In this second article of the series – Preferred Hotels or Accommodation options in Leh – Ladakh, I am enlisting down some of the preferred places to stay in Leh – Ladakh which are moderate budget (Rs 600 – 1500) types accommodation. So, if you are looking for a decent, clean and comfortable but moderate budget options of stay in Leh – Ladakh then you can refer the list of below guest houses or hotels compiled after reading various resources/reviews of many people over Internet mainly IndiaMike and BCMT forums (of course, I cannot stay in all of them ).

Most of these places are ideal to stay with family as well because they offer decent comfort and facilities which a family may require but looking out for moderate range budget accommodation options. However, if you are looking for an exceptional in-room service, finest linen, luxuroious and ultra comfortable rooms in a hotel and that too for a price range of Rs 1000 – 1500 then perhaps this list may not be for you. Well, you may find one or two such services too in the below guest houses but no certainty.

Moderate Budget Hotels or Accommodation options in Leh, Ladakh

Conclusion

I hope you find the above list of moderate budget hotels or accommodation options useful for your upcoming Leh – Ladakh trip. If you happen to know any updated contact numbers or missing contact numbers of these hotels or any other nice, moderate budget option of stay in Leh town, kindly leave a comment as it will be helpful to others as well. If you have ever stayed at any of these hotels, please share your experience with us too.

In the end, again these hotels or guest houses are not for people who are looking for ultra luxury and comfort. In most cases, these hotels or guest houses will be suitable for a family as well and hence, they may be worth to look out for if your budget range is Rs 600 – 1500…

In this first article of the series – Preferred Hotels or Accommodation options in Leh – Ladakh, I am enlisting down some of the preferred places to stay in Leh – Ladakh which are cheap and very economic. If you are looking for a decent, clean and comfortable but cheap or very economic options of stay in Leh – Ladakh then you can refer the list of below guest houses or hotels compiled after reading various resources/reviews of many people over Internet mainly reading IndiaMike and BCMT forums (of course, I cannot stay in all of them ).

Most of these places are ideal to stay even for long time, say months and people indeed have stayed for months in many of them. However, if you are looking for an exceptional in-room service, finest linen, satellite TVs, Internet facilities etc. in a hotel and that too for a price range of Rs 200 – 500 then you must be kidding me, am I right … Well, you may find one or two such services too in the below guest houses but no certainty.

You can check the location of these guest houses which are near by each other at the wikimapia link here.

Cheap Budget Hotels or Accommodation options in Leh, Ladakh

Conclusion

I hope you find the above list of cheap or economic hotels or accommodation options useful for your upcoming Leh – Ladakh trip. If you happen to know any updated contact numbers or missing contact numbers of these hotels or any other nice, cheap option of stay in or around Leh town, kindly leave a comment as it will be helpful to others as well. If you have ever stayed at any of these hotels, please share your experience with us too.

In the end, again these hotels or guest houses are not for people who are looking for luxury and ultra comfort and in case may be not even suitable for family as well. However, for bachelors or backpackers or others who want cheap/economic options of stay for longer duration in around Leh Ladakh, these hotels may be worth to look out …

Tirthan River at Tirthan Valley

Why Raju Bharti and Tirthan Valley???

Detailed Information

For more details you can always refer the following links which contains details about accommodation options to sightseeing places in the entire circuit –

Please share your valuable comments and suggestions for what you feel about Tirthan Valley. If you have not been to Tirthan Valley then do check it out in your next travel plan …

Now, the best part. This operational or fuel cost can range from Rs 4000 – 6000 depending upon how you bargain with the taxi driver. Hence, the cost of Manali – Leh and Leh – Manali comes down from 2 X (15k-18K) = Rs 30K – 36K to a mere Rs 8000 – 12000… And, you save the entire cost of food and accommodation almost for the entire trip …

Ha ha ha, However, the toughest part is to find such a deal in both directions until unless you have sufficient contacts with both Ladakh Taxi drivers as well as Manali taxi drivers who are friendly enough with you to fix such a deal. May be on your third or fourth trip to Ladakh you can manage such a handsome deal. Realistically speaking, with little ease you can at least chip in with Rs 10K – 11K savings. How?

