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The Himalaya is not a tourist destination for me. It is home. In spite of its uber popularity, I have found hidden gems here. I have discovered beauty in places, cultures and people from fresh angles, every time I visit it. Unlike a tourist, much like an explorer, I try to get off the beaten path to discover serendipity. I look for soulful reasons to connect with the places I visit.
One such serendipitous trip was my recent trip to Ladakh, where I discovered unique faces of beauty. Not just landscape beauty but beauty of heart and soul.
Here are my 11 Soulful Reasons to Travel to Ladakh
Pangong Tso Lake where on any given day you can see seven shades of blue.
Tso Moriri lake in Changthang region of Ladakh is one of the most beautiful, calm and sacred; high altitude lakes in India.
Shanti Stupa shining like a diamond in the sky.
Attend the biggest birthday party in Ladakh – The Hemis Festival
The Zanskar River Rafting end point is at the confluence of Zanskar and Indus river.
The Mountain biking Group from Bangalore that cycled from Manali to Khardungla Top. Pic courtesy: darshan
My Homestay room in Leh – Shashipa Guesthouse
My Home Stay in Leh – Shashipa Dining hall
The brokpas
Turtuk village – The last village near the Indo-Pak LOC border
The top view from Khardungla Top, Ladakh
The confluence point of River Indus and River Zanskar
Hunder sand dunes, Nubra Valley, Ladakh
Bride and Her Family dressed in traditional Ladakhi dress
Pots of Chang & Food Prepared for the Ladakhi Wedding
PAGIR’S Himalaya on Wheels initiative organizes trips for people on wheelchair and senior citizens in Ladakh.
I can cite hundreds of soulful reasons to go to Ladakh. But I would stop here. Somethings should be discovered not just read.
So what are you waiting for?
Get. Set. Go.
Recently the sleepy Lahaul Valley in Himachal Pradesh made headlines due to the grand inauguration of Atal Tunnel (also known as Rohtang Tunnel) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 3 October 2020. Although the foundation was laid by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi in 2010, it took ten years for its completion. This high altitude tunnel was a dream of former Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and is thus a fitting tribute to him. Measuring 9.02 km in length, Atal tunnel is the longest highway tunnel above 10,000 feet in the world and reduces the overall distance by 46 km between Manali and Leh via Keylong and the travel time by about 4 to 5 hours.
Atal Tunnel – old and new routes to Lahaul Valley map from Manali
The treacherous route, which was previously accessible only during summers will have round-the-year road connectivity and is expected to boost tourism and winter sports in the Lahaul Valley. Moreover, the tunnel is very important from the military logistics point of view, as it will provide better connectivity to the armed forces in reaching Ladakh.
Atal Tunnel in Lahaul Valley, Himachal Pradesh
Hats off to Border Roads Organisation (BRO) for constructing this marvellous piece of engineering in difficult conditions. As per BRO officials, you can drive in the tunnel at a maximum speed limit of 80 km per hour and daily traffic of up to 1,500 trucks and 3,000 cars can pass easily. I can’t wait to explore this longest highway tunnel. But until then let me do the next possible best thing.
The best cure for Himalayan Hangover is to get high on the Himalayas again. Not even fifteen days had passed since I returned from Leh-Ladakh and I had already started dreaming of returning to my favourite abode – The Himalayas. However, this time I was looking for offbeat travel ideas to leave the beaten path behind. So, when a long Dusshera weekend opportunity knocked, I started searching for the best offbeat places in Himachal Pradesh and finally I planned a trip to Lahaul and Spiti Valley.
Along with my friend and her 4 years old daughter I left for Manali on 1st October night. As usual, against the promise of reaching Manali in 14 hours, the bus took more than 20 hours. And it was a very treacherous and arduous journey.
Nevertheless, as I landed in Manali, the whiff of fresh Himalayan air worked like a soothing balm. We checked in our Conifer Woods cottage at Simsha village. Conifer woods experience was beyond words. If I could use one word to describe our hosts it would be – BADE DILWALE. They made sure our stay, travel and food were perfect.
Basis my experience, here are my 10 travel tips to make your Lahaul trip an awesome trip:
I learnt this lesson hard way. Was stuck in a mother of all traffic jams at Marhi, near Rohtang pass for two days – first time for three hours and next time for seven hours. The lovey-dovey couples, the BIG FAT Indian families, the college fuchas, the airport-returned-firang accented babes, the makeup-ki-dukaan babes, the middle-aged uncle and aunties, the ‘Jat Risky After Whisky’ brash men, the UP ke bhaiyas (sorry, if I am sounding racist :P)…basically the entire janta from Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, UP, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh rushed to collect their share of a treasure hunt at Rohtang Pass. Otherwise, why would everybody queue up there? Thankfully this will no longer exist with the opening of the new Atal Tunnel connecting Manali to Lahaul Valley.
Bumper to Bumper Traffic Jam at Marhi on the way to Lahaul Valley
Thanks to Ramesh and Navang, the owners of Jispa Journeys, we got a local driver at Rupees Ten Thousand for a two days trip to Lahaul Valley. Our Driver, Ravindar’s good driving skills, polite attitude and sound Lahauli knowledge made our trip memorable and rich. If you think Ten thousand is expensive then you can book shared Taxis which take Rupees Eight Hundred per person to drop you at either Kaza in Spiti or Keylong in Lahaul.
Ravindar – our driver cum guide on our Lahaul Valley journey
Lahaul and Spiti is a sparsely populated, dry barren region therefore you might not find dhabbas for long distances. The hardly-ever-maintained roads near Rohtang Pass and in Lahaul Valley makes you hungry quite often. Hence, it is best advised to carry your own supplies. And since air becomes thin in this region therefore fruits and juices are best to keep you hydrated. Carry a lot of dry fruits and energy bars to keep your stomach full. But don’t overeat as the winding roads might make you sick.
The namesake road from Rohtang Pass to Khoksar
This rugged region has unique picturesque beauty of interlocking river valleys, deep gorges, lofty snow-capped mountains and enchanting mountain lakes, punctuated by tiny patches of greenery and villages clinging to the sides of rivers and glacial streams. Every village has a prayer flag fluttering over the Buddhist monastery. The views offered by Sissu, Jispa, Tandi, Keylong, Darcha, Zingzingbar, Baralacha and everything that falls on the Manali-Leh highway is awe-inspiring. It is a paradise for Mountaineers, Trekkers, Hikers, Bikers and Photographers. So fasten your seat belts and enjoy God’s piece of heaven.
