Hitchhiking the Leh-Manali Highway: A Solo Traveler’s Budget Travel Guide

Manali Leh Roadtrip hitchhiking Budget travel guide

 

The whiff of mud after a drizzle, the chilling wind, the topsy-turvy roads revealing the best of the panoramic view and the Lahauli songs playing loudly in the car, made my lips stretch into a smile. Sometimes while some famous song played, I would be explained the meaning and then we all would follow the dancing step as shown by the elderly lady clad in a Lahauli dress. The little girl of the family in the car kept smiling and waving a goodbye to each vehicle we crossed on Manali-Leh highway.  In between, I was asked if I wanted the freshly plucked pears and apples from their farm. The nectar-like taste of those fruits, the music and the fun we had, made me realize the perks of hitchhiking especially on Manali-Leh Highway. It is more than just a drop! Read more

A Bodhi-Muslim Himalayan Village with ‘Religion No Bar’

offbeat Ladakh Kukshow

“My great-grandfather was a Haji, but, he sent my grandfather to study Buddhism. My grandfather thus became famous as the lama of the Chongzee House in our village. He had studied the scriptures for around 19 years,” narrated the eldest family member of the Chongzee family. The story continued, the lama then asked his father to accept Buddhism. Read more

A School That Creates Geniuses out of Failures

volunteer India SECMOL

“My name is Dolkar and I am from a remote village of Padum region in Zangskar,” said a student who was given the responsibility of taking us around a school campus in Ladakh. “Initially when we joined here, it was too tiring to even take one round of the school, but now, as it is ‘my responsibility’, I got used to it,” she continued. I was surprised to see a young girl like her being so conscious of her responsibility. Moreover, she had just come from a village that is hardly connected to the other parts of the Ladakh region and was now confidently conversing and showing the school campus to the strangers. Read more

Budget Home Stays for Your next Ladakh Trip

home stays in Ladakh

While in Ladakh, you must have the experience of staying with the locals and eating what they traditionally cook. You can enjoy the lavish hospitality of a hotel in any modern city of the world, but the beauty of Ladakh lies in the Ladakhi homes and culture.

It doesn’t only give you the glimpse of Ladakhi life-style but also lets you travel on a budget. After my comfortable stay at Goji Villa in Leh, I decided to just stay with the locals at their home and also eat what they eat. And thus, on my month-long journey I stayed in many beautiful homes of the locals. Here is the guide of the best budget home stays in Ladakh for you.

Read more

My Solo Adventure in Ladakh

My Solo Adventure in Ladakh

Ladakh for a month?

Are you out of your mind? What would you do for a month?

What is there to see for a month?

After hearing this from almost everyone, I was firm to explore the unseen Ladakh with all the more enthusiasm. And I have now ended up planning another visit to this Land of Lamas because a month was certainly not enough to explore the secrets of this fairyland.

Living the life on the road is a dream for many. And when it comes to solo traveling, most of them think it to be insane. But my solo traveling in Ladakh would give you the real picture of what solo traveling actually looks like. Read more