Month: April 2019

A Detailed Guide On Planning A Budget Trip To Ladakh

Posted on by OYO Team

Surrounded by spell-binding landscapes and mountains, Ladakh happens to be a wonderland for every tourist. It is a quiet destination nuzzled in the region of Trans-Himalayan range and has become one of the most-talked-about destinations in the country. This iconic destination shares an international boundary with Tibet. It is also popularly referred to as the “Little Tibet”; as it is home to many ancient Buddhist monasteries and has a major population of Tibetan Buddhists.

Traveling along the mountain passes, camping along a high-altitude lake, trekking on a snow-capped mountain hills are just some of the most majestic experiences that you can witness while you’re in Ladakh. This blog talks about the various attractions that Ladakh holds for the tourists and tips to experience them all in a budget.

Major Attractions at Ladakh

Ladakh’s beauty cannot be expressed in words and provides larger than life experiences. This place is home to superabundance attractions that you can be in awe of during your entire travel plan. While this paradise on Earth is a beauty in itself all around, Ladakh has some key places that cannot be missed. Here’s a list of the top five places to visit in Ladakh that can make your Ladakh trip memorable for life!

1.Pangong Tso Lake

Pangong Tso Lake Packages

Remember the climax scene of 3 Idiots where Chatur lost his challenge? The backdrop of the scene is the unending lake view of the Pangong Tso Lake which is breathtakingly beautiful. You can enjoy a camping experience along the banks of this most popular site and soak in the natural beauty of Ladakh in all its glory.

2.Zanskar Valley

Zanskar Valley Packages

Home to an approximate 14,000 Buddhists, this is a secluded treasure in Ladakh. The valley owes its name to the beautiful Zanskar River that flows through the valley. Surrounded by deep gorges and lofty mountains, the valley is open for a very small period of the year, where visitors get to admire this beautiful combination of mountains and river in one frame.

3.Khardungla Pass

Khardungla Pass Packages

Renowned for being the highest civilian motor road in the world, this place offers a fantastic view at the height of 18,500 ft. above sea level. The Khardungla pass serves as a gateway to the north and is often flocked by travel junkies on the bike while traveling through the pass. Take an adventurous journey through the pass and gaze upon this fascinating view that is bound to give your heart bubbles!

4.Magnetic Hill

Magnetic Hill Packages

This is one of the most wonderful landmarks in Ladakh that’s a must visit to understand the scientific magic of this place. The Magnetic Hill is a gravity hill which gives you an illusion of a car traveling uphill on a downhill track, thus defying the laws of gravity. This is one-of-a-kind optical illusion and is a rare sight that will let you marvel the creativity of nature.

5.Nubra Valley

Nubra Valley Packages

A desert in the middle of snow-capped hilly terrain is a surprise treat that Ladakh has in store for every tourist! The origin of the Nubra Valley desert is believed to be the place where Tethys Sea gave birth to the Himalayan Range. Traveling along the dunes on a two-humped camel is sure to give you an Arabian Nights experience!

Cost of Leh-Ladakh Trip Plan

The cost of a trip is usually the next question on your mind once you’re set to travel to Ladakh. Being one of the most beautiful hotspots in India, Ladakh hordes a pre-conceived notion of being an expensive getaway. Though the experience is magical and surreal, it is possible to visit the “Land of Frozen Lakes” without burning a hole in your pocket!

The mystical and exotic beauty of Ladakh can be experienced on a budget if you follow the right tips. Read below the most important tips while on a budget tour in Ladakh to make the most out of your vacation without creating a dent in your savings.

Budget Transport

Opting for public transport is the best option while planning a budget trip to Ladakh. You can take various HRTC buses that frequently ply from Manali and Delhi to Leh. Once in Ladakh, renting out two-wheelers for sightseeing is a better option which fares between Rs. 500-Rs.800/day compared to rental cars and taxis. You can even opt for the local bus services for various long distance spots like Pangong Tso Lake and Nubra valley but, it’s important to align your itinerary according to bus timings as the bus services are not very frequent. Shared taxis are another alternative that you can choose while traveling in Ladakh.

Budget Accommodation

Ladakh has numerous Guest Houses that tend to be lower on tariff than a regular hotel. These guest houses are economical, comfortable and clean to stay while being easy on your pocket during your stay in Ladakh. Another option that is a hit with youngsters is staying in a Chadar Tent which costs around Rs.300-Rs.400/person for a night.

