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Fast Facts
How to get there
Countryside organises tours to Ladakh, as well as other Himalayan destinations. A 16 day tour is priced at Rs 32,500 per person, railway fares extra. Countryside conducts slide show to give prospective travellers a glimpse of the tours they conduct.
Address: Countryside Outdoor Programmes Pvt Ltd, 35 Vawda building, 252 L J, opposite Shiv Sena Bhavan, Shivaji Park, Dadar, Bombay. Phone: 022-4441513. Fax: 022-446-9093. Email: Countryside
Countryside itinerary:
- Day 1: Depart from Bombay for New Delhi by the Rajdhani express.
- Day 2: Arrival at New Delhi. After a brief stopover, depart for Manali.
- Days 3: Arrival at Manali at dawn.
- Day 4: A day free for shopping for local handicraft. For the more adventurous the sky is the limit, literally; you can paraglide.
- Day 5: The journey to Leh begins. Cross the famous Rohtang pass to enter Lahaul. Halt for the night at Jispa.
- Day 6: Experience the dramatic changes of landscape as one crosses the Greater Himalayan Range and enters the arid regions of Ladakh. Stopover at Countryside campsite at Sarchu for the night.
- Day 7: Odyssey continues. Climb the vast Pang plateau and enter the valley of Indus, after crossing over a 17,000 ft high pass! Reach Leh, as darkness envelops the countryside.
- Day 8: Rest periods interspersed with aclimatization walks. Leh is at 12,500 ft!
- Day 9: Tour of Leh. The monasteries that dot the countryside are unique and worth a visit.
- Day 10: Visit to Khardung La, the world's highest motorable pass!
- Day 11: Rafting down the Indus.
- Day 12: A trip to the world's highest sea -- Pangong. The salt water lake spans two countries, India and China. Overnight at a campsite beside the shimmering lake.
- Day 13: Drive back to Leh. Rest of the day free.
- Day 14: Day of rest.
- Day 15: Fly from Leh to New Delhi. Overnight in New Delhi.
- Day 16: Onwards to Bombay by the Rajdhani Express.
- Day 17: Arrival in Bombay.
Permits
Foreign passport holders require permits to visit certain areas of Ladakh. Countryside organises permits too. Permits are available at:
- Foreigners' Section, Lok Nayak Bhavan, Khan Market, New Delhi.
- Foreigner's Regional Registration office, Annex 2, Police Commissioner's Office, D N
road, near Crawford Market, Bombay, tel # 022-022-2610446, 268222.
- Foreigners' Section, Deputy Commissioner of Police (security
control), 237, AJC Bose road, Calcutta tel # 2473300.
- Foreigner's Registration Office, 9, Village road, Nungabakkam, Madras, tel # 478210.
- Collector's office, opposite the polo ground, Ladakh.
- Local travel agents in Leh can organise permits to for a small fee.
You must specify in advance the places in Ladakh to which you wish to travel as well as the length of stay. Travel in certain areas is restricted to special routes and travel must take place in groups of four or with approved guides
Best seasons to visit
Best season to visit Ladakh is during the months of July and September. This itinerary is possible only when the roads (mainly the Rohtang pass) are clear of snow and the high passes are open for motoring or walking. However, one can also fly to and from Leh in other months -- such as May -- and have a small holiday in Ladakh, with Leh acting as the base.
For more information on Ladakh, do check out the Rediff Travel feature:
A Tale from Ladakh.
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