[kozhissery]

This is an old travelogue (done in 2010) which was hosted on BCMTOURING.com. After the site going down (Other Indian Web Forums are dying | That's a depressingly big loss for Netizens), I just thought to keep the thread active (nostalgic reasons, being my first long drive)

Planning

Last year when my co-brother (Vasuki) and myself were having a casual talk about a long vacation during the summer of 2010, he came up with an idea of driving to the “Highest Motor able Road” in the world. When he suggested that, I did not take it seriously. Then came the “Overdrive” magazine in which they’d tested small hatch backs to Leh from Manali which rang a bell in me. And this led me into “search mode” for the feasibility of the drive (a long one too, I think). After going through many sites, books etc I came into conclusion that it’s possible if you have the nerve. After looking into the feasibility it was time to do the actual planning like how to go, where all to visit, what to carry, what all can be crammed in the short 20 odd day’s time etc. This is where bcmtouring came into light. After going through the posts/travelogue it was time for clarifying the doubts and decided to become the member of bcmtouring. This was a real good decision as the actual planning was done with the help from the members of bcmtouring especially from “Yogesh Sarkar”.


Selection of Days
Not much selection was here. Had just a window of 45 days from May 15 June last week from which 20 to 25 days were available. So decided to take the last part i.e. from May end to June End and thus 28.May.2010 to 20.Jun.2010 was selected with a buffer of 5 days (in case of any unforeseen events)


Selection of Vehicle
We had two options

1. Hyundai Elantra CRDI
   
   • Advantages
     
     • Comfortable Car
       
     • Safety Features – ABS, Airbags, Traction Control (Peace of mind)
       
     • Diesel
       
     • Ground Clearance 180+mm
       
   • Disadvantages
     
     • Already clocked 1.3+Lakhs
       
     • Phased out model, so spare parts availability is a big question
       
     • Number of Service centres less compared to the competition
       
2. Maruti Swift VDI+ABS
   
   • Advantages
     
     • Comparatively new car – Clocked 30+K kms
       
     • Maruti Service centres are present every where
       
     • Frugal compared to Elantra
       
   • Disadvantages
     
     • Airbags and Traction Control Missing
       
     • Not as comfortable as Elantra
       
     • Ground Clearance is only 170mm
       

At last we zeroed in on Maruti Swift as service is available anywhere and we were just 2 persons who were ready to sacrifice the comfort of Elantra.

Selection of Route
We wanted to drive through the golden quadrilateral. So had initial plans to cover whole of GQ (Trivandrum -> Kochi -> Salem -> Bangalore -> Mumbai -> Delhi -> Ladhak -> Delhi -> Calcutta -> Vizag -> Chennai -> Salem -> Kochi -> Trivandrum), but had to drop out due to all kinds of problems in the eastern parts of India (West Bengal , Orissa, Andhra Pradesh). The final route
Trivandrum -> Kochi -> Salem -> Bangalore -> Mumbai -> Delhi -> Amritsar -> Srinagar -> Ladhak -> Delhi -> Mumbai -> Goa -> Kochi -> Trivandrum (wanted to drive via the Konkan Ghats).

Others
We decided to follow the Rules:

1. Not to drive above 100KMP when co-passenger is sleeping
2. Not to drive above 120KMPH at any time
3. Try to maintain a speed around 100kmph or so wherever possible.
4. Never to take any dangerous maneuvers
5. Change driver if drive feels sleepy, if both of the drivers are feeling sleepy “Stop for the day”
6. No driving time restrictions in South India
7. No driving after 9pm between Mumbai to Delhi
8. No driving after 6pm (after sunset) beyond Delhi

Toughest Part
The toughest part was to get the license to drive from family members. At- last we received “The License” from family members to drive to Ladakh on the condition that we do not venture out in public in Jammu, Srinagar and Kargil.

