Leh-Ladakh Broke Me Open.
Five days. Hired cab. Thin air. The most extraordinary place I’ve ever been. I‘ve been travelling solo long enough. I’ve done remote villages in Rajasthan, backpacked through Southeast Asia, wandered alone with nothing but a carry-on. And still — nothing prepared me for Ladakh.
Not the photographs. Not the travel vlogs. Not even the people who’d been and tried to describe it to me.
Some places you simply have to stand inside.
The Motorcycle Question
Every single person I told about this trip asked the same thing: “Are you doing it on a bike?”
No. I hired a cab. And it was the best decision I made.
You do not need a motorcycle to experience Leh-Ladakh. What you need is a sensible itinerary, a good driver, and the willingness to let a place completely undo you. I did it in 5 days and covered Pangong Tso, Nubra Valley, the sand dunes at Hunder, Diskit Monastery, and the hot springs at Panamik — all without once sitting on a Royal Enfield.
What Nobody Tells You Before You Go
The altitude will humble you. Leh sits at 3,500 metres. Your first day there is non-negotiable rest — no sightseeing, no market walks, just water and sleep. I cannot stress this enough. The people who ignore this advice are the ones who spend Day 2 in bed.
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Pangong Tso will ruin you for other lakes. It changes colour — blue to turquoise to silver — sometimes within the same hour. I sat at its edge at 5:30am watching the sunrise and genuinely could not speak.
The sand dunes at Hunder make no geographical sense whatsoever. Himalayan mountains on all sides. White sand dunes in the middle. Bactrian camels walking past at sunset. It’s the kind of scene that makes you question what you thought you knew about this country.
And the night sky in Nubra Valley — zero light pollution — is one of the best I’ve seen anywhere in the world.
Is It Safe If You’re Travelling Alone as a Woman?
Yes. Unreservedly.
The culture is predominantly Buddhist. The locals are warm. The army presence throughout the region adds a layer of security you don’t find everywhere. I never once felt unsafe — not at a checkpoint, not in a camp alone, not on a road at dusk.
Go. Don’t let anyone talk you out of it.
Leh-Ladakh draws a particular kind of traveller. Curious. Open. A little bit searching for something. You’ll find yourself sharing camp dinners with strangers who feel like old friends by the second cup of chai.
The mountains don’t ask what brought you. They just hold you for as long as you’re willing to stay.
I’ve written the complete guide — full day-by-day itinerary, exact costs, permit details, what to pack, and everything I’d tell a friend planning this trip — over on SpiritedBlogger.com. If Ladakh is on your list, start there.
I’m Shivi Goyal — Guinness World Record holder and author of four books. Follow me here for more honest travel writing.
