Everyone says that the road route from Manali to Srinagar or vice versa is spectacular. I visited Ladakh in 2013 but by flight, I visited Kashmir thrice too but not solo. It was a long desired and planned trip to visit this route and visit Gurez Valley, Bangus Valley and Wular/Wolar lake.

I started my journey from Delhi on 1st of September 2024. It was not a very smooth beginning. I booked Delhi- Manali HRTC volvo, Himsuta. As September is not tourist season for Manali, and there were very less passengers, so the bus, scheduled at 5-30 pm, was canceled and the passengers were to board into another bus, scheduled at 7 pm. As I was not aware of the fact and booked ticket through Red Bus, so I waited at ISBT Kashmiri gate for 3 hours. The bus started on time but one tire was punctured near Sonipath. It was repaired on the way. After dinner I slept deeply as I was very tired. When I woke up in the morning at 7, I found that there was road jam due to land slide. I came to know that the bus had been standing there since 4 am.

At 8 o’clock, the traffic gradually started moving. We reached Manali bus stand at 1-30 pm instead of 7-30 am in the morning. I took a taxi from the bus stand and with the help of the driver got an accommodation in the market. In the afternoon I visited Hadimba Devi temple which I visited long ago, then I booked my ticket for Leh. As it was not tourist season so there was no direct bus service from Manali to Leh. Only HRTC Manali-Keylong service was available. A night halt at Keylong was needed to catch another Keylong- Leh HRTC Roadways bus. Though it was a little expensive for me but I booked a seat in a shared Innova taxi (3000/-) from the taxi stand office at mall in the evening. It was scheduled at 7-30 next morning.

Next morning I reached taxi- stand. It was a new Toyota Innova car. But when I reached, a heated argument was going on between the owner and two Israeli girls. None of them wanted to sit in the back seat. As we were getting late and it was quite a long distance to cover, we all became anxious and ultimately a compromise was made that one would sit at the back and other in the front and they would exchange their places time to time. All along the journey they disturbed us by stopping the car for smoking and peeing. We reached Leh at night 9 o’clock. In the car there was a French girl who was decent and congenial. She caught cold and had fever. I helped her giving anti allergic and paracetamol. Other two people were BRO employees and one was a trekking guide.

The road was really spectacular with different hues of the mountain and topography. On the way I saw Suraj Tal. We crossed four mountain passes, Baralacha La, Nakee La, Lachung La, Tanglang La. Actually there are five but we avoided Rhotang Pass going through Atal tunnel. In places, there were shepherds with their innumerable sheep. The name of the bridges we came across were funny like Twing Twing, Brandy, Whisky etc. We talked about the creativity and intriguing nature of BRO people. There were army posts in several places. We had our lunch at Pang.

When we reached Leh it was already late. The car dropped us near the market. As it was a tiring journey in the thin air, I felt exhausted. I took a taxi to get a hotel at market but the taxi driver cheated on me taking in a near by hotel infested by small house mouse. Apparently it looked clean and habitable. So I settled there.

Next morning, I found some of my biscuits were scattered in the floor. I thought may be few fell from the packet which I could not notice. I went out for breakfast and after breakfast I went to the market to get a SIM card from Airtel Store. Btw, prepaid SIM cards do not work in Ladakh and Jammu Kashmir. After getting the SIM card, I went to the bus stand at Polo Ground to get bus ticket for Kargil. Then I bought few medicines from a medicine shop too. I came back after lunch.

Getting back into the hotel I took shower and then took a nap. When I woke up I called the manager to tell him that next early morning I would leave. He talked to the driver of the bus and arranged my pick up from the front of the hotel. At that time I found two small mouse peeping through the door. I got scared. Then I realized who messed up with my biscuits. I told the manager to do something. He said that killing rat was prohibited there, I don’t know how much true it was, but it was too late to change the hotel. I could not sleep well whole night.

Next early morning at 6-30, the bus picked me up for Kargil. It was an enjoyable journey. We crossed Shyam Valley. There were another two mountain Passes on the way, Namika La and Fotu La. Our bus stopped at Khalsi for breakfast. I ate rice and mutton curry there. There were lots of apricot trees with ripe apricot. I bought a packet of dry apricot from there, though the price was same as Leh market. The bus reached Kargil at 1-30 pm. In front of the bus stand there were few hotels. I entered into one of them. It was clean but the room was on the 3rd floor. There was a good restaurant in the neighboring hotel. I had a tasty lunch with rice, keema daal and rista.

Kargil only reminds us about the war but now I found it a serene town at the bank of Suru river. In the evening I roamed around the market. I talked to the drivers at the taxi stand about local sight seeing rate. I wish if I were informed that local buses go to the village from where Nun-kun glacier could be seen and it was also the starting point for Mt Nun-kun summit. I bought some fresh apricot. After having dinner I came back to hotel. I did not want to see war memorial because it would only make my heart gloomy.

Next day after breakfast, I booked bus ticket for Srinagar. Then taking a taxi I went to Apati village to see Maitreya Buddha rock carving. The driver did not know the exact location, Google map also misled us a little but we reached the place with the help of local people. As it was not a popular tourist destination, there were only an Italian couple with their guide. It was really surprising that in those ancient days when there was no transport facilities, people came and carved on the high mountain wall in such interior part of Himalayas to show their respect to Lord Buddha. I took few snaps and came back. On the way back I took some snaps of Kargil. In the evening I took photos of Mt Nun Kun.

