Have you ever thought of any coldest inhabited place on earth? Have you ever wondered how their life would be? Would you like to see our heroes of the 1999 Indo-Pak War?
You think about these questions as we take you all on an amazing, breathtaking ride to Leh. This blog will cover our journey from Srinagar to Leh with a layover at Kargil.
In case you don’t know who we are…
We call ourselves Travel Freaks…
One of the most important aspects of travelling to the Leh region is to acclimatize yourself to the surroundings. This was the main reason we chose to land in Jammu and then an overnight stay at Srinagar before we proceeded to the Ladakh region.
Read here, in case you haven’t read our experience. You will definitely get an idea of what to see and how to plan. Of course, we are just a click away.
Returning to our story, after a fantastic evening at Srinagar, we were about to depart from Srinagar by 8 AM in the morning after breakfast. Our breakfast consisted of a typical Indian Puri and Mixed vegetables. We had our lunch packed to have it on the way.
Now, you might have many questions concerning our journey from Srinagar to Leh. Let’s answer one by one.
1. Did we reach directly from Srinagar to Leh on a single day?
The answer is Noooo….
The distance is about 420 km from Srinagar, and that to cover in a single day is tedious as well as troublesome. It is always judicious to halt somewhere on the way overnight and then continue the remaining journey the following day.
Travel Tip: Never travel solo on a bike. Most importantly, never try to cover a distance of more than 200-250 km in a high-altitude region. Always travel with a group. You may never know the kind of help you need mid-way.
Now that we spoke of a halt in the mid-way, you may want to know…..
2. Where did we halt for the night?
Do you remember a question we asked at the beginning of this blog about a place that is associated with one of the coldest inhabited regions of Earth? It is none other than Drass. However, we planned to stay in Kargil, which is approximately 60 km away from Drass. Kargil is also considered one of the safest places in the Ladakh region.
Now that we would be heading to Kargil, you would be eager about……
3. How was the journey from Srinagar to Kargil?
Returning to our story, as we started our journey from Srinagar to Kargil, initially, we passed by the world-famous Dal Lake and then through the narrow lanes to reach Sonmarg. It took us around three hours to reach Sonmarg from Srinagar. The place was quite scenic, as many might be aware of. As we were travelling during Autumn, there was no snow at all, barring a few places that were covered with mud and dirt.
We stopped by the Zero Point to have lunch. A cold breeze blew across the place where we sat to have lunch. It was close to one o’clock when we finished our lunch. After lunch, we thought to explore the surrounding countryside before heading further.
The area was filled with visitors; a few stalls were selling Maggie, tea and coffee. ATV ride option was also there. A few locals were also indulged in making reels for a fee.
Apart from the available crowd, the area seemed so soothing it felt like spending more time. However, due to the journey ahead, we hopped into our vehicle and continued our journey.
Within an hour from Sonmarg, we crossed the Union territory of Jammu & Kashmir and entered the Ladakh region.
The road leading to Dras was nothing less than breathtaking. It was fantastic. The architecture of the houses gradually changed from slanting roofs in the Kashmir region to flat roofs in the Ladakh region.
At around three o’clock in the afternoon, we reached one of the iconic spots of the Kargil region, the Kargil War Memorial.
You might want to know……
4. How was the experience at the Kargil War Memorial?
We started this blog with a question on the heroes of the Kargil War Memorial. This was the place. Remember, you need to produce a government-approved ID card to enter the war memorial and secondly, you cannot be on your knees as long as you are within the memorial.
As we entered the memorial, we saw about ten statues of renowned martyrs of the Kargil; we could remember the name of the Captain Vikram Batra due to a recent movie based on his life.
With all due respect, we must never forget the sacrifices of other heroes that led to India’s victory in 1999.
There was a tank and a frame where you could take photos as memories of this place. On the far left-hand side, we saw the names of many martyrs engraved on stones. The right-hand side had a museum where photography and videography were prohibited.
We spent close to an hour. Last but not least, the Indian tricolour flying high above the ground gave us goosebumps as we could feel the sacrifices made by our heroes.
Before heading back to our vehicle, we entered a small room where a soldier played a short video of around 10 minutes highlighting a few key facts on the Kargil war.
The entire experience felt nostalgic. There is also a parade every day between 7 to 7:30 PM. On witnessing the parade, reflecting the dedication and sacrifice of our soldiers for the nation made us proud.
We continued our journey to Kargil after the parade. The landscape changed gradually, with the Suru River flowing violently by the side.
5. How was our stay at Kargil?
We stayed at the main Kargil market. There were many stay options as well as food options in the main market. The rooms were decent for an overnight stay.
As we had only a night to stay, we thought to explore the local places and interact with a few locals. We took a Kawa and chatted with the locals, discussing their culture. We heard how tough life was during the rough, cold winters; they had to survive on frozen foods. We were moved to hear about their lifestyle.
Later on, we sat by the Suru Riverside before ending our day.
This was the first part of the journey from Srinagar to Leh, do follow us for the next part of the journey.
Wait! We are not going anywhere without this last question……
6. What kind of help are we going to provide?
Let us inform you that we prepare itineraries not only for anywhere in India but also for Asia. We have been travelling since we were toddlers. So here in our blogs and stories, we will give you a glimpse of our journey and help you plan your trip.
Read about our Uzbekistan blogs.
Read about our Kazakhstan blogs.
Read about our Singapore blogs.
Read about our Vietnam blogs.
Read about our Cambodia blogs.
Read about our Bali blogs.
Read about our Kuala Lumpur blog series.
Read about our Sri Lanka blogs.
Read about our Nepal blogs.
Read about our Char Dham blogs.
Read about our Ladakh blogs.
Read about our day trip to Hyderabad.
Read about our Madhya Pradesh blogs.
Read about our Andaman and Nicobar blogs.
Do follow our Instagram handle @mindfulllofvacations and watch for the next destination story of a new place. For any query related to any trip, drop a mail at @mitkau007@gmail.com.
by mitkau