Sissu Village Nursery
Yotche Village, where Yotche & Zanskar nallahs meet Bhaga River. Upward this point you don’t find treeline
Top view of Tino Village, near Zong Gompa
Jispa Village
Multi-coloured mountains above Zingzing Bar, Lahaul
Lahaul Valley view – Enroute from Zingzingbar to Bara Lacha La Pass
Manali-Leh highway only has one petrol pump on the entire route therefore whether you are going-over or halting midway, don’t forget to tank up your vehicle. Also, Tandi is famous for the confluence of River Chandra and River Bhaga, forming River Chandra-Bhaga which later becomes Chenab flowing into J&K and Pakistan. Sit and marvel the beauty of this Sangam. About 4 km from Tandi Village, is the Guru Ghantal Monastery, believed to be Lahaul’s oldest monastery. Built of wood with slanting roofs, it has exquisite wood carvings and images of lamas. If you are visiting in summers, then do attend the Ghantal festival which is celebrated on the full-moon night around mid-June by monks along with the Hindu Thakurs of the area.
Tandi – The confluence point of River Bhaga and River Chandra
Deepak Tal and Suraj Tal offers one of the most splendid sunrises in the Himalayas. Break your journey at Jispa or Darcha to experience the Sun’s romance with the lakes. But leave before 5:30 am from your homestay. Homestays in Jispa are cheap, available at approximately Rs. 500-1000 per room but the food is expensive. You can also stay in tents at Darcha, which charge Rs.100 per bed. However, make sure you have extra blankets/quilts. Even in early October, the temperature dips to zero degrees. And don’t forget to carry from top to bottom winter clothes. It gets freezing cold as you move towards Baralacha La.
The ‘Himalaya’ Homestay in Jispa where I stayed
Sunrise in Lahaul Valley
Deepak Tal – lies on Manali-Leh Highway ahead of Jispa
Sunrise at Bara Lacha La Pass that stands at the junction of routes from Ladakh & Lahaul-Spiti Valley.
Suraj tal – The lake of Sun God, from where River Bhaga originates
The customs, rituals, beliefs and conventions of the humble unsophisticated people are the unique features of this border highland, which is also known as mini Tibet. Every village has ‘OM MANI PADME HUM’ prayer flag fluttering over the Buddhist monastery. These monasteries are more than a place of worship – they are the hub of the cultural life of the people. These stunning places of architecture and culture are still unexplored. Key monasteries in Lahaul are Guru Ghantal, Kardang, Shashur, Tayul and Ghemur besides small ones around hamlets and in deep mountains. Besides monasteries, there is also Lahaul’s lone fort – The Gondhla Fort. Built-in 1700 AD, this eight-storey fort is exclusively built with wood, in the tower type architecture.
Kardang Monastery
Zong Monastery
Lahaul’s lone fort – The Gondhla Fort.
Lahauli natives are very simple and warm. They are shy in the beginning but then they pour their heart out. Their culture is Matriarchal culture. Three kinds of marriages happen – love marriage, arranged marriage and theft marriage. Casteism doesn’t plague their society. However, marrying a person lesser than your caste (sunar, lohar or baniya) raises few eyebrows. Their wedding is a three-day affair where everyone is dressed in a similar traditional dress. Drinking Chang (local beer) is like having an energy drink. Salted butter tea, thukpa and other Himalayan/Tibetan dishes consisting of meat, green veggies is their favourite food. They store their vegetables underground for winter consumption. And each household in Lahaul-Spiti stores at least five years of supply of daily consumption items.
Lahauli women dressed in their traditional attire returning from a wedding
Outside the Jispa Buddhist Place of Worship
This ignored part of Himachal Pradesh requires your special attention. Therefore when you plan a trip for Lahaul-Spiti, do it the way locals do. Slow down your pace. Take it easy. Keep at least 10-15 days in hand. The best time to visit Lahaul-Spiti is from mid-May to mid-October. Lahaul valley remains isolated from rest of the world from October-May due to closure of the Rohtang Pass. Although Spiti is an almost all-weather place. Lahaul and Spiti can be reached via Manali or Shimla routes.
Bridging Life and Death
I hope I have given you enough reasons why Lahaul Valley is one of the best offbeat places in Himachal Pradesh.
If you need any information after stay, travel or sightseeing, please feel free to contact me. As Vodafone says, Happy to Help 🙂
Cycling for oneself is a good exercise. But cycling for a cause is devoting oneself to bring a change in the lives of the ones, who need it the most.
Can there be a better reason to cycle than this?
I doubt.
Cyclist enthusiasts from Bangalore, are now cycling to raise awareness and bring in funds for causes that are close to their hearts. While the causes range from education to sanitation to women empowerment to cancer awareness, the motive remains the same: the will to bring about change.
The Ride2Light Team
“Ride2Light is an initiative that combines 2C’s that all of us involved are passionate about, cycling and causes. All riders taking part in this have been cycling for a long time, from distances ranging from 10 km to over 600 km,” says Siddarth, who works with a software solutions firm.
Currently, Ride2Light has attached itself with four causes – helping underprivileged students in Mittur village through Mittur Charitable Trust, generating Cancer awareness through Yuvraj Singh’s charitable organisation YouWeCan, providing Sanitation facilities in Tiruchirappalli and generating awareness for para athletes.
Yuvraj Singh supporting the cause.
The first edition of Ride2Light will begin on October 2 at Freedom Park, Bangalore and traverse through Goa on October 5, Gateway of India on October 9, Udaipur on October 13, ending at India Gate on the October 18. The journey will cover 2400 km in 18 days across the four stages. Multiple riders will join in at different stages in different places.
Ride2Light Route Map from Bangalore To Delhi
While passing through small towns and villages, the Ride2Light team will engage with the community and kids through street activities and gully cricket. Besides working for causes, their goal is also to promote cycling as a sport.
Face No. 4 – ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ Personification
Face No. 5 – Chivalrous Fabulous Five
So far I have taken you through three chapters of this marathon blogpost describing the three faces of beauty I witnessed in my 11 days in Leh Ladakh journey. If you haven’t read them before. Here are the links:
And now comes my favourite chapter – trip to Pangong Tso Lake. A place straight out of dreamland. So let’s hop on the time machine and travel back to 18th Aug 2014.
When I woke up on 18th Aug 2014 morning, even after a tiresome road journey of 24 hours, I didn’t feel a bit of high altitude sickness or tiredness. I was quite upbeat to tick mark one more bucket list item – Pangong Tso Lake.
However, there was one critical link missing – how to reach there. All the shared taxis going to Pangong Lake were full, so either I could wait for one more day or else take a personal cab that would burn a big hole in my pocket. But just then Nami, my host – my saviour, appears on the scene with his invisible magical wand. He throws an incredible offer at me with hesitation, “My friend has to go to Pangong today to collect his bike. So if you don’t mind traveling with boys, you can come along. Your travel, food and stay will be totally free.”
