Road Trip to Leh Ladakh - Part 2

So in the previous blog, I had told completed the journey till Nubra Valley. So after taking a night halt at Nubra Valley, Next day early morning you may start off for further journey. The next destination would be the famous Pangong Tso Lake. It might take 8-10 hours to reach Pangong Tso Lake from Nubra Valley, so I suggest you should start early in the morning so that you will reach on time. The Pangong Tso lake is situated at approximately 14000 ft. above the sea level.

You can take a night halt at Pangong Tso lake. The lake is very famous tourist attraction known for the movie 3 Idiots, this lake is also paradise for photographers!! There are many camps and tents available on rent ranging from Rs. 800 per night to R. 2500 per night. These tents start welcoming the guest by afternoon approximately by 3 PM, so, they also serve you with dinner and breakfast for the next day.

One of the shooting location of 'Jab tak hai Jaan' - On the way to Pangong Tso Lake

We found a lengthy patch filled with white sand!!! And it had no greenery...

First view of the lake

And we reach there...

Amazing view isn't it??

ALLL is WELLLLLL...!!!

After taking one night halt at Pangong Tso lake, the next day you can move ahead and go to visit Tso Moriri Lake. Again you need to start early in the morning to reach the destination in time. It will take 8-10 hours to reach Tso Moriri lake. During our visit, we had to cancel the Tso Moriri visit because we had to cover a long distance ahead and we had less time. But you can plan the visit as per the details I am sharing and visit each and every part of the region!!!

So, after Pangong Tso lake, we headed towards Himanchal. On the way to Himanchal, we crossed two passes namely : Changla Pass and Taglangla Pass. The Changla Pass is situated at 17688 ft above the sea level, while the Taglangla Pass is situated at 17582 ft. above the sea level. 

Changla Pass

On the way to Taglangla Pass

Taglangla Pass

Taglangla pass is the location from where onward you will enter Himanchal Pradesh. Himanchal Pradesh will welcome you with two beautiful lakes namely - Suraj Tal and Chandra Tal. After crossing the lakes, you can drive down till Sarchu (Himanchal Pradesh) and again take a night halt. Sarchu is a place where maximum tourists take night halt. You will find many dormitories in Sarchu, you will also get home cooked food in every dormitory. But try to reach Sarchu as early as possible because it is a really tiresome journey and roads are also not that good. 

After taking night halt at Sarchu, you can next day head for Manali!! Start early in the morning so that you will reach outskirts of Manali by lunch time. Here on the way to Manali, you will again cross a pass called Rohtang Pass. This pass is situated at 13058 ft. above the sea level. As soon as you enter Manali, you will start enjoying the pleasant weather of Manali!! 

Rohtang Pass

Since Manali was our last destination of the tour, we thought of spending time in relaxing. Manali is known for spas and cafes!! you can also go for para gliding if it is available in the season when you go!! Try spending time in Old Manali.. You will get numerous cafes and shopping spots there.. 

You can also try to explore Solang valley in Manali. It is a snow laden valley with many recreational facilities available. Spend quality time with your friends and family. You can stay at Manali for 3-5 days depending on type to stay you are looking for.

So the trip ended with relaxation at Manali... If you are driving by your own vehicle, the route which is described in the blog can be used, other wise you can also break the journey in parts as per your convenience. There many taxis and travelers you can tie up with.... So plan your trip and enjoy the journey!!!! 

This blog was just a helping hand to those who are planning there trip in future. My next blog will cover the things which you should be aware of before going to high altitude. 

Road Trip To Leh Ladakh - Part 1

For the people who love to drive, road trip to Leh Ladakh is a dream. The tourist season in Leh starts from April and ends by September. If you wish to go to Leh Ladakh, the most important point is to plan your trip well in advance. Never be under the impression that this road trip can be the successful and unplanned trip.  The terrain in which you have to go is located in high altitudes, therefore it is better to be aware about everything before starting.

Leh ladakh can be completed in a time period of 5-7 days, but if you want to make it a memorable one, you should at least spend 10 - 15 days because everything in and around the city is worth visiting and you really do not know when will you get the chance to visit again. For our trip, the route which we followed was -

Srinagar - Sonmarg - Kargil - Leh - Ladakh - Manali - Jammu - Srinagar.

You may even plan a different route as per your wish and convenience. The road trip can be done through various channels like bike ride, drive down in your own vehicle, hire a taxi or a traveler. You can also take a flight to Leh, but try to avoid this way because a sudden change in the altitude might make you feel dizzy, you  might also suffer from headache. The people with heart problem, asthma or any such issues should consult a doctor before going to Leh. So, the best option is to either drive down by your own vehicle so that you get acclimatized to the altitude, or take a flight to Srinagar and then hire a taxi from there onwards.

If you go via Srinagar, you may visit Dal lake on the way to Sonmarg, take a shikara ride, have lunch near Dal Lake and then move ahead. You will reach Sonmarg within 2 hours as the distance of Sonmarg from Srinagar is around 80 kms. You may take a night halt at Sonmarg and meanwhile you should take a trip to the local market there.