When you reach Manali try to fix the deal with Himachal Taxi driver first for one side journey to Leh. He will of course ask you anywhere about Rs 15-18K for a drop to Leh. Once you settle for one side, then tell him about your interest to come with him only from Leh as well on one of the day he will be returning from Leh. Depending on your Leh – Ladakh itinerary, fix the day and deal with him. He will probably ask you anywhere between Rs 4000 – 6000 depending upon the bargaining skills or may be for entire package. If the taxi driver do not agree then move to some other one and repeat the same process or in a way you like. You will need to definitely explore some options to find such a deal. Hence, reaching Manali or Leh taxi stand a day before or early morning is highly advisable.

A true account of my friend who followed the above process and successfully booked such a deal for Rs 21,000 in June 2011 where he paid Rs 4000 for return journey from Leh to Manali. Thereby saving good Rs 11K – 12K for investing in local taxis within Leh – Ladakh

Problems or Challenges finding such deals

Few tips to find cheap taxis to Leh – Ladakh

Conclusion

In the end, all I have said is a bit difficult to find but it is indeed possible and few people do it or have done it. Just it depends on your luck and the way you deal with people after meeting them. So, while planning your trip to Leh – Ladakh try to explore this option as well or keep it at the back of your mind and who knows you may "manage a 2N/3D Nubra and 1N/2D Pangong Tso trip from the savings you get from it.", as quoted by one of my friend and a super passionate traveler Kaushik da in this IM thread here. In fact, the source and motivation of this article is Kaushik da and that IM thread only, so special thanks to him for pointing me out.

I would be really happy if any one of you found such a deal and have experience with it. Any tips, suggestions, contacts, anything that save us money for taxis to Leh – Ladakh, will be helpful for other fellow travelers too. So, do share your thoughts and valuable inputs or resources on the same with us too.

Given below is a basic itinerary for Leh – Ladakh tour ex. Delhi (without any buffer days) covering all major tourist destinations of Leh – Ladakh and followed widely by many travelers including me . We will be analyzing or finding the budget or costing for this Leh – Ladakh tour as a part of our exercise… You can roughly guess for yourself that for a similar trip or based on your point of interest, what will be the approximate cost or budget for your custom Leh – Ladakh trip. An example itinerary for Leh – Ladakh covering almost all basic tourist places –

Day 1 | Delhi – Jammu/Patnitop
Day 2 | Jammu/Patnitop – Srinagar
Day 3 | Srinagar – Kargil
Day 4 | Kargil – Lamayuru – Leh
Day 5 | Leh Local Sightseeing + Inner Line Permits
Day 6 | Leh – Khardung La – Diskit (Nubra Valley) – Hunder – Diskit
Day 7 | Hunder/Diskit – Sumur – Panamik – Sumur – Khardung La – Leh
Day 8 | Leh – Hemis – Pangong Tso
Day 9 | Pangong Tso – Thicksey – Shey Palace – Leh
Day 10 | Leh Rest Day or Sham Valley Tour around Leh including Magnetic Hills, Gurudwara Pather Sahib, Alchi, Likir, Basgo, Confluence at Nimmu
Day 11 | Leh – Tso Moriri via Chumathang
Day 12 | Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Moore Plains (Manali – Leh Highway) – Pang – Sarchu
Day 13 | Sarchu – Manali
Day 14 | Manali – Delhi

So, you can see for our sample Leh – Ladakh itinerary we have taken 14 days (without any buffer days). You can add/remove modify it according to your needs and of course the budget outcome will depend a bit on that but I guess that is very much trivial to say . Also, consider that while traveling alone the cost of accommodation and transportation is bound to increase and while traveling in large evenly balanced groups it will surely decrease. As of now, I will also assume that you guys are two in number so that budget can be calculated on twin sharing basis.  Now, to analyze the budget on the above or any other itinerary, we can categorize the budget in two major parts described below –

Food + Accommodation + Miscellaneous

If you are living in an average budget hotel with decent comfort and are traveling in a group (at least 2 in number) then the average cost per day for food, accommodation and other misc. things like toll, permit fees, entry fees to monasteries etc. comes about Rs 500-700 per day. This trip will need about 14 days at the very least, so roughly you will be spending some Rs 7000 – 10000 per person for food, accommodation and other misc. expenditures. Again, 500-700 figure could be low budget for someone and little high for the others depending upon choice of stay and food or other activities you plan to do. Example, if you dine at a dhabha tent then the cost of meal would come out to be around Rs 50-70 only per person and the same meal if you take at a restaurant at Changspa road in Leh then you might pay Rs 150 – Rs 170 per person or may be more or furthermore in some high end restaurant the cost will go up much more… Vegetarian or Non-Vegetarian also matters with respect to food pricing, so take that too into account. Same thing applies for the miscellaneous activities and here I have considered only which are unavoidable such as toll, permit charges, entry fees, snacks etc. If you are going for paragliding, rafting, shopping etc. then that will surely be something additional for you.

