India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (350 page)
Taragarh Palace Hotel
Once known as Al Hilal (The Land of the Crescent Moon), this Art Deco mansion (now described as the Heritage Wing) was built in the 1930s as the summer resort of the Nawab of Bahawalpur until he fled to Pakistan after Partition. One of the least-visited destinations in the heart of the scenic and serene Kangra Valley, Taragarh is enveloped in thick vegetation, moss-covered walls, and gorgeous grounds. Before the addition of the bland Palace Wing (frankly, a very unsympathetic appendage, in style an appalling imitation of the original), Taragarh was the ideal setting for a brooding Agatha Christie whodunit, the mansion is all high ceilings, broad staircases, chandeliers, and long passages lined with family portraits, Buddhist
thangkas,
and animal skins. Book the characterful Maharajah, Maharani, or Princess suites—smart, spacious, and elegantly decorated with authentic period touches entirely absent from the rather dull double rooms, which are more reminiscent of small English country-hotel rooms (with musty carpets) than royal retiring quarters. Traditional Indian, Kashmiri, and local dishes are served in the wood-paneled dining room with a gorgeous old copper
bukhari
almost hidden in the fireplace.
P.O. Taragarh, District Kangra 176 081. Info
01894/24-2034
or -3077.
www.taragarh.com
. Reservations: 15 Institutional Area, Lodhi Rd., New Delhi 110 003.011/2464-3046
or 011/2469-2317.
Fax 011/2465-6491. [email protected]. 26 units, most with shower only. Rs 4,500 heritage double, Rs 5,500 superior deluxe double, Rs 6,100 heritage suite; add 25% for extra bed. 10% tax extra. MC, V.
Amenities:
Restaurant, lounge, bar; airport transfers (Rs 2,500); badminton; children’s park; cybercafe; health club and spa; horseback riding; Internet (broadband in business center; Rs 100/hr.); large outdoor pool (Apr–Oct); limited room service; table tennis; tennis court; yoga. In room A/C (in suites), TV, DVD (in suites), hair dryer, heater, minibar (in suites).
7 Ladakh
Leh is 475km (295 miles) from Manali
The region of Ladakh, in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, has often been described as a moonscape, a desolate high-altitude desert kingdom of mysticism and mystery. It is all of these, and more, a thoroughly awe-inspiring world of harsh reality, with few luxuries. Local lives are centered around Buddhism, yaks, and survival, and more recently on the small tourism industry that sprouts in the relatively warmer months of the year (July–Sept).
Leh,
Ladakh’s capital city, is little touched by rain, but the extreme cold during the long winter season means that this remote region remains isolated for much of the year. Come June, however, when the tourists begin to trickle (and then pour) into Leh, the sober, somber slumber of this remote high-altitude town lifts along with the temperatures. Situated in a fertile valley at the foot of Namgyal Tsemo peak, 8km (5 miles) northeast of the Indus River, Leh is deeply reliant on this short, intense tourist season. From June to September the surrounding barren mountains and distant snowcapped peaks are the perfect natural backdrop for the verdant fields and avenues of trees that cluster around the whitewashed, flat-roofed buildings.
Developed as a market for traders from across the North India belt, Leh was an important stop for travelers traversing the challenging caravan routes to Yarkand and Kashgar. The Silk Road brought Buddhist travelers, and today the population remains predominantly Buddhist. You can spend up to a week exploring the town and the numerous Buddhist monuments within a 2- or 3-hour drive of Leh; far better, though, to head off to more remote (and less touristed) monasteries, such as
Lamayuru.
