Srinagar - Leh - Manali 2012!

Please search for a post by Vistet on this forum, and click on the link to his blog. He keeps data about recent years road openings.

gueess you are saying about timings of day???

I suppose it is 11AM, though not 100% sure

Yes, I am referring to the daily opening times. I am getting varied information. Anyway, I will call the taxi union as the day approaches and update in IM.

Meanwhile on your trip Dheeraj, if you can get some info, please can you pass on?

Traveling is just 50% of happiness for me but the rest 50% lies in sharing the knowledge accumulated while traveling with others fellow travelers...

I will have loads of info. to pass on once I am back... Will share everything as soon as I am back

This statement is quite evident from the blog you maintain!

Hi IMers,
I have been following IM for quite sometime and reading all your posts regarding Leh. I am planning for 12 - 14 days trip to Leh from Chennai. My draft plan is:
Day 1 - Chennai - Delhi - Srinagar
Day 2 & 3 - Srinagar to Leh. (Can I include one more day here so that I can see Sonmarg? ) Suggestions, please.
Day 4 - Rest at Leh
Day 5 - Leh local sight seeing
Day 6 - Leh - Nubra valley (overnight stay)
Day 7 - Return from Nubra - Leh (any suggestions here?)
Day 8 - Leh - Pangong Lake (overnight stay)
Day 9 - Return from Pangong - Leh
Day 10 - Leh - Tso Morri Lake and back to Leh(Is it redundant seeing both the lakes? Or anyother suggestions here? )
Day 11 - Lamayaru - Alchi
Day 12, 13 - Leh - Manali by road
Day 14 - Manali - Delhi - Chennai

My queries are:
1. I can do this trip in July or August or September 2012. We are family and would like to see a lot of snow.. So, which month would be better?
2. Is doing Srinagar - Leh and return back by Leh - Manali a good option? Or the other way around?
3. Does the plan seem okay or too rushed up? If yes, I can drop one place.
4. I am planning to take private vehicle for the entire trip (no shared taxis pls). In that case how much of a budget am I looking at? I have seen the threads about prices, they are a bit old (around 2009 or 2010).

Hoping you guys could help me out.

Thanks,
Lakshmi.

My comments are inline.

Thanks a lot @dheerajsharma14. So,
Day 2 - Srinagar - Kargil. Overnight stay at Kargil ?? Or at Alchi? Got confused here.
Day 3 - sightseeing of Sham Valley including Alchi, Likir, Basgo, Phyang, Manetic Hills, Confluence, Pathersahib and move towards Leh this day.

While returning from Nubra you had suggested to
Shyok village route when does it open usually? I am quite aware of the above places which you have mentioned.

Should I pre-book the hotels stay, taxis using some travel agent? We are a family of 5 people with 3 persons in more than 60+ age group. Or I can get it directly in Leh?

Thanks again for your help !!

Hi Lakshmi_87,

Will advise you to go through the threads in the 'Ladakh and Zanskar' forum (the sticky ones mainly), and you will receive all the answers.

Hi Lakshmi_87,
The last time I visited Ladakh was in Sep,'11. Carpetting of the Shyok Valley route was in full swing at the time. Following the winter of 11 - 12, I hope u will find the road motorable this year by July.

Another small suggestion: Instead of returning back to Leh on Day 9, you can straightaway go to Tso moriri. The usual route is via Upshi. Alternately, you can take a dirt track from Pangong (Spangmik) to Chusul to Nyoma to Tsomoriri. But do remember to take an IL permit for this road you u are planning to take it. Either way, you save a day as u return back to Leh on day 10 without making it too hectic.

Thank you @saugata and @soumenm.. I have gone through many threads. There are loads of information!!

How long does it take to go directly from Pangong to Tso Moriri? Wouldn't it be a very long travel? I would like to save one day and use it elsewhere.
This is how, I have changed the plans. Thanks to IMers for their help.