Hence, if you are going with the budget hotel having decent comfort, taking decent quality food and including only mandatory miscellaneous charges then you may need to shell out Rs 7000 – 10000 per person for the above Leh – Ladakh itinerary of 14 days.

Mode of Transportation

On a trip to Leh – Ladakh, the major cost comes out to be for taxis or transportation or fuel depending upon your mode of transport. Using public transport inside Leh – Ladakh is a challenge as frequency of such vehicles are very poor and based on their schedules you may require 18-20 days to complete the above trip … So, in Leh – Ladakh, travellers mostly commute either by private hired taxis or shared taxis run by tour operators or by finding travels partners and sharing the cost with them or riding rented bikes or ultimately self-drive on their personal bikes or cars. All these options will present you different costing of the trip. Let’s look each one of them below to get an idea of the total cost for a Leh – Ladakh trip.

Self-Drive Private Vehicle

You will be traveling about 3300-3600 KMs for above Ladakh trip. So, if your bike gives mileage of about 30 KMPL on an average in hills + plains then you are looking for about Rs 8000 – 9000 for fuel roughly. Similarly, you can calculate if you are driving the car. Just keep in mind that in hills your car will give much lesser mileage than in plains. So, calculate accordingly and divide them among the people traveling in car to calculate per person cost. It is difficult to travel to Ladakh with a pillion on a bike, so cost is calculated singularly above.

Finally, taking food + accommodation into account, traveling to Ladakh by self-drive mode of transport, you are looking at about ((Rs 8000 – 9000) + (Rs 7000 – 10000) = (Rs 15000 – 19000)) as the total cost for the entire trip.

Self-Drive But Rented Vehicle

Here, cost of fuel would be same as for a self-drive private vehicle calculated above but you will be adding the cost of bike/car rent as well. Usually, you get a decent bike in good condition at around Rs 1000 – 1300 per day depending on the make and model of the bike you rent. So, the cost of rent only comes out to be around Rs 13000 – 17000 considering if you get some discount. Adding the fuel cost as calculated above, the cost here becomes approximately about Rs 21000 – 26000.

Finally, taking food + accommodation into account, traveling to Ladakh by self-drive rented bike mode of transport, you are looking at about ((Rs 21000 – 26000) + (Rs 7000 – 10000) = (Rs 28000 – 36000)) as the total cost for the entire trip. If you are interested to know more details or tips on how to hire the bikes in Manali / Leh, kindly check the link here.

Privately Hired Taxi in Leh

The taxis outside the Leh are not allowed to roam in Leh – Ladakh and you are always required to hire taxi that belongs to Leh only. So, I am considering the case when you will be hiring the private taxi in Leh only and to reach Leh you will be using public transport. It may be the case that you are coming in privately hired taxi from outside Leh or may be flying directly to Leh etc. but here I will assume that you have used public transport such as train to reach Jammu, JKSRTC buses to reach Srinagar and then to Leh, HPTDC buses to reach Manali from Leh and further to Delhi. Also, I will assume that on Day 12 you will be going to Leh from Tso Moriri since in public transport you cannot travel directly from Tso Moriri to Manali. This means one extra day being spent in Leh – Ladakh making it 15 day trip. I am again assuming you are 2 in number… I will break down the private taxi cost and other transport cost for the entire trip as below –

