[paragsachania]

Finally we have the travelogue published and the meticulous details tells us why it took so much time!

Thanks Hemanth for literally making us travel with you on this epic trip. Your planning to execution was phenomenal to say the least and you could cover your intended POIs as planned too.

I am glad you could get benefited from Madhu, one name that comes to my mind when it comes to Himalayas or North East as his occupational profile assures him of a month long trip twice a year to these places by his car. I et invited every time but my job won't let me take a month long vacation . Needless to say, it is always better to vouch on people who have actually traveled.

Thanks again for taking time and penning down this wonderful travelogue and very happy to see that you and your friends' families too had a memorable time through this journey.

[raptor_diwan]

Perfectly crafted travelogue! Ladakh Road trip - it's been a long time since I've seen this title in a hot thread. I immediately clicked to read it completely. Great travelogue, buddy! Thanks for sharing!

[MyLife_MyCar]

Oh! What a narration! Thoroughly enjoyed reading this despite being so long. Rated 5 star.

Just wondering if your daughter's wish came true

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

My daughter built a tall wish tower with the stones and her wish was to get a puppy when we reach home!

Attachment 2481298
Wish tower

[hemanth.anand]

Originally Posted by SafariMan

Amazing trip, travelogue, detailing and pictures. Fantastic reading from start to end. Rated 5 stars.

Originally Posted by thirugata

Wonderfully narrated travelogue with equally impressive photos.
Thanks for sharing it, loved every bit of it.

Originally Posted by busydrive

Fantastic narration. Wonderful pictures. Felt as if I was travelling with you all.

Originally Posted by raptor_diwan

Perfectly crafted travelogue! Ladakh Road trip - it's been a long time since I've seen this title in a hot thread. I immediately clicked to read it completely. Great travelogue, buddy! Thanks for sharing!

Thank you everyone!

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Finally we have the travelogue published and the meticulous details tells us why it took so much time!

Thanks Hemanth for literally making us travel with you on this epic trip. Your planning to execution was phenomenal to say the least and you could cover your intended POIs as planned too.

I am glad you could get benefited from Madhu, one name that comes to my mind when it comes to Himalayas or North East as his occupational profile assures him of a month long trip twice a year to these places by his car. I get invited every time but my job won't let me take a month long vacation . Needless to say, it is always better to vouch on people who have actually traveled.

Thanks again for taking time and penning down this wonderful travelogue and very happy to see that you and your friends' families too had a memorable time through this journey.

When Passion and Profession are same, you can consider yourself lucky.

Originally Posted by MyLife_MyCar

Oh! What a narration! Thoroughly enjoyed reading this despite being so long. Rated 5 star.

Just wondering if your daughter's wish came true

[darklord]

Always a pleasure to read a Ladakh log, especially one involving a Safari 2.2. Confidence inspiring, I must say, as I am seriously thinking about doing this in an even older and higher mileage Safari.

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

The first thing that we did was to purchase a traction board.

Was there a place or situation where you had to use this?

We also added Hella Auxiliary lamps.

How did this setup hold up during the trip? I am assuming just the two small bolts for the number plate held up the entire construct or did you do any other modification? I also want to add a set of driving lamps, but unsure how to go about it. This one one looks comparatively effortless.

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

Day 12 continued...

He also told that there will be some kerosene mixing but this location was probably mixes the least among the few other options.

Interestingly, this is what my 2008 2.2's manual says:

[arun_josie]

Awesome travelogue Hemanth! As mentioned by parag, you took us along with you!

Very detailed and the all the pics were superb. And you made a nice plan for families as well. Thanks for this mega travelogue.

[RaviKBobba]

Excellent writeup of your experiences. Those pictures speak for themselves.

[Gannu_1]

Lovely travelogue Hemanth. Painstakingly documented too. Spent a good hour going through the whole thing.

I now recall your day-by-day accounts and the WhatsApp status messages on the Safari's brake issue. Glad you guys had a great adventure.

[MrShadow]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the blog. Thanks for sharing!

I was actually looking for a detailed blog and route plan for myself, as I'm currently planning to drive from Bangalore to Ladakh in my Thar.

For those who have done the trip in Thar from Bangalore, any insights into the plan would be much appreciated. Thanks

[hemanth.anand]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

Awesome travelogue Hemanth! As mentioned by parag, you took us along with you!

Originally Posted by MrShadow

I thoroughly enjoyed reading blog. Thanks for sharing!