Budget Fooding

Gorging regularly in fancy restaurants while traveling in Ladakh can shoot up your expenses, and this is where local eateries and dhabas come to your rescue. Enjoy local cuisine at local stalls and savor the delicacy that Ladakh has to offer; in a couple of hundred bucks. Alternatively, a good way to reduce your food cost in Ladakh is to carry snacks and food while traveling as this will also help cut down on food expenses.

Budget-Friendly Activities

While Ladakh is a treat to the eyes of every traveler, choosing many sports/activities like Trekking, paragliding and river rafting while staying in Ladakh can affect your budget to dwindle.

However, there are various options that you can explore while having your share of fun in Ladakh on a budget trip. With activities like camping near Pangong Tso Lake, riding along Khardungla Pass and witnessing the magic of Magnetic Hills are joys that you can experience without shelling a lot.

Following the tips mentioned above can help you get maximum pleasure in Ladakh at the minimum cost! Select    OYO Total Holidays for Cheap Ladakh tour packages and make this holiday a memorable one

The Power of Having a Plan for the Holidays From the moment you click to confirm, your brain starts checking in.

Posted on by OYO Team

What are you doing for the next long weekend?  Are you going away this summer?  What are you doing over the Diwali holiday? 

Or as I hear those questions….

When are you going to get a life?  Will you ever save any money?  When are you going to start investing in your relationship?

The questions seem innocuous on the face of it and an easy opener for friends you haven’t met in long.  Or so they think.  To me it’s like someone holding a big magnifying glass over my life and prodding it, to check if it’s breathing.

As most people who actually do make their lives more interesting by travelling will tell you, it changes everything from the moment you see the words ‘It’s confirmed!’, it puts energy into your chat, it even changes the way you walk.   It makes you more patient with annoying people at work (because you have a trip to look forward to), it makes you think about 100 ml bottles and getting your suitcase out of storage.

You may find yourself becoming uncontrollably organised at work because you now know the exact whereabouts of your passport, and you’re not afraid to use it.

The day that was a month away, a week away and then a day away, is finally here. You can finally create your away-from-office mail and tell your boss “I’ll pick it up where I left it when I come back from the trip”.

I will rule that week like no other week of the year.  During that week I will consider only myself and the people of the fine city or country I am choosing to visit.

And as I’ve only ever been asked if my hotel was nice by very old people, it won’t matter that I’m doing it on a budget.  Because the point is.  I’m doing it.  This isn’t just a week away in a better climate, it’s three weeks of excitement leading up to it, two bags of clothes I probably won’t wear but really enjoyed buying and a sun tan I can proudly say I got while vacationing.

 

Then there’s the after-glow.  This will be my golden time.  People will comment on how relaxed I look. I may ask for a pay raise at work during this time.

Go on.  Pick a date.  And start enjoying yourself.

Now let me just re-check how many sleeps there are to go.

 

 

 

Tired of Being a Traveller? Time to Reconnect With Your Inner Tourist, Fridge Magnets And All.

Posted on by OYO Team

“This place is so touristy”

“That place is so overrated”

“Put the big camera down you look like a tourist.”

If you’ve journeyed to another country or city, then you’ve most likely heard judgements like this from people who’ve been doing it a little longer.

What show-offs!  We’re confident this wouldn’t happen in an OYO, by the way, where everyone’s a bit more laid back and the in-crowd is just the crowd.

Travellers (people who blend in) tend to experience a place like a local, adapting a slight air of disinterest, as if they’ve seen it a hundred times before.

Tourists (clear and present outsiders) on the other hand, happily click cheesy pics on their selfie sticks and can be spotted crossing the road like the Beatles at Abbey Road and posing as tea plantation workers in Darjeeling. Get it?

Well good for them. Travel’s about freedom, and when did it become so elitist?

When our parents took trips, staying in the most ostentatious hotel in town was a way to show others you knew what’s what. But nowadays it’s more the norm to go basic on the sleeps and OYO your way around, then spend more, or at least more time, on the experiences.

The problem with being a ‘traveller’ is that trying to be cool is exhausting, we’ve all tried it at one time or another. And sometimes the thing that feels the most natural as a human being, when feeling awestruck by the sight of something immense like the Himalayas, isn’t to silently nod and move on,  but to throw your bag down, open your arms to the world and shout AWESOME!!!

WOWOWOWW I AM AN EAGLE.

