COUNTERING ACUTE MOUNTAIN SICKNESS?
In most cases, fluids, rest and paracetamol should do the trick. The popular medicinal counter to AMS is Diamox, which isn’t an instant magical cure, so it’ll take 24 to 48 hours to kick in.
EXPENSES?
Well, they can vary quite a bit, but here’s a rough guideline. In the more remote places, accommodation ranges from Rs 400 to Rs 2,000 for a decent twin-sharing setup, while a meal can cost roughly Rs 100 a head. In the bigger towns, decent hotel rooms can be found for anywhere between Rs 1,000 and Rs 3,000, but meals turn out to be much more expensive. Remember to bargain hard during off-season.
CAMERA KIT?
A decent point-and-shoot should suffice if you’re not too serious about photography; but if you are, a digital SLR with an ultra-wide lens, a normal ‘walk around’ 18-105 mm (or similar) lens and a tripod — to capture the absolutely unreal night skies — are recommended. A really good camera phone can work wonders as well.
IS THERE AN EASY WAY TO DO THIS LOOP?
There is, but that’s not the point here. The point is that it is a tough ride up there and it’s the challenge that’s enticing. Still, if you’re keen on not making an effort at all, fly into Leh and travel around in a hired cab.
WHAT ABOUT RENTING A MOTORCYCLE?
It’s a good option if you don’t want to ship your bike all the way up north. Popular rental spots are Delhi, Manali and Leh itself. A Hero Impulse would cost you Rs 950 a day, while a well-maintained Royal Enfield Classic 500 would cost you Rs 1,300-Rs 1,500 a day. Fuel is on you, as are damages, so be careful. Also, thoroughly inspect the bike — the last thing you’d want on these routes is a lemon.
HOW MANY DAYS SHOULD THE TRIP LAST?
It all depends, but if you want to see all the important places, take a day or two to relax and generally not tax yourself too much each day, you can do the Chandigarh-Kashmir-Leh-Manali-Chandigarh loop in about 13 to 15 days. Of course, once you’re there, you’d want 15 weeks!
ANY MORE INTERESTING PLACES THAT I CAN ADD TO THE ROUTE?
Well, on the return journey, you can come back via the absolutely stunning Spiti valley. But there are patches where the roads are terrible, sometimes worse than the Manali-Leh routes, and that’s saying something. There are immensely beautiful parts of Kashmir that can be included if you’re going that side, there’s Rishikesh and Jim Corbett closer to Delhi and of course, there’s Old Manali, which is like ‘Goa in the mountains’, as one true-blue Goan put it.