Ladakh, a land located at an altitude of over 3,000m above sea level, belonging to the Ladakh Federation of India, has long been a destination attracting people who love experiential tourism.
Duy Manh's trip takes place at a time when the tourist season here has just reopened, bringing many practical experiences and important notes.
According to Duy Manh's sharing, the total cost for this journey ranges from 24 million VND (9 days), excluding the cost of buying souvenirs and personal clothes. In which, air tickets account for the majority with 13 million VND.
The next major expense is landtours (local tours) and tips worth 9.3 million VND.
This price is significantly optimized thanks to the combination of local homestays in Nubra Valley and good-standard hotels in the remaining locations.
The remaining expenses include 1.5 million VND for food, supplies prepared from Vietnam and 200,000 VND for medicine.
Talking about the reason for choosing this land, Duy Manh shared: "Initially, I was completely attracted by the landscape of Ladakh.
Right from the first time I saw the image of this place, I felt the majesty and uniqueness.
The roads for large displacement motorcycles, the 5,000m high passes or the famous Pangong Lake (Pangong Tso) make me feel like this is a place I must set foot in once in my life.
After learning more deeply, I liked Ladakh even more because of the culture and people here. Most Tibetan Buddhists live gently, slowly and very friendly.
Amidst the harsh Himalayas, there are monasteries hundreds of years old, giving Ladakh a very peaceful and special feeling.
I knew about Ladakh from 2021 and at that time told myself this would be my first international trip.
But it will not be until April 30, 2026, that I will have enough time and financial conditions to implement it," Duy Manh added.
As someone who has experience conquering 11 out of 15 of the highest peaks in Vietnam, Duy Manh said that the actual landscape of Ladakh brings a feeling of overwhelm and constantly exclaims "wow".
Duy Manh added: "It is difficult for any image or device to capture all the majesty of Ladakh in real life.
Giant mountains, blue lakes, roads running through valleys and clear skies... all are much more beautiful than what I have ever seen online.
Roads like Khardung La or the Pangong Lake area are truly memorable experiences.
There are road sections more than 5,000m high, both challenging and making me feel small in front of nature.
The delegation's journey was marked by staying at Misty Hills Cabins by Pangong Lake, riding camel in Nubra, visiting ancient monasteries such as Hemis and watching the sunset at Namgyal Tsemo monastery.
Here, the whole team was also surprised when local guides prepared a purely Vietnamese meal in the cold mountains.
Regarding cuisine, Duy Manh said: "Besides the beautiful scenery, I am also surprised because the food in Ladakh is quite suitable for Vietnamese people. Mainly vegetables, bread, and dishes made from chicken, so it is not too difficult to eat as many people still think about India.
Nighttime in Ladakh is also a very special experience. The sky is full of stars and the Milky Way appears so clearly that sometimes I feel unreal”.
Due to the characteristics of the harsh high mountain terrain, altitude stress syndrome (AMS) is the most important note taken. Leh city is located at an altitude of about 3,500m, so tourists are advised to move slowly in the early days to allow their bodies to adapt, combine carrying anti-altitude stress medication, drinking plenty of water and preparing enough heat-retaining clothing.
Summarizing after a long-awaited trip, Duy Manh confided: "For me, Ladakh is not a luxurious resort. This is a place that makes me clearly feel how vast nature is, makes me slow down and bring emotions that I still remember very much later.
From personal experience, he believes that for journeys with complex terrain and weather, combining self-sufficiency and using services from local travel agencies is the optimal solution to ensure safety, helping the journey experience to be more complete.