Next early morning at 5-30, I boarded the bus to go to Srinagar. There was a family of three and two girls from an Islamic Institution of Kargil, were in the cabin. They did not allow the driver playing songs as it is forbidden to them. I bought ticket for front seat, because in the previous bus I did not get much opportunity to take good snaps.

We had our breakfast at Dras. I got acquainted with a South Indian boy who was also a traveler like me. We crossed Zoji La Pass. From Zojii La pass Indian army vigil became very strong. Gradually we crossed Baltal, and Sonmarg. They reminded me of my Amarnath Yatra. Sonmarg looked crowded with hotels, ponies and taxis. A fly over was being made to make Amarnath Pilgrimage easier to access to avoid Sonmarg crowd.

We reached Srinagar at noon. I took an auto for Lal Chawk to spend the night. Next early morning, as per suggestion of the hotel manager, I went to Parimpur (Mandi) bus stand to get shared jeep for Bandipura. Bandipura is a transit town and is only 2hours away from Srinagar. On the way I saw Manasbal Lake. From Bandipura I took another shared jeep for Gurez Valley.

Gurez is a border area. So my entry receipts were made at different places, identity cards had to be shown at check posts. Foreigners are not allowed in this area. Gurez remains closed to the world for six months because Razdan Pass, the gate of Gurez, remains closed due to snow. Scenic beauty of Gurez valley is still pristine with Kisenganga and Habba Khatun Peak. Habba Khatun was the queen of Kashmir, wife of Yusuf Shah Chak. When Yusuf Shah Chak was exiled to Bihar and died there, Habba Khatun would sing in his memory.

I stayed in Gurez Valley for two nights. Dawar is a little costly place. As it was end season, I somehow managed an economic accommodation. From Dawar one can go to Tulail Valley and the border village Chakwali. I visited the chasmah( natural fountain) at Habba Khatun hill.

I wanted to go to Wular Lake and planned to stay there inspired by the movie Notebook(2019) which was based on a primary school of Wular region. For that purpose I reached Bandipura and took a bus for Wular Lake Park. I was informed that there was an accommodation inside the park. After reaching the park, I wanted to talk to the care-taker of the park. He seemed very busy because few government high officials came there and a meeting was going on there with the DC of Bandipura and CEO of the park, with other officials. The care taker in the mean time informed me that though there was accommodation but it was not habitable. A canteen boy of the park was impressed by my enthusiasm and insisted me to go and talk directly to the DC and CEO.

I went to the meeting area and approached them directly. They were though surprised, but helped me wholeheartedly giving permission to stay there. There were 4 very beautiful rooms with balcony on Wular Lake but as they were kept absolutely unused for 10 years after they were made, so got worn out to some extent. I stayed peacefully there two nights. I felt overwhelmed with the attention and care of the park employees. In the morning my eyes opened with the quacking of uncountable ducks. Sunset was beautiful there. Mt Harmukh can be seen from the park.

My next destination was Kupwara. I knew a Kashmiri through Facebook for quite a few years. He often told me to come to Kupwara. When I planned for this trip, I informed him. He told me to stay at his place. I asked him if his family members would object if I stayed at his place, he gave me assurance. When I reached Kupwara, I met him, he insisted me to visit Lolab Valley and arranged a car at 1500/-. Lolab Valley consisted of several villages and harvesting was going on there. I took a number of snaps and came back in the evening. That person took me to his home in the evening, at a village 10 Km away from the town. I stayed in his house that night. He provided me a room, he and his son served food. Next morning he arranged me another car for Bangus Valley.

The car picked me up and a photographer boy was there to accompany me. He was very decent and sensitive person. We visited Chhota and Bada Bangus. Bangus Valley has a huge beautiful meadow, full with sheep. There were Lavender flowers.

We came back to Kupwara in the evening. I decided not to go back to the FB friend’s house because it was quite away from the town, it would be difficult for me to catch vehicle for Srinagar next morning. Secondly it was little weird and uneasy feeling for me to stay in a house where female members were not introduced. So I stayed in a hotel at the bus stand that night.

Next morning I came back to Parimpura Bus stand again and tried to go to Doodhpathri. But there was no shared transport, so I decided to go to Gulmarg. I visited Gulmarg in 1983 June and 1985 April. I felt to revisit it. I went to Gulmarg changing vehicle at Tangmarg. Getting down from the vehicle at taxi stand, I found a hotel. So I entered into it. It was an old hotel. Though the position of the hotel was very strategic but it was ill maintained. On top of all inconveniences, the stuff were not good. My phone network was not working so I asked for WiFi pass word. One person came and asked me why I need WiFi password, I told my problem. He asked for my phone. Instead of putting password, he desperately tapped the screen so hard that the phone became completely out of order.

I took an auto for local sight seeing. I visited Maharaj Hari Singh’s palace and other places. Gulmarg is a very costly place. So tourists come from Srinagar in the morning, visit the place and go back by afternoon. Next morning after breakfast I started for Srinagar and reached there. I had a booking in a house boat, I took a shikara and reached there. The house boat owner and his family welcomed me. I enjoyed the company of his grand daughter who was two years old. In the evening I went to Nehru Park to take sunset photos. I spent idle time next morning taking photographs of birds. The lunch and the dinner provided in the house boat were homely and tasty. I left Kashmir in the evening by direct flight from Srinagar.

This trip gave me a different perspective about Kashmir and Ladakh. I found people of those interior part are as simple and raw as their lifestyle. Mostly people are protective about women even for an unknown one. Most of them are helpful and frank. Army was helpful, at some places local police was rude, though most of them are polite. During these 16 days trip, I came across few good hearted people unexpectedly. They will remain evergreen in my memory.