[kozhissery]

Day 1 – 28-May-2010: Trivandrum to Angamaly
After packing, checking the vehicle, it was time to start for the journey. The journey was started at 1pm. the trip was slow due to the traffic and could reach Haripad at around 4pm (after lunch break at Kollam). Started from Haripad after coffee break and loading Ajay’s goods into the car. Reached Kochi, took the car for a quick Tyre/Alloys check-up/Nitrogen Top-up. Rest at Angamaly.

Route: Trivandrum->Kollam->Haripad->Ernakulam/Kochi->Angamaly
Total Kilometres Covered: 233
Stay: At Home
Accommodation Type: NA

[kozhissery]

Day 2 – 29-May-2010: Angamaly to Hirayur (170kms from Bangalore)
After good sleep and attending some personal errands, started for the real journey at 1pm in the afternoon. The roads starting from Coimbatore was a real treat compared to what you get it Kerala. So we could cover a good distance before reaching the outskirts of Bangalore, from where the travel started to crawl. As we were very fresh we decided to drive till we felt sleepy and could reach Hirayur (actual plan was to stay at Tumkur)

Route: Angamaly->Palakkad->Coimbatore->Krishnagiri->Bangalore->Tumkur->Hirayur
Total Kilometres Covered: 713.
Stay: Hotel Surya
Accommodation Type: AC Double Bed
Hotel Rating: It’s a so so hotel, with clean bathrooms

Start from Angamaly

[kozhissery]

Day 3 – 30-May-2010: Hirayur to Virar
Nothing much to write for the day. It feels wonderful to drive on the Golden Quadrilateral. Had heard lots about the Mumbai Pune Express way, now got a chance to cruise on it.
Route: Hirayur->Hubli->Belgaum->Kholapur->Pune->Vashi->Virar
Total Kilometres Covered: 870 Kilometers
Stay: Krishna Resorts, Virar
Accommodation Type: AC Double Bed
Hotel Rating: Ok for Night Stay. Clean Rooms

[kozhissery]

Day 4 – 31-May-2010: Virar to Kishangarh
The roads in Gujarat are really great. All the major cities have by-passes so no loss of time. Today I crossed the maximum distance that was ever done by me in one trip (previous distance was 2000 odd kilometres)

Route: Dahisar->Ahemedabad->Udaipur->Chittorghar->Kishangarh
Total Kilometres Covered: 1080
Stay: ???
Accommodation Type: AC Double Bed
Hotel Rating: Not worth the money. Badly maintained Rooms. But was getting tired so decided not to drive searching for a better accommodation.

[kozhissery]

Day 5 – 01-Jun-2010: Kishangarh to Delhi
Initially the plan was to drive to Delhi, but decided not to wake our cousins during the dead of night. Reached Delhi by afternoon and relaxed for the day.

Route: Kishangarh->Jaipur->Maneswar->Gurgaon->Delhi
Total Kilometres Covered: 340
Stay: At Home
Hotel Rating: NA

[kozhissery]

Day 6 – 02-Jun-2010: Delhi to Amritsar
Started early and reached Amritsar by noon. Gave the vehicle for service, changed oil and air filter. Visited Jalianwala Bhag and Golden Temple. Was bit late (Service took more time than expected/promised by the dealer) to go to Waga Border so abandoned it. The Golden Temple is really grand and the people there are really helpful. The best time is to visit in the evening just before sunset and spend 2 to three hours inside the temple listening to the discourse, taking photos in setting sun as well as in the night.

Jallianwala Bagh


Jallianwala Bagh


Golden Temple - Evening View


Golden Temple - Evening View


Golden Temple - Evening View


As the temple was quite beautiful, clean and calm, we decided to visit in the night too for some calming effect.
Golden Temple - Night View


Golden Temple - Night View


Golden Temple - Night View



Route: Delhi->Karnal->Ambala->Amritsar
Total Kilometres Covered: 493
Stay: Hotel Golden Temple
Accommodation Type: AC Double Bed
Hotel Rating: Hotel is Mediocre. The Kitchen service is quick. As it’s in the heart of Amritsar and very close to Jallianwala Bagh and Golden Temple, it’s very convenient as you can walk to these places at your convenience. There is no parking place for this hotel but there is a public covered parking lot nearby where the car can be safely parked.

