7. Turtuk - undiscovered end of Leh-Ladakh: Mesmerizing trip to the Himalayas

Jan 7, 2020

2 min read

Turtuk village was recaptured from Pakistan in the 1971 war, hundreds of families were torn apart, their lives forever mired in border disputes, located at a distance of 220 kms from Leh and as with everywhere in Ladakh, the easiest way to reach it is if you’re riding a bike.

While moving forward, we had faced many difficulties including rock sliding at Khardung La pass and a couple of flat tyres. The journey got delayed but we managed everything including very tough decision making situations.

While navigating the vehicle, Aj slides the window glass and was confirming whether the vehicle could move on "Vandi pokumoda" but got a reply from a man out side "Pokum Pokum". The guy basically a Keralite who was involved in working with BRO(Border Roads Organization). That gave us a grin during the tough situation.

Going further we met a friendly battalion of armed forces had a great chat and they offered us Gur-gur chai or black tea with butter to withstand the bone chilling cold, common in those areas.

HIMANK project of BRO
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Met on the way to Turtuk

Kohima gate Turtuk
Temple on the way to Turtuk

Mirror-view of a mountain over crystal clear water on the way

Snow Mountains on the way

By Late night we reached Turtuk Holiday resort, being run by Rahmatullah and Ataullah Khan brothers in assistance and one could experience the the mini "Baltistan".

Turtuk Holiday resort
Turtuk Holiday resort night view
Turtuk Holiday resort day view

The people here predominantly speak Balti, Ladakhi and Urdu. Turtuk lies in the Baltistan Region and is one among three such villages in India, the other two being Tyakshi and Thang. This part of the Kashmir region that is disputed by India and Pakistan.

The Baltistan Village