A Himalayan Desert: The negative 6 degrees Celsius temperature may have numbed our hands, but not our hopes.
Leh, March 2021
“I want to explore the mountains” – what started out as an item on the 2021 bucket list was manifested into a 3-week rendezvous with a winter wonderland in the northernmost part of India. When you say “the hills” one is quick to assume that you’re planning a getaway to Himachal Pradesh, which is what this travel plan was originally all about. Then how did we end up spending half of March in Leh? I wish I could tell you the exact turning point, but unfortunately, I’ll have to leave you with something vague and cliched like “You’ve got to trust the Universe – it gives you exactly what you seek”
Fast forward to 18 March 2021, when I landed in the middle of a heatwave in Delhi, ready to spend a night exploring the brightly lit neighborhood of Mahipalpur in the wee hours of the morning (I had the company of my partner, I doubt I could have done this alone!) before heading off to the minus temperatures of India’s cold desert.
We landed early in the morning, and a blast of cold air hit us as we de-boarded our plane and made our way across to the gates. A quick identity check and COVID negative confirmation later, we were allowed to head over to our guesthouse, 10km away from the airport.
While you can read about some of my experiences on Instagram, I wish to dedicate the following posts to the important details- where to stay, how to commute, internet connective, etc. Without further ado, here’s a complete guide to enjoying a break to Leh in the winters.