WOW that sounded like a lottery. However, being a Delhi Girl, just a thought of travelling alone with five boys send chills down the spine. But not when you are in hills. In the battle of left vs right brain, finally the latter won. Nami’s demeanour won over my anxieties.
Nami was the guy who hosted me in his homestay – Shashipa Guesthouse at Leh. Extremely adorable. Soft spoken. Sensitive. Caring. Handsome. And most importantly, a guy with the golden heart. Way above the mundane wheeling and dealing that has become the norm of the day to run business. Thank god there are still people not corrupted by greed. He wasn’t merely a courteous host but he was the personification of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’.
With doubts and fear still clouding my mind, at 2:30 pm, I started my Leh-Pangong journey with five strangers (Nami, Jimmy, James, Kapsunk and Singhey) in a SUV. Before embarking on our five-hour long journey, we tucked a hearty lunch of momos, Shapale (Tibetan snack), fruit and gallons of beer, Breezer and juice.
Served with Love – Shapale – Himalayan Fried Meat Pie
As the road morphed into a dusty pathway through slush, boulders and dust, I still couldn’t take my eyes off the stupendous well-manicured valley between the magnificent mountains of different shades of brown, beige, white, cream, green and grey.
Valley View on Leh To Pangong Tso Lake route
Leh-Pangong Tso Lake road is one of the best and well maintained roads in Ladakh with few bad patches of glacial melts and dusty patches. We took the following route:
Leh To Pangong Lake Route
Leh – Shey – Karu – Shakti – Chang La: Our first stop was Chang La, the third highest motor-able road in the world, at 17,590 ft. Once at the summit, I took the much-needed pee-chai-photo-break. At the top of Chang La, there is an army base and small cafeteria, which offers free tea. Like all passes, there’s also a mandir, Chang La Baba Ka Mandir, built & taken care of by the Indian Army.
Taking a Pee-Tea-Photo Break at Changla Pass with my Fabulous Five Friends
Chang La – Durbuk – Tangste: Initially, closer to the top of the pass, the road was bad after which it remained super smooth for rest of the journey. The lichen and wild grasses, in shades of reds, golds and lime greens; was making the drive heavenly. It looked like a patchwork of soft hues and sparkling glacial streams made the place absolutely stunning.
In couple of hours, we reached Tangste. We halted here for our pee-lunch-photo break. Per my local friends, Aamir Khan ate food at Dothguling restaurant. Like a crazy fan, I too wanted to share the same seat and eat the same food. But my bad luck, there was no food left. Tried few more places, but since it was a late evening, all restaurants were either closed or out of stock. At last, we got ourselves parked at the Peace restaurant. We had Chowmein, daal-chawal-sabji, thukpa & omelette. Restaurants in Tangtse stock limited food, which gets over by evening and that’s why we didn’t get the second helping.
Waiting for our late lunch Peace Restaurant, Tangtse
Tangste – Lukung – Spangmik – Pangong Tso: When we left Tangste, Change of guard had already happened between the dusk and the night. The road ahead was like a runway and we were cruising at a good speed to reach our Campsite until James had a brainwave.
“Arrey hum log itni jaldi camp mein jakar kya karengey. Challo 3 Idiots point par jakar thodi der baithte hain”
When Singhey and the gang tried to reason out with him saying its pitch dark and it’s not allowed to go that side at night, James had his argument ready.
“Arrey mein pichle mahine hi yahan aaya tha. Mujhe rasta pata hai. Woh ekdum 3 Idiots ke point pe le kar jaayega.”
And so his confidence won over our doubts. He claimed to know the way all the way down to the 3 Idiots point. But he forgot it was a pitch dark night, where we could only hear the whispers of the lake but couldn’t see the whispering lips. We tried to follow the trail going to the lake beach. But couldn’t reach. Got stuck in sand dune. Had to dhakka maro. Almost did an action scene of jumping off the cliff into the lake but got saved in the nick of the moment.
Kapsunk Dhaka Marooing when our SUV got stuck on the banks of Pangong Tso Lake
Finally after half an hour of aimless driving, we decided to get off the car and explore it on our feet. By the lake side, we raised a toast to an incredible action packed day.
Raising a toast to our friendship at 3 Idiots Point on Pangong Tso Lake
The night, at Pangong Lake, was the most memorable night of my life. The sky was literally shining with a million stars and for the first time I spotted shooting stars, needless to say, it was nothing short of magical.
After braving the cold for an hour, we decided to move into the warm confinement of our campsite – The nature’s Nest. The Camp owner was Jimmy’s friend, so were treated like kings. The bonfire and the booze added to the magic. Gujju boys from Mumbai, who were on their Ladakh trip, tried hard to impress through their singing and dancing. But I was too tired to oblige them. After a hearty dinner I called it a night. My tent had all what I needed – warm and comfortable bed.
Finally warm n cosy at Nature’s Nest Campsite
Next morning when I woke up, I couldn’t believe my eyes. My eyes, mind, time and everything else froze. It was the most tantalizing sight I had ever seen. Flat, calm, unending it was so impossibly beautiful that I actually sat down by its water for some time to accept that it was not a dream. I was confused. How can reality be better than dream? How can so much beauty fit into one frame? How can there be so many shades of blue? Staring at Pangong Lake I drifted into a state of blissful delirium. Probably this is what ‘discovering life’ means.
It is one of those places where nature gets to paint its own verse on its own canvas, words can never do justice to the beauty of this lake. Pangong Tso, literally means “enchanted lake”. It is a saltwater lake which freezes over in winter but throughout summer and autumn, becomes a tapestry of blue. It usually reflects around 7 shades of blue, from violet, purple, cerulean, indigo, royal blue, navy blue, sea-foam green, turquoise and many more. Once 100% ours but after the Sino-Indian war, 60% of this lake is in Tibet.
The Beautiful Pangong Lake View from my Nature’s Nest Tent
While I was gazing at God’s beautiful work of art, I saw Ladakhi nomads rearing their dzos (cross between cows and yaks).
Dzo, a cross between cows and yaks, strolling on the banks of Pangong Tso Lake
The painting of God – Pangong Tso Lake
After marvelling at God’s painting, that he had left for drying, for couple of hours and getting the mandatory photo ops, we decided to start our backward journey to Leh. We left the camp at 12:30 pm. Our next stop was the 3 Idiots Point (yes, the same point that we could not find the night before). It was a point swarmed by hordes of tourists. Mostly domestic tourists.