The next stoppage is at the famous Kargil War Memorial. This memorial is worth visiting. People know about the Kargil Operation, but when you visit the memorial you will actually understand that how difficult it was to defeat the enemy and win!! It gives goosebumps!!! You can take a short break at the memorial before moving ahead because it has good small eateries.

Kargil War Memorial

After this, you can straightaway head towards Leh. On the way to Leh you will witness natural beauties at every step!! Take time to click pictures wherever you feel like, but make sure you keep a track of time because you should reach Leh before the sunset... I am uploading some of my personal clicks here...

On the way to Leh

You will see many such amazing structures on the way!!

And yes, I met this friend...

The sudden change in weather

Moonland... Only thi spatch of land looks like the surface of moon

After crossing all the beauty, finally we reach Leh. We had planned to stay at Leh for three days and visit the nearby places. The next day you can visit the monasteries of Leh, and go around for shopping and exploring the food joints. The leh market is famous for decorative items and stone jewellery. You may also pay a short visit to the Leh palace, Thiksey Monastery, Hemis Monastery etc. The most important place to visit in Leh is the Shanti Stupa which is situated at 11841 ft above the sea level! When you reach at Shanti Stupa, you can see the Leh city from that height!! 

Stone Jewellery Market

Decorative Items

Shanti Stupa

View from Shanti Stupa

The day one is utilized in exploring Leh city. On day 2, you may proceed for Khardungla pass. The Khardungla Pass is the highest motor able pass. The way to Khardungla pass is a dangerous route, so drive carefully. The Khardungla pass being on such a height, can cause headaches, and high blood pressure problems in many people, so if you feel any such issue, it is suggested to drive down to the lower height as soon as possible. After visiting Khardungla pass, you can go to Nubra valley. The Nubra valley is at a lower height. If you reach on the right time, Nubra valley is a good place for river rafting. So, try reaching Nubra valley by afternoon so that you get a chance for rafting. You can stay for a night at Nubra valley, may be in a home stay or in a hotel. But make sure you book them in advance. Nubra valley is also known for star gazing. 

Khardungla Pass @ 18380 ft. above the sea level

The blue line visible on the hill is actually the road to Khardungla pass!!!

Nubra Valley

Nubra valley

After taking a halt at Nubra Valley, next day you should start early morning to cross Chang la Pass and reach Pangong Tso lake by afternoon!!!

The further journey will be covered in the next blog... stay tuned and do share the information with your friends!!! 

And the next blog is here -  http://neha-777.blogspot.com/2018/03/road-trip-to-leh-ladakh-part-2.html

Is this the way to Bid adieu to the Legend - Sridevi!!

Sridevi!! This name is enough to take you all back in the era of 80's and 90's. Sridevi ruled the heart of Indian people for a very very long time!! She is considered as the first lady super star of the film industry. Sridevi is resting in peace now, but she will always rule the hearts of millions of people....

The accident which happened with the departed soul was very unfortunate, but more unfortunate was the reaction people showed over the social media. Since the day when the sad news came in, people have been so curious about each and every action happening in Dubai and in India. 

When the news about cardiac arrest came in, people tried to accept it somehow though there were many speculations about the reason behind the cardiac arrest was her over dieting and weight maintenance issues!!! As soon as the post-mortem report came with written as 'accidental drowning', people started being skeptical about her murder. Some of them even declared her husband as the killer. People flooded social media with varieties of reactions like posting memes, jokes, trolls etc. We have to accept the fact that a person can drown in a bath tub, and this is a very common accident which can be the reason of death. 

Creating memes for a person who is no more!!!!! Doesn't it feel stupid to even think of making a joke out of the accident happened to the departed soul? How would you feel if you see your kin's death memes and jokes all over the social media...

As the days passed by, people accepted the sad truth.. but then comes the question of why she got a state honor, while she was JUST an actor. JUST an actor who devoted her life to cinema (saying this because she had started acting at the age of four, and she died at 54). So, in a way it has taken her life's time to get to the level of being a Padma Shree. Though all the Padma Shree awardees do not get state honor, but Sridevi definitely deserved what she has got. She is the first lady super star of the industry, Sridevi broke the glass ceiling in the 90's. She was the first lady to charge 1-3 crore fees per film!! Sridevi happens to be the inspiration of many present actors...

Rather questioning about why she was wrapped in a Tricolor, think about what all she had to undergo to reach this level. She sacrificed her school life, her college life, she started earning at the age of four. And I think it is not that easy to be a bread earner at such a young age.  So what if she died under the influence of alcohol, it was so unfortunate that she could not revive herself when she was drowning. Small amount of alcohol should not have taken away the honor which she deserved... Sri Amma Yanger Ayappan, entertained the people of India for 50 Years i.e half of a century!!!! I think she deserved the honor for her contribution to the India Cinema!!!! 

 May her soul Rest in Peace!!