in Ladakh by Saravana

Based on my experience while cycling the Manali - Leh route (in Oct 2010) i've compiled a list of Food and Accommodation stops on the route.

I hope this information would be useful to other cyclists who are planning to do this trip. I have also tried to include the approximate dates till which these establishments would remain open, but these days might change depending on the weather conditions. So be a little careful and stock up on extra food when you do this trip in October.

in Ladakh by Saravana

Ladakh is a cycling paradise. There is no question about it. The quiet roads, the friendly locals, the serene landscape and high altitude all combine together to provide you a safe, fun, at times challenging and at all times visually stimulating experience that few other locations in India and indeed in the world could hope to match.

I believe that Ladakh offers something for everyone. From the causal holiday... (more)

in Ladakh by Saravana

Ladakh was the reason why i decided to take my bicycle with me to the Himalayas. The lure of cycling in the mountains with its crisp blue skies and snow capped peaks was too enticing to ignore. I had traveled Ladakh by motorcycle back in 2008, but this time i decided that a bicycle would be a better option. Going by cycle meant going slowly.. a 200km trip from, say, Leh to Pangong lake which can be done in a... (more)

in Tsomori by Saravana

Tsomoriri is, in my opinion the most beautiful of all the 3 big lakes in Ladakh. So a trip there well worth the effort, especially if you make it a circular route and come back via the TsoKar lake and Taglang La.

in Ladakh by Saravana

Ladakh was the reason why i decided to take my bicycle with me to the Himalayas. The lure of cycling in the mountains with its crisp blue skies and snow capped peaks was too enticing to ignore. I had traveled Ladakh by motorcycle back in 2008, but this time i decided that a bicycle would be a better option. Going by cycle meant going slowly.. a 200km trip from, say, Leh to Pangong lake which can be done in a... (more)

in Pangong by Saravana

This is probably the most funnest, the easiest (after ChangLa), friendliest and the most visually breathtaking ride experience available in Ladakh. And definitely my top favorite among all the cycling routes in Ladakh.

 The reason why i loved this circuit is because of the 30 odd km flat stretch of dirt road along the shores of the Pangong lake. You get to ride right up along the edge of the... (more)

in Ladakh by Saravana

Things did not start smoothly for my Manali Leh ride.

After traveling around Himachal by bus it was finally time for me to start cycling. I went to Palampur to collect my bike (I had left it at the home of a railway employee who had generously offered to store my bike at his place when i was away). My plan was to start riding from Palampur to Manali, spend a few days in Manali and then kick onwards... (more)

in Ladakh by Saravana

If you love the mountains and love the freedom & the pure wind-in-your-face exhilaration of biking then Ladakh provides the perfect opportunity for you to combine the two and go motor biking in Ladakh. There is no better way to experience this wonderful place, free from the constraints of packaged trips and the safety of civilization biking in Ladakh puts you in touch with the raw unforgiving side of nature.... (more)

in Tsomori by Saravana

It was a trip where Murphy's law was in full force. Everything that could go wrong did, and some. I drove around in circles trying to find fuel for my motorbike, got lost in the dark on the shores of the Tsomoriri lake, camped out in the wild, got bike's tires punctured and was rescued by the unlikeliest folks possible.. the Changpa nomads living high up in the mountains around the Tsomoriri lake. Needless to... (more)

in Ladakh by Saravana

It was a late October day. Cold cloudy and overcast. A dramatic change from the pleasent sunny weather just a day before.  I was cycling back from the Pangong lake to the Tangste village. It is normally a pleasent ride, mostly flat and downhill (from 4400m to 3950m over the course of 25 odd kms). In the mountains, downhill rides such as these are to be savoured but today i was'nt enjoying the ride all that much.... (more)

in Ladakh by Saravana

It was a late October day. Cold cloudy and overcast. A dramatic change from the pleasent sunny weather just a day before.  I was cycling back from the Pangong lake to the Tangste village. It is normally a pleasent ride, mostly flat and downhill (from 4400m to 3950m over the course of 25 odd kms). In the mountains, downhill rides such as these are to be savoured but today i was'nt enjoying the ride all that much.... (more)

in Ladakh by Saravana

One of the things i'am unhappy about myself as a photographer is my reluctance to take more portraits while traveling. There are some good reasons for it. But still, at the end of a trip when i look back at my photos, the ones that bring me the most joy are the ones with people in them.

If i had taken a portrait of someone, then more often than not, it means that i had interacted with that person before taking... (more)