3 Idiots Viewpoint on Pangong Tso Lake
Thanks to 3 idiots, Pangong Tso was put on the national must-see list and increased the GDP of Ladakh by 25%. And the proof of its influence is in your face. Every single café pays “tohfa Kabul karo jahanpanha” homage to 3 Idiots by using Rancho or 3 Idiots reference in their restaurants branding.
3 Idiots Galore at Pangong Tso Lake Viewpoint
We enjoyed our lunch at the Golden restaurant, facing the sparkling Pangong Tso Viewpoint. The lady serving the lunch had a pretty face and a million dollar smile. She alone was serving all the guests. Incessant tourist demands didn’t bother her. Her freckles made her look even prettier. We had the customary Himalayan lunch – Maggi, Chowmein, Thukpa, Daal-Chawal, boiled egg and Omelette with a very sweet chai. One thing I didn’t miss at Pangong was the absence of chips and thank god for that. Else, we would be seeing a packet of Lays flying over Pangong Tso instead of Bar Headed Goose or Brahmini Duck.
It was after noon when we could manage to peel ourselves away from there. Jimmy rode his bike and we drove back in our muscular boy – Bolero. Being the peak season, the road was completely covered with tourist vehicles. More bikes than SUVs. Per Jimmy, everyday 400 taxis were ferrying around Pangong Tso Lake. Add hundreds of personal cars and bikes to that number.
On our way back, I saw few people standing in the wild grass. They were feeding and taking pictures of the Himalayan marmots, adorable giant squirrels of Ladakh. They were cute, cuddly and not afraid of humans.
The Himalayan marmots, adorable giant squirrels of Ladakh
The road was in good shape and wherever it wasn’t, the BRO guys were at it. A big salute to these guys, who brave such harsh conditions every day to make our drive comfortable. We drove back at a steady pace but for me time had stopped still by the shores of the Pangong Lake. Before retiring to my guesthouse, I did a bit of local sightseeing at Thiksey Monastery and Shey Palace in Leh.
Thiksey Monastery
This trip was special not just because I saw God’s marvellous artwork but also because God showed me that his best masterpiece is human, who make this place more beautiful. Jimmy, James, Nami, Kapsunk and Singhey are a family now. If anybody wants to learn how to treat a girl, I reckon you take a crash course from them. They are the knight in shining armour. Thanks to them, I left my heart in Leh 🙂
On this trip, through my Fabulous Five Friends, I discovered two amazing faces of humanity: CHIVALRY and ‘ATITHI DEVO BHAVA’ personification.
End of Chapter 4 & 5/11
To be continued…Chapter 4 – Day 7 & 8
Day no. 4: 17th Aug 20014, Manali to Leh
In the last two chapters, I talked about the two interesting FACES of human behaviour I came face to face during my Delhi to Manali journey.
FACE NO. 1 – THE PATIENT EXPLORER
FACE NO. 2 – THE INDEFATIGABLE WANDERERS
In both these posts, I spoke more from the human angle than beauty angle of the place because I found human stories more compelling than the places. However, I am going to shift my gear from this post onwards. You cannot write a Leh Ladakh story without describing the beauty of this heaven on earth. No amount of stories and blogs can bring alive the magic of Manali-Leh journey. You had to be there to understand how I felt and what I saw. Still, I’ll try and capture it for you.
So drumrolls!
Manali-Leh highway is one of the Asia’s most beautiful route you’ll ever come across. The gorgeous landscapes and variety of experiences will leave you spellbound. The topography changes so frequently that you will not believe you are on a single journey.
Here is the map of the highway on which I spent the most beautiful 24 hours of my life.
1:30 am was the shubh mahurat to board the Tempo Traveller from Old Manali and at 2:30am we were on the highway. THE DEFIANT DREAMERS from Israel, Taiwan and Mumbai were my co-travellers.
THE DEFIANT DREAMERS. Yes, that is the new face of human behaviour I saw through them. Bold dreams but no plans. Believers of ‘Living by the day’ philosophy. High on adrenaline rush but poor on planning. Questions like what they will do, where they will stay, how they will travel, who will guide them; were ducked. They were living in the present without the worry of the future.
Coming back to my tempo traveller story. From the looks, The Defiant Dreamers, seemed excited about the trip but were sitting in their silos. It was a beautiful night. Millions of stars were romancing with the clear sky. Hairpin bends, bumpy gravel, steep ascends were giving a body massage, albeit with hard hands. As we got closer to Rohtang Pass, the crowned prince of Leh Manali highway sitting pretty at a height of 13500 ft, weather became chilly and I cursed myself for being under-dressed.
Suddenly, after one and a half hours strenuous drive, our tempo came to a halt. There was a sudden break in the dreams of the sleeping travellers. Everyone was surprised but decided to stay quiet. Multiple theories ran in head – Probably our driver is waiting for other tempo drivers or he has to answer nature’s call or some problem with the tyres. Etcetera etcetera. 5 minutes passed. 10 minutes passed.
“Bhaiya, hum iddhar kyun ruke hai” asks one of the Mumbaikar.
“Kyunki mujhe neend aa rahi hai.” replies the driver point blankly.
We had our heart in our mouth. Even though we didn’t want to break our journey so soon but reaching Leh hail and hearty was a priority. After all Jaan hai to Jahan hai.
Meanwhile, the Israeli lad and the Mumbaikars decided to take a leak and set shutterbugs rolling. In their Nike and Adidas jackets they were shivering to their bones but that didn’t deter them from giving cool poses. Pain today is gain tomorrow. Documentation of this incident on Facebook will catapult their social image – thanks to the currency of likes and comments they’ll get.
After an hour, as soon as the driver turned on his seat, one of the guys pounced on the opportunity to ask if he had a good sleep and was he ready to drive. The driver was offered cold water. At 5 am, we reconvened our journey.
There are sunrises and then there sunrises in the highlands. The sunrise in Rohtang Pass wasn’t less than magical in its display of colours. The morning’s mist was trying its best to filter out any attempts the sun was making to paint the canvas that was the sky. But Sun is a relentless kid, who doesn’t take no for an answer. Slowly the surreal glow took over the mountains, turning blue to grey and then to orange, culminating in the majesty of the orange ball of fire rising in between two peaks. The mountain tops looked as if they were trying out different outfits.
My eyes were savouring the taste of this nirvanic beauty. Sun, sky and the mountains were playing hide-n-seek. I was so engrossed in that moment that I forgot to take pictures of this majestic sunrise.
Anyway, all good things come to an end. Sunrise gave way to sunny day. The landscape changed immediately after getting past Rohtang Pass and entering into Chandra river valley in Lahaul region. The greenery on the southern side of the mountain pass disappeared and the mountain slopes on the leeward side became brown and arid.
