8 Nights / 9 Days
This is a classic high-altitude cold desert selection titled the ‘Ladakh Special’.
It is truly special in many ways – the Leh-Ladakh belt is open for a very short window of 5-6 months in which to enjoy all its delights. It is also at premium costs and so could be a once in a lifetime journey. We at HST take all special efforts to make this a memorable experience for you, your family and your friends.
Leh is special in its geological, geographical, historical and geo-political significance even today. It is a journey down the past and up the future. Although a part of the state of Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh has a very different presence. The highlights include the Buddhist monasteries, the ancient royal palaces, the cold deserts, the glacial streams and the geological remnants of the Tethys Seas. The Hollywood blockbuster ‘3 idiots’ may have brought this place on your mental map in the last few years, but this place has been on the map of travellers, explorers, diplomats, motorcyclists-cyclists, climbers and the spiritual for many years long before that. Ladakh, opened for the ‘tourists’ just recently and has become a favourite destination for thousands of Indians and foreigners alike.04-0110-01
he arrival at Leh is unique in that you do need the rest of the day to acclimatize to the 11500 ft altitude no matter what your mental-physical health score.
Our service and care begins as soon as you arrive. A special vehicle shall pick you up and our representatives shall help you settle in at the Hotel.
Relax, eat light snacks, have plenty of water and perhaps you shall be driven to the nearby Shanti Stupa in the evening to witness the glorious sunset. And see the stunning views of the Leh town below, the palqces dotted around, the StokKangri range and the quiet evening winds. The Stupa itself is beautifully illuminated as the night comes on.
Back to the hotel, in time for dinner and warm conversations. Drinks are especially not recommended this first night. This shall be your first Overnighter in Leh.
After a wholesome breakfast you shall be taken around Leh.
The highlights would be the Old Leh Palace, theThiksey monastery, the Shey Palace and the Druk Padma School, fondly called Rancho’s School after your favourite Rancho in 3 Idiots.
A day od driving around with the tall rocky, snow top mountains around you and climbing up and down the monuments can be tiring.
So, back to the Hotel early evening to relax, dine and discuss the day’s sights and sounds. This shall be your second Overnighter in Leh.
After your breakfast we shall go on for the rafting to Chilling on the Zanskar River.
Hours of winds, sun and water shall make you hungry enough for a traditional lunch.
As we return / on oue way back to Leh, we shall stop at the Magnetic Hill which is a geological wonder. And theGurudwaraPatharSahib which is a geological and spiritual wonder rolled in one.
The Hall of Fame Museum shall be our last halt before we return to the Hotel.
So, back to the Hotel early evening to relax, dine and discuss the day’s sights and sounds. This shall be your thrid Overnighter in Leh
A wonderful 207 kms drive of about 7 hours is the agenda for this day.
After your favouritebreakfast you shall leave for leave for Turtuk. We cross over one of the highest motorablepasses viz the Khardungla Pass at a tortuously climbed 18,380 feet.
Turtuk, is the last frontier allowed to civilians and marks the border to Pakistan’s Baltistan region. As is expected of a border town it shows the intermingling of racial, cultural, religious and socio-economic aspects of people. Even linguistically, language-wise, these people are more Balti speaking than Hindi or Budhic speaking.
You may walk along the TurtukNala in the evening, a glacial stream that runs through the town,
Back to the tented accommodation at the Organic Resort, surrounded by organic gardens – from where most of your dinner and breakfast will come.This shall be your first Overnighter in Turtuk.
After an amazingly quiet restful tent night, you shall take in the rest of Turtuk and then drive onto Hunder later in the day.
So after your organic breakfast, you shall visit TurtukYul and Farol villages. The Fridge point, the Turtuk View point, the Jama Masjid and Mohammad Khan’s House are the highlights of the day.
A stunning 77 kms drive of about a 3 hours will bring you to Hunder later in the day.
Another equally beautiful Organic Resort shall be your tented accommodation for the night. This shall be your first Overnighter in Hunder.
After another amazingly quiet restful tent night, you shall take in the rest of Hunder and then drive onto Lehlater in the day.
So after your organic breakfast, you shall visit the sand dunes of Hunder and have your only chance to ride the Bactrian double-humped camel. Sadly,this transport marvel of the Silk Route era of bygone centurieshas become a mere pack animal after India’s partition in 1947 and now a ‘tourist ride animal’.
You shall then witness the DeskitGompa which is considered to be one of the oldest Monastery in Ladakh. A marvelous specimen of Buddhist art and ritual, the Deskit is must see place on this circuit.
Later in the morning, a 130 kms drive of about 5 hours shall take you back into Leh. On reaching by late afternoon, you shall be at your leisure the rest of the evening. This shall be your Overnighter in Leh, once again.
Ageological marvel and a Bollywood superstar, the PangongTso, is the highlight of today’s drive.
So after your favourite breakfast you shall leave fpr this 140 kms drive of about 5 hours. The scenic mountain-scape has the added adventure of passing another of the highest passes, the Changla Pass, at a 5486 metres.
This famous blue brackish Lake of Pangong is roughly 5-6 kms wide and over 144kms long with half of it running In Chinese territory. It is like all other lakes in the Ladakh region a remnant of the Tethys Sea, and the geological process that raised the ancient ocean waters and even formed the folded Himalayan ranges.
A tented night at thePangongTso is the height of a Himalayan experience.
After a late breakfast and last views of the Tso you shall be driven back to Leh so as to reach by late afternoon.
You shall have the rest of the evening to shop for your souvenirs and enjoy the high altitude cold desert evening one last time before you leave Leh early the next morning. A range of Kashmiri, Tibetan, Ladakhi local handicrafts, dried fruits and organic products like Seabuckthorn Juice, Apricot scrubs and oils, Walnut artefacts and oils and such are available at the Leh main square markets.
After a very early cuppa tea and light breakfast, well wishing goodbyes’ to new friends and promises of travelling once again, you shall be dropped off at Leh airport for your onward journey to Delhi and thereafter.
Charan Singh Thakur, is the Man and the Machinery that makes the HST not just a success, but a most favored Tours& Travels company. A landowner, farmer and orchard grower of Mandi he knows the Himachal Pradesh like the back of his hand. Ladakh has been his backyard for the last 10 years. He has learned through hard work and determination to excel and of course from the good and experienced people in this line of business. So, the HST is in good hands. And you are in good care. The team at the HST is carefully chosen and every person is committed to hospitality and service. Even down-the-line service vendors for transport, stay, food, shopping and all such are in line with the principles of the HST. So your entire experience is a good value for money all around. A 360-degree Himalayan Safari Tour experience is what you deserve for yourself, your family and your friends. Read More...
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