I was actually looking for a detailed blog and route plan for myself, as I'm currently planning to drive from Bangalore to Ladakh in my Thar

Originally Posted by RaviKBobba

Excellent writeup of your experiences. Those pictures speak for themselves.

Thank you so much.

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Lovely travelogue Hemanth. Painstakingly documented too. Spent a good hour going through the whole thing.

I now recall your day-by-day accounts and the WhatsApp status messages on the Safari's brake issue. Glad you guys had a great adventure.

Thanks for checking on us continuously and trying your best to help us out.

Originally Posted by darklord

Always a pleasure to read a Ladakh log, especially one involving a Safari 2.2. Confidence inspiring, I must say, as I am seriously thinking about doing this in an even older and higher mileage Safari.

if your vehicle is well maintained, I really don't think you should worry much.

Was there a place or situation where you had to use this?

fortunately no

How did this setup hold up during the trip? I am assuming just the two small bolts for the number plate held up the entire construct or did you do any other modification? I also want to add a set of driving lamps, but unsure how to go about it. This one one looks comparatively effortless.

There were absolutely no problems with the Hella Aux lamps. They held up very well actually. Being LEDs, they are rather light weight.

In fact the projector Headlamps started vibrating after some days, but they held up too till the trip. They were rectified after the trip

Interestingly, this is what my 2008 2.2's manual says:
Attachment 2485217

Oh nice to know this. Thanks

[kousikjana]

Wow that is some Travelogue. Filled with adventures. Nice pictures too. Really enjoyed thoroughly.

When the red xylo got stuck, its exhaust tip must be under the water right? Wonder how there was no starting issue after that. Or is it that the car was never stalled and the driver kept the engine ON while he was stuck?

Even though everyone says that Ladakh can be completed in any car. The particular path you followed must of out of scope for a hatchback or sedan. What is your opinion?

[Sargent_dallas]

Wow, time just flew; I read your travelogue almost ten years ago ( your N.E.W.S travelogue); I was in my final year of Engineering and with a lot of time owing to the ongoing final project (we fabricated a windmill as a final project, so most of the days, I used to sit at the base of windmill and collect the readings (RPM of the rotor and Voltage and Battery charging level) and read Teambhp posts in my laptop.

I remember reading a similar travelogue where two friends drove in their black Mahindra Scorpio from Kolkata to Ladakh. And there is a couple with a bolero 4x4 ( I don’t precisely remember the usernames as it was a long time ago) and, of course, a social worker with mighty Maruthi from North East India.

During my MBA days in the USA, when I had a chance to work as a student, I opted for a job in a landscaping department only to drive Lawn Mowers and tractors and Gators. It was fun doing Zero Degree turns in lawn movers in the Michigan Summer. Once I got a steady job, I took a lot of long drives here in the USA (Northern Michigan to Dallas in a manual Toyota Camry, Dallas to Denver to Dallas in a Jeep Wrangler, Dallas to the Florida Keys, and Back in a rented Ford Explorer). Unfortunately, my photography and writing skills are not up to the mark of writing a gripping travelogue.

All I can say is thank you for traveling and writing beautiful travelogues; otherwise, people like me wouldn’t understand the beauty and Joy of Driving.

[hemanth.anand]

Originally Posted by kousikjana

Wow that is some Travelogue. Filled with adventures. Nice pictures too. Really enjoyed thoroughly.

Thank you Kousik

When the red xylo got stuck, its exhaust tip must be under the water right? Wonder how there was no starting issue after that. Or is it that the car was never stalled and the driver kept the engine ON while he was stuck?

It didn't stall. I checked the dashcam video to reconfirm

Even though everyone says that Ladakh can be completed in any car. The particular path you followed must of out of scope for a hatchback or sedan. What is your opinion?

The basic Ladakh circuit can be done on any car. but some of the routes that we took will be difficult for a sedan. Hatchback can still manage to do I feel, but some places must be traversed with a lot of care and planning. Looking at the pace at which road works were being done, it will only improve.

Originally Posted by Sargent_dallas

Wow, time just flew;

All I can say is thank you for traveling and writing beautiful travelogues; otherwise, people like me wouldn’t understand the beauty and Joy of Driving.

Thank you very much for your kind words. Time sure flies!

[RenuKumar]

Koole!

It took me about 2 hours for a fantastic well written travelogue! I really appreciate your patience to write such detailed and interesting experience. The river crossing really proves the ability of the Tata Safari and thank you for informing that even outstation vehicles are not allowed inside the Delhi region!

Let us catch over a cup of coffee in Bengaluru