Complete Travel Guide on Planning Travel to Leh Ladakh

“Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain. – Jack Kerouac, The Dharma Bums

Preface

This is a labor of love and the connection that I share with the most special place that I have ever been to in my life. It is the surreal Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh. It is romance that I will make sure will last for a lifetime. There are plethora of information available on internet on how to plan Ladakh trip but the fact of the matter is that they are not available on a single page. This endeavor of mine is to bring to you all the information that you require to plan your trip to Leh Ladakh on a single page. This is a monumental and tedious task, hence I have divided this guide into several headings and sub headings. You only need to click on the heading link in the list about which you seek the info and then again return to this list by clicking on the back to the top button.

[Here’s why you should visit Ladakh once in a lifetime]

Highway to Heaven: Planning Travel to Leh Ladakh

At Chang La – A Captivating View

Planning Ladakh Trip? Well let me try to illumine the ways to plan your trip to Ladakh. I’ll throw light on both routes i.e. the Leh – Manali highway as well as Leh – Srinagar Highway. These are the only two routes through which you could reach Ladakh by road. These routes are not operational throughout the year as the Zoji La (Pass) on Srinagar – Leh Highway and the Rohtang La (Pass) on Manali – Leh Highway remain closed from late November till early May on account of heavy snowfall.

Once these high mountain passes open up, the main tourist season in Ladakh begins.

The List for Planning Travel to Leh Ladakh

• Ladakh Trip (By Bike/Car) on Manali – Leh Highway


• Ladakh Trip (By Bike or 4/2WD) on Srinagar – Leh Highway


• Self-Drive or Ride to Ladakh


• Hiring Private Taxi for Leh Ladakh in Manali


• Hiring Private Taxi for Leh Ladakh in Srinagar


• Shared Taxi from Manali & Srinagar to Leh


• Shared Taxis from Leh to Manali and Srinagar


• Travel to Ladakh by Bus


• Night Stay or Accommodation on along the Manali – Leh Highway


• Night Stay or Accommodation on along the Srinagar – Leh Highway

Coming Soon

• Renting a Bike for Leh Ladakh on Motorcycle


• Accommodation in Leh Ladakh


• AMS & Acclimatization


• Permits in Leh Ladakh


• List of Things to Carry


• Travel Tips for Planning Ladakh Trip


• Places to Visit in Leh Ladakh


• Rafting in Ladakh

Let’s begin with facts now on how to plan your trip to Ladakh. I won’t give you much asides on how terrific the journey is as I have covered them in various travelogues on this blog of mine. YOu could search and read them if you want to. I’ll provide the links to them wherever relevant or at the bottom of this post. In here, I will only deal with facts and information that you’ll need for planning travel to Ladakh:

Ladakh Trip (By Bike/Car) on Manali – Leh Highway (490 kms)

On this highway (Which I would suggest you avoid if you are planning a round trip, i.e. Manali – Leh – Srinagar) there are many challenges but the rewards are great. However this is a route you’ll enjoy more if you are doing it from Leh to Manali.

There are permits to be obtained in Manali if you are traveling from this route to Ladakh. If you are taking this route, you need two days to reach Ladakh. Whereas the popular stopover and most known stopover for the night (recommended by travel agencies) is Sarchu; it is definitely recommended. You are sure to have reckoning with acute mountain sickness (AMS). Recommended places where I’d suggest you to make a night halt are Darcha or Jispa or even Zingzingbar.

The details of the journey on Manali – Leh Highway by road are as follows:

The Journey to Leh

Travel to Leh via Manali Route

Manali – Rohtang Pass

Distance Traveled: 52kms

Road Condition: Mostly good till Rohtang Pass

Highest Elevation: 3,980 m (13,060 feet)

Road Highlights: You can halt at Marhi at 10,800 feet (33 kms from Manali) for breakfast.

Accommodation Availability: No

Rohtang La – Gramphu

Distance Traveled: 19kms

Road Condition: In bad shape

Highest Elevation: 3,200 m (10,500 feet)

Accommodation Availability: Yes

Gramphu – Kokhsar

Distance Traveled: 6 kms

Road Condition: Average to bad

Road Highlights: Nothing except for a check post at Khoksar where foreign nationals should get themselves registered.

Kokhsar – Sissu

Distance Traveled: 25 kms

Road Condition: Average

Highest Elevation: 3,130 m (10,270 feet)

Accommodation Availability: Yes

Sissu – Tandi

Distance Covered: 8kms

Road Condition: In bad shape

Highest Elevation: 2,570 m (8,430 feet)

Accommodation Availability: Yes

Note: Tandi has the last petrol pump on this route. The next one is at Karu 380 kms away so get your tank up!

Tandi – Keylong

Distance Covered: 9 kms

Road Condition: From bad intially to good.

Highest Elevation: 3,080 m (10,100 feet)

Accommodation Availability: Yes

Keylong – Jispa

Distance Covered: 22 kms

Road Condition: Good

Highest Elevation: 3,310 m (10,860 feet)

Accommodation Availability: Yes

Jispa – Darcha

Distance Covered: 6 kms

Road Condition: Good

Highest Elevation: 3,360 m (11,020 feet)

Accommodation Availability: Yes

Note: Travelers need to get themselves registered here.

Darcha – Zingzingbar

Distance Covered: 26 kms

Road Condition: Good

Highest Elevation: 4,270 m (14,010 feet)

Accommodation Availability: Yes

Zingzingbar – Baralacha La (Pass)

Distance Covered: 18kms

Road Condition: Average to bad

Highest Elevation: 5,030 m (16,500 feet)

Accommodation Availability: No

Baralacha La to Bharatpur

Distance Covered: 2 kms

Road Condition: bad

Highest Elevation: 4,600 m (15091 feet)

Accommodation Availability: Yes

Note: I stayed here once at a Dhaba Tent and it is definitely not recommended. You’ll surely have bouts of AMS as did I. Only in extreme emergency as was our case.

Bharatpur to Sarchu

Distance Covered: 38 kms

Road Condition: Average

Highest Elevation: 4,300 m (14,100 feet)

Accommodation Availability: Yes

Sarchu – Pang

Distance Covered: 80 kms

Road Condition: Good to average

Highest Elevation: 4,600 m (15,100 feet)

Accommodation Availability: Yes

Road Highlights: Ride on the Gata Loops at an elevation of 4,190 m (13,750 feet), Nakee La at an elevation of 4,739 m (15,547 feet) and Lachulung La at an elevation of 5,065 m (16,616 ft).