We stopped at the first police check post – Khoksar. It is 21kms beyond Rohtang pass in Lahaul and is the coldest place in Lahaul.
We had half an hour to freshen up and have tea. My gall bladder was bursting, so I rushed to the toilet. It had a feeble door but was clean, with a flush facility. There was ten rupees charge to use it. As I checked my pocket, I realised the five hundred rupees note was missing. I asked if I could pay later. The caretaker gave an affirmative lovely smile. After finishing my business as I went up, the local kid lunged forward and gave me my lost note. I guess “Honesty is the best policy” is read by all but practised only by Pahadies.
At the dhaba, one of the two Taiwanese girls joined me for a small talk. She and her friend were studying medicine and was on their maiden travel abroad. She was an extrovert while her friend was an introvert.
We got back into our chariot of fire and started are onward journey. At night, the driver was playing Honey Singh. Now he was playing nostalgic 90s. It was a good mock test of 90s Bollywood music and surprisingly I did well.
From Khoksar to Tandi the valley view was just marvellous. A heaven for landscape photographers. Driving through picturesque highway, we crossed many mountain streams and kept marvelling at the glaciers that make windows home screensavers. We passed through Keylong and Jispa, where cute little kids waved at us and our way momentarily got blocked by sheep herds.
Our next stop was Daracha. We crossed the River Bagha to stop at the handful of Dhabas clustered around the river bridge. A new bridge is being built over the river but its completion is still a distant dream. A friendly hulkish Shepherd dog came close to me. I, being the dog lover, offered it Parle G biscuits thinking like the city stray dogs, it too shall love it. But it didn’t even eat one biscuit. I was heart broken 🙁
Anyway, I moved on to have Himalaya’s favourite breakfast – Soupy Maggi. Over Maggi, I met my new friends – Darshan, Karan and Anthony. Like me, they too were marketing slaves.
After loaded stomachs, we proceeded to Sarchu, 84 km from Darcha. The road climbed to Patseo, where we got glorious rear view of Darcha. A little further was Zingzingbar. Icy streams made impromptu appearance across the road while grey and red-brown scree reached down from the nude mountainside to the road edge. The road then moved over the Baralacha La (54 km; 16500 ft.), at the crossroads of Lahaul, Zanskar, Spiti and Ladakh regions.
After crossing the check post, we followed the Chandra River till Tandi. At Tandi, we saw the confluence of rivers Chandra and Bhaga.
From Baralacha La Pass, we climbed down to Bharatpur. Instead of stopping over at Sarchu, we stopped at Bharatpur. Not our choice but our Driver’s choice because he was too sleepy to drive. Thanks to his owner, he had not slept for a week.
The backdrop at Bharatpur was so stunning that no picture can do justice to its beauty. However, I tried my best to capture it.
After the photo session, I along with my new friends, looked around for lunch options. Since few other bike groups and Tempos had halted there so there was a sudden rush. We settled in for the neeli chhatri wala dhaba. We ordered Tomato Soup, Chicken Soup, Sweet n Sour soup, Fried rice and Rajma Chawal. Tasted aam ka acchar made in pahadi style.
Here, I got to know my co-passengers more up close. All in their 20s. Adventurous, funny, ambitious and supremely confident. Everyone had one thing in common – Leh was the big break they were taking before/after the big leap in their life. The Israelis were in India after their army stint. Anthony, one of the Mumbaikar was flying to Dubai for his second MBA, Darshan was planning to do the same in Canada. And Karan was weighing his options. The Taiwanese had just finished their medical exams and were seeking change before getting into the grind. We discussed about food, cultures, tourist places, Israel-gaza situation and China-Taiwan relations among other topics. We even cracked jokes on each other. Did some crazy photo shoot on Tempo’s roof and on bike.
Contrary to the perception, one of the Taiwanese girl (pardon me for not remembering anyone’s name) was quite friendly and forthcoming. She admitted that because of language barrier they are often misunderstood as boring, conventional and closed community. As per her, people in Taiwan hate China and take it as an offence if someone calls them Chinese. When I asked her if they were planning to visit Pangong Tso Lake she said “Being Taiwanese, we are not allowed to go there either from India side or China side.”
The Israelis were in Manali for four weeks and were now planning to stay in Leh for indefinite period. They had no fixed itinerary. They gave some interesting sound bites about Israel like
“You can cover Israel from left to right in three-four hours and top to bottom in seven hours”
“Everyone comes to India with bare essentials – sandals of one particular design and brand, 1 pair of comfortable shoes, 4 pairs of undergarments, 2 Tops/T-shirts, 1 comfy track pant, medicines, one towel, one cap and sun shades. Rest all we buy in India”
“Even though we (she and her boyfriend) stay in the same vicinity in Israel, we didn’t know each other. I met him in Rishikesh two months back and since then we have been travelling together.”
After sumptuous lunch, photo and chat sessions, we moved on from Bharatpur to Sarchu. At Sarchu, you leave the state of Himachal Pradesh and enter into the Ladakh region of J&K. Sarchu (14,074ft) is a major halt point with tented accommodation in the Himalayas on the Leh-Manali Highway. It is situated between Baralacha La to the south and Lachulung La to the north. An Indian army camp is sited nearby on the banks of the Tsarap Chu River.
Now we were told that we won’t be stopping anywhere for tea or food break until Pang.
Pang is located 80 km from Sarchu. It is where you cross the famous Gata Loops. Gata loops are 21 hairpin bends. After passing through the Gata loops, we crossed the third pass on the Manali Leh route, Nakee La Pass, 15,547ft followed by another pass, Lachulung La pass, situated at an altitude of 16,616 ft.
The 27 kms long descent from Lachulung La Pass took us to Pang, where we stopped at the police check post. Here, we had our last tea break of the day before finishing the last lap of our Manali-Leh journey. We met few traveller groups. Many of these groups had been with us at various dhabas. One of them, a Ranbir Kapoor lookalike Israeli, played and sang “Aaj blue hai paani paani aur din bhi sunny sunny” on his mobile. He said this song is known to every Israeli. Yo Yo Honey Singh you have arrived. And how!
It was already dark and we got into our tempo with a plan to take a quick nap. By now my head and body had given up. Much to the relief of my aching body, the road from Pang took us to the famous Morey Plains; the biggest and the highest plateau on Earth on stretch of 42 Kms at an altitude of 15,400 ft. and is flanked by mountain ranges on both sides. This stretch of 42 kms was relatively straight and in good condition. Our driver utilised this opportunity to cover up the lost time.
