Ladakh: Highest passes & the Lakes

We suggest New Delhi as the International airport of arrival in India as there are about a dozen daily direct flights to Leh to choose from.  Participants of the tour have to arrive in Leh on this day.  You shall be met at the airport by your assigned driver and transferred to the hotel in Leh.  Your acclimatisation begins but if you’re feeling fine and you can walk into town to immerse yourself into the vibe of this historic region.

Leh is situated at the altitude of 3500 M in the pretty much the center of the Ladakh Himalayan region.  It is crucial for each participant to acclimatise well before the tours itinerary takes them to higher altitudes.  To ensure that, we have kept the first 3 nights at Leh.  However, to fill the days we shall be organising a local sightseeing tour by cars.

Today you’ll meet your Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 Motorcycle, your ride for the next several days. After an extensive briefing session by your Tour manager you’ll take a short ride in an effort to familiarise yourself with the bike and riding conditions.  The 3rd night at Leh shall complete your initial acclimatisation and prepare you for the next days ride to higher altitude.

Today’s ride shall take you to Khardung La (5400 M), the first of the high passes you shall be riding across on this tour.  Going down the other side, you shall descend into the Nubra Valley to arrive at Hundar (Alt. ~3300 M), a small hamlet on the banks of the Shyok river.

Riding upstream along side the Shyok river, you will arrive at the village Turtuk.  The Indian army mans the international border not far from here and runs a wonderful museum here.  Riding the same route in reverse you shall arrive back at the same accommodation.

This day’s ride shall take you in the opposite direction further into the  Shyok valley.  The altitude increases gradually as you will arrive at the shores of the famous Pangong Tso (Alt. ~4300 M) the most famous lake of Ladakh.  From your accommodation just meters from the water, you shall get to enjoy forever changing hues of the lakes water and surrondings.

The ride to hanle intitially continues along the Pangong Tso and then moves south towards Chushul.  Jaw-dropping Himalayan vistas unfold as you head deeper into the High Himalayas from here.  Hanle (Alt. ~4280 M) is a small settlement and a pit-stop for those heading to Umling La or further.

Perhaps this day of the tour is what riders look forward to the most.  The ride to the highest motorable pass (Umling La @ ~5800 M) is going to excite you, awe you and perhaps challenege you as well, as you meander through vast maze of winding Himalayan tracks, some paved and some just dirt and sand.  You shall ride the same route in reverse (although it’s almost hard to believe as it looks so different the other way) to return to your accommodation in Hanle.

The adventure continues and this day’s ride shall reveal to you that the Himalayas have an unlimited treasure of spectacular vistas to offer.  Another day of riding through amazing scenery and lanscape shall bring you to Korzok, on the banks of Tso Moriri (Alt. ~4550 M).  This altitude shall be the highest you shall be sleeping at on this tour, however you shall be very well acclimatised by the time you get here.  Although smaller of the 2 popular lakes in the region, Tso Moriri is a spectacular lake and you will get to enjoy it’s surroundings at liesure.

A long yet satisfying ride on this day.  You shall join the main Manali – Leh highway and climb another high pass (Tanglang La @5320 M) before desnding to the Indua valley and arriving at your destination. a village setting along the Indus river in Shey.

The last day’s ride shall be a short yet interesting one.  A couple of quick stops at Buddhist monasteries  and you’ll be heading back into Leh.  The last night before the tour ends and a farewell dinner/ get-together.

If you have decided not to extend your stay, we shall be organising your airport transfers today for your flight back to New Delhi and onwards.

–End of Tour–

If you have concerns regarding the standard of accommodation on our tours, we’d like to assure you that our selection of hotels will not disappoint you.  In fact, despite the limitations of this region (having seasonal tourism & remote locations) we have ensured that our riders get the most comfortable stay possible.  The reason for that is that we have carefully selected (and fine tuned) a good mix of heritage & modern hotels/ lodges/ holiday homes in the villages, towns & cities we stay at which have a good balance between the old charm and modern travelers needs. Some have been chosen for convenience, some for their spectacular location and some just to give you a taste of the “luxury” without sending our tour prices “through the roof”.  Even the high altitude accommodations we’ve chosen are the best set-up accommodations  all with ensuite toilets.  The reason we don’t share photos here is to keep the surprise element.  Nonetheless, we’ve provided a small “glimpse” of it on one of our Gallery webpage (scroll down to “Himalayan Accommodation” slide) as evidence 🙂

Please note:  On all our tours the space on the support vehicles is limited.  Hence, we request that you limit your baggage to 25 KG.

• Driver’s license*
• International Driving Permit
• Travel insurance**
• Protective Riding Gloves
• Riding boots
• Riding jacket & pants
• Helmet
• Rain suit
• Riding goggles
• Balaclava
• Eye drops
• Sunscreen
• Torch/Flashlight
• Thermal underwear
• Insect repellent

Suggested

• a fleece/pullover/ warm jacket
• Sunglasses
• Hat
• Scarf/Bandana
• Ear Plugs

*Full and valid for  min 411cc motorcycle

**Must cover riding motorcycle overseas for leisure

Our Himalayan tours start and end in New Delhi where the temperature can get up to 42°C in July.  However, as soon as you’re in Shimla (2200 M) on Day 01, you’ll feel a drastic change.  But even in the Himalayas the day temperature at low altitude can get up to 30°C.  And at high altitudes it can fall to freezing temps in the mornings and during the nights (0-5°C).  Rain is almost a certainty with snow being a possibility, specially while riding over high passes.  Statistically, on half our tours in the Himalayas, our riders are glad that they brought rain gear with them and on the other half they wonder why.

