Well, it’s quite ambitious to drive all the way from Belgaum to Leh and, before we get any further, I must warn you that end-October is not a good time for the Manali–Leh stretch. Rohtang La, the first pass you’ll have to cross, usually closes for civilian traffic in the last week of October. Ideally, you should do the drive in September,or fly to Delhi and start your drive from there.
People do the various stages of this drive at varying times. For example, you could drive from Udaipur to Delhi in less than eight hours of continuous driving but since you are doing a very long haul, it’s best to go slow before you hit the mountains. Besides, it’s absolutely critical that you acclimatize. So spend two days in Manali, take in the sights, go for walks, and get used to the altitude. You’ll be crossing a number of passes of altitudes above 4,000m, so don’t rush.
While it’s possible to drive from Manali to Sarchu in one push, I’d advise you to break journey at Keylong, where you should stock up on plenty of fuel. Make sure you have all the spare parts you need; food is not a problem en route.
Here’s an approximate itinerary:
Day 1:Belgaum to Mumbai NH-4 (499km); about 7.5hrs. Overnight at Mumbai. Stay atYWCA Guesthouse(from Rs 3,510 doubles; 022-22025053,ywcaic.info)
Day 2:Mumbai to Ahmedabad NH-8 (559km); about 8.5hrs. Overnight at Ahmedabad. Stay at House of MG(from Rs 5,590 doubles; excluding taxes, 079-25506946,houseofmg.com)
Day 3:Ahmedabad to Udaipur NH- 8 (257km); about 3.5hrs. Overnight at Udaipur. Stay at Amet Haveli(from Rs 6,000 doubles; 0294-2431085,amethaveliudaipur.com)
Day 4:Udaipur sightseeing—Lake Pichola, City Palace complex, monsoon palace and so on.
Day 5:Udaipur to Jaipur NH-8 (418km); about 6.5hrs. Overnight at Jaipur. Stay atDiggi Palace(from Rs 5,000 doubles; 0141-2373091,hoteldiggipalace.com)
Day 6:Jaipur sightseeing — Amer Palace, City Palace, Hawa Mahal.
Day 7:Jaipur to Delhi NH-8 (265km); about 3.5hrs. Stay overnight atJukaso Inn(from Rs 4,250 doubles; 011-23415450,jukaso.com)
Day 8:New Delhi to Chandigarh on NH-1 (258km); about 5hrs. Overnight at Chandigarh. Stay atHotel Aroma(from Rs 3,195 doubles; 0172-4010000-27,hotelaroma.com)
Day 9:Chandigarh to Manali NH-21 (305km); about 8hrs. Overnight at Manali’ sNegi’s Hotel Mayflower(from Rs 4,500; 9816050257,mayflowermanali.in)
Days 10&11:Manali sightseeing—Hidimba Temple, Solang Valley, etc.
Day 12:Manali to Keylong (95km); about 2.5hrs. Overnight at Keylong. Stay atHotel Dekyid (Rs 600; 01900-222217)
Day 13:Keylong to Sarchu (106km); 8hrs. Stay overnight atPlanet Himalaya Tents(from Rs 900; 9102259983,planethimalaya.in)
Day 14:Sarchu to Leh (255km); about 12hrs. Stay atOriental Guest House(from Rs 1,200; 01982-253153,orientalguesthouse.com)
For attractions along the way, and a full low-down on theManali-Leh drive, look up our archives (travel.outlookindia.com) or get hold ofOT Getaways: Driving Holidays in India(books.outlookindia.com).
Travel confusion? Email mpolo@outlookindia.com. Please note that Marco will reply to selected questions only.