After the accelerated journey on the Morey plains, we ascended to the third highest pass in Ladakh, Tanglang La (17,582ft). Final few kms to the summit of the pass were in bad condition but we were too tired to notice that. Everyone was fast asleep until our Tempo stopped in the middle of nowhere.
We heard a man pleading to our driver to help him, as during the ascent their Tempo got damaged and had fuel leakage. They were out of fuel. Our driver agreed to help the hapless driver. But 6 litres was not going to be enough. Another vehicle came from Leh side and they too agreed to part some. And just then our driver realised that we were driving with a flat tyre. So the tyres were fixed.
Troubles didn’t seem to end for the other tempo. Someone had stepped over the key and had broken it. So there was no way they were getting out from that place that night. Our driver tried our key but didn’t succeed. Few more tempos and bikers joined in by then. We left the spot to inform the next Police check post about the incident.
Because it was a dark night, we missed the spectacular views from Tangla La from where you can see the road to the pass for miles on both directions. The rest of the journey from Tangla La-Rumset-Upsi-Karu-Leh was spent sleeping.
We finally reached Leh at 1:30 am instead of 7pm.
I was so sleepy that I even forgot to take anyone’s contact details. Their pictures are still waiting in my camera to be shared with them. But my bad, they’ll stay with me only, at least as of now.
Since Changspa is tourists one stop destination so all the fellow travellers decided to go there while I went to my guest house on Chubi Lane.
So on the fourth day of my solo trip I discovered another face of human behaviour – THE DEFIANT DREAMERS in the marvellous dreamland
So how did you find my journey so far? Do share your feedback.
In my First Chapter – Day 1 & 2 I spoke about the first face of beauty, the patient explorer, that I saw on the first day of my solo trip.
Moving on to the second chapter of my amazing 11 Days in Leh Ladakh – 11 faces of Beauty Journey.
On 16th Aug 2014 in Manali, I woke up with no fixed agenda but just to relax for the night’s tiresome road journey.
During the day, I met some really cool travellers and locals who redefined Indefatigable Wanderers. One common trait among them was, not only were they solo travellers but they had the conviction to try different things alone. They were on their own trip – enjoying life on their own terms. Interestingly, I met all of them via gastronomic route. Yes, nothing brings people closer like food.
Meeting Lauren at Cafe Amigos
An auto rickshaw hitch turned out to be a meeting ground for two never-before-met friends. I saw Lauren, a 26 years old girl, dressed in harem pants and a loose kurta with a stole. She wasn’t carrying a camera or any other characteristic tourist symbol but a small diary. My invitation to have the best carrot cake in the town lured her to postpone her yoga classes. We went to Café Amigos, my favourite German bakery. However, as luck would have it, the carrot cake was over. So, we settled in for the café’s renowned coffee cake, apple pie and honey-ginger-lemon drink. Like always, the food was delicious but I was relishing more on Lauren’s fascinating wander-tales. She was a Graphic designer by profession from Richmond but worked as a part-time designer and full-time traveller. A globetrotter with no fixed agenda. Had travelled across North America, Latin America, Europe and South East Asia all by herself. She wasn’t awed by the glitz n glamour of a place and that’s why after staying in Brazil for two years, she left the country just before the FIFA world cup began. She loved football but didn’t like the fanaticism it evoked. In her words
What religion is to India, Football is to Brazil.
Another sentence that got etched in my mind is
In the quest to show-off the best holiday pictures, people forget to enjoy the real beauty of the nature. That’s why I stopped carrying a camera. Prefer good memories over photos.
Like many foreigners, she got enamoured by the Osho Ashram, Pune; later followed by her long stays at Leh, Kasol and Manali. She had stayed in India for over four months and her next destination was Dharamshala. She had spent 6 weeks in Leh therefore she knew more than any Indian tourist would know about it. Instead of just talking me through Leh Ladakh travel tales she drew a do’s and don’t map of Leh. In flat twenty minutes she created a Leh Ladakh guidebook for me. She even told me which room I should stay in for a good view of the valley.
The Leh Ladakh Travel Guidebook hand drawn by Lauren
After spending couple of hours in the café, we ventured out to explore the streets of Manali. We went shop hoping at Manali Mall Road. Somehow we got separated and my bad, I had forgotten to take her number. She wanted to have ‘halwa’ and thinking she could be searching for it, I even went to Manali Sweets. But I had lost her. 🙁
Anyway, I carried on with my solo travel and met many interesting people. One of them being Jimmy.
Jimmy – The Chef, Painter, Writer and Guitarist
He might not be a wanderer like Lauren but he is an Indefatigable Wanderer because in spite of being a full-time chef at the Café Amigos for more than ten years he has not given up on his passions. He loves cooking. His desserts, pizzas, pastas, momos, drinks are to die for but that’s not his only love. When he’s not cooking he is drawing. He is a budding artist and you can see his art adorning one of the walls of the café itself. He is really fond of Shiva and the same can be seen in his art. His style of painting is to work with minimal arsenal. He first draws with a ballpoint pen and then colours it. Besides painting, he is a writer too. He writes short stories and was in a process of writing a book. He even showed his WIP book. And that’s not all. He is a guitarist too. You can catch him performing any day after 6 pm in the café. I wonder how many people visiting Café Amigos would know about this side of Jimmy.
A painting drawn by Jimmy
And, let me tell you the sweetest thing about Jimmy. When I had gone to Café Amigos they were out of stock of their carrot cake and were not planning to bake it that day. But after knowing my fondness for the cake, Jimmy specially baked it for me. How many people would take that much pain for a stranger? I guess not many. But that’s what separates the Pahadis from the city dwellers. I was already a loyal customer of Café Amigos but now Jimmy is the reason I would go there. After all, no connection is stronger than the human connection.
Dr. Karan, a solo traveller
Titles can be deceptive and Karan reinforced it. A doctor by profession but an Indefatigable Wanderer by heart. When I first saw him, he was busy scribbling something in his pocket diary. He was lost in his own world. His DSLR firmly placed on the coffee table. By the look of the empty coffee mug, it seemed as if he had sat at that place for a while. Since there was no empty table in the café, I asked Karan if I could join him and he happily obliged. He had a beautiful smile, peach complexion, toned body and hazel green eyes. Though I didn’t look around but I can vouch he would be the most handsome guy sitting in that café at that time. I ordered my favourites – carrot cake and honey-ginger-lemon tea. After listening to how my craving for the cake has forced the Chef to specially bake it for me, he couldn’t resist the temptation of having it. And as they say a lot can happen over coffee. And actually a lot happened over coffee. I mean conversations. What did you think? He hailed from Patiala and had done his MBBS from China. For the first time, somebody was telling me such unheard of tales about China, a country that has never caught my attention. For three hours, he was my talking encyclopaedia on China – its culture, people, education, sports, street food, fashion and luxury living, religion, tourism, myths and what not. Some interesting nuggets that held my attention were –
China is an atheist nation where people worship only one thing – Money
China has strict social media policies because Chinese Government doesn’t want extremists to invoke religious sentiments
You cannot buy a home in China. You can only get a home on lease.