Note: Travelers need to register themselves here at the check post.

Pang – Tanglang La

Distance Covered: 69 kms

Road Condition: Good to average to bad

Highest Elevation: 5,328 metres (17,480 feet)

Accommodation Availability: No

Road Highlights: Ride across Morey Plains a flat high altitude plateau at an elevation of 4,700 m (15,400 ft) is absolutely breathtaking and out of this world experience

Tanglang La – Rumtse – Upshi

Distance Covered: 60 kms

Road Condition: Mostly good

Highest Elevation: 3,480 meters (11,417 feet)

Accommodation Availability: Yes

Upshi – Leh

Distance Covered: 51 kms

Road Condition: Good

Highest Elevation: 3,500 metres (11,483 ft)

Accommodation Availability: Yes

Along the Way in a Nutshell

Vehicle Repair (Puncture & Mechanic): Marhi, Khoksar, Tandi, Keylong, Darcha, Sarchu, Upshi

Fuel Pump: Tandi and Karu (36 kms before Leh)

Fixed Phones: Keylong, Jispa, Darcha, Upshi

Liquor Shops: Marhi, Keylong, Darcha, Upshi

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Ladakh Trip (By Bike or 4/2WD) on Srinagar – Leh Highway

The details of the journey on Srinagar – Leh Highway by road are as follows:

Travel to Leh via SrinagarRoute

Srinagar – Sonamarg

Distance Covered: 85 kms

Road Condition: Mostly good

Highest Elevation: 3,480 meters (11,417 feet)

Accommodation Availability: Yes

Sonamarg – Zoji La Pass

Distance Covered: 24 kms

Road Condition: Average to very challenging

Highest Elevation: 3,528 metres (11,575 ft)

Accommodation Availability: No

Zoji La – Drass

Distance Covered: 38 kms

Road Condition: From challenging on early stretch to good once you descend the pass

Highest Elevation: 3,480 meters (11,417 feet)

Accommodation Availability: Yes

Drass – Kargil

Distance Covered: 58 kms

Road Condition: Mostly good

Highest Elevation: 3,480 meters (11,417 feet)

Accommodation Availability: Yes

Road Highlights: Drass War Memorial built to commemorate Kargil war martyrs

Kargil – Mulbekh

Distance Covered: 40 kms

Road Condition: Mostly good

Highest Elevation: 3100 meters (10170 feet)

Accommodation Availability: Yes

Mulbekh – Lamayuru

Distance Covered: 70 kms

Road Condition: Mostly good

Highest Elevation: 3,700 meters (12,139 feet)

Accommodation Availability: Yes

Road Highlights: Namika La at an altitude of 3,700 meters (12,139 feet)and Fotu La at an altitude of  4108m (13478feet)

Lamayuru – Alchi

Distance Covered: 57 kms

Road Condition: Mostly good

Highest Elevation: 3,100 meters (10,200 feet)

Accommodation Availability: Yes

Road Highlights: Namika La at an altitude of 3,700 meters (12,139 feet)and Fotu La at an altitude of  4108m (13478feet)

Alchi – Likir

Distance Covered: 20 kms

Road Condition: Mostly good

Highest Elevation: 3,651 m (11,978 ft)

Accommodation Availability: Yes

Likir – Leh

Distance Covered: 50 kms

Road Condition: Mostly good

Highest Elevation: 3524 metres (11,562 ft)

Accommodation Availability: Yes

Along the Way in a Nutshell

Vehicle Repair (Mechanic & Puncture): Ganderbal, Sonamarg, Kargil, Mulbekh, Lamayuru , Nimmu (last three puncture shops only)

Fuel Pump: Mangan, Sonamarg, Kargil, Mulbekh, Wakha, Khaltsi

Fixed Phone: Ganderbal, Sonamarg, Drass, Kargil, Mulbekh, Lamayuru, Alchi, Nimmu and in between these places as well

Liquor Shops: Sonamarg, Drass, Kargil

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Self-Drive or Ride to Ladakh

A ride on the Manali Leh Highway is the kind of stuff dreams are made of. Equally challenging and spectacular, this highway is a rider’s/driver’s delight. Dramatic change in the landscapes, crossing water streams and riding across some of the highest motorable roads in the world makes this one of the best highways for road trips in India. But only the daring souls take this route and the rewards are overwhelming once you reach Leh and the reality sinks in and later in your life when you look back and reflect on the adventure of having made it.

Now the roads are challenging. You need good riding/driving skills but you need more mental grit. The ride at some stretches will test you mentally, especially the Rohtang Pass with its slush and Baralacha La with its vicious water crossing.

On Srinagar Leh Highway, the only challenge you’ll face is crossing Zoji La. This is the easier and recommended route to take for a road trip to Ladakh. Acclimatization is not an issue on this route as you gain altitude slowly and steadily as opposed to Manali – Leh Highway which is more of 10,000 feet plus journey all along after crossing Rohtang Pass.

You also need to plan your halts carefully on Manali – Leh route as riding/driving above 10,000 feet could lead to acclimatization issues. Sarchu is where most travel agencies prefer to call the day off. But it is above 14,000 feet. It could cause serious acclimatization issue. Cases of altitude mountain sickness (AMS) abounds in Sarchu. Darcha, Keylong and Jispa could be considered as alternative when taking this route.

Yet another recommended thing is to know your vehicle. Do acquire some basic maintenance skills like changing wires (break, clutch etc.), changing oil, replacing spark plugs. Those traveling on motorcycle need to carry spare tube in case of puncture and puncture kit too if possible because you may find a puncture repairing shop but not the tube. Similarly those traveling on car should carry jumpstart cables and towing ropes.

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Hiring Private Taxi for Leh Ladakh in Manali

The thing you should know about hiring a taxi in Manali for Leh (If they are not registered in Ladakh) is that they are only entitled to drop you in Leh. They are not allowed to offer local sightseeing or travelling to places within Ladakh.

If you are taking a taxi, hire it in Manali from the Taxi Stand. These drivers are skilled enough to negotiate the tough terrain this Manali – Leh highway is. However do make sure that you let your driver know where you want to make your night halt. Once again I reiterate, Sarchu is not recommended (acclimatization issues). Plan your night halt at either Jispa or Darcha.

Do remember to bargain hard.

