Ladakh has always been mysterious to travellers, with its vastness. Whether it’s the snow capped mountain peaks or the never-ending meadows, or the gigantic lakes that are termed as “sea” in the local language, you can bet on the endlessness of your amazement.
To enjoy these breathtaking landscapes, if you are coming for the first time, you would probably need some of the basic travel information and guidance. Let’s bundle up a few things here, for your reference, therefore.
Inner Line Permit
You will need a Ladakh administration issued permit to roam in and around Ladakh, at most of the places. While it’s possible for you to get one yourself, it’s always hassle free if you let a travel agency do it for you (for foreign travellers, you can’t do it yourself). The process can be tiresome for an individual, and a travel agency is specialised in these things. Also, if you ask a travel agency to chalk out your travel plan inside Ladakh, which you should do for a hassle-free experience, the permit will also be taken care of by them, without asking.
Stay & Travel
Ladakh has come up with a lot of hotels in recent times. Starting from your first day in Leh, to your entire travelling days in and around Ladakh, you have many hotels to choose from. You may choose from budget hotels to luxurious ones. You may also choose homesteads, to closely experience the life of families of Ladakh, and taste their home food. And before you decide on the hotels, you must decide the places you want to visit, on your first visit to Ladakh. There are many places to choose from – the popular ones as well as the less-known ones, decide based on what you wish for. However, if it feels a bit overwhelming for you, you can always consult a travel agency based in Ladakh, to curate a tour for you. Many of the travel agencies in Ladakh are specialised in making a great tour package for you, whether you are here for the first time, or you have visited before. The one benefit of the tour packages is that they will take care of your stay, transportation (car rentals) and food, if you opt for it. Please remember, self-driven car rentals are not available in Ladakh, as of now. You have to rent a car from the agencies, and those will come with a chauffeur.
Exploring Yourself
If you are a person who prefers to explore places in a more adventurous way, and mostly not with a very fixed plan, you will probably want to explore Ladakh on a motorbike. And we can’t blame you – Ladakh being such a great place for motorbiking, except the extreme winter months. So, if you decide to do this kind of adventure on your first visit in Ladakh, there are innumerable motorbike rental agencies in Leh town. Yes, you have to rent a motorbike from Leh, and return it to Leh again, before you leave this beautiful landscape, vouching to come back again. There are options of geared motorbikes as well as automatic scooters – choose what you are most comfortable with, you just have to carry a valid driving license.
We hope that this will help you to put a seal on your decision to visit Ladakh, for the first time. And we hope that once you come here, the breathtakingly beautiful landscape as well as our hospitality will make you decide to visit again. We are waiting to welcome you to Ladakh.
Ju le. Skyot Le.