However, the most interesting piece of information was that he could not date a single Chinese girl in his six-year stay in china not because of language barrier but because they smelled and were cool about it. Chinese eat a lot of garlic and because of which they have unbearable body odour but they don’t find it abnormal. In fact somebody wearing a deodorant in China is considered to be abnormal. Interesting. Isn’t it?
We were like a house on fire, discussing our respective travel tales from across the world – Europe, US, Australia, South East Asia. And during our discussion, he planted an idea in my mind for my next travel destination, Cambodia, for the sheer unspoiled beauty of its beaches.
And then I asked him about his travel plan? He baffled me by saying that his plan was to have no plan. He just came to Manali without any travel plan. And that’s when I sold Leh Ladakh to him. He asked if he could join me. Sounded like I finally had found a travel buddy but my bad, that day all the taxis and tempo travellers going to Leh Ladakh were sold out. There was not even a single seat available. 🙁
It was already night and knowing I have a 500 km long Manali-Leh road journey that night, I bid adieu to Karan with a hope that we might bump into each other in Leh Ladakh.
And guess what, I didn’t bump into Karan again but I did come face to face with Lauren in Manali. As SRK said in OSO “Kissi cheez ko dil se chaho to saari kaynat tumhe use milane mein lag jaati hai”, I met Lauren again in the night when she was hurrying towards the bus stand to catch her bus to Dharamshala. We hugged each other like kumbh ke mele mein bichhdi do behenen. After saying our customary goodbyes, we embarked on our respective journeys.
Besides meeting the above three Indefatigable Wanderers, I managed to have many heart-to-heart conversations with locals. Mr. Wangdu, the owner of Chopsticks restaurant (Manali’s best Himalayan food joint), told me how one fine day he came to Manali 22 years back and made it his home. The Mall road chaiwala shared his experiences on how the famous and not so famous bonded over a glass of cutting chai. The conversations were never-ending with Manali Sweets owner, Ram Lal Sons Trek shop sales boys, trek guides and many more. But I had to move on to my next destination but not before spending a memorable day in Manali.
For me a travel experience constitutes two things:
Although, places play an important role in shaping up your travel experiences but I guess it is the human stories that touch the chord. They are the meat of all your future travel tales. I am glad I collected enough fodder.
The third day of my solo trip to Leh Ladakh was dedicated in knowing the real human stories of the real people – the Indefatigable Wanderers.
End of Chapter 2/10
To be continued…
There are some journeys that you wait for your life to happen. Such journeys are so important to you that it doesn’t matter whether you cover them alone or with companions. One such incredible life defining journey is my latest visit to the arid lands of Leh Ladakh. Ever since I understood what Leh Ladakh is, I had harboured a dream of visiting the coldest desert. The feeling was nothing less than your first love. Your first kiss. Your first night out. Your first salary. Your first holiday abroad.
After looking and sighing at other’s Leh Ladakh pictures for years, making and cancelling innumerable plans with friends, I finally decided this is it. It’s time to visit the place of my dreams.
Keeping the long weekend in mind, the week of Independence Day was finalised for my travel. Only thing to be worked out was how and with whom I will travel. So the discussions with various friends and groups started. But none materialised except for one. I got myself tagged along with a backpackers group. As per the organiser, we were a group of seven people who were to travel by two motorbikes and one SUV.
However, when God has a bigger and better plan for you then smaller plan falls out-of-place. So out of the seven people, everyone backed out at the last moment. And the best part was, I wasn’t even informed about it until the last-minute. Anyway, let’s not delve deep into it because as they say all is well that ends well. 🙂
Since I have truckload of stories to share, so I am going to divide this mega long blog post into several chapters, each talking about a unique FACE that has left an everlasting impression on me.
So are you ready to travel the Leh Ladakh journey with me?
Get. Set. Go!
FACE NO. 1 – THE PATIENT EXPLORER
Day 1 and 2 – 14th Aug to 15th Aug 2014, Delhi to Manali Journey
So the D-day has arrived. I was excited like a child but perhaps the traffic was more excited. A Gurgaon to Sarita Vihar journey which usually takes forty-five minutes took more than two hours. My bags were not packed. My tickets were not issued. Was booked on a wrong bus. Was running terribly late. The incredible Delhi traffic was too much in love with me. Taxis were refusing pickups. Hunger pangs were sending frequent reminders. Food supplies were not in place. Basically my trip has begun on an adventurous streak. Anyways Uber came to my rescue. I finally managed to board the 8:30 pm bus to Manali.
![IMG_20140815_122301[1]](https://travelseewrite.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/img_20140815_1223011-e1409564712929.jpg?w=660)
Royal Travels – My Volvo Bus from Delhi to Manali that took 24 hours to reach its destination
When the bus got stuck in a day long traffic jam then instead of whining about it they chose to know more about India and its people. They got down from the bus and their shutter bugs didn’t stop clicking. They chatted with everybody, right from the bus conductor to the chaiwala. They didn’t raise their eyebrows on the practically absent roads. They were enjoying whatever they were experiencing.
The Patient Explorers – John and his two sons
I had got into the bus thinking I’ll be at Manali by 9 am. But nature has its own schedule. Incessant rains and landslides at Pandoh created a havoc on the Chandigarh-Manali highway. There was about 20 km traffic jam. The day went by in more of waiting than moving ahead.
After a long journey of 24 hours, I was dropped on the outskirts of the city, where there were no autorickshaws. I was carrying two heavy backpacks. And to make it worse, it started raining. I was completely drenched but I was more worried about my DSLR. Somehow I managed to reach my guest house at old Manali. After a long road journey, my heart was fully contented to see the hot daal-chawal and warm bed. That night I slept like a log.
So the first day of my ’11 Days in Leh Ladakh – 11 faces of Beauty’ taught me how be a patient explorer.
