With the colourful flags lining every bridge, swaying ever to slightly with the wind; to numerous prayer wheels across the city, to huge monasteries and clear rivers, yes, Ladakh.

Ever since the 3 idiots movie was released, people started crawling into this otherwise quiet serene place. Soon, it became a touristy destination with hotels named after the movie; there was a scramble to get packaged tours; to just visit the place to tick it off the bucket list.

The Pangong Lake

Now, there are 2 kinds of people – one, who travel to cover a place and the other who travel to experience, immerse themselves and leave a part of themselves behind at every place they visit.

If you are the latter, then you, my friend, should, nah, must cover Ladakh by road. There is no other way to have a life changing experience.

A shepherd and his dog enjoying a quiet moment

When you open your car’s window, or drive your bike down the dusty roads, and observe the azure blue waters and the myriad of colors in the mountains, you get lost in the mesmerising beauty.

For the journey is more beautiful than the destination itself. The experiences you account for on a road trip cannot be compared to the very immaculately planned package tours with flights in and out of Ladakh.

Yes, experience going there on a flight too; the view before landing is absolutely breathtaking. But save that for later, for the winters, or when you have less time on your hands but absolutely wish to visit Ladakh.

Like every other firsts in our lives, like the first time we ride a bicycle, to the first time we make maggi, or have our first crush, make the first trip to Ladakh worth it. Firsts are important, firsts shape our lives.

When you go by road, you ergo save one day. Flights force you to stay indoors a full day to acclimatize, but the gradual ascent on a road trip makes sure you acclimatize throughout the journey.

Secondly, the freedom you get in a road trip is unparallel to a planned trip. You can take as many stops as you like, you can sit down next to the streams, you could call it a night at Jispa or Pang, wherever the heart feels like; stay a couple of days at one place and then move ahead. Go without bookings, because you find hotels even in the peak season easily.

The transition from a tourist to a travel happens only when we can get rid of our baggage and the fear that everything needs to be planned; from the mode of transport to hotel bookings. Our minds are full of the planning exercise and we do not let our hearts wander freely.

With the roads in Ladakh, there is no guarantee that you actually reach the places according to the schedule; an odd road making activity to snowfall, to long lines at the passes can easily derail your plans.

Hence, have adequate days, have some snacks or chocolate bars with you for the times you get stuck and let go, enjoy the journey.

Chips packets inflate and pop due to the high altitude

Explore places off the map, go as far as Rangdum and Padum, try reaching Tso Moriri directly from Pangong through Chushul; take the risk, the road less taken, write your own stories and inspire others.

And once you do that, you will be compelled to go back again and again and again to rewrite your old stories with new ones, this time with experience on your side; you can choose to cover new areas every time; like plan once just to cover the road from manali to leh and fly back; another time just for Sanskar and yet another time to Hemis National park to sight the rare snow leopards.

The opportunities are endless; the mountains are calling, what are you waiting for?

Clean your bikes and cars, fill the gas and get onto the road!