Day 1 – Day 4 (Leh – Jammu – Srinagar – Kargil – Leh) = Rs 2000 – 2500 per person
Day 5 (Leh Local) = Rs 1500 / 2 = Rs 750 per person
Day 6 – Day 7 (Leh – Khardung La – Nubra Valley – Leh) = Rs 6931 / 2 = Rs 3465 per person
Day 8 – Day 9 (Leh – Pangong Tso – Leh) = Rs 6757 / 2 = Rs 3378 per peson
Day 10 (Sham Valley) = (Rs 2000 – 2500) / 2 = Rs 1000 – 1250 per person
Day 11 – Day 12 (Leh – Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Leh) = Rs 9369 / 2 = Rs 4685 per person
Day 13 – Day 15 (Leh – Keylong – Manali – Delhi) = Rs 3200 per person

Considering about 10-12% discount on the rates of Leh Taxi Union after bargaining, total cost comes out approximately to be Rs 16500 – 17500 per person when traveling two in number. This cost per person will come down if there are more people traveling with you to a maximum of 6. Why 6? Because one Scorpio taxi can accommodate 6 persons with ease , anything more than that you need to hire two taxis.

Finally, taking food + accommodation into account, traveling by privately hired taxi in Leh and reaching Leh in public/shared transport, you are looking at about ((Rs 16500 – 17500) + (Rs 7000 – 10000) = (Rs 23500 – 27500)) as the total cost for the entire trip including  1 day added to travel between Tso Moriri – Leh.

If by any chance you plan to hire a private taxi to Travel on Srinagar – Leh Highway and Manali – Leh Highway then the cost will go much more higher because charges for Srinagar – Leh and Manali – Leh in a private taxi are about Rs 10500 and Rs 17000 – 18000 respectively. If you are less in number, like 2 in this example, it is always suggested to travel in public transport such as shared taxi, JKSRTC buses, HPTDC buses on Srinagar – Leh and Manali – Leh Highways

Shared Taxis or Public Transport or Travel Partners (in group)

Assuming that if, instead of hiring private taxi in Leh – Ladakh you plan to travel by shared taxis run by tour operators or join with other travel partners to share the cost or you yourself are about 6 in number then you are looking at about Rs 10000 – 11000 approximately. If you further plan to travel only by public buses then this figure as well will go down further considerably. However, at the same time you may be required to stay for longer period adjusting to the schedule of these public buses which means increase in lodging + food cost.

Finally, taking food + accommodation into account, traveling shared taxis (or public transport or along with travel partners) in Leh and reaching Leh in public/shared transport, you are looking at about ((Rs 10000 – 11000) + (Rs 7000 – 10000) = (Rs 17000 – 21000)) as the total cost for the entire trip.

Conclusion

If I look at above scenarios or example the of course, it may not be the case every time that you will be hiring the bike from Delhi only. There can be cases where you will travel to Leh – Ladakh by bus or public transport and then hire the bike in Leh to ride other places. Similarly, you may travel to Manali in public transport and then hire bike from Manali etc. There could be similar other cases as well like flying directly to Leh etc. I have tried to cover many general cases here and we can surely discuss custom cases in the comments section below, if you like. Otherwise, if you are looking them at individually and day by day then you will be able to calculate the cost estimate for any such custom combination with fair ease …

I will look forward for your queries or doubts in the comments section below and to know your perspective/tips of cost analysis for Ladakh trip as well. Kindly share your valuable thoughts/feedback/inputs etc here with many other fellow travelers.

I immediately recalled few other cars we spotted  in the day identical in cosmetics and who had a banner/sticker of a famous Motor Rally on them. Down the road aside a tea stall, two three more were parked with same traits. I can now easily co-relate they cannot be other than the participants of such gala annual rally conducted on roof of the world. I may be wrong in my assumption but chances of being correct are way too much after whatever we heard from locales/villagers about the these Motor Rallies in the past. Earlier I had great praise for the participants of such rallies but after hearing about the experiences and witnessing few instances myself this time, I am strongly feel that it is a gimmick that is actually cursing the mother nature in Himalayas.

