Dont do in Ladakh, What not to do in Leh, Pangong, Nubra, Hanle, Ladakh - Ladakh is truly an amazing place! My husband and myself went to Ladakh from June 26-July 2 covering Leh (2N), Nubra Valley (1N), Pangong (1N), Hanle (1N) and back to Leh (1N). Our trip was arranged by Overlandscape.com (travel@overlandscape.com). The trip was arranged very well. The tour operator gave us a tour guide/driver and an AC innova for the whole trip. It was super comfortable! There are many reviews about what to do in Ladakh. I would like to tell what NOT to do or what to be careful about. DO NOT TAKE CHILDREN TO LADAKH. THEY WILL BE SUPER BORED! 1. Delhi airport: The Delhi airport is a nightmare for connecting flights. We landed in Delhi from Bengaluru in T3. We had to get out of T3 and board a crammy bus to T1 for a 15-minute drive. We both carried only a backpack each, so it was easy. People who had a cabin bag struggled to get into the bus itself. It is a 15-minute drive to the other terminal (T2 or T1 and a lot of delays inside. So please book your flights accordingly. 1a: Delhi airport: Digiyatra is so much faster. Normal lines are too long. Security check includes removing sports shoes. 2. Leh airport: The airport is very small and exit is quick. Security is very high in this millitary airport. so take your photos before you de-plane. When you book a flight, opt for a window seat. My husband and myself sat seperately on two sides. It was so amazing to see the changing landscape. 3. Leh: Dont do ANYTHING on day one. just eat and sleep. dont even climb steps or walk. walk very slowly even to the restaurant. drink only warm water always. There will be breathing difficulty even if you lift a suitcase. 3a. Magnetic hill is not worth visiting anymore . it is just a historical point. Due to repeated tarring, you cant feel the magnetisation of vehicles. oNLY A NAMESAKE PHOTO POINT. 3b. Pathar sahib gurudwara: must visit, prasad and their free tea is wonderful. Dont miss it. 3c. Zanskar-India confluence: View best only from the top. it is dirty near the water. better to skip. 3d. Hall of Fame: Must visit for all fans of the Indian Army and the Nation. all achievement are prior to 1972. good display 4. Nubra valley: - amazing changing landscapes. Eat a heavy breakfast cos it is a long drive. - eat lot of carbohydrates. avoid puri, parathas and channa. - Toilet facilities are very poor. carry wet tissues and sanitizers at all times. some toilets are just a hole in the ground. very dirty. If water is available, it will be a bucket and a mug 4a. Khardung La - the view is stunning. carry goggles and a winter cap in your backpack. very cold. you will get really good butter tea and Kashmiri Kahwa tea here. Dont miss it. After Khardung La, it is a super long drive to Nubra Valley. It is the Valley of flowers here. you willl see many kinds of flowers. Some of the roads to Nubra practically dont exist. Please make sure your driver is super skilled. Please keep sipping water from the time you leave Leh. My AMS started slowly in NUbra itself. 4b. Disket Monastery: Beautiful Maitreyi Buddha. some 30-40 steps to climb. lovely view of entire Nubra valley. Elders to avoid. 4c. Walk along Shyok rover is so serene and calm. 4d. we did not take the camel ride. the camels were smelly and were troubled a lot by its owners. many people did enjoy the ride. I enjoyed walking on the river sand dunes. good place for photos. I would have preferred to see only Khardung La and avoid Nubra valley. I would have opted to take the good road to Pangong from Leh. Nubra valley is not as impressive as I read. 5. Pangong Tso: The road from Nubra to Pangong was there in many of the parts. Others: the driver had to look for the road, horrible rocky roads. very uncomfortable. Long tiring journey,. the last parts of it are narrow mountain roads with a lot of scary mountainous bends. I would not recommend this route. Pangong Tso: I have no words to describe the beauty of this place. - The first view you see is the best view. - Park immediately and walk on the lake bund. - the best view is only from the top. The view is best from afternoon to evening after the mist is gone. the hues of blue were best between 2-4 pm. Go when it is the hottest part of the day. Mornings and evenings are boring here. - At Marmot point, please, please do not feed the marmots. they are supposed to be wild. they have now lost the fear of humans and they come really close. Take photos and move away. - Try to avoid staying at Pangong. The places closest to the lake are only camps. The hotels are about a km away on top of the hills. The view is good too, but opt for stay at Man or Merak villages. There are many places to stay there too. - for a good, quiet view of Pangong, driver towards Merak. amazing route . I posed on the same yellow scooter on top of a hill in view of Pangong lake. - avoid beach point. it is dirty and crowded. - the night sky is amazing at Pangong (Same as Hanle). Use a night sky app to identify constellations. - drink warm water - Hotels are below average. accomodation is super basic. - very windy at night. i could not sleep. You can hear the army boats and planes through the night. The wooden cabin of our hotel was noisy through the night. no fan or ac. - Altitude Mountain Sickness (AMS) hit me at Pangong. Take Diamox when a dull headache starts. Later it turns to sleeplessness and breathlessness. If you keep sipping water, I heard you will have less chances of AMS. - The driver said that the route from Leh to Pangong is like butter. I would have preferred that route to the rough roads from Nubra. Hanle: The drive to Hanle was... a mix of everything. - very lonely. we did not see a single human for close to 100 km. - Drink warm water. very dry - landscape is awesome (for those who love nature only). You will see hills of various colours with different minerals - no wildlife except we saw one Wild Hare. - Long tiring journey At Hanle: - Visit the ancient Hanle Monastery. It is the Tibet border. - No food is available outside the hotels. Carry snacks - The Indian government given free telescopes and astronomical education to 21 families in Hanle. Only 2 people who how to set it up. They need the Pole star and the Crab Nebula to be visible to set up the telescope. Even if the sky has a few clouds, or there is not enough visitors, they will not take the telescope out. Charge Rs. 200 per person. - Night sky at Hanle is the same as Pangong. Less polluted. But the journey is very, very hectic Hanle was quite boring Hanle to Leh: Super long drive through marshlands. we saw many rare birds and animals. but you have to keep a lookout for them. Drink water The route is really, really beautiful. The marsh, the plains and valleys are so so beautiful. (If you have the eyes for it!) . The Chumathang hot springs are good to see. boiling water. carry a steel water bottle and a napkin to fill and use it in the hotel bathroom on your knees. Just where the water springs out, there is a toilet outlet. So please look for a smaller spring on the ground and touch the water ever so slightly. Ladakh is an amazing land. It is a once in a lifetime trip. Leh airport: Boarding was very late. There are ten flights from Leh in the mornings. it is very crowded and there is a lot of commotion. There is one outlet with sandwich and drinks and one dry fruit shop from Kashmir. Delhi airport: Again, transfers between terminals take time. lot of walking. Take off was super delayed. - Plan each location seperately. - gather data on places of stay and routes. - Ladakh roads are very poor. - travel sickness is common. - Go to Ladakh if you have extra time in hand. People say landslides and road blocks are common. You must have to change your travel plans suddenly. watch the weather always. Hope this helps! Thank you for reading. Hope you enjoy the land as much as I did! Take extra care.