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Hiring Private Taxi for Leh Ladakh in Srinagar

As in the case of Manli taxis, taxis with Srinagar or Kashmir registration number are anly allowed to drop you to Leh. However, on this route, it is better if you hire a taxi only till Kargil. You are more likely to find a Leh registered taxi in Kargil that will not only drop you in Leh but can also offer local sightseeing and can travel to places like Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri. This will definitely bring down your cost.

Once again go to the taxi stand and do remember to bargain hard.

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Shared Taxi from Manali & Srinagar to Leh

Shared taxi ply for Leh from both Srinagar and Manali but the thing to consider is that they don’t make a night halt.

It’s called a cannon ball run.

It means that you’ll ride continuously for 14-16 hours in company of 8-9 unknown companions on tough terrain. It will significantly bring down your cost (1200-1500) but do ask yourself is it worth it?

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Shared Taxis from Leh to Manali and Srinagar

Same is applicable vice versa. That is taxis from Leh to Manali and Srinagar also do the canon ball run. Be very wary of shortcuts on Gata Loops on Leh Manali shared taxi ride .

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Travel to Ladakh by Bus

This is the best option for you if you are planning solo trip to Ladakh or even if you are a couple and want to do Ladakh trip on Budget.

Buses to Leh are available from Delhi, Srinagar and Manali. From Manali side, there are more option if you take the bus to Keylong from where frequency of buses to Leh are even more.

Delhi – Leh Bus Service

There is a direct bus serive from Delhi to Leh which is operated by Himachal Pradesh tourism (HPTDC).

The bus from Delhi ISBT is scheduled to depart at 03:45 PM. It reaches Chandigarh Sec 43 at around 9.30 PM (If you are starting your journey from Chandigarh). From there, it takes 9 hours to reach Kullu at around 6.30 am and arrives at Manali at 10 AM.

The bus leaves Manali after a short break for Keylong where it is scheduled to arrive at 03:30 PM where it makes a night halt. The next day, it departs for Leh at 05:00 AM and is scheduled to arrive there by 07:00 PM in the evening.

Departure: Daily (till Sept 15) from ISBT, Counter 7

Time: 3:45 PM

Delhi ISBT Phone # 011- 23868694

Chandigarh ISBT Phone # 0172-2668943

Keylong Bus Stand Phone # 01900-222245

Manali Bus Stand Phone # 01902-252323, 01902-252116 & 01902-253147

Manali – Leh Bus Service

The journey from Manli to Leh by bus takes 2 days with a night hat in Keylong.

Himachal Tourism offers two kind of rides on this routes. One is the HRTC which does not stop for any sightseeing activities. The halts are only for necessary food and washroom breaks.

The other bus service is run by HPTDC which is a semi deluxe non AC bus. This service is available only from July 1st till 15th September and halts at several places for sightseeing.

Fare of HRTC Bus from Manali to Leh: INR 500 PP.

Fare of HPTDC Bus from Manali to Leh: INR 2500 PP (Inclusive of accommodation and food)

Srinagar Leh Bus service

The buses from Srinagar ply to Leh from late May till early November. This is a two day journey with a night halt in Kargil.

Fare of Government Operated Buses: INR 1050 PP for Deluxe, INR 650 PP for Semi Deluxe.

Fare of Private Buses: INR 1000 PP for Leh and INR 500 for Kargil.

[Here’s more on traveling to Ladakh by bus]

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Night Stay or Accommodation on along the Manali – Leh Highway

Khoksar: HP PWD Rest House

Keylong: HP PWD Circuit House, HPTDC Hotel Chandrabhaga and several guesthouses

More on Ladakh by bus here.

Night Stay or Accommodation on Manali – Leh Highway

Jispa: HP PWD Rest House, several tented accommodation as well as a lodge and a hotel named Ibex

Darcha: Basic tented accomodations

Bharatpur: A few Dhaba tents (This is where I had to stay in the first Dhaba Tent that I came across when I first traveled to Ladakh via Manali and also my only tryst with acute mountain sickness).

Sarchu: Tented accommodations only ranging from Dhaba tents to luxury tents

Pang: Again tented accommodations only but with lesser option than Sarchu. No luxury tents.

Rumtse: Guest houses/homestays

Upshi: Guest houses/homestays

Night Stay or Accommodation on along the Srinagar – Leh Highway

Sonamarg: Good options for accommodations

Drass: Good options for accommodations

Kargil: very good options at Kargil

Mulbekh: Guest house/Home stays

Lamayuru: Hotel, Guest Houses and Home Stays

Alchi: Guest house/Home stays

Likir: Guest house/Home stays

 

If you want me include more information, feel free to suggest headings which I might have overlooked or missed. If you have traveled on this route this year, any update would be most welcome. Feel free to ask for assistance in case you have questions or doubts on planning travel to Leh Ladakh in the comment section below.

Cheers and happy traveling!

More coming soon…Stay tuned

Complete Travel Guide on Planning Travel to Leh Ladakh

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Holi Rhyme

ब्लिंग बैंग

ढिशुम ठाएँ

दायें बाएं

धुप या छाएं

पानी में थोड़ा रंग मिलाएं

दिखावों पे न जाएँ

अपनी अकल लगाये

पियें चाहें जितना भी

आपा और होश न गवाएं

होली का तयोहार

खुशियों से मनाएं

आपको हमारी

ढेरों शुभकामनाये ।

On this day characterized by insane colors, Unbelievable antics and adorable theatrics, here wishing you all a really colorful and joyous Holi. Drink responsibly and enjoy boundlessly. I wish you and your family have a blast on this Holi and days to come. Cheers and Happy Holi!

Holi Rhyme

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Plea of an Online Shopper: For Snapdeal

Writing a complaint letter or for that matter any letter is a not an easy. Writing it not only requires that you state the facts. A good letter – or so I believe – should have its fair share of pathos, anger, frustration and above all humor. I was recently asked by a friend of mine to write a letter on his behalf. So drawing upon my experience of excelling in writing such letter I came up with this one. Here I produce it in entirety. Do let me know what you think of it

—————————–

Let me recount my harrowing shopping experience with Snapdeal.

[W]hat in me is dark

Illumine, what is low raise and support;

That, to the height of this great argument,

I may assert Eternal Providence,

And justify the ways of Snapdeal to men.