I recently travelled to the Taj Mahal in Agra for the first time. On the traveller/tourist spectrum I probably rate about a half way point, but  as I approached ‘the’ view, the one that’s been regurgitated on a million postcards, T-shirts and fridge magnets, an unusual thing happened. The beauty in front of me and the story of it’s history made me go a bit weak at the knees and I found myself crying.

My first thought was to look down and move on, but I decided, instead, to share my experience because it made me feel alive and connected. I didn’t share it on social, but I held my head up and let the tears flow, representing the first openly crying traveller at the Taj Mahal, (there’s a hashtag there somewhere).

The woman next to me, wearing a Nirvana T-shirt, clearly shared my sense of wonder, as she yelled to her boyfriend “Make it look like it’s on my finger!”

And you know what? That’s fine. If you can’t feel free to have fun on holiday in whatever way you choose, when can you?

So go ahead. Get your tourist on and take that picture with the royal guard like nobody’s watching.

 

Will Your Relationship Go The distance?  There’s Only One Way To Find Out

Posted on by OYO Team

In a world of right and left swipes, getting to know someone these days, often comes down to looking at their six best pictures and reading a well-crafted bio. Only once dating can the tests begin. Meet the friends, check. Meet the parents, check. And eventually the ultimate test, the check-in. Because only a holiday can help you decide if this special someone might be the someone you can go the distance with.

You may know his best angles, but his idea of a perfect morning might be a lazy breakfast in bed followed by the match, while yours is a hike up the side of a mountain at dawn. Or you may know she prefers Netflix to nightclubs, but how will your dream experience of stargazing under canvas sit, with her cosy OYO in a bustling city full of lights?

And as always in life, it’s the little things that matter too.

How will the other react if things go wrong? What happens if you miss the perfect beach sunset because you’re in the hotel arguing about how long it will take to get there? Will they treat the servers at the restaurant with respect, as you do? Who had the TV remote last?

The way you’ll start to really see your partner’s nature is by spending some time together, alone and seeing how the two of you operate together out in the world. It’s the perfect litmus test for any relationship, revealing the characteristics, both your well-crafted bios might just have neglected to mention.

And on the other side of the trip, you can use your new insight to take stock. Did you manage to relax and have fun? When things went a bit wrong, were you able to talk about it together, constructively?  Did she really forgive you for forgetting to take the water when you went on that hike?

Travelling in a couple is like a dress rehearsal for the life that you hope to share together.

It’s also massive amounts of fun. And if you are married it can be a way to re-connect and tune in to what you enjoy and admire about each other, away from the frame of everyday life.

There’s only one way to know if the relationship will go the distance and that is…to go the distance.

So, will it be a cosy OYO in the city? A hike up a mountain (with water)? A night at the beach? A weekend clubbing?

Lead the way.

Trying to ‘find’ yourself on holiday? Maybe you’re looking in the wrong place.

Posted on by OYO Team

Do you know your place in the world? Do you know where you belong?

The modern world is full of complex challenges and huge pressures are on us to be, to look and to act a certain way. This, combined with the draining effects of social media, shows our generation is clearly struggling with these questions way more than our parents ever did.

Perhaps checking in with who we are occasionally will help us keep our heads.

Looking on the bright side, this is when we take a trip, right? Eat Pray Love? Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, anyone?

The idea of a journey of self-discovery might have become a bit clichéd because in reality, we’ve come to know that nothing kills the dreamy wonder of a holiday faster than piling it high with existential pressure! And practically speaking, if we can’t find ourselves in our apartments, why should we suddenly be able to do it while halfway up a mountain, on horseback in Nepal?

Maybe travelling should be less about finding ourselves and more about losing ourselves!

Planning to return from holiday a calmer and more centred person adds the kind of pressure that might be what’s making you feel lost in the first place.  Keep your plans simple, get your stay organised ahead so you know you have a base, then try letting the local flow guide you. Read, climb, walk, dance, join, learn, see, talk, feel, look out the window of a plane and spend a coffee stop staring at a heart-achingly beautiful flower. Just enjoy being you.

And if all else fails, maybe try finding something else instead.

Here are few things I’d be glad to find on holiday – no pressure required.

  1. A good night’s sleep.
  2. The discovery that being alone is addictively peaceful.
  3. A funny conversation with a stranger about flip flops.
  4. The freedom of not sharing every thought on social.
  5. The joy (after) completing a 10k hike – who knew?
  6. A perfect breakfast that lasted the day.
  7. The fact I’m okay with small talk, despite usually avoiding it.
  8. The recognition that we tend to smile more when travelling alone.

So where will you start looking?

 

 

 

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