With due respect to the skills of such passionate drivers, I feel that these motor rallies are actually participating in the depletion of the environment no matter what they boast about the guidelines and standards they adhere to. Practically, they are upsetting the lives of both flora and fauna and including the men all around the circuit. I am not sure how many of us agree to the fact that being an skilled driver it gives him/her the rights to -

I guess being a participant of such an honored event and plus a passionate, skilled driver these participants should take the ownership of saving the environment and respecting it in all terms. They should infact have the highest civic sense at least in terms when driving is concerned. Unfortunately, I feel sorry for them after going by the feedback of villagers, few reports below and few minor incidents which we witnessed ourselves. It appears that they lack complete sense of responsibility towards mother nature and are just present there to boast of some cosmetic skills of their machines and their control on them … Ironically, you will find ample of machines with pasted slogans such as “Save Water, Save Environment”, “Save environment, save wildlife” etc. Sad but I guess true that they should work upon what they actually paste on their machines and respect the mother nature in totality.

In the end, given below are some reports that compliments some of the views presented here and how these rallies are acting as a curse to Himalayan nature and its surroundings along with lack of responsibility on display.

External Source: Raid-de-Himalaya leaves villagers panicky

Manali / Keylong: October 12, 2011
The noise created by the high speed of over 80-odd rally vehicles woke up villagers from their slumber in Vashisht, Nehru Kund, Palchan and Kothi at around 3 am today before the Raid-de-Himalaya invaded the buffer zone of the cold desert biosphere, sending “grazing blue sheep, Tibetan ibex and men-shy snow leopard running for cover in the snow-bound Lahaul valley”.

Voicing villagers’ concerns, scientists rubbished the claims of the rally organisers that they were adhering to the pollution norms prescribed by the Association Internationale des Automobile, a body that governs motor sports in the world.

Dr JC Kuniyal, a senior scientist at the GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, said, “High-speed vehicles produce cyclonic localised activity in a high-altitude region. Particulate matter below 10 microgram and finer particles of 2.5 microgram get deposited on herbs, shrubs and plants, and stunt their growth.”

Dr Kuniyal added that black carbon aerosols are generated due to “less burning of petrol and diesel” because of less availability of oxygen in a high-altitude region. “The aerosols stay on in the atmosphere for weeks and get deposited on glaciers, speeding up the melting process,” he added.

“I was fast asleep when suddenly at around 3 am the entire family woke up in panic due to the noise; we thought somebody had attacked the village,” said Radha Devi and Ved Ram of the Palchan-Kothi area, where the “tourist traffic pollution” has hit a staggering 264 microgram per cubic metre mark, recorded by the GB Pant institute on June 30.

“Then we saw a large number of vehicles moving at ‘lightning speed’ towards the Rohtang Pass one by one, creating a huge noise,” villagers resented.

“The high court has ruled that no loudspeakers and a noise level over 72 decible is permitted after 10 pm till 6 am; then how is the government violating this norm in villages?” they asked.

The rally vehicles, with a noise level exceeding 90 decible, woke up villagers at Koksar, Talining, Sissu, Shashan at around 5 am. “The rally vehicles sprayed heaps of dust and half-burnt carbon aerosols on patches of snow and houses on the Tailing-Gondla-Tandi-Keylong stretch,” said Prem Lal, who, along with other villagers, wanted to show black flags in protest to the rally, but were caught napping.

The rally passed through Jispa, Darcha, Suraj Tal, the source of the Bhaga river, Bara Lacha La, where it entered the cold desert biosphere reserve. The stretch from Bara Lacha La to Serchu, which is the rally route, comprises the buffer zone of the biosphere. “The rally organisers have no permission from the cold desert biosphere authorities, which come under the Ministry of Environment and Forests,” sources said. Ironically, the rally vehicles carry stickers like “Save environment, save wildlife”.

“This is the country’s only cold desert biosphere with an altitude ranging from 3,300 m to 6,600 m, notified by the Ministry of Environment and Forests on August 28, 2009, to protect and preserve its highly endangered species of snow leopard, Tibetan wild ass, Siberian ibex and over 20 species of high-altitude rare birds and butterflies and over 100 species of rare medicinal plants and herbs,” said Dr SS Samant, a scientist.

External Source: Raid-de-Himalaya hits green tax roadblock

Manali, October 11, 2011
After getting a lukewarm response from pollution-wearied local residents, hoteliers and eco-friendly adventure sports promoters, the high-profiled 13th Raid-de- Himalaya motor rally today hit a major green tax roadblock as organisers of the event had not paid the green tax imposed by the high court on vehicles carrying non-Himachal numbers entering this tourist town.

The non-payment of green tax in advance by the organisers has exposed the casual way this motor event is organised even after kicking off its 13th editions, rued sports enthusiasts.