When my computer monitor died, I had two options one, go to market and purchase it from brick and mortar store or second inspired by Modi Ji’s call of digital India go online and do the online shopping as any empowered, young and modern tech savvy digitized Indian youth should do (not that I am blaming Modiji at al).

Snapdeal or Snaildeal

So in my chutzpah, I logged into internet and to get “apne man ki deal” opened the Snapdeal’s website to place my order. After looking around I ordered for LG 20M37H LED HDMI Monitor (Order ID 11828384015). Placing the order and receiving the product was really easy. It took 3 days & I received the monitor. Now wouldn’t you say that’s really fast and efficient service?

Or so I thought before opening the package. As I opened the package to have a glimpse of the monitor I had ordered for I was in for a shock. Ek kahawat aksar sunta tha jo haqiqat ban gayi. Dikhaya ram; pela hanuman. Lo and behold! It’s a different model inside the package.

However all is not lost. Even at this point, it’s an issue which could still be resolved amicably and swiftly keeping in with Snapdeal promise of exceptional customer service. I immediately called Snapdeals’s customer care – both of whom I will now refer to as snaildeal and cust – se – maar respectively – who explained the replacement process.

He said that first an engineer will visit my house & check the product. If he finds that a wrong product is delivered then he will pack it and then give me an inspection document.

He will then report the result of the inspection to the concerned department in Snaildeal who upon receiving the inspection document will arrange my reverse pickup.

After that, once they receive the product in their warehouse, their team will check the product & upon confirming that wrong product was delivered, they’ll initiate the process of replacement of the product that I had ordered in the place. He assured me that once this process is complete, it will take another 5 to 6 days for the right product to reach me.

So far so good!

It was here that things went awry.

On 22nd February 2016, they tell me that their engineer will visit my place on 23rd Feb for the inspection of wrongly delivered product.

I wait and the day passes. No one comes.

In the evening, I call them again and get a promise that engineer will definitely visit the day after.

For next three days it is rinse and repeat. No visit is made by the engineer despite my anguished calls.  You see I am an I.T. professional and without a monitor, my entire work gets stuck. I am losing my patience.  It’s frustrating waiting day after day. Calling them up to get assurance that the visit will occur soon.

After three days of waiting in distressed anticipation; finally I had the honor of engineer’s visit on 25th February at 5:30 PM. He does the inspection and after veracity of my complaint, packs the product for reverse pickup.

Man! Was I relieved? I was ecstatic “Chalo bhai ab to kam ho hi jayega”.

But picture abhi baaki thi mere dost!

It was not the happy ending I expected. On 26th of February; I called Snaildeal’s cust – se – maar executive again to request for reverse pick up. But they refused saying that they have not received the inspection document from the engineer who made the visit. He added that they were waiting for the document and the process will be initiated only upon its receipt.

Again I politely and patiently inform them that the engineer has already made the visit and packed the product for reverse pickup and if they haven’t yet received the document; they should co-ordinate with the engineer to accelerate the process as the delays are seriously hampering my work.

Despite my plea, nothing transpires even on 27th of February.

On Sunday, the 28th & I do all in my power and within reach to get this issue resolved as it is seriously affecting my work.

First of all I call the engineer. Then I get the contact number of his superior who tells me that he has already updated the status in the software. He adds that he is surprised why Snaildeal is claiming ignorance of the fact and lying about the status of the inspection document.

I immediately call Snaildeal and share the supervisor’s contact detail so that they could resolve any confusion or miscommunication that is obstructing the process of reverse pickup.

I was surprised that after three days of inaction from Snapdeal; it was I who had to call the engineer; take his supervisor’s number and then call Snapdeal’s customer care so that they could coordinate with him. I mean what kind of service is this where customer care is not in loop with the engineer they send.

Soon after, I get a call from Snaildeal that I need to send the scanned copy of the inspection document. You see how they again throw the ball in my court.

With my net not working, I go to my neighbor’s house. More trouble. His internet pack is exhausted. I recharge his net pack & then send the scanned copy of the inspection document to Snaildeal. Again I call and asked for reverse pick up. Again they deny having received the document. To my surprise and anger the exec. Says “We have not received the document from engineer. We can proceed only when we receive the document”. I say to myself; WTF! Iski Maa ki ^*%$”.  My patience has reached its threshold, I am really really pissed now. This is the height of unprofessional behavious. I ask him why did they asked me to send them a scanned copy of the document in the first place if they were still waiting for the document from the engineer.

As most cust – se – maar executive do; he dithers and say he is following the protocol. The process is underway and that my issue will be resolved shortly and that they are trying to their best of ability to do so.

It’s not funny how once you are through the conversation – angry and frustrated – the final blow that the exec make is by saying “aapka Snapdeal customer care mein call karne ke kliye dhanyawaad kya main aapki kuchh aur shahayta kar sakta hun”. I mean they do apologize for the inconvenience cost but what about the accountability?

What can a frustrated, disgruntled, angry customer do? Has he no choice but to wait? I mean the reason why we place order online is that I get it delivered at my door step and I don’t have to run here and there and spend sleepless nights.

Frustrated utterly by the Snapdeal’s response, I asked them not for the replacement of the product but refund of my money.

On 29th February, I call them again in the evening to inquire about the reverse pickup status and to my utter surprise they tell me that they have received the document. Oh my God! Finally they initiate the reverse pick up process of the monitor.

I wait entire day but the pick-up man does not arrive. This whole thing goes back to square one again. What the F*&%. Its rinse and repeat for next three day. I keep waiting for reverse pick-up man on 1st, 2nd and 3rd march. Promises made only to be broken. Value assured not delivered. Finally on 4th, the product is picked up by the courier guy.

Refund is initiated in the evening once they receive the product. This process was fast as compared to previous promises. However to add to the pitiable value delivery to their customer, they refused to give my Rs 100 coupon back as no such policy is in place at Snapdeal.

After all I have been through, all I want to ask to arrogant customer care executives is that do they take us for fool and idiots. We pay in advance for a service we haven’t seen and when a wrong product is delivered, it is we who have to wait and call again and again as if it was our fault.

Thus ended my saga of suffering, frustration at hands of one of the top online retailer. All I can say is that now I have my eyes open.

I am wiser now. I am sure had I asked them to replace the product, it surely would have taken a week more or even longer and this tale would have turned out to be on a scale at par with epic such as Mahabharata. I conclude with summarizing my tale.

