Apart from HPTDC, HP Road Transport and JKSRTC should also have regular service in this route during July/August. But HPTDC cancel the service in very short notice, that's what I observed in recent years.

HRTC buses only between Manli-Leh , daily runs when the road is open , see updates below. HPTDC buses start running in July. Daily ??...three times a week at least.

Yes, thanks Vistet. I've also contacted the HPTDC personnel, and they advised that online booking will be start from May 2012 for Manali-Leh. Thanks for the link, it seem I'd be updated with the road condition there.

I was just wondering, if is there's any probability of traveling other than Leh taxis (i.e. local bus) to the areas like Pangong Tso, Khardung La, Tso Moriri etc. (?)

Very well and comprehensively written. Just went through every word of it and seriously, liked it a lot. I am wishing my dream of solo backpaacking come true some day... ... The log got me dreaming of the place again. Thanks for such efforts and also for sharing such useful info with us.

Nubra is having relatively better connectivity but Pangong connects to Leh only twice a week, Saturday and Sunday, Tsomoriri is even worse, a connection with Leh thrice a month, 10th/20th and 30th of month. So it's possible but you need meticulous planning and a lot of time to adjust with the timing of public transport.

Thanks Kshil, perhaps I should consider the other transportation since I can't wait a month long

Is Leh and Ladakh are different place - I guess probably yes! If yes, is Ladakh is a 'permit zone' (?) i.e. Army?

Ladakh is the name of the district, India's largest district where as Leh is it's capital. In Leh you don't need permit. But venturing areas like Nubra, Changthang you need permit where as the areas in Kargin/Zanskar region doesn't need any permit. Permit is issued by DC and can be checked at various ITBP Posts. For some specific place like visit towards Siachen or to Demchok you need to get army permission too on top of the permit issued by DC.