The Manali Nagar Panchayat and the District Tourism Officer expressed ignorance about the event even as Chief Minster PK Dhumal kicked off the rally officially yesterday from Shimla.

Secretary-general, National Winter Games Federation, and president, Paragliding Association, Manali, Roshan Thakur said they only promoted eco-friendly non-powered adventure sports. Checking pollution was a task of the government and organisers, he added.

President, Manali Nagar Panchayat, Rup Singh Negi said the organisers had not taken an NOC from the panchayat.

“Some hoteliers do benefit as their rooms are booked for the rally”, added Gajendra Thakur, president, Manali Hoteliers Association.

Most of the vehicles entered this town on the left bank of the Beas on the Kullu-Naggar road rather than through the main green tax barrier on NH-21 near Manali. “There was nobody to charge the green tax on the left bank entry point there,” sources revealed.

In fact, there are over 250 odd vehicles participating in the rally and most of them are non-Himachal vehicles coming from Chandigarh, Gurgaon, Delhi, Bangalore, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

District Tourism Officer-cum-SDM, Manali, Balbir Thakur said he was not aware about the rally as he was busy on Dasehra duty in Kullu.

DC, Kullu, BM Nanta said rally participants or organisers would have to deposit the green tax as it was imposed by the high court on non-Himachali number vehicles.

Vice-president, Himalayan Motors Association, which is organising the event, Manjiv Bhalla did not respond to calls on his mobile to get organisers’ views.

Some updates on Road Conditions between Delhi – Kinnaur Valley – Spiti Valley:

I hope it will be useful for someone who is planning a trip in near future. Please feel free to ask any queries/doubts you have and I would be happy to revert back.

“Are you tired of being visiting the same old commercialized, tourist flocked, complete hustle-bustle like Shimla, Manali, Dalhousie, Dharamshala etc? Do you feel like going to some quite, secluded and peaceful place where you can spend quality time with your family, friends and nature? Do you believe in off the beaten track travel and love to explore new places? “

Well, many a times I get a positive reply for most of such queries and every other person (who travel frequently) now a days is looking out for some quiet, peaceful, less commercialized and non-touristy place to spend their valuable vacation.

Himachal Pradesh itself offers variety of such off-beat places but many of them take at least two days to reach from Delhi/NCR. However, I would try to enlist below my top 5 favorite off-beat places in Himachal Pradesh that can be reached in a day’s time from Delhi/NCR, if you are OK with traveling about 12-14 Hrs a day (usual time for Manali / Dharamshala / Dalhousie). You can go through them below and I hope you can give them space in your next travel plans -

Tirthan Valley

If you haven;t been to Tirthan Valley then I am sure that you have not experienced nature in its purest form. Surrounded by Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP), this beautiful valley situated besides Tirthan River is an awesome place to relax in the lap of mother nature. It tops my list of some off – beat places in Himachal Pradesh and I love this valley most in the whole Himachal region. If you haven’t got a chance to visit it, then the best time to do so will be in coming Spring season next year. Though the Tirthan Valley is open all round the year but its beauty magnifies to greater magnitude with blooming flowers all round the valley in Spring season. If interested, for more details you can always check the complete Travel Guide for Tirthan Valley

Tirthan River at Night, Tirthan Valley

Pabbar Valley

Pabbar is one of the most enchanting valley in Himachal Pradesh yet isolated from the tourist rush as of now. It offers some awesome panoramic views along with tones of nature walks/hikes in the dense orchards and forests all along the valley. You can also experience a wide range of activities like camping, trekking, fishing, and other adventure activities are also gaining attention including rafting and paragliding. You may have heard about the names of Rohru, Shelapani, Karapather or Chansal Pass and they all come under Pabbar Valley region. So, in all honesty before this “becoming popular” destination gets polluted by the maddening tourist rush, high end commercialization and goes off the off – beat travel places list, do give it a place in your next travel plans to Himachal Pradesh. I am sure you will love every bit of it.

