Leh Manali Highway: My bus journey

I swept under my bed after bidding goodbye to my lovely hosts, and set multiple alarms as to not miss my bus from Leh to Manali.

3 days ago, I was anxiously trying to figure out if the bus from Leh to Manali will be running, as my friends were to join me in Manali in 2 days and I didn’t know if I could make it. I went to the bus stop to enquire about the same, ensuring I do not get the details wrong and was informed that it will be available the day prior to the departure. The bus stand being a bit of a walking distance, my host graciously offered to book the tickets for me, and told me to be ready at 2 am, as the bus was to depart at 3 am.

I still sometimes pinch myself thinking I decided to take this journey of a lifetime to not only save money, but witness one of the most beautiful roads. I nervously popped medications prior to curb motion sickness and prepare me for the next 24 hours.

This bus service runs from Manali to Leh and vice versa and is the longest bus journey connecting the two places. The stretch is also one of the most coveted rides of the Himalayan region. Often taken by locals, this is considered to be an economic route compared to other options. The bus journey takes almost 30+hours to complete and is completed in two stretches; Leh to Keylong and Keylong to Manali. During the journey it passes through three passes; Baralacha La Pass being the highest motorable pass.

I woke up at 1:30 am by the blaring sound of my alarm going off, and then I hesitantly woke my homestay owner up, as he was going to drop me off at the bus station for which I am extremely grateful. It holds true, the Ladakh hospitality is unmatched, and I will always have a soft corner in my heart for Ladakh. As, I boarded the bus, I could see hoards of people trying to figure out which bus to board, as there were 2 buses heading towards Manali and some were figuring a way out to get tickets for the ride.

I asked the conductor for my seat and finally sighed in comfort, as I sat on the allocated seat. It was pitch dark out, as I informed my partner of my whereabouts. As the hour hand struck 3, the bus driver gave a final call and then we headed our way. As the bus started, the excitement crept in. However, I had decided to catch a wink until the first ray of sun hits the valley, as I did not want to miss a single sight. I had previously travelled till Miru already on a mountain picnic (A story for another day), so I was slightly accustomed to travelling on this stretch.

As the sun finally rose, I admired the rays falling against the mountains. I like a bright eyed teenager propped my head firmly against the window, as minutes turned into hours. The landscapes changing as time passed by, from purple hued mountains, flat plains, to high passes with snow all in the span of 12 hours. The driver manoeuvring the roads with such ease, I did not realise when I fell asleep again.

I finally woke up in Pang after what became a really long nap, at all times being reminded of the fact, that this turned out to be one of the most comfortable bus seat and did not once feel like I traversed a long distance. We finally took a halt to have lunch, and as we stepped down out of the bus, I was awestruck by the view, with a lake at a walking distance and snow clad mountains as a backdrop, this has to be one of the prettiest places I have had lunch at. Although, I was almost swept away due to the strong winds and low temperature. There were huge makeshift tents one after another selling munchies braving the cold at such a remote location for livelihood and to serve food to like-minded travellers and locals alike. As soon, as I stepped inside, as the aroma of food hit, a wave of comfort washed over me, but also was plagued by the dilemma of whether to have a piping hot plate of Rajma-Chawal I had been craving or settle with a plate of Maggi. I decided to go with the latter, as we still had a long way to go, and I did not want to puke my way through the journey.

I finished eating my Maggi, and slowly made my way to the lake. A few people had already made their way to the lake, I did not want to venture too close, as I feared missing the bus for some reason, and did not want to be stranded. I admired the beauty of the lake, as spell binding it was, I manage to click a few pictures.

All of the passengers boarded the bus, and we began our journey towards Keylong. As time passed, I was faced with deciding how the next 12 hours going to be like. I contemplated the journey ahead multiple times, but was as clueless as when I left from Leh. I had two options; get down at Keylong, explore the area, however as a solo traveller who neither knows how to drive, ride a bicycle or a bike, I was in a tough spot as all places there required a 2- hour hike, I was not prepared for. I had a room booked at Manali or so I thought, however the endless options and the need to explore an area tugged me back and forth. My onward journey also dependent on the fact, whether I get to board a bus to Manali tomorrow or today. If we reached late, I would miss the last bus for the day heading towards Manali, with no choice left but to look for a stay that would affect my budget, considering I was supposed to spend more than a week in Manali, every penny mattered to me.

As we alighted at Keylong, everyone headed towards the ticket counter, trying to figure out when the bus will arrive or if we had missed the bus. There were 2-4 passengers besides me wanting to follow the same route, but no one seem to have any answers. We anxiously asked every conductor about the bus, and were told to wait patiently, only virtue I did not have.  With no choice left but to ask every oncoming bus, we finally sighed a breath of relief, when we saw the bus to Manali finally come in. We booked our tickets, and I quickly found a window seat to admire the views that lay ahead.

From Leh to Manali, the landscape saw a drastic change. The mountains were dotted with lush green tress, as fog periodically rolled by. The snow clad mountains that was within inches just a couple of hours ago, suddenly became distant, contrasted by the trees as the sun played peek-a-boo with the clouds. The moon was out when I saw Sissu waterfall from afar, knowing this meant I was not only closer to Manali, but also close to the end of this beautiful journey.

If you are contemplating whether to still hop on the bus, I would highly insist you to unless medical conditions say otherwise. The way the drivers manoeuvred the changing terrain, without it ever feeling remotely dangerous has to be applauded. Words fall short to describe my experience, also because I did sleep like a baby, to avoid feeling sick. The moments I was awake, I spent my entire time gazing out of the window or clicking away. I am often conflicted between enjoying the moment and capturing it on camera; however, now that I look back at the images, I am instantly teleported back to a place where memory fails to take me.