[raptor_diwan]

Fantastic travelogue! I started reading it this morning and just finished it now. All the images were captivating, especially the food and accommodations were enticing. Thanks for sharing!!

[HTC]

Lovely pics. Good to know you enjoyed Ladakh to the fullest.

Ladakh is kind of addiction. Most common thing I hear from people who return from Ladakh trip is - ' we will plan one next trip in the coming year'. But that coming year would always take 4-5 years for what ever reason . I have done 3 trips to Ladakh. All on bikes. Two trips on my Electra 5s and one on rented Himalayan. Every trip had its share of uncertainties, challenges and adventures. In fact I bought my electra in 2008 with the sole purpose of ladakh trip. There weren't any other bikes which were rugged enough and could carry 2 people and ther luggage for 15 days.

It's not just the overwhelming beauty of ladakh, but the excitement of planning and preparation that adds fun to the whole experience. Nowadays its become a touristy place where everything is available for a cost in leh. But in 2009 it was very different. Only home stays were common. 500/- head with food. 15/- Maggie. Minimal commercialisation. Now it's the other way around. Good roads, access to luxury and Instagram are attracting all kinds of people where few who dont respect nature. I think I am digressing.

No matter what, Ladakh has its charm and its left to is to save it and make sure our future generations will have the luck to experience its beauty too.

Cheers
HTC

[ex-innova-guy]

Words cannot describe how beautiful the pictures are. 2 pictures stood out to me; one of the Moon in Hanle and the other being Hanle to Leh alongside the Indus. Not to say the other pictures deserve to go on my laptop wallpaper at the very least.

After reading your travelogue it seems one really needs to explore India

[Toni]

Mermerizing photos of the one of the most beautiful place in the world.

Scorpio N is truly a fantastic machine hope you enjoyed travelling in it.

Thanks.

[ramnath_77]

What a lovely travelogue Doc. I read this in one shot. I admire your writing style which blends so well with your images. My mind was transported to Ladakh as i read your travelogue.

Pictures are simply stunning. All the elements - The landscape, the monastries, villages from a far off vantage point, clouds dotting the blue sky etc added so much to make these images mind blowing.

Thank you for sharing.

[ruzbehxyz]

Originally Posted by Dr.AD

Yes, I have seen your posts on Hanle. In fact, yours was the post (earlier this year) where I heard the news that Hanle is India's first dark sky preserve. Thanks for your posts and travelogues about Ladakh (as well as in other parts of India). Those helped me a lot to understand the terrain.

Thanks for the kind words. Your travelogue is indeed well written.
There are many more places in Ladakh to explore, I’m sure you are aware of. I’m sure you will be eager to plan your next trip soon !

[asethi]

Oh wao! Beautiful pictures!! This is so nostalgic Dr. AD! I was there last year early May and your pictures just made the whole trip fresh in my mind .

I had last year driven from Bangalore to Ladakh and back, but Jammu being my hometown helped break the trip into parts. I so want to do that again now, but looking at your pics I also feel a trip without driving is also a good idea, as you get to experience the surroundings a lot more and yeah take lots of pics!!

Since nostalgia has hit hard, here are few pictures from my trip.

Sunrise & starry freezing night at Pangong Tso:




My Nexon amongst the snowy mountains:

[Dr.AD]

Thank you very much everyone for your kind words and appreciation of the photographs. My sincere thanks to each one of you (although I may not be able to quote every single person individually). Your encouragement means a lot to me and really motivates me to write more travelogues. Thank again everyone!

Originally Posted by asingh1977

Which camera equipment you used. Specially for the flowers. The image separation is superb.
By the way: you framing is top notch. Well thought out photos.

I recently bought a full-frame mirrorless camera, Nikon Z5. Photos in this trip are taken with Nikon Z5 with Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens. Of course, the photos taken from moving vehicle, through windshield or windows etc are taken with my humble mobile phone. But all other photos where I got down and took a purposeful shot were taken with Nikon Z5.

Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens was very useful in this trip. I carried this single lens this time, as the focal length range is perfect for my travel needs. I loved the versatility of this lens. I could take a few 24-30mm wide angle shots as well as many 160-200mm telephoto shots.

The flower shots you mentioned are taken with the telephoto range of this lens (usually 160mm to 200mm for flower shots), and at that focal length, the background separation and bookeh is quite good.

I am quite happy with this camera and lens combo for my travel photography requirements.

Originally Posted by Kashi053

Was the Scorpio N 4*4?

Nope, it was just a RWD Scorpio. As I mentioned earlier, all you need is a rugged vehicle with high ground clearance, and a vehicle which can withstand some abuse and very rough conditions. You do not need 4x4 here, at least in the dry summer months. The winter months, with snow, would be a different story and then a 4x4 would be a huge help.

Originally Posted by redcruiser

BMW missed lot of fun it is not going to forgive you.

Yes the BMW missed out on the fun, but more than the BMW, it was my Thar that would have loved this terrain. BMW would have struggled on most of the roads except for the Leh-Hanle road. At other places, like Nubra Valley and Pangong Lake, BMW would have struggled very badly on those off-road sections I mentioned. But the Thar would have loved those roads. I am already dreaming about driving my Thar there and doing those dirt tracks in my Thar some day.