A view near Rohru, Pabbar Valley

Chindi, Karsog Valley

Chindi is yet another off–beat place in Himachal Pradesh that offers an inspiring set of beauty, peace and calmness. Once, you reach Chindi you have all the time in the world to rejuvenate, relax and spend some quality quite moments with your loved ones. You have ample of hikes around in the dense orchards and there are several temples than can be explored around Chindi. You can also visit Karsog Valley situated just below Chindi which also offers some really lush green wide views of the mountainscapes. If lately, you had some “not so good” time with your better half or you had great time with him/her but still want to make it better by listening to each other or you yourself want to introspect few things about yourself then Chindi is an ideal place for you. For more details on an itinerary, you can check Itinerary for Shimla, Chindi, Karsog and Kullu Valley

A view from Chindi

Daranghati

Daranghati near to Sarahan, is one of the remotest and unexplored passes in Himachal Pradesh situated just above Daran Village. It is famous for Daranghati Wildlife Sanctuary but nothing can be taken from the jaw-dropping beauty it offers you. Since, Daranghati is near to Sarahan (which itself offers nice beauty and peace) and lacks too many accommodation options (just two as of now), it can always be covered as a day trip from Sarahan. However, one day camping at Daranghati is highly recommended to feel the nature in its best form. The general route to Daranghati goes through Mashnoo (alternate routes are also there) and for cars it is almost an off-road type of experience. If you plan to visit in hatchback or sedan then I guess you need to have some really good driving skills, caution and very careful driving to run on this adventurous plus narrow road. If you are especially a rider or driver who loves to enjoy some adventurous roads to reach a secluded place for ultimate relaxation then you should definitely plan a trip to Daranghati very soon. You will not be disappointed at all. Even, if you drop Daranghati then Sarahan (entrance to Kinnaur Valley) itself offering some picturesque beauty and peace, is worth a place to visit.But, going to Sarahan will just give you peace nothing much exotic. (For just Sarahan, read more in comments by doodlings though via email)

A view enroute Daranghati

Barot

Barot has been on my to-travel list for a long time and yet I haven’t been able to include in any of my travel plans. Barot is another off the beaten track destination in Himachal Pradesh that is yet to gain attention of the general tourist. It has some wonderful terraced fields, thick cedar forests and range of outdoor activities on offer for the tourist. The Uhl river flowing next to Barot Village mostly on both sides adds every bit of its unique beauty. So, if you love serenity, some nature walks, or you are a backpacker or love to do some angling then do not hesitate by any means to place Barot village in your upcoming travel plan.

A view of Barot Village and Uhl River

Conclusion

All these off-beat places can be visited from Delhi/NCR in a day’s time and you can enjoy a complete vacation of 3 to 4 days at any of these places. You can check with me for an itinerary and other details for these lovely off the beaten track travel places in Himachal Pradesh.

So, after going through the complete list which one will you place in your next travel plan? Please share your thoughts, reviews, suggestions and experiences as comments. I would be looking for to them… till then Happy Traveling.

Where to Hire/Rent a Bike/Motorcycle in Manali

First and the foremost thing, given below is a list of several tour/travel operators/mechanical workshops/mechanics, I have collected over internet, who offer services for renting or hiring a bike or motorcycle in Manali region. I hope it will be helpful to the fellow adventure lovers who plan to hire bike form Manali after considering few precautions/suggestions mentioned above.

NOTE:- Feel sorry for not giving all the references (as I missed to copy all) but some data is from BCMT and IM.

Not being a biker myself, I do not know any of them personally so cannot really comment which one is better/reliable and which one is not. So, I leave up to you to further investigate and hope it gives you a head start in the right direction.

Cost to Hire/Rent a Bike/Motorcycle in Manali

Generally, the cost of hiring a bike/motorcycle range about Rs 700 – Rs 1500 per day per bike. Of course the exact rental price depends upon the modal, make (bullet, Enfield, pulsar etc) and condition of the bike you choose. As suggested by one of my friends Tarun Goel –

“The classic ones are nothing less than Rs 1300. The UCE and Twinspark models are also well above 1200. The old models are available for less but then if you do mileage analysis paying more rent is advisable because that serves two purposes, a) headache is not too much as fewer chances of breakdowns b) You don’t have to worry about the oil and mileage because mileage difference with UCE is well above 10kmpl.“

As for security deposit, be ready to shell out anything ranging from Rs 10K – 15K (for non-local hire) or may be more and it totally depends upon the dealer in question and bike you select. The security deposit is much less if you plan to hire the bike locally i.e. may be a ride to Rohtang Pass. You will need to deposit one of the original identity proof of yours like passport, pan card etc along with the money in many cases.

