At times there comes a point in life when one needs to introspect his or her self or needs me-time or maybe when one wishes to explore the unexplored or has an utter desire to overcome his or her fears. Then and there at that very moment comes the thought of planning a solo trip. Planning a solo trip to Ladakh might feel quite exciting and full of adventures but at the same time sends the chills down the spine, if not for us but definitely for our families and friends back home.
Tips for Solo Trip to Ladakh
When you are on a solo trip to Ladakh then there are already numerous amount of uncertainties piled up in the plan you create. Things like acute mountain sickness, limited accommodation choices, lack of proper medical facilities, phone connectivity issues, unavailability of fuel for 100s of miles, extremely high private taxi charges, lack of frequent public transport, miles of a barren wasteland with not even a single soul in sight, treacherous weather, challenging roads can turn things from joyous to troublesome; if you were not prepared beforehand.
Planning your trip meticulously to this part of the country becomes of even utmost importance when you are traveling solo to this part of the country. There will be several times when you will be all on your own. No one would be there to help you nor even a stranger at times throughout the treacherous terrains. So be prepared to handle things all by yourself.
Let’s have a look at some general yet important tips you need to keep at the top of your mind when you are planning a solo trip to Ladakh.
Plan for Ladakh Solo Trip
- Prepare/Plan your trip will
There is no problem in following a proper itinerary on your Ladakh trip when you are traveling in groups. But when it comes to solo travel, it becomes less practical for you to just stick to the day-wise plan and keep hopping from one place to another to cover all the places in your itinerary and rely on that. So just go with the flow, and take your time and explore places.
- Book your travel and accommodation in advance
Always make sure you have done your travel and accommodation bookings beforehand to avoid any end-moment hassle.
- Prefer to travel in season time i.e June-September
You should prefer traveling to Ladakh in season time so that you can share the private taxi cost with other locals, or board a public transport whenever possible. On the other hand, when you travel in the off-season public transport becomes very less frequent.If you are on a solo bike trip to Ladakh, then transport should not be of major concern for you but then traveling in season time will be as you will find more people to mingle up and interact with.
- Taxi Budget for a Solo trip to Ladakh
Private taxis will definitely be very costly for you in Leh Ladakh as you are traveling solo. But during season time you will not find any problem in finding a shared taxi and in the worst case, if you are not able to find a taxi for yourself, travel agents within Leh can arrange taxis for you for different trips within Ladakh which would include places like Pangong Tso, Nubra Valley or Tso Moriri.
- Choose your clothes well seeing the weather conditions of the place.
A woolen and a hoodie are all-season carry. Don’t forget to carry your scarves and hats to protect your skin from sunburn.
- Stay Connected with family
Always make sure you are keeping your family or someone trusted well updated about the plans of further flow and whereabouts of the trip whenever possible because of the scarce and limited phone connectivity issues.
- Travel as light as possible.
This is of major concern when you are traveling on public transport because you need to commute from one place to another. At times you need to travel on hitchhikes also so it is preferable to pack light. On the other hand, if you are on a bike trip you need not worry much.
- Carry an ID Card and emergency contact list with you
Always carry a personal photo ID Card, medical care, and emergency contact list with you. Keep it in a place where it is easily accessible like hanging as a tag on your bag or maybe as a wallpaper of an unlocked phone. All these things are of great importance when you are traveling solo to such remote areas.
- Carry essential medicines
When you are traveling solo you have to take care of yourselves all by yourself, so it is necessary that you pack some medicines for fever, nausea, body ache, upset stomach with you.
- Carry Cash with yourself
Make certain that you carry enough amount of cash with you as there are many eateries up there that do not accept cards.
- Mingle up and get friendly with the locals
Now that you are traveling solo and if by chance you are keen on learning about the culture and lifestyle of the locals, it is a good opportunity for you to mingle up with them and all the tourists around to know them. Gelling up with people when you are on your Ladakh trip is more or less easy as many people travel solo to Ladakh. Make sure you travel with confidence so that you are not stalked by the stalkers.
Lastly, now that you have completely made up your mind on traveling solo to Ladakh, just make sure you enjoy your company to the fullest and when you come back you have overcome all your fears and achieved all you had desired from this trip.
