All Roads (High & Rough) Lead to Ladakh-Another Indian Adventure

[RB]

SQ 401 DEL-SIN (787-1) 12A & 15A & SQ 221SIN-SYD 92A & 93A (A380-800) Breakfast on first flight & dinner & refreshment on the SYD flight.

Priority boarding was well organised on both flights. We thought the storage around the seat on the 787 was very ordinary - no spots to put things. I had no phone so I didn’t try the wi-fi but Mrs RB didn't have any luck trying to connect. The seatbelt sign was on for a long time on 2nd half of the 1st flight. It was a fairly short walk to the lounge in Singapore. Lounge was okay to grab some light food but pretty full in the time we were there with a wait for showers if you wanted one. The gate check was the normal chaotic affair with many people skirting the definition of carry - on/personal items. The 380 was the version with no overheads over the centre seats - the bins that exist are big though. We tried seats back in the business cabin but don’t see any advantage of that. The food on both sectors was fine, the bubbles were good & the single malt was poured in generous proportions. Managed to grab some sleep on both flights.

 

[RB]

ZL6362 SYD-PQQ
Our last return to Port Macquarie from Sydney was earlier this year was on the XPT & we were both determined not to repeat that experience. Choices are Qantas & Rex - neither offer bargains these days. Rex won out with a flight that gave us a window of just under 4hrs between our arrival from Singapore & the Port Macquarie departure.
As luck would have it, we were in the domestic airport within an hour of landing. The digital arrivals worked fine, our bags were in the first hundred & customs were not particularly interested in looking at wooden Indian made doll we had purchased as a gift. Convenience won out & we used the train between terminals. There was no wait to use a manned check-in counter at Rex.
We then killed time just outside the Rex Lounge until boarding was called on time. It was a short bus ride for us and 16 others to the far corner where our plane waited. A no thrills, short flight & we landed at PQQ on time. Bags were out quickly & we were soon home. The finish to another great adventure.

 

[VPS]

Thanks for such a comprehensive TR - some of those photos of India were of things I had never seen before.

 

[RB]

Thanks for such a comprehensive TR - some of those photos of India were of things I had never seen before.

Thanks. It was a great holiday and for me, around Leh was certainly something special.

 

[tgh]

I would also like to congratulate you on a very interesting and informative tr.

 

[drron]

Thanks for taking us along to a very different place on this earth. I loved travelling along. Alas it does look like I will never get to India.

 

[RB]

Thanks for taking us along to a very different place on this earth. I loved travelling along. Alas it does look like I will never get to India.

Thanks drron. Maybe not India but hope you keep the travel going

 

[RB]

I would also like to congratulate you on a very interesting and informative tr.

Thanks. It was certainly a learning experience for us

 

[OZDUCK]

Thanks very much for posting some amazing photos and informative commentary.

 

[1022]

Thanks for sharing this trip RB. It was a really enjoyable read and some terrific photos. Leh (and surrounds) has been on my bucket list for a long time. In part because of the Himalayan scenery, in part for the intersection of cultures and in part as an avid fan of Salman Rushdie's novels, a number of which are very evocatively set in Kashmir. Your TR has bumped it a couple of places higher on the list!

 

[RooFlyer]

Just caught up!

Alsisar Mahal Palace
This really is a magnificent place to stay.

More Patan Mahal

One of Magan's great virtues is guiding one to these fantastic hotels! Some in pretty grotty areas, that you'd never find on your own, but spectacular inside.

I've planned a couple of trips back to India over the past year and even contacted Magan about one of them - hated to have to tell him that it was off!

Maybe 2025 ... Thanks for the TR - will not get to this part of India, I'm sure.