[kozhissery]

Day 7 – 03-Jun-2010: Amritsar to Srinagar
Started our run to the mountains. The ride was rough in the morning with high-speed wind blowing dust all over and visibility very poor. After entering J&K the weather cleared and we could increase our speed. After Ananthanag the driving became slow and nearing Srinagar it became really slow. Saw the first sight of the mighty Snow capped mountains of Himalaya. We did not go out much rather stayed up in hotel due the pressure from family (Mobile did not stop ringing if we ventured out).
I’d a very bad incident at Srinagar while waiting in the car as my co-brother had gone looking for accommodation at Dal Lake. A local J&K police approached me and asked for some ID card, naturally I showed him the License which he pocketed me and asked me to come to the police station. I was stunned by his behaviour (we were checked quite a few times at Delhi and other places but faced no problems whenever we produced the required papers like license, vehicle paper etc). When asked him what’s the reason he never said anything, then I told him I can’t come without my brother. In the mean time I decided to park the vehicle there itself (so that I don’t lose this police guy) and see what can be done. In couple minutes I saw another guy giving his accomplice (another police guy) some money and taking some papers from him which rang a bell in me. I just fished out a 100 rupee note, called the police guy and showed him the note (which was held in my inside palm – to block from public view but let this guy see it). And lo to my surprise, he approached me and gave me a shake hand (he had my license in his hand which he gave to me and took the 100 rupee note). I learnt a lesson not to show any of the original stuff to any police man (particularly if he comes alone).

These vehicles reminds you why not to take any risk


Random photos


Random photos


Random photos


Random photos


First view of the snowcapped mountains


Route: Amritsar->Udhampur->Srinagar
Total Kilometres Covered: 504
Stay: Hotel Zamsund, Dal Lake, Srinagar
Hotel Rating: Not at all worth the money. The rooms have a damp locked up smell (being peak season – did not hunt around). The location is good as you have good restaurants nearby and have a clear view of the Dal Lake.

[kozhissery]

Day 8 – 04-Jun-2010: Srinagar to Kargil
After wonderful morning rain at Srinagar, we started our journey to Kargil. Got our first “Land Slide” stop at the foothills of Zoji-la Pass. Lucky for us, we could meet the brave soldiers (that too from Kannur, Kerala). It was shocking to see a Sumo which met with an accident (driver’s mistake as per the Soldiers) and what was left could be brought in just one sleeping bag.

We felt the shops/hotels are there to fleece the tourist. We felt very uncomfortable staying at Kargil (the only place where we felt very uncomfortable – may be due to the attitude or the body language of the locals, even at public car parking you don’t feel comfortable).

Dal Lake


Ascent to Zoji-La


Random Photos


Random Photos


Random Photos


Route: Srinagar->Sonamarg->Dras->Kargil
Total Kilometres Covered: 215
Stay: Hotel Siachen, Kargil
Hotel Rating: Mediocre hotel (rooms maintained well, but service not up to the mark – Service not worth the money). As it’s at the centre of the town, access to shops is easy.

[kozhissery]

Day 9 – 05-Jun-2010: Kargil to Leh
Started at around 8am from the hotel. As the road and weather was wonderful, we decided to drive slowly and enjoy the scenery. We had lots of photography stops. We even tried our “luck” at the “Magnetic Hill” but my car went backwards on the slope instead of the forward as was written (maybe we looked the other way ). Upon nearing Leh we were greeted by the fabulous roads. Forgot to mention that we had food stops at Mulbek and Lunch break@Khaltsi.
As we had made pre-bookings our rooms and the permits were ready. The staff was really helpful in explaining where all to go and the location of various shops etc of Leh.