Day by Day progress:

18 Feb – Product Ordered

21 Feb – Wrong Product Received

22 Feb – Wait

23 Feb – Wait

24 Feb – Wait

25 Feb – Engineer visit

26 Feb – Wait

27 Feb – Wait

28 Feb – Wait

29 Feb – SD received the inspection document

1 Mar – Wait

2 Mar – Wait

3 Mar  – Wait

4 Mar – Reverse Pickup done in the morning & refund initiated in the evening.

What I got from Snapdeal at the end.

• 16 days of mental agony.


• Daily Call expenses (more than 100 rupees)


• They refused to give INR100 discount coupon (They finally forced me to stop shopping from SD forever.)

What I learned from above experience:

• Snapdeal has no control/co-ordination with third party companies like courier company.


• Local market is far better than online. First check online price then go to local market.


• Please check the return policy first before buying the product.


• Buy from authentic websites only, if needed.

Plea of an Online Shopper: For Snapdeal

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Happy International Woman's Day

I say Happy International Woman’s Day!

They say special days are marketing gimmick created by greeting card companies. I say so what!

At least they have given us a day where we could really take some time out to wish…honestly wish women around us and thank them for the power they have given us and for the kid we were, and for the man we are and will be.

Salute and respect to the most wonderful, powerful and kindest woman that I know

Salute, respect and power to them for they have taught us respect, humility, kindness and what it is to be a good, kind and caring human being. Because they were always there in good and bad; in weakness and strength in sadness and joy. She’s my mother, she’s my sister, and she is every other woman I have known who has touched my life in any way.

And especially to my mom. You are the most wonderful, strong, kind and loving woman that I know. I am blessed to have you in my life. You are pillar of my strength and every good thing I am today. So I’ll say this do you today even though I don’t say it more often. Believe me that I mean it every single moment of my existence. I’m glad to have you as my mom.

With mom n sis

So Happy International Woman’s Day to my mom, to all wonderful moms out there. To sisters, friends, lovers, spouses and daughters. Power and respect. You guys rock! Can’t imagine a world without you. Thank you for making this world a wonderful place to live in.

Happy International Woman's Day

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Travel Tales from Udaipur: Legends of Floating Lakes

Udaipur, the historic capital of the former state of Mewar and also referred as the “Venice of East”. It is among the most romantic and scenic cities of India. Udaipur is situated on the banks of Lake Pichola. It is one of the most popular tourist destination among foreign travellers due to its historic background and scenic beauty.

After cancelling our trip thrice in a year, we (me and my 2 besties) finally made it to Udaipur in our Christmas holidays. We took an early morning flight from delhi and within 1 and half hour we reached Udaipur airport. Airport is 40 km away from Udaipur city and you will easily get a prepaid taxi from the airport.

Once you enter the city, you will realize that how beautifully the city is situated on the bank of the main lake, Lake Pichola. Almost all the buildings looks like a small Haveli, in fact the architecture of all the hotels are also very similar to Haveli and the city has still maintained its heritage and historic charm so well that no wonder the place is so attractive among foreign travellers.

There are more foreign tourists than Indian, in every street, in every corner, every restaurant and every hotel. They are to be seen everywhere.

We tried booking our hotel as close to lake as possible but we couldn’t get a room with lake view. Nonetheless, we enjoyed our stay in our hotel as it had a great terrace restaurant with an awesome view of the lake, especially sunset. You can sit there for hours and can watch the sun go down casting beautiful oranges across the sky. You will forget all the stress and hustle bustle of your regular life and will get lost in the calmness of this small city. It was a spectacular view!!

Next day woke up to a picturesque morning. You open your eyes and all you can see is the serene and blue lake, I can guarantee that you will marvel at the beauty of this place with every sip of your tea. You would just want to live in the moment. We didn’t wanted to move but after enjoying our breakfast at our open terrace restaurant we decided to head out.

On our first day only we planned to go for shopping. We are not shopaholics but we wanted to buy some traditional and famous stuff from here, so we straight away went to Bapu Baazar. This place is famous for bandhni suits, dupattas and sarees. As you stroll through the market, you will see the colourful suits in display on both the sides. It looks lovely to see so many colours. After enjoying and finishing our shopping we went back to the Lake Pichola side and started exploring the place by foot.

The whole city has narrow alleys, full of antique and painting shops, so it’s best to explore it by foot. If you are an art lover and want to buy some antique items or jewellery, then this is the place, but you need to be a good negotiator.

After strolling down the narrow lanes, we came back to our hotel and started looking out for good place to have dinner. We wanted some open terrace restaurant to have to good view of twinkling city. The city is so beautifully lit and you can enjoy your meal in this perfect view with some folk songs in the background. You can just sit there for hours without even feeling tired. It’s truly mesmerizing!!

Next day we planned to do some sightseeing of famous places. Morning we took auto for Fateh Sagar. Fateh Sagar is an artificial lake but very quiet and peaceful place. The lake is pear-shaped and bordered by hills. There is small island which has a park inside called “Nehru Park” but we avoided going there and choose to enjoy the walk on the winding road on the lake side.

Every lake in Udaipur looks so blue and picturesque. You can take a long walk or can hire a bicycle as per your own convenience and take a good look of this place. We always prefer to roam randomly and its fun sometimes, you never know, you might end up in place where not many people go, unexplored and untouched. It’s a good fun I can bet. After strolling along the lake side for a while, we got back to our hotel and got ready to see city palace and Jag Mandir, two of the most popular tourist attractions in Udaipur.

City palace is very famous for its style, a fusion of the Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. City palace is one of Rajasthan’s largest palaces, a collections of several buildings with towers, balconies and cupolas built all over, the City Palace also houses a crystal gallery, which showcases the royal artifacts and the world’s largest private collection of crystal. They also organise a sound and light show every evening to showcase the history of Mewar. We didn’t spend too much time here as it is always very packed.

We quickly had a look and moved towards our next halt which was Jag Mandir. You will get a boat from City palace for Jag Mandir and it will give you half hour ride of the Lake Pichola and you get to see a beautiful ethereal view of ghats, City palace, Lake Palace and the city surrounded with Aravali hills from the middle of the lake. Everything looks enthralling from the middle of the pristine blue lake.

After this small ride, we reached Jag Mandir which is situated in the middle of the lake, famous for royal events, film shooting and celebrity weddings. It’s a small heritage place, surrounded with garden and a restaurant which gives you a nice view of City palace. There is nothing much to do, you can just sit and enjoy the serenity. After finishing sightseeing we got back to our hotel and went straight to our terrace restaurant.

