In our first blog about Ladakh, we talked about our visit to Leh city, which was on the first and second day of our trip. Now I’ll share with you what we did on the third day?, and where we went?, as well as the challenges that can arise during a Ladakh trip and their solutions. I hope you find this blog helpful.
On the morning of the third day, after breakfast, we rented bikes to explore Ladakh’s beauty. Yesterday, we discussed renting from a shop. Today, we’ll check out the bikes and set off to experience Ladakh’s beauty.
When it comes to bike rentals, if you want to rent one, you’ll need a license. An international license is highly recommended. Without it, you won’t be able to rent a bike. Also, when renting, make sure not to opt for non-geared bikes, as they don’t have much pickup. This is crucial.
When renting, make a video of the bike you’re renting. This will help avoid any issues when returning it.
Traveling by bike in Ladakh has many advantages:
- You can stop wherever you want to take in Ladakh’s beauty.
- There are places in Ladakh not found on Google. By talking to locals, you can learn about these places and easily explore them by bike.
- Traveling by bike in Ladakh can save you a lot of money.
- With a bike, you can visit all the places in Ladakh.
Challenges of traveling by bike:
Your bike may encounter problems. For this reason, carry a tool kit with you. Mechanics are not available in remote areas, so you must be able to solve common problems yourself.
What you need when traveling by bike:
- Always carry extra fuel with your bike.
- Have a tool kit with you.
- In places where temperatures are always below zero, have clothes that can withstand such cold.
- Since you are traveling by bike, it’s crucial to have shoes, gloves, a riding jacket, helmet, and full-length trousers.
Regarding shoes, keep an extra pair of hiking shoes with you, as they are necessary when crossing water.
We recently visited a bike shop named Ladakh Himalayan Explorer. We liked two bikes there, both Royal Enfield Himalayan models. The rent for our “Par Day Par Bike” is 1100 rupees each. For those renting bikes, it’s advisable to negotiate the price a bit, as rates are not always fixed.
The shopkeeper provided us with toolboxes, helmets, riding jackets – everything we needed for the bikes. From there, we proceeded to get the permits required for traveling in Ladakh’s Inner Line areas.
Let me share some information about the permits: To enter Inner Line areas in Ladakh, you need permission. If you’re Indian, you can apply for the permit online. However, if you’re a foreigner, you need to obtain the permission letter directly. If you plan to visit places like Nubra Valley, Pangong Lake, Khardung La Pass, Turtuk, Tso Moriri Lake, Hanle Village, Umling La, you’ll need these permits.
Don’t worry about the permits because many agencies in Leh city provide them. When you go there, you can easily get the necessary permissions.
“After obtaining the permit letter, we had lunch and returned to the hotel. After a brief rest at the hotel, we set out to see Magnetic Hill and Sangam.
Magnetic Hill:
Our first ride in Ladakh, about 30 kilometers from Leh city, took us to Magnetic Hill on the Kargil Highway. Shortly after, we reached Magnetic Hill and witnessed something amazing there. If you leave your car in neutral, it starts moving uphill due to the magnetic force theory and optical illusion theory.
We spoke with some locals about this phenomenon. They said those who will go to heaven will be pulled uphill, and those who won’t won’t be pulled.
If you plan to visit Ladakh, try talking to the locals. They know a lot that you won’t find on Google.
Sangam Point:
From there, we traveled 15 kilometers to see Sangam. It’s called Sangam because two rivers, one from Pakistan named the Indus River and another from Kargil named Zanskar, merge there. The colors of the two rivers are distinctly different. They merge and become the Indus River from there.
After seeing this beautiful and picturesque scene, we returned to the hotel and spent the night there.
That concludes our travel story for the third day. But our Ladakh travel story isn’t over yet. Stay tuned for the next blog, and thank you very much for reading about our Ladakh journey.
Also Read:Leh Ladakh in winter
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