On the way to Leh


On the way to Leh


Fotula


View from Fotula


View from Fotula


View from Fotula


Random Photos


Random Photos


Random Photos


Random Photos


Random Photos


Random Photos


Magnetic Hill


Failed experiment@Magnetic Hill


Around Magnetic Hill


Around Magnetic Hill


Around Magnetic Hill


Around Magnetic Hill


Around Magnetic Hill


Around Magnetic Hill


Magnetic Hill



Entrance to Leh


In the hotel



Route: Kargil->Leh
Total Kilometres Covered: 230
Stay: Hotel Dragon, Leh
Hotel Rating: Good hotel, good service. Just walk able distance from the market

[kozhissery]

Day 10 – 06-Jun-2010: Leh
Acclimatization day. As the hotel was costly (2.5k per day) we decided to move to a cheaper location and chose Traveller’s house (Suggestion from Lonely Planet). The room is good and cheap too. The only disadvantage is that there is no service during the afternoon (we did not care for that as we’d never be in hotel during day time). As the rooms were damn cheap we booked it for the whole period that was planned at Leh (even when we would be staying at Hunder or Tso-moriri).
Visited the Santhi stupa and Leh Palace. The scenery is breath taking. Being first day at Leh, climbing the steps to Santhi Stupa was too tiring for me (425+ steps), while Ajay dropped out the moment he saw the steps (but reached via the Road). I met a foreigner (U.K) with whom I’d some chat and she suggested us to stay at “Snow Leopard” hotel at Hunder (Nubra Valley). That was a very good suggestion. As Ajay did not like the smell of “Soya Bean” oil, we decided to have bread/butter/cheese/jam/juice for break fast. By the evening Ajay “discovered” a small restaurant which made Bombay Aloo Tikki and that became his staple diet for the rest of Leh stay. On the other hand I decided to explore the Tibetan cuisine.

Steps to Shanthi Stupa


View from Shanthi Stupa


View from Shanthi Stupa


View from Shanthi Stupa


View from Shanthi Stupa


View from Shanthi Stupa


View from Shanthi Stupa


Entrance to LEH


Leh Palace


Leh Palace


Leh Palace


Leh Palace


Leh Palace


Leh Palace


Leh Palace


Leh Palace


Leh Palace


Leh Palace


Leh Palace


Leh Palace


Random Photos


Route: Leh
Total Kilometres Covered: 23
Stay: Travellers House, Leh
Accommodation Type: Double Bed
Hotel Rating: Cheap and good Place for stay if you can forego the service aspect (like hot coffee early in the morning, lunch etc). The owner of Traveller’s house Mr. Navang was very helpful in explaining how to go, where to stay etc. He even gave contacts at Tso-Morriri which was very helpful for us.

[kozhissery]

Day 11 – 07-Jun-2010: Leh
Second day for acclimatisation. Nothing much. Just visited the local monasteries and shops. Did some shopping and preparation for the trip to Hunder.

In and Around LEH


In and Around LEH


In and Around LEH


In and Around LEH


In and Around LEH


In and Around LEH


In and Around LEH


Route: Leh
Total Kilometres Covered: 26
Stay: Travellers House, Leh
Accommodation Type: Double Bed
Hotel Rating: Cheap and good Place for stay if you can forego the service aspect (like hot coffee early in the morning, lunch etc).