We took a perfect place and spent rest of the evening with some chilled beer and delicious food. Don’t forget to eat lal maas (mutton dish) and tawa maas (mutton dish) in Udaipur. This place is famous for mutton delicacies and also famous poha which you can get easily in any street corner.

There are many other sightseeing places in Udaipur such as Sahelion ki bari, Bagore ki haveli, Shilpgram and some famous museums but we skipped as we never go travelling with an agenda to see all the places. It was more of a relaxing trip, like just sit and enjoy the beautiful lake view or watch a sun go down.

Overall it was a great experience to see one of the most popular historic cities of Rajasthan. The beauty, authenticity and serenity of this place, random walk in the narrow alleys of the city, spending time by the lake side, watching spectaculer sunsets and beautifully lit city like they celebrate a festival of light every night, is definitely going to stay in our hearts forever. It’s truly one of the most romantic city of India as you can feel it in the air as well surrounding!!

P.S: Beware of the auto drivers, they charged more than double as auto is the only conveyance if you don’t have your own vehicle. We had a very bad experience and we had no other option then to pay as this one auto guy was ready to leave us in the middle of the road. So better check and then board. And also prefer to shop on your own, instead of going through a tour guide. They will charge you lot of extra money and also don’t pay it shopkeepers and the people (craftsman, painters or artists) who actually put all the efforts.

Travel Tips for Udaipur Trip Planning:

1. How to reach: Udaipur can be reached from any major cities of India by road, train and plane. It is well connected. The Palace on Wheels, Royal Rajasthan on Wheels, Maharaja Express and The Indian Maharaja, some of the famous luxurious trains of India, also make a halt in Udaipur.


2. Accommodation: There are range of accommodations as per the requirement of the traveller, price ranging from thousand to lakhs. From backpackers hotels to luxury lake palace by Taj. Udaipur is famous for luxury and heritage hotels, especially among foreign travellers but you can easily find budgeted hotels around the station as well as near Lake Pichola.


3. Entry tickets of the monuments: The City palace is open from 9:00 AM to 5:30 in the evening for the visitors and entry fees is 250 for adults (Above 18 years) and 100 for a child (5 to 18 years); and from 7 p.m to 8 p.m for sound and light show with separate entry fees. The entry fees for camera and museums like crystal gallery, vintage car collections are also paid separately. A boat for half hour from City palace for Jag Mandir costs around 400. You can hire a charter boat as well for a sunset ride. Almost all monuments has an entry fees.

Weather: We went around Christmas and weather was expected to be cold but it was other way round. Evenings were pleasant and night little cold but day time was quite hot. You can carry few warm cloths but don’t forget to carry some light cloths as weather can be unexpected and you will end up with no choice, just like us.

Author Bio:

An ardent believer in the saying that ‘you can go anywhere you want to go, if you really want to go, let your desire be your destiny’; Shanta loves to pen down her though, photos and travel experiences in her own idiosyncratic way. You may catch up with her at Instagram and Twitter.

Travel Tales from Udaipur: Legends of Floating Lakes

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Planning Ladakh by Bus from Delhi

On various travel forums, I often come across questions regarding traveling to Ladakh by bus as well as traveling to various destinations in Ladakh by bus. In this article, my endeavor is to shed light on the routes available to reach Leh and then traveling to popular destinations in Ladakh like Nubra Valley, Tso Moriri and Pangong Tso by bus service. I have also mentioned tariff (which are accurate to best of knowledge) along the various routes along with departure timings.

Image Source

Bus Service in Ladakh is a boon for budget traveler but then you will be on a tight schedule as bus services in Ladakh are very limited and don’t operate on a daily basis on long routes. It means you need to go to a particular destination like Pangong Tso and return the next day or else have a month time up your sleeve and you could spend 2-3 days in Pangong or Nubra Valley and catch the next scheduled bus.

Even then, if you are traveling to destination like Tso Moriri, the bus service is available on ten days interval if you miss the next day’s bus to Leh. So read on and plan your trip to Ladakh by Bus.

[Also Read my Post on Road Trip to Ladakh on Motorcycle]

Planning Trip to Leh Ladakh by Bus and Bus Service inside Ladakh

Buses ply regularly from Manali and Srinagar to Leh. Sri Nagar side bus halts for the night in Kargil and reaches Leh the next day. Similarly, night halt in Manali Leh highway is at Keylong. Bus service from Srinagar to Leh is more frequent than bus service from Manali to Leh as many private and state run buses ferry passenger to Leh from Srinagar some directly without a night halt.

Bus Service from Delhi to Leh, Ladakh

Direct bus from Delhi was available to Leh in 2015. Currently the official site is showing this message: No Such Route Exist. However it is very likely that this bus service from Delhi to Leh will resume this season too when the road will open via Manali route in July.

Bus Service from Delhi to Leh Details

Departure: Daily (till Sept 15) from ISBT, Counter 7

Timing: 3.45 PM

However the irony of this is that even the ground staff at HPTDC, Delhi ISBT are not aware of this service. Better call Manali or Keylong office and take the required information regarding departure date and timing from there to be on the safe side.

Useful Phone no. for information for bus service from Delhi to Leh

ISBT Delhi: 011- 23868694

ISBT Chandigarh: 0172-2668943

Manali Bus Stand: 01902-252323, 01902-252116 & 01902-253147

Keylong Bus Stand: 01900-222245

Last year, this bus service from Delhi to Leh started from first week of July but it depends on whether road at Rohtang Pass is opened or not. The bus is operated by Himachal Pradesh Tourism (HPTDC).

One could also catch a bus from Delhi to Manali and catch the connecting bus to Leh from there. Delhi to Manali will cost you INR 1300 per person in AC VOLVO and INR INR 750 in Non AC Deluxe.

Bus Fare from Delhi to Leh, Ladakh: INR 1350 per person

Bus Service from Manali to Leh

From Manali to Leh, the bus service will operate from 1^st July till 15^th September. The one way fare in Non AC Deluxe Bus is INR 2500 per person with a night halt in Keylong. Volvo don’t ply on this route.

Departure time from Manali ISBT is 09:00 AM and the return journey from this route could be made from Fort Road in Leh with bus scheduled to depart at 05:00 AM in the morning.