Very good experience. The hotels , camps, driver and our guide was excellent. - Funtastic place. We enjoyed very much , excellent experience to staying in cam at Pongong lake Very good experience in Nubra Valley. There enjoined double hump camel riding.

Ladakh Backpackers Tour - We did a 5N/6D tour with Ladakh Backpackers of the beautiful Leh-Ladakh region. I had booked this tour from overseas and Fida provided all the information required to make the process as easy as possible. Prior to arrival, we were given adequate information to warn us on how to best manage altitude sickness - however in retrospect, I would suggest staying in Leh for an extra day or two until you are fully acclimitazed or making a slow ascent from Delhi to Leh prior to commencing the tour (as both my parents struggled a bit). We were personally greeted by Fida on our first day and had all questions answered.The accomodation that was booked as part of the tour were all incredible to stay at, with everyone being very friendly and accomodating. Our driver, Gulaam, was fantastic - very experienced and professional, regularly checking in on us to make sure we were comfortable and any needs met. Overall, we had a beautiful experience and would highly recommend Ladakh Backpackers for your travel in this region.

Trip to remember.. - We had one of our best trips with the Ladakh Backpackers team. They are highly professional and available to accommodate your needs to the fullest. The hotel rooms, food and homestay was excellent. Even though weather was cold but warmth of the Ladakhis are enough.

Best experience in Ladakh.. - Ladakh Backpackers are a group of native tour organizers who know Ladakh in and out. They are very particular about your choices and preferences ensuring a smooth and hurdle free trip. Thoroughly available and supportive in making your trip comfortable and safe. Kudos to the team.

Seamlessly organised - LB team takes extra care for your comfort with its luxury hotels, transport and seamless hospitality services. You can trust the team.

Best experience possible - One of the best trip experiences of life with Ladakh Backpackers. They are highly professional and prompt with their response. The food, stay and hotels were beyond expectations

Safe and Memorable Trip - One of the most memorable trip of 2023. Glad to have chosen Ladakh Backpackers for our tour of Ladakh. The entire booking process was very easy including the payment optjons they have given. The choices of hotels and cars all were excellent. They took good care of us

Satisfied with the trip - One of the best trips i ever jad in Ladakh with LB team. They are highly professional tram with prompt responses and quality service delivery

Fabulous Leh Nubra valley and Pangong - We landed on 13th of July morning and started our trip on the 15th. First day was mandatory rest and second day we covered Lamayuru and Alchi monasteries along with Shanti stupa. Don't miss 'Khimri', a local bread, at Alchi kitchen at Alchi monastry. Third day we started at 6 am in the morning and reached 'Thang' (Nubra valley) the northern most village of India at 1 pm. Few things to note 1. Oxygen is a real issue at Khardungla pass as we were gasping for breath even for a few steps. 2. Road from 'Northpullu' village to halfway through Khalsar is brand new double road. 3. Beyond this point road doubling work is in progress and the road is literally mud and stones for about 20 km. It is really back breaking ordeal. 4. Again from Khalsar to half way through Diskit the road is some what good. From this point to Diskit again it is only mud and stones for another 25 km which is really a torture. 5. From Diskit to Thang the road is good. So keep in mind these things when you are planning for Nubra valley. Actually the drive to Thang is heavenly with mind blowing views of the mighty Himalayas. We stayed overnight at Hunder and returned to Leh the next day afternoon after visiting the Diskit monastery. We have also visited Leh palace, Hall of Fame and Sindhu ghat on the same day. On fifth day we started to Pangong lake via Kharu. The place nearest to Leh side in Pangong lake is 'Lukung' (In google map it is Pangong lake view). It is a must visit place as we can't find such a crystal clear water and calm water body anywhere. We started at 7.15 am from Leh and after 30 minutes break fast break we reached Lukung at 10.45 am. Spent 2 hours and while returning visited Thiksey monastery and Roncho school. We could have avoided Roncho school as tourists are shown only some photos in a hall and not allowed inside the school. Evening we visited Leh market which is the most happening place in the town. In nutshell it a fulfilling trip which we have thoroughly enjoyed.