Murtaza Hashwani - This Real Story of Ladakh Road Trip Inspires to Hit the Road to Ladakh.

Hello Friend Myself Murtaza Hashwani, I am Presenting My Ladakh Travel Story With All Of You.

Summer is the season of road trips in the Himalayan region of North India. Among the destinations for road trippers, Ladakh is the first to ring the bell when summer begins to feel hot. Inhabited by the people of the Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent, Ladakh spans from the Karakoram Mountain range in the north to the Great Himalayas in the south. Full of natural wonders, Ladakh is home to scenic lakes, hilltop Buddhist monasteries, and the world’s highest motorable pass.

In June 2014, our road trip to Ladakh took us through some of the less travelled and toughest roads on earth. I had no idea that the most magical lakes exist in this part of the Himalayan region. The trip was full of uphill driving, adventure, excitement, fun and thrill! To say precisely, the Ladakh road trip is a lifetime experience which will not fade until we drink to ultimate adventure.

Usually, adventure begins its course from the moment the idea of a road trip to such high-altitude destinations like Ladakh comes to the mind. The idea of driving to Leh, the capital of Ladakh in the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir, at an altitude of 11,562 feet, is an adventure itself. In fact, we were so driven by unquenchable thirst for thrill that we drove to Zanskar Valley beyond Leh.

We started from Delhi and drove to Srinagar via Chandigarh and Pathankot. We took the Mughal Road, which was used for trading in the Mughal Empire. Driving past the chicken’s neck of the Mughal Road, we reached Pir Ki Gali in the Pil Pamjal Mountain range in Kashmir Valley.

We felt an influx of adrenalin in our veins while navigating through the electrifying waters of the Zanskar River on the way to Zanskar. Another spot of awe-inspiring adventure was Hunder, an oasis in the desert of Nubra Valley in Jammu & Kashmir. Nubra Valley is a cold desert dotted with sand dunes. Driving through Hunder after sunset is a risk to get stuck in the giant sand dunes. I would like to suggest using a face mask to prevent sand grains getting into the eyes and mouth during a drive through Hunder in Nubra Valley.

We were fortunate enough to see double-humped Bactrian camels lying back on sprawling white sand dunes at Hunder. As far as I know, Bactrian camels are not of Indian origin. This particular species of camel came to India when a group of caravans used to tread this route for trading between India and the Central Asian region of Bukhara, Kokand, Turkestan, and Xinjiang region of China. The double-humped camels are the most beautiful beings in the Nubra Valley.

Then, we rode bikes on the National Highway 1. We indulged in some fun over free-style stunts while riding bikes to the Magnetic Hill, which is also known as Gravity Hill. Then we visited the most famous Pangong Lake that changes its color several times a day. It is an unusual natural phenomenon that I have ever seen. We did photography and posed for the camera at Pangong just as every tourist does.

Then we drove to Shyok Valley, close to Nubra Valley. Khardung La is the gateway to both of the valleys in Ladakh. The beauty of Shyok Valley is the Shyok River where we enjoyed ourselves over fishing. The Shyok River, a tributary of the Indus River, flows through Ladakh in India. The river has maximum width at its point of confluence with the Nubra River.