Originally Posted by swoosh

As always, your photos are truly amazing and your writing is crisp and engaging. Having read all your travelogues, I must say that your photography looks natural and lively. There's an understated elegance and simplicity in your photography that makes it easy to connect with each picture.

Thank you very much for your kind words. In photography, I like to focus more on composition and story telling, than the technical aspects of image. For example, you will rarely see a long exposure shot from me. Not that I do not like those or enjoy those, but my primary liking is to find a nice frame, keep the subject and the composition simple, and let the photo tell a story. Hope that has worked to some extent. Thanks again for your kind words.

Originally Posted by ramnath_77

Pictures are simply stunning. All the elements - The landscape, the monastries, villages from a far off vantage point, clouds dotting the blue sky etc added so much to make these images mind blowing.

Thank you very much. I love your wildlife photographs and your photography too. Therefore, these kind words coming from you mean a lot. Thanks again!

[megazoid]

Great writeup and snaps AD. The pictures have come out very well, looks like the weather also held up well for the duration of the trip. That you are putting the Z5 to good use is obvious.

I guess there are many variations to Ladakhi travel. One could be a serious phtotographer assessing Pangong Tso and taking up the challenge of photography in the fading light and the other extreme are the liquid soaked bravehearts who drive straight into the lake with SUVs and feature in the subsequent morning newspapers. Jokes apart, perhaps no one goes back empty handed from the "land of high passes". Its a special journey each and every time.

Liked the airplane shots too!

[Starwar19]

What an amazing writeup and photos. Literally had a short trip to Ladakh. Really appreciate your efforts in penning down all the spots and experience meticulously. I'm just dreaming of taking my car to this Heaven. The accompanying photographs were nothing short of breathtaking. They beautifully complemented the narrative, adding an extra layer of immersion and visual appeal to the entire experience. Your skill in capturing the essence of the trip is truly commendable.

[neerajku]

Fantastic travelogue and really professional snaps. We went few months back and can say that this is a unique place and not to be missed. And must be added to any bucket list.
The entire place looks surreal, desert, snow, bald mountains, some really unique combinations. Hundar is just so different. And so are many other places.
Right now lot of infra work going and hence roads are tough to drive. But probably by 2025 it will be a different story.
Those with health issues must take care, altitude does play tricks, especially, those with breathing issues.

[Raghu M]

As much as you were mesmerized by Leh, Ladakh, I was too after watching your pictures. The close up shots of Pongon lake were just awesome. The Hanle observatory shots looked like ones from Mars!! Fantastic pictures, thank you very much.

[gauravdgr8]

Excellent and mesmerizing pictures.

Brings back memories of 2015 when I first visited Leh. At that time Hanle was only open with special permits.

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by megazoid

Great writeup and snaps AD. The pictures have come out very well, looks like the weather also held up well for the duration of the trip. That you are putting the Z5 to good use is obvious.

Thank you very much, megazoid!

I guess there are many variations to Ladakhi travel. One could be a serious phtotographer assessing Pangong Tso and taking up the challenge of photography in the fading light and the other extreme are the liquid soaked bravehearts who drive straight into the lake with SUVs and feature in the subsequent morning newspapers. Jokes apart, perhaps no one goes back empty handed from the "land of high passes". Its a special journey each and every time.

Yeah, I could sense that. There are so many different ways and methods to explore Ladakh. This is why the urge to go back there becomes even stronger, because you know you would enjoy it in a different way the next time. Hope I get a chance to go back there soon, and hopefully in my own car.

Liked the airplane shots too!

Thank you! I usually take aisle seats in planes, but this time, just for the Leh sector, I specifically took window seats to see the terrain from air. Luckily, both to/from Leh flights were in daytime and in perfect light, and we got great views from air. Both I and my wife had specifically chosen window seats, and thus we were sitting at the two extreme ends of the same row of seats in the plane. But the views were totally worth it and we enjoyed this flight a lot.

Originally Posted by Starwar19

The accompanying photographs were nothing short of breathtaking. They beautifully complemented the narrative, adding an extra layer of immersion and visual appeal to the entire experience. Your skill in capturing the essence of the trip is truly commendable.

Originally Posted by neerajku

Fantastic travelogue and really professional snaps.

Originally Posted by Raghu M

As much as you were mesmerized by Leh, Ladakh, I was too after watching your pictures. The close up shots of Pongon lake were just awesome. The Hanle observatory shots looked like ones from Mars!! Fantastic pictures, thank you very much.

Originally Posted by gauravdgr8

Excellent and mesmerizing pictures.

Thank you very much everyone for your kind words. Thank you for sharing the memories of your own travels too. It is no coincidence that everyone who has ever been there has such pleasant memories and has such nice things to say about Ladakh experience. Truly a special land.

Thanks again every one for your kind words and appreciation!

[MrShadow]

Awesome travelogue, and incredible photos.
Thanks for sharing.

I have a plan in the making for the end of this month, is it good time to go ?