What a beauty is all we say every time our eyes fall over the solitude spread of Ladakh. Every traveller has Ladakh on his/her list that they can’t wait to witness and lose themselves in its surreal beauty. 

“I finally lived my dream that I nurtured for years.”

Our traveller Rhythm Batra, a law student and an aspiring photographer from Gurgaon couldn’t hold his excitement for too long. He had Ladakh on his mind for a very long time and now it was finally the time to strike it off by exploring every sound corner of it. So, he set down on a journey to Ladakh along with his childhood friend and had some of his lifelong memories to store and cherish. 

“I remember I was so taken by the Ladakh trip that I couldn’t believe that I actually lived my dream and I burst with tears while acknowledging it,” Says Rhythm. 

The trip to Ladakh began from Gurgaon by flight which helped them reach their destination around late evening. On reaching, Rhythm along with his friend rested in a hotel that was pre-booked and fueled themselves to explore magic the next morning held. 

Come explore the best! 

Rhythm along with his friend was super excited to get into the details of this heavenly place, Ladakh. To do so they rented a bike and set to scream their presence in every possible corner. The trip began with witnessing the magnificent Sangam Jheel which was a true delight to catch. 

After Sangam Jheel it was now time to get one to one with the magic of Magnetic Hills. The road, the scenery and the illusion around just felt beyond perfect. The trip continued and made its halt at Gurudwara Pathar Sahib. The place was beautifully built in the fond memory of Guru Nanak. 

Rhythm also visited Nishan Sahib which was at a height of 500 steps. Climbing the steps was one of the most tedious experiences I’ve ever had, says Rhythm. But on reaching Rhythm was all in love with the view and sighed in relief taking pictures of the beauty immersed space of Gurudwara. 

Around evening they had dinner in some nearby cafe and returned to the hotel to fuel up for the next day’s adventures. The arrangement in terms of bikes and other associated aspects were priorly made. 

Khardung La, Nubra Valley & Pangong Lake 

Day 3 was set to explore three major routes namely, Khardung La, Nubra Valley and Pangong Lake. Rhythm along with his friend prepped himself with the necessary elements and began the trip with excitement and fun. 

While travelling they met several resistances like low fuel, delay due to a mishap with army trucks and more, which led them to reach Khardung La quite late i.e. around 3:30 to 4:00 in the evening. The weather here was quite pleasant, says Rhythm. 

They then continued riding and reached Nubra Valley around late evening. They had no prior bookings made so had to struggle a bit in order to find the right one. After some struggle they got a hotel to mark their stay. 

Did we just reach China? 

The very next morning Rhythm along with his friend left to explore the roads to Pangong. It was an amazing journey with the vast spread beauty of nature that seemed no less than heaven. They then stopped by an on the way restaurant and grabbed some filling breakfast. While doing so they bonded with a fellow who was on a tour to explore Leh & Ladakh just like them. 

The further journey was continued together with some chit chat moments that made the long journey pass within a blink. It is believed during the day the water crossings around Pangong rises thus, Rhythm was startled and was wondering if he should really continue the journey. But somehow he got himself together and continued. 

Surprisingly, the particular road journey turned out to be one of the best journeys Rhythm had ever taken. One side of the road was studded with brown dry mountains while the other sparkled with blue and shiny water, topping it with a green spread of small plants. 

While on his continued journey to Pangong, Rhythm shares a peal of laughter filled adventure moment where he followed the route his recent Delhi fellow friend followed and ended up reaching the China border. He somehow then reached Pangong and witnessed the breathtaking view that truly was worth it. They stayed in a hotel and made some really fine friends filling the room with love, laughter and food. Experiencing star showers at Pangong was another insightful memory of Rhythm. 

Chang La Pass 

“The morning seemed to be really dreadful here. It was all filled with black clouds and left everyone here wondering,” says Rhythm. The temperature here drastically dropped down to minus and had begun to snow. This was rhythm’s first-ever snowfall experience and undoubtedly he lived his best time here. 

After some time they could see the weather getting normal and a bright sunny day approaching. Rhythm along with his friend snapped some quick snapshots and sealed the moments forever. After their beautiful exploration, they set out to Ladakh to head back home. So, this was how our dear traveller Rhythm lived his dream of visiting Leh & Ladakh. 

The spot according to Rhythm was absolutely safe for travellers to explore in terms of social safety. Touring Leh and Ladakh has certain risks associated due to the geographical existence of the spots. Thus, it is advised to travel here in a group to feel confident and safer. 

Overview of the Journey:- 

Trip:- Gurgaon – Ladakh 

Mode of Transportation:- Flight // Bike

Major Spots:- Sangam Jheel, Magnetic Hill, Gurudwara Pathar Sahib, Khardung La, Nubra Valley, Pangong Lake and Chang La. 

Estimated Budget:- INR 20,000/- (per person)

Ladakh – INR 2800/- (per night, 2 people)

Nubra Valley – INR 1100/- (per night, 2 people)

Pangong – INR 2600/- (per night, 3 people)

For more photos and videos, check out his Instagram page @rhythm_batra22

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Keep Travelling! Keep Exploring!