Bus Fare from Manali to Leh Ladakh: Rs.2500/-

Transport Charges INR 1900 + Accommodation charges INR 600 (M.A.P) and bus stops for sightseeing

For booking in advance, try this link.

http://www.hptdc.nic.in/

Bus Service from Srinagar to Leh Ladakh

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The two day bus journey from Srinagar to Leh with a night halt in Kargil starts from Srinagar ISBT at 8:00 AM in the morning. Fare for JKSRTC operated buses from Srinagar to Leh is INR 1050 per person for Deluxe and INR 650 per person for semi deluxe. Many private and other state run buses also ply regularly on this route making it far better connected to Leh than the Manali Leh route. And there are no direct bus from Jammu to Ladakh. Direct bus service is available from Srinagar only.

Bus fare from Srinagar to Leh, Ladakh: INR 1050 per person

Bus Service from Leh to Pangong Tso

Every Saturday and Sunday bus from Leh goes to Pangong via Chang La, the second highest mountain pass in Ladakh according to some. The departure is at 6.30 AM. Yet another bus ferry passengers to Tangtse that also leaves at 6:30 AM on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday but doesn’t go all the way till Pangong. Fare of these bus is Rs. 256 per person. The return journey to Leh is made the next day by both these buses.

Bus Service from Leh to Tso Moriri

Bus from Leh to Tso Moriri, yet another of the major tourist attraction featuring a high altitude lake runs thrice in a month. The dates are 10th, 20th and 30th of the month. Return journey is next day i.e. 11th, 21st and 31st or 1st (depending upon days in the month). The fare for this route is INR 370 per person.

Bus Service from Leh to Nubra Valley

The bus from Leh ply to Diskit in Nubra Valley every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. It leaves from Leh in the morning at 8:00 AM. The return journey to Leh is made the next day at 7:00 AM and per person fare is INR 350.

Bus Service from Leh to Hanle

Bus from Leh leaves for Hanle every Saturday at 6:00 AM in the morning. The fare for this route is INR 492 per person. The return journey from Hanle to Leh is made the next day.

Bus Service from Leh to Stok

Bus to Stok runs twice daily from Leh. The fare for the journey is INR 25 each. The bus leaves from Leh at 8:00 AM in the morning and 5:00 PM in the evening.

These are the latest updates on the bus service to Leh and for internal traveling for sightseeing in Ladakh by bus. If there are any variation in current fare it would only be minor. Let me know if you have any updates on the same so that I could update the same on this post.

For more on planning Ladakh tour, read my previous post on planning trip to Ladakh and also read tips if you are planning Ladakh trip on bike

Other Useful Links for Rates and Time Tables of Bus Services in Leh Ladakh:

• http://vargiskhan.com/log/leh-bus-service-buses-ladakh/


• http://devilonwheels.com/rates-time-table-of-bus-services-in-leh-ladakh/


• www.lehladakhindia.com/resource/

Planning Ladakh by Bus from Delhi

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Trip Report: Narkanda from Delhi & Hatu Peak Trek

“Somewhere between the bottom of the climb and the summit is the answer to the mystery why we climb.”

Greg Child

After a long hiatus, finally we – I along with 2 of my colleagues – decided it’s time we pack our bags and go footloose in Himalayas. But the catch is we have just 2 days that is, a not so long weekend break from Delhi. Destination I had in mind for a long time. It is Narkanda. We’ll go to and do the Hatu Peak Trek.

Breathtaking view from the Hatu Peak

Yes you heard it right; not the usual road that is available to the Hatu Temple. But a meandering road that cuts across the mountain and converge once or twice on the road that leads vehicle to the top. So read along and hope you enjoy my trip report on Narkanda from Delhi and Hatu Peak Trek.

On a not so cold winter day in Delhi we boarded the bus from Kashmiri Gate ISBT in Delhi to Narkanda. We had pre-booked the ticket from HPTDC site. And believe me I am wiser for it now. So my New Year commitment that I made myself is from next time whenever I’ll plan a trip, I’ll book my tickets online.

The ticket to Narkanda from Delhi costs 486 per person when booked online. A few bucks more than what you’ll otherwise have to shell out. The bus was scheduled to departure at 10 PM from ISBT and we reached Narkanda at around 11 AM. We got down to the point from where the road leads to Hatu Temple.

Famished as were, the first thing to do after disembarking from the bus was to settle down on the chairs of the dhaba that was around the corner there and had a hearty meal to replenish our energy for what was to come. In just 218 bucks we four had butter aloo paranthas and tea. It was delicious!

At the start of the climb a signboard greets you telling that the road is 6 kilometers long and that it is only suitable for cars, jeeps and gypsies.

But I tell you it lies. The road is perfectly suitable for wanderers and barefoot travelers like us. And you got to walk it to truly experience the bliss that it or for that matter most of the trails in Himalayas offer if you submit yourself to it.

After having filled our bellies, we hit the road and started to look for any trails that might enable us to leave the road well travel. We soon found one. The goat trail we took was densely forested and occasionally there were clearings or what they call Bugyals in Uttarakhand for grazing of herds.

Wherever the trail opened up to these pastures view were mesmerizing. Undulating Himalayas, lush coniferous forest, and wildflower conjured up the scene for which Himalayas in romanticized by so many. Here you take every other breath to keep it safe in your heart. To treasure it for times to come.

As we climbed on somewhere which I think should be midway we came across a mud hut, a frozen pond and loads of snow. It was a sight to behold. The people there come from the town every day to cater to the travelers who go to Hatu Peak. You could rest here, have tea and snacks and that wonderful thing that I absolutely love whenever I am footloose in Himalayas. It is called Maggi!

As we reached there, the fun started, we climbed the slopes with thick snow and did some sledging sans the sledge. Along with my companions I too become a child and did a lot of crazy adventure as if I were 5 years old and as if I had encountered snow for the first time.

That’s the best part of travelling I believe. It brings back the innocence in you. It is a return to innocence for me. I am completely there. I become for a few moments or days ‘I’. Not that I am escapist but I have this dream to live a nomadic life. Travelling around the world, taking a lot of photographs, partake in the local culture and collect a lot of memories

So after spending like half an hour or so and enjoying ourselves to the hilt and a crazy number of photographs, it was time to move on in was late in the afternoon and we had to return and look for a hotel too.