Health

Please keep in mind that you need to be reasonably fit to participate in tours.

IMPORTANT: Applicants are advised against participating in any high Himalayan tours if they suffer from severe asthma,  muscular disorders, respiratory or heart disorders, or any medical precondition which might be detrimental to the health of the participant on a tour which involves spending nights in high altitudes (3500 to 4500 metres).

Please consult a doctor before booking a Himalayan tour which goes to high altitudes.

Food & Drink

When travelling through India it is advised to carry your own drinking water that has been obtained from a reliable source (RO/UV water filter) or always drink branded mineral/packaged water.

Water for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice should first be boiled or otherwise sterilised.

Avoid dairy products likely to have been made from unboiled milk. Milk in India is often unpasteurised and should be boiled before consumed.

Any fruit and vegetables should be cooked and/or peeled before consuming. To avoid TD or other sickness while travelling include avoiding undercooked foods and street vendors.

Hygiene

Popular tourist restaurants and hotels will have clean facilities for you to use.

The following vaccinations are recommended for your trip to India* (if visiting for less than 5 months):

• Hepatitis A
• Diphtheria
• Typhoid
• Malaria
• Tetanus
• Japanese Encephalitis, Poliomyelitis
• Rabies

Please ensure you are also up to date with routine vaccinations such as:

• Influenza
• Chickenpox
• Polio
• Measles/Mumps/Rubella (MMR)
• Diphtheria/Pertussis/Tetanus (DPT)
• Rotavirus (for children)

If you are arriving from the following countries it is required for you to have the Yellow Fever vaccine:

• Angola
• Benin
• Burkina Faso
• Burundi
• Cameroon
• Central African Republic
• Chad
• Congo
• Cote d’lvoire
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Equatorial Guinea
• Ethiopia
• Senegal
• Sierra Leone
• Somalia
• Sudan
• Tanzania
• Togo
• Uganda
• Zambia
• Bolivia
• Brazil
• Colombia
• Ecuador
• French Guiana
• Guyana
• Panama
• Peru
• Suriname
• Venezuela
• Trinidad
• Tobago

*This is a general guide. Please consult your doctor for country specific medical advice.

Telephone: Country code is 91

Mobile phone: Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies. Coverage is limited to major towns.

Internet: Wi-Fi is available in most hotels and cafes.

Post: Airmail service to U.S and Western Europe takes up to two weeks.

When travelling to India you will need the following documents:

• Passport (valid at least 6 months past the intended period of stay)
• Indian Tourist Visa

Indian Tourist Visa

Travelers should apply for a tourist e-visa before they visit India. Processing time is generally between 36-48 hours, you can apply for an e-Visa here. These are single/multiple entry visa’s that are valid for a 30/60-day stay. To see if you are eligible for a tourist e-visa visit this website.

We’ll get back to you within a couple of days with a registration form and a full list of T’s & C’s.  Once you’ve submitted the completed registration form we’ll send you an Invoice of the tours/services opted by you.  If the tour start date is more than 3 months away, a 25% advance payment will secure your spot on the tour.

To pay for your tour, we only accept Bank telegraphic (wire) transfer.

It’s our preferred option because it’s safe, transparent & cheap. While it may seem like outdated technology where you’re from, it’s still standard business practice here.  Transfer of funds takes place from your bank account directly to our bank account (with reasonable commissions or charges levied by the banks).

Our T’s & C’s document details more info about our payment policy, but if you’ve got questions about ‘wiring’ money please don’t hesitate to contact us or your bank.

We’ll send you an email with confirmation, a receipt, and everything else you need to know – so you can get ready for new experiences, with new friends, in foreign lands!

The open road beckons. See you at the airport.

Booking shall be subject to availability & eligibility. Your booking is confirmed after deposit is received as per the terms & conditions. Your privacy is protected and we agree not to share the information provided with third parties for any purpose, commercial or otherwise, unless legally required.

The price of the tour is per person on the basis of twin-share accommodation. “Twin Share” means sharing a “double bed” or a “twin bed” room with your companion, or another member of the tour of the same gender.

If you don’t want to share a room you can purchase a single accommodation add-on.  Single Accommodation is subject to availability.  On the Himalayan Tours, it cannot be guaranteed at locations where we stay in “tented camps” as the availability of such accommodation is scarce during the high season.

We reserve the right to impose a “single accommodation” price on a participant, like a minor participant or an unaccompanied participant, if he/she cannot be accommodated with another member of the tour due to any reason(s).

To participate as a rider an individual has to be an adult above the age of 18 years at the time of the tour, holding a valid full motorcycle driving license authorizing him/her to ride a 411/500cc motorcycle and in sufficiently good health to undertake a motorcycle journey without any pre-existing medical condition(s) which may be detrimental to the participants health & safety.   To participate as a co-rider on the pillion an individual has to be above the age of 12 years.

Further details will be available for your perusal in the terms & conditions appended to the tour registration form.