Day 1 - Chennai - Delhi - Srinagar - Sonamarg. Overnight at Sonamarg. (possible?)
Day 2 - Sonamarg - Drass - Kargil - Lamayuru. Overnight at Lamayuru.
Day 3 - Lamayuru / Alchi sight seeing of Sham Valley including Alchi, Likir, Basgo, Phyang, Manetic Hills, Confluence, Pathersahib while you move towards Leh this day... Alchi - Leh. Overnight at Leh.
Day 4 - Leh local sightseeing + Innerline permits
Day 5 - Leh - Nubra. Overnight at Nubra.
Day 6 - Sumur and Panamik via Nubra - Leh. If Shyok Village route has opened then skip sumur and panamik and go to Pangong tso directly on this day from Nubra Valley. But confirm first. The one saved day can be used to visit Turtuk village from Hunder/Diskit
OR
Day 6 - If Shyok is open, Nubra - Pangong Tso

Day 7 - Leh - Pangong lake. Overnight at Pangong
OR
Day 7 - Pangong - Leh. In this case, I will be getting one day extra
Day 8 - Return from Pangong - Leh
Day 9 - Leh - Tso Morri. Overnight at Tso Moriri
Day 10 - Tso Moriri - Tso Kar - Pang - Sarchu
Day 11 - Sarchu - Manali
Day 12 - Manali - Delhi - Chennai
Day 13 - Buffer
Day 14 - Buffer

My questions now are
1. I planned for some 16 days trip. With 2 days buffer, I still have 2 more days with me. Any suggestions for the buffer day and 2 extra days?
2. We would like to see a lots of snow. @captain_bruce had suggested that so much snow wouldn't be fun. But still, we saw huge snow at Nathulla pass and Yumthang valley in November and it was wonderful. We would like to see snow too. Keeping that in mind, would June be suitable? (June 9 -24). Will Srinagar - Leh and Leh - Manali be open that time?

Hi All,

I and my family is planning Delhi to leh by road, but i have following queries

1) Can we do it in Maruti Esteem?
2) I have 9 day leaves in hand only combining 2 weekends and we are targeting Delhi-Manali-Keylong-Leh then back by Leh-Keylong-Kalpa-Shimla-Delhi and 2 days in Leh visiting Khardungla and Panong Lake. Is it all right? or are we gonna face any problems in itinerary?
3) I also have a kid in the group, she is just about 1.5 years old. Will she be Ok during the trip?

Let me know.

Regards
Tarun

Hi,
Essentially, you are giving five days to Ladakh - it is less for covering all the places. Also you have to keep in mind the accimitization factor after Manali/Rohtang.

At Ladakh, you will need one day to arrange the ILPs. Then, to and fro journey to Nubra valley will take two days. A back breaking journey to Pangong Tso will take a day (will be very taxing on health). It won't leave you enough time for Tso Moriri, since owing to distance factor, one can not cover it in a day. Then, you have no time also for local sight seeing at Leh and visits to places around Leh.

I am most concerned about acclimitization - mountain sickness can spoil a trip, which is made in a break neck speed. See if you can add atleast two ore days.

Anirban Mukherjee
Kolkata

Hi Lakshmi_87,

Day 5: You can stay at Hundar. Early morning of Day 6 by the sand dunes at Hundar would be an extremely serene experience. Then by midmorning proceed towards Turtuk. Turtuk is further up the Shyok valley near the LOC, and about 3 hrs from Hundar.

Day 6: Stay at Turtuk. A wonderful, green village amidst apricort orchards surrounded by rugged hills provide a strange contrast. There are a few nice accomodation:eg Turtuk Holiday camp: Tel; 09419219868, 9906993123

Day 7: Start early morning from Turtuk, to Sumur / Leh / Pangong.

Regarding your other query, both the highways should be open at the time of your visit ie Mid-June.

With regards,
Soumenm

Thanks soumenm !!

Day 5 - I will make sure I stay at Hundar to visit the sand dunes.
Day 6 - Turtuk. Thanks for sharing the contact details.

I read somewhere in IM thread that taxi from Srinagar, which I will be using till Leh cannot be used for local sight seeing in Lamayuru / Alchi. But according to my plan, Day 2 & 3, is it possible to do sightseeing in Lamayuru and Alchi??

I tried speaking with taxi driver Regzin whom Kaushik and others have appreciated. But couldn't communicate much since I am not so good at speaking Hindi. Will speak with him using some translators and get back with some more questions.