Important Things to know for hiring a Bike/Motorcycle in Manali

Conclusion

In the end, again if you have your own bike then do prefer it over the hired or rented bike. But, if you still plan to hire/rent one from Manali then do carry a test run for a day and get the required fixes done right in Manali itself or replace the bike if it is too troublesome. If budget is not a concern then opt to carry a backup vehicle or a mechanic along with required spare parts with you. Do understand all the terms and conditions thoroughly from the renter before handing over the security deposit and documents. Do go through all other points mentioned above, so as to better understand and prepare yourself on bike rentals.

I will be looking forward towards your responses and queries as comments below. Have you rented a bike from Manali? If yes, then kindly share your own experiences with other fellow travelers here. The tips for you will help ensure them a safe and hassle free journey.

Guidelines for carrying a Laptop to Ladakh or High Altitudes

Carry Waterproof Bags / Pouches

The electronic devices are not waterproof so carry a good quality waterproof bag or pouch to keep these electronic devices. This will protect them from either rainfall or snowfall.

Do Not Switch ON at Altitude above 10-11K

Generally Laptops have a non – specialized Hard Disk Drive (HDD) in them which are not designed to work above 3000 Meters i.e. 10,000 feet generally or as mentioned in their manual/guidelines sticked on them. Hence, there are chances of HDD Failure at these high altitude regions. Specially manufactured, sealed and pressurized disks are needed for reliable high-altitude operation, above 3,000 m (10,000 feet) as mentioned at WIKI here. So, it is best NOT TO switch ON these devices at high mountain passes like Khardung La, Taglang La or high altitude regions like Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri, Tangste, Batal, Hanle etc which are quite above 10,000 feet mark.

To understand better, these hard drives have a head which flies between the rotating disks/platters. When the air pressure is too low, then there is not enough lift for the flying head, so the head gets too close to the disk, and there is a risk of head crashes and data loss. The laptops with Solid State Drives (SSD) you will not face a drive crash though.

Keep them out in environment before switching ON

Before you switch ON the device, keep it out in the environment for sometime so that the device adapt to temperature difference which might be present. Sudden temperature difference may cause condensation which may result in blown out electronic circuits.

Common example being: You have your IPod deep into some warmly dressed pocket, suddenly you take it out into freezing cold temperature where snow is around and switch it ON. This may cause temperature difference which may result in blown out circuit. So, in such situation best bet is to place the device in outside environment for 5-10 minutes and then switch it ON, just to be on much safer side.

Always Shutdown or Switch off Laptops

Always shutdown or switch off the electronic device when you travel. If you keep them on stand by or hibernate etc modes, especially laptop then a sudden shock or jerk may jeopardize the whole circuit or HDDs in a faulty device or HDD. In shutdown conditions these devices can withstand shock to a much greater extent.

Protect them from Cold Conditions

In some cold conditions especially with temperature around or below freezing point, the battery exhaust pretty fast and getting a power source at camp site of some high altitude lake or region will surely be a challenge. So, if you really want to have longer battery life try to keep your batteries or devices in some warm clothes or padding.

Take care of your own belongings

In the end, generally, a sticker pasted everywhere but yes you should be responsible for taking care of your belongings from human theft or careless misplacement by yourself. Most likely in the remote places such as Ladakh or other high altitude terrains, you will find pretty honest people but there is no guarantee of this fact with modernization needs crippling the honest of the honest persons

Conclusion

Though there is no harm in taking the laptops, IPods, IPads etc for music, movies, backup etc while you travel but I personally avoid taking them just and enjoy the nature and culture of the region more than enjoying myself alone. Since, now the flash memory is getting cheaper and cheaper you can definitely get one or two extra memory cards for your camera and remove the reasoning of carrying the laptop just for backup sake.

Having said that, it is a personal choice weather to carry these devices especially laptops or not with you. But, my concern was if you are taking any of these devices do take care of the precautions mentioned in the article above.

I would really appreciate and look forwards to your inputs or suggestions or comments on carrying the laptops and other electronic devices while you travel. Any other precaution you can think off? It will be great if you can share it with us too.