Yes! You heard me right. You might be thinking we were crazy to go to Narkanda that too on Christmas long weekend and not pre-booking a hotel. As it turned out we made a mistake but that will come later

So off we go.

We started uphill climb. The entire trail till we reached the peak from here onward was carpeted with thick snow. The temple itself was not covered in snow but all around it, there was thick cover of snow, pure white!

The view from the top is worth all the effort you’ll have to make to reach the peak. Surprisingly, this is the only trail that I have undertook till now which didn’t even made me sweat or puff. Not for a single stretch did I feel any fatigue. The peak is situated at an altitude of 11,000 feet. It’s an elevation higher than Leh. Peaks visible from here include Hanuman Tibba, Shiri Khand Mahadev, Kailash & Paravatti and the Friendship Peak.

My Prashar Lake experience was agonizing and so was Triund Trek. Same happened when I did Deoriya Tal. The Nagtibba was relatively less tiring but made me take a lots of break in between so did Dodital. Compared to them, trek to Hatu Peak was a cakewalk

Coming back to the view. An awesome sight greeted me at the top near Hatu Temple. The view is 360 is raw awesomeness! You could see miles stretching right beside your year in every direction. Sights of azure sky, towering mountain peaks, undulating valleys and lush pine and spruce forest and apple orchards will take your breath away.

The temple itself looks majestic. It’s a beautifully carved temple which is held sacred by locals. Hatu Mata temple is dedicated to ‘Mandodari’ who was Ravana’s wife. Ravana is none other than the demon king of Lanka in Indian epic Ramayana who abducted Lord Rama’s wife Sita.

The craftsmanship in the wooden work which is intricate to say the least is impressive. I found this temple even more impressive that the Sage Prashar’s Temple or even the popular Hidimba Temple in Manali.

The current structure of Hatu Temple was built some 5 years ago after tearing down the original one. The architectural style used is traditional but the fine wooden carving work is mesmerizing.

On the first Sunday of Jyeshtha, the third month in the Hindu calendar, locals arrive here in large number for ritual in which goats are sacrificed near temple at the place where Pandava brothers of Mahabharata (yet another Indian epic) cooked their meal during ‘agyat vaas’ (Period of exile).

There is a tourist house nearby the temple but I have heard it is seldom used by the authorities. The peak is inhabited and facilities as such were not available when we were there.

After spending an hour or so. It was time to walk back to Narkanda. For the descent, we took the road to save some time. To my surprise, it took longer to us to make the downhill climb. It was due to the snow that had hardened on the road. It had become very slippery. Each of us took a fall. But most of us fell just once and adapted quickly. It was Gaurav, one of my colleagues who had his bums sored even before we were a 1000 meters down.

Deepak came to his rescue and took his hand literally and helped him descend till the snow cover diminished. Soon the entire surrounding was shrouded in darkness and we were yet to reach the point from where the road bifurcated towards Hatu Peak.

It was around 5 PM that we reached the point from where it started and it was almost dark if not for some light provided by the stars and moon in the great firmament. Now was the time for panic as we couldn’t see any signs of human settlements.

What happens on hills is that road are sinuous enough and a village or town might be located just at the next roundabout and you wouldn’t know it. It is okay if it is daytime but when you have no conveyance and its dark and you don’t know if a bus would come or not and you are not finding any sign post on the road that could offer reassurance then it’s scary.

So I took the lead and started to jog along. Gaurav and one of our other companion were exhausted so they decided to take rest. But I couldn’t because we had to find the town as soon as possible. After some hours of frantic walk between which we tried to stop many vehicle which wouldn’t stop, finally I saw the lights.

Lights mean settlements and it was a relief to see the lights. Finally, we were in Narkanda. Now started the search for hotels. Oh boy how they fleece you when they know you don’t have much option.

As I said, it was a Christmas long weekend and we didn’t pre-book our accommodation which could have come as cheap as 800K per night.

But when we reached the hotel in Narkanda, it charged us 2.2K and there were no bargaining to be made. There were no other option. The room for which we paid 2.2K, I swear couldn’t have been worth more than 500 bucks.

But I let go. It was our fault that we didn’t pre-book.

Looking back, it was a great weekend break from Delhi. We enjoyed it till the hilt. It was a mix of pleasure and pain for some

Now for the facts:

Bus from Delhi to Narkanda: 486 per person (Online booking) Time taken: 12 Hours

Hotel in Narkanda: 2200 shared by 4 person

Bus from Narkanda to Kufri by Bus: 70 per person Time taken: 3 hrs

Bus Kufri to Shimla by Bus: 25 per person Time taken: 1 hrs

From Shimla to Kalka by Toy Train: 50 per person Time Taken 6 hrs approx.

From Kalka to Delhi by Kalka Mail: 105 per person Time Taken 6 hrs approx.

Of course, you could always choose bus for return journey which is more comfortable than the train journey which is mostly second class (passenger) wooden seat type. There are no reservation in Toy Trains and you have to run and literally capture seat for yourself.

If you are used to travelling in Mumbai Local as am I, I guarantee you seat in the Kalka Shimla Railway a.k.a. toy train. I even managed to reserve seat for my companions as I was the first one to get inside the train at Shimla.

From Kalka as well, the journey we undertook was in unreserved class. But I made good use of the sleeping bag that I was carrying and slept like a baby throughout the night making the most of the aisle space. Definitely not recommended if you are traveling with family or are a female.

Go for bus both side when making this trip. Of course I am assuming you are traveling on budget and not hiring or own a four wheeler.

But traveling on “Toy Train” the Shimla Kalka Narrow Gauge Railway which is a UNESCO World Heritage was a longtime dream of mine. That was the reason we decided for it. And it was a fun trip. It would have been even better had we travelled during day as I missed on the photo ops along the way.

Looking back; our weekend trip to Narkanda from Delhi was a great adventure. We covered three destinations that is Narkanda, Kufri, and Shimla and undertook a trek to Hatu Peak and travelled aboard World Heritage Kalka Shimla Railways.

To sum it up 3 days were well spent and the money well spent. It came to 1750 per person excluding the booze and fag. If not for the overpriced hotel or the fact that it was getting late in night we would have managed it under 1500 per person.

Now that is something you call travelling on a budget or traveling like a backpacker. You see I am getting better at it

And remember this saying from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, one of my favorite book “The only Zen you find on tops of mountains is the Zen you bring there.”

Trip Report: Narkanda from Delhi & Hatu Peak Trek

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