[kozhissery]

Day 12 – 08-Jun-2010: Leh to Panamik and Hunder (via Khardungla)

We started around 7.30 am from Leh towards our “epic” journey towards Khardungla. Reached South pullu in about 50mts. Crossed Khardung-la without any hitch. Spent some time at Khardung-la. We descended to North Pullu and proceeded to Khardung where we had our breakfast. We just drove very slowly upto panamik enjoying the scenery (with lots of Photo stops). Drive to Panamik is great but do not expect anything at the hot spring in Panamik. The bath rooms are pathetic, avoid it. As there was not much to see at Panamik, we started our journey to Diskit/Hunder after spending just few minutes. The drive to Hunder is another wonder. The road between the find greyish sand is really spectacular. As the wind was blowing, we did not come out of the car and took the photos from inside the car and decided to start early next day to take photos of the sand dunes.

On the way to Khardung-la


Khardung-la


Khardung-la


Khardung-la


Khardung-la to Hunder


Khardung-la to Hunder


Khardung-la to Hunder


Hunder Desert


Hunder Desert


@Hunder


@Hunder


@Hunder


@Hunder


@Hunder


Evening break@Hunder



Route: Leh-> Khardung-la->Khalsar->Panamik->Diskit->Hunder
Total Kilometres Covered: 206
Stay: Snow Leopard, Hunder
Hotel Rating: Very good hotel. Good Service, Good Location.

[kozhissery]

Day 13 – 09-Jun-2010: Hunder to Leh
We had a very relaxing sleep and woke up early to explore the area on foot. The drive back to Leh was quite eventful. Just before Khardung-la, our car got stuck in ice. Luckily, a military vehicle was only 100 meters behind us and they helped push the car out. We had several slips on the ice but managed with the help of a car mat. However, when we had to give way to a truck, we had to reverse onto a big solid ice patch off the path, which was beyond the capabilities of the car mat.

View from Hotel


In and around the Hotel


In and around the Hotel


In and around the Hotel


In and around the Hotel


In and around the Hotel


Cold Desert


On the way back to Leh


Cold Desert


On the way back to Leh


On the way back to Leh


On the way back to Leh


On the way back to Leh


On the way back to Leh


Himalayan Marmot


On the way back to Leh


Our Saviour


Route: Hunder->Khardung-la->Leh
Total Kilometres Covered: 138
Stay: Travellers House, Leh
Accommodation Type: Double Bed
Hotel Rating: Cheap and good Place for stay if you can forego the service aspect (like hot coffee early in the morning, lunch etc).

[kozhissery]

Day 14 – 10-Jun-2010: Leh to Pangong-Tso and back

We started early in the morning for Pangong-tso and reached Zangrila (the checkpoint before Chang-la) before 8 am, but we weren't allowed to proceed until 9:30 am. It was a total waste of time with nothing to do as it was snowing. We found crossing Chang-la tougher than Khardung-la. After taking lots of photos, we reached Pangong-tso by the afternoon. We decided not to stay there since it was expensive and there wasn’t much to do, though the lake's beauty is beyond words. We spent around two hours near the lake, even driving to the spot where the movie "3 Idiots" was shot. We returned to Leh by nighttime.

Vast expanse of ICE


Driving carelessly is dangerous


Chang-la


Icy Stream, that too in May


First view of Pangong-tso


Kidoo at some tea shop near Pangong-tso


Kidoo at some tea shop near Pangong-tso


Random Captures@Pangong


Swifty adventure


Random Captures@Pangong


Random Captures@Pangong


Random Captures@Pangong


Random Captures@Pangong


Random Captures@Pangong


Random Captures@Pangong


Random Captures@Pangong


Random Captures@Pangong


Random Captures@Pangong


Random Captures@Pangong


Random Captures@Pangong


Random Captures@Pangong


Random Captures@Pangong


Random Captures on the way back


Random Captures on the way back


Random Captures on the way back


Random Captures on the way back


Random Captures on the way back


Random Captures on the way back


Route: Leh->Chang-la->Pangong-tso->Chang-la->Leh
Total Kilometres Covered: 311
Stay: Travellers House, Leh
Accommodation Type: Double Bed
Hotel Rating: Cheap and good Place for stay if you can forego the service aspect (like hot coffee early in the morning, lunch etc).