If you plan properly, you can head over the
Khardung-La
(the highest motorable pass on earth) into the spectacular
Nubra Valley
to discover more remote and time-trapped villages and monasteries, set against extraordinary slopes. Adventure-seekers can get caught up in river-rafting on the Zanskar and Indus, high-level mountain-climbing, or treks into remote, barren wilderness regions, which can easily extend your stay by an additional week, or more. The more laid-back traveler will be rewarded by awe-inspiring excursions to high-altitude lakes such as
Pangong Tso
and
Tso Moriri.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE
By Air
If you’d rather save time and get to Leh without the arduous cliff-hanging road journey, both
Kingfisher
and
Jet Airways
(Dreamland Complex, Main Bazaar;01982/25-0444;
Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 10am–3pm) offer daily flights between New Delhi and Leh’s Bakula Rinpoche Airport in the summer; you’ll be touching down at Asia’s highest commercial airport (3,600m/11,808 ft.). The disadvantage of flying in is that you may need to spend up to 48 hours acclimatizing anyway, whereas the road journey gently puts you through your paces. Flying out of Leh is definitely a good idea; reserve a window seat. Indian Airlines also flies to Leh, but these flights are often booked up by military personnel.
By Road
Typically, you require two rather tiring days in a Jeep (or bus) to get from Manali to Leh. But for those seeking an adventurous road trip coupled with exquisite, endlessly changing scenery, the journey—by off-road vehicle or bus—is highly recommended; see “The Ride of your Life: Negotiating the Manali-Leh Highway,” below.
The Ride of your Life: Negotiating the Manali-Leh Highway
Nearly 475km (295 miles) of tricky roads, mountain passes, and exceptional roller-coaster scenery separates Leh from Manali. For most of the year, this spectacular stretch of road is closed to traffic, covered by thick snow. Even when the road is officially open in late June and early July, the danger of unexpected snowfall looms, bringing with it various risks associated with getting stuck in the middle of vast unpopulated areas with only freezing cold nights for company. Once summer has set in, a variety of makeshift dhabas and chai stalls are gathered in minicolonies along the way. You’ll need your passport for a string of checkpoints, the first of which is just beyond the Rohtang Pass at the head of the Kullu Valley. Beyond this, you enter
Lahaul,
a vast Trans-Himalayan landscape dotted with flat-roofed, whitewashed houses built from sun-dried bricks.
Sarchu,
a motley collection of tented camps, is where you’ll probably bed down for the night; you’ll be too cold to complain about the limited facilities. You reach the world’s second-highest motorable road at the summit of the Tanglang-La Pass (5,241m/17,190 ft.); here you will find a small multifaith shrine adorned by images of gurus, deities, and religious icons. Beyond the pass, exquisite mountains in a host of unbelievable colors compete with charming villages for your attention.
Your cheapest viable option is an ostensibly “luxury” bus operated by
HPTDC
(
www.hptdc.nic.in
; July–Sept 15). For Rs 1,600 you get an ass-numbing 2-day trip (starting at a civilized 11am) with spartan tented accommodations and dinner en route at
Keylong;
you arrive in Leh at 7pm the following evening. Occasional stops for chai and photographs are obligatory, but bring plenty of refreshments. Bottled water is particularly important because dehydration is one of the symptoms of altitude sickness. Garlic in any form also apparently helps. Jeeps and minivan taxis are pricier but represent relative luxury and the opportunity to explore villages and off-road sites along the way. Hiring your own vehicle and driver is an even better way to go—it costs Rs 12,000 for the whole vehicle divided by the number of passengers. If you’ve hired your own vehicle, overnight at
Hotel Ibex
in Jispa, beyond Keylong (
www.hotelibexjispa.com
; Rs 2,400 double with dinner and breakfast). Don’t even consider the 1-day minibus trips that leave Manali at 2am in the morning and arrive in Leh around 9pm; not only will your nerves, gut, and body be frazzled by the end of it, but you’ll miss out on the awesome scenery at the start and end of the trip. Very popular these days are motorbike safaris that make the journey from Manali to Leh; an experienced operator is Capt. Raaj Kumar of
Shepherds Realms, Camps & Adventures,
who also offers 14- to 21-day tailor-made safaris (
www.asiasafari.com
; [email protected]) that take in wider explorations of Ladakh once you’re there.