Chapter 1/10
To be continued…
Chapter 6 – Day 9 to 11 (still in the drafts folder)
If you were to divide travellers on the basis of itinerary then there will be two types of travellers – one who goes by the rulebook and the other who goes by ‘what-will-be-will-be’ mantra. I have been of both kinds. But lately, I have drifted towards the latter. Blame it on my fondness for serendipity or maybe because I have become more adventurous. Rajasthan is one of my favourite places in Incredible India and I never miss a chance to visit it. Last weekend, I started craving for the Rangelo Rajasthan dose. So an impromptu trip to Jaipur and Pushkar was made. Travel and accommodation were done in a jiffy, thanks to a dear friend of mine. He was also the in-charge of finding 10 things to do in Pushkar.
Next day at 9:20 am, Sarai Rohilla-Bandra Garib Rath Express was my chariot to Jaipur. After a comfortable journey, I reached the pink city at 2:10 pm. One can’t come to Jaipur and not eat the Pyaaz Kachori. So, en route to Pushkar, I stopped at Sodhani Sweets, Ajmer road to have my fill of Pyaaz Kachori, Daal Kachori and a glass of Lassi.
The snacks were so heavy that I dozed off in the car itself. It was raining incessantly and the sound of the rain was the sweet symphony to my ears. That sweet symphony acted upon as a perfect lullaby. And the velvety Jaipur-Ajmer highway transformed into a bed of roses.
At around 5 pm, I reached Pushkar. I didn’t want to stay in a hotel, so I checked in at a village resort called Lohana Village Resort.
It is a gorgeous 12 cottages resort, beautifully tucked away in a serene and calm natural habitat where you will hear more birds chirping than human voices. And thank god for that. Lohana Resort offered the kind of solitude and natural experience that I was looking for. The resort staff was very courteous. The service, amenities, and food were excellent. And watching the sun go down the Aravali Hills was icing on the cake. The resort had a lot of flora and fauna. They have their own horse ‘Noorjahan’ and camels for your rides. Also, don’t be surprised if a peacock joins you for Tea.
After light refreshments, I ventured out to visit the world-famous town of Pushkar. Now let me give some Gyan for the people who don’t know much about Pushkar.
Snuggled in the lap of the Aravali hills and embellished by the serene Pushkar Lake; the town of Pushkar is a confluence of Hindu religion and culture, rustic Rajasthan and scenic locales. Pushkar is often referred to as “Teerth- raj”, which means the king of pilgrimages. It is believed that a visit to Pushkar is equal to “chaar dhaam” yatra.
Let me give you a small low down on the historical and religious significance of the town.
Pushkar derives its literal meaning from the Sanskrit word “Pushkar”, which means blue lotus. The name of the place has links to a mythological tale. According to the tale been told since ages, Brahma was in search of a place for Mahayagya and he found this place suitable. After a long time, Brahma came to know that a demon, Vajranash, was killing people here, so the Lord Brahma used a lotus flower intoned with mantras, as his weapon to kill the demon. During this process, the parts of flower fell on three places which were later known as Jyaistha, Madhya and Kanistha Pushkar. After this Brahma performed a yagya to protect this place from demons. The better half of Brahma, Saraswati, was needed to offer Ahuti for the yagya but she was not there that time so in the propensity to save time, Gayatri, a Gurjar girl, was married to Brahma to do yagya. This act made Saraswati angry and she cursed Brahma saying that he would be worshipped in Pushkar only.
Though I had a brief stay in Pushkar here is my top 10 things to do in Pushkar:
Though Brahma said to be the God of Gods as compared to other Gods, Brahma has only 5 historic temples in the world and the most important one is Pushkar. Attending the Aarti is recommended and don’t forget to listen to Kanhaiya Lal, a Khandani Nagada player, who has been playing musical instruments at the temple for ages.
Offer puja but beware of the ponga pandits who will lure you into offering puja by asking you to listen to the mythological tale by just paying Rupees ten for the puja thali. But that’s the catch, within minutes they’ll ask you to give Rupees Eleven hundred or more to offer puja towards your well-being. Don’t get into their trap. They are a big nuisance in the lake premise.
And if you are going during the off-season, like I did, then you can always take the camel ride or go for sawan ke jhulle or just stroll in the town. However, I always prefer to see the place on foot.
Pushkar, with more than 250 restaurants, is a vegetarian paradise. It is said that Pushkar has a number of restaurants and temples than homes. Being a holy place, Pushkar is a vegetarian town so no restaurants serve meat and alcohol. However, don’t be surprised to find all kinds of world cuisines here. There are many famous restaurants that you must try. For example, the rooftop lake view Raju Terrace Garden Restaurant is a travellers’ favourite serving a lot of Indian and continental dishes. Other restaurants that you can try are Pink Floyd café, Sun-n-Moon, Honey & Spice restaurant, Sixth sense, out of the blue, Om Shiva Garden Restaurant, and Little Italy among others. Also, the Sunset Café is a good place to watch the sun go to bed.
Any trip, whether for leisure or spiritual reason, is incomplete without a good retail therapy session. And Pushkar doesn’t disappoint you in that department. The main shopping places in Pushkar are Sarafa Bazar, Baza Bazar, Sadar Bazar and Kedalganj bazaar from where you can buy textiles, unique embroidery clothes, casual clothes like
Pushkar is a very tiny town and can easily be covered in a day or two. So it’s a good idea to head out for a scenic drive around Pushkar. Also, there are more than 400 temples around Pushkar that can easily be covered by a bike. There are a lot of Rental companies offering you a scooter for 150 rupees a day. But before you take a bike on rent, don’t forget to check the condition of the bike. You don’t want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere.
The best way to appreciate the ethereal beauty of Pushkar is from the air. If you are in the town around the fair you must take a balloon ride. You do not only soar above the crowds but also get an amazing bird’s eye view of the fair and the desert. The balloon ride is usually organised towards the end of the fair. The best time to go on a balloon ride is at sunrise when the sun rays light up the temples, ghats and the ancient buildings surrounding the lake. Make sure you have done advance booking to get the best time slot.
Last but not least and my favourite is to do absolutely nothing. Just ogle nature. Unwind. Relax. Listen to the natural music of birds. Get mesmerised by the dance performance of Peacocks. Meditate. Feed the pigeons. Talk to the locals. Eat local food. And if you like smoking then Pushkar is the mecca for you. You name anything and you’ll have it.
These 10 things to do in Pushkar are just the tip of the iceberg. I am sure there is a lot that you can discover in the city and around. The city is close to many important towns in the state and if you have time, I would recommend this 1-week itinerary in Rajasthan, India.
Interested to know more about Rajasthan, read these stories?
How Tourism saved Royalty of Rajasthan in India
Welcome to the circus: Ranthambore National Park, India
Top solo travel-friendly destinations in India
Top 10 things to do in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India
Have you ever been to Pushkar or Rajasthan? If yes, I would love to know about your experience.
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