Zanskar Archives - EXPLORE WITH BOB

Dah Bheema-must has not heard about it. Right?What if I say it’s the most peaceful region in the Kargil-Leh section with gushing river waters flowing by. Tempting-isn’t it! Lamayuru-yes you must have heard it for its famous moon-like landscape, and a huge monastery-along with Mulbekh aren’t to be missed at any cost! Drass, one of the coldest regions, has all-time significance in the Kargil war of 1999 with the Line of Control that runs closely along with Kargil. All the places described above aren’t to be missed!

5 Reasons why the Kargil-Leh region is worth a visit:

Dah-Hanu and tranquility are synonymous with one other. The peaceful ambiance with high flow gushing waters in Dah makes this place even more enchanting. Worthy of 2-3 days visit for having one of the most me-time momen

Lamayuru is known for its ‘lunar’ landscape and encompasses a beautiful humongous monastery. Not surprisingly, “moonscape” (also called moorland) is what Lamayuru puts on your plate for you!. Yuru Kab Great and Hemis Tse Chu are two big festivals celebrated at Lamayuru monastery during the Tibetan lunar calendar’s second (2) and fifth(5) months.
For trekking enthusiasts, there’s the 20-day trans-Himalaya trekking from Lamayuru to Darcha in Zanskar and a five-day short trek to Wanla. Wanla Gompa is known for its peaceful environment, studded with a rich landscape.

The beautiful moonland landscape at Lamayuru

Mulbekh is known for a 30 ft tall single limestone rock made by Maitreya Buddha or Future Buddha. The Maitreya Buddha overlooks the national highway of Leh-Srinagar and is a beautiful masterpiece!

Location: Mulbekh is closest to Kargil(About 40 km), whereas Lamayuru falls somewhere between Leh and Kargil(100 km). Dah-Hanu is a tangential route to Kargil from Leh and its distance (160 km from Leh). Drass is around 70 km ahead of Kargil on Leh Srinagar National Highway.

Tourist Attraction on the spot:

Dah-Hanu, a part of the Aryan Valley, is known for its history, but this place is more about natural beauty and serenity than anything else. Dras is known for its Drass War Memorial and is a must-visit place when you come from either Sonamarg or Kargil. The Line of Control site can’t be visited, but you can see nearby places with the military watching you all over. Mulbekh and Lamayuru have their monasteries and landscape on offer on the spot. So basically, most of the places on this trip are on the way. Fatu La is a beautiful pass on the way to Kargil from Leh.

Tourist Attraction in Vicinity:

Darcha and Wanla trekking can be done from Lamayuru. Also, Sham Valley (Alchi, Likir, etc.) can easily be visited along with this trip. Moreover, one can see Zozila and Sonamarg(60kms) from Drass, and Zanskar Valley(Padum) is about a day’s journey(approx 250 km) from Kargil.

Distance Charts:(From Kargil-considering Kargil as base Only)

Leh (220 km)
Chandigarh:( 780 km)
Delhi:(1030 km)
Padum:(230 km)
Keylong:(160 km via ShingoLa)
Kaza:(350 km)
Manali:(230 km)
Shimla :(470 km)
Jammu :(480 km)
Srinagar:(200 km)
Drass:(65 km)
Dah Hanu Beema:(95 km(-190 km from Leh))
Lamayuru:(105 km)

How to Reach Drass(Ex Leh):

Road Routes:

1) Leh-Nimmoo-Basgo-Saspul-Khalsi-Lamayuru-Khangral-Mulbekh-Kargil-Dras

2) Leh-Nimmoo-Basgo-Saspul-Khalsi-Skurbuchan-Dah-Khangral-Lamayuru-Khangral-Mulbekh-Kargil-Dras
The beautiful city of Drass

IMPORTANT NOTE FROM MY EXPERIENCE:

1)For seeing Lamayuru/LOC/draws and Mulbekh, please prefer a private vehicle; otherwise, be prepared to hitchhike or spend hours waiting for that elusive bus to arrive from nowhere!

2)Dah-Hanu gets cold in the rains(when I was there, rains happened). So, have a raincoat/light woolen waterproof jacket with you.

3)Dah-Beema section has the problem of food and petrol refilling at regular junctures. Getting vehicles are not easy, even if the public is less. So, take a buffer of one day and carry surplus petrol/snacks with you.

4)Buses can be recommended with shared cars. But don’t shy away from standing long hours for public transport. Time taken will be three days even with public transport, provided the weather is good, and people are there to travel.

5)Avoid photography in the LOC area by any means. Military watch all over the place.

RAIL: Railways is upto Srinagar in parts from the Jammu side and upto Shimla from the Manali side.

You can watch the below video to get a better idea! Do like and share if you find it worth it…

AIR: Leh/Srinagar are the nearest airports to Kargil/Aryan Valley.

ROAD: You first need to come to Leh through Rohtang Pass(June onwards) from Manali or Srinagar via Zozila Pass. After this, you can either get a shared car through an agent or go by a once-a-week state transport bus.

If you want to reach from Delhi or Chandigarh, the Shimla-Manali-Leh corridor shall be a better choice in terms of scenery and safety, which will take three days with a one-day halt at Keylong to acclimatize. Even from the Jammu side, it will take three days but acclimatize option can be left out pretty easily. From Leh/Srinagar, frequent morning shared cars/buses are there for Kargil.

Map:

Lamayuru Mulbekh Dah Dras Circuit trip — Lamayuru – Mulbekh – Kargil – Dras – Dah – hanu – leh map

Time to Visit:

Early June to Mid-October (Rains are scanty, if any, then Dah Hanu side has)

Spend Time With:

Family, Friends, Solo, Couple

Food and Lodging:

Hotels can be found in Leh and Kargil, with very few in Dah and Lamayuru. Dras isn’t expected to have hotels. For food and all, guest houses in Dah and hotels in Leh/Kargil have options, but on the way, especially in Dah, route-chances of getting food options are less, if not anything-better and water at all times. Goibibo, Makemytrip, and Easemytrip if you want a booking in Dah/Kargil/Leh.Zomato and Swiggy can only be used for food bookings in Leh.

Expense:

For a three-day trip by state transport to Dah, followed by Lamayuru/Mulbekh the next day and Dras the day after, the following is the expense summary:

Food: INR 150/person/day(3 times a day)X3

Transport: INR 150 INR by bus( car will cost approx 3000 INR/head)from Leh to Dah and Dah to Kargil is another INR 150; Kargil to Lamayuru can better be done by Pvt car to save hassle (2000-2500 INR from Dah/Kargil-drop at Kargil); a bus might be available with shared cars to Dras from Kargil but returning and going around LOC means you need a private car (2000 INR approx)

Lodging: INR 700/day X2 at (Two-night stay-one at Dah and other at Kargil )

Entry Fees include various places (varies): At Drass Memorial and Lamayuru(assume 100 per head in INR)

Gushing waters at Dah on a rainy evening

Total: 4000 INR(Can go upto to 10500 INR if a private car is availed)

Zanskar

The Dah Bheema-Leh Kargil Drass connection-the ultimate path to eternal bliss in splendid Himalyas-Moonland Lamayuru and peaceful Aryan Valley