Tso Pangong Lake – The Promised Land
“The stillness of the lake brings peace to my soul. In this stillness my mind becomes empty and my heart becomes full”
Pangong Tso can easily be termed as “a must-do destination before you die”! No Exaggerations here!
It is certainly one of the most scenic and serene places I have been to…
Did you know that only one-third of Pangong lies in India and the remaining in Tibet? That is how it is! Since the Line of Actual Control passes through the lake, it is a delicate border point and hence, boating on the lake is strictly prohibited.
We drove from Leh to Pangong via Changla Pass, the highest motorable mountain pass at 5360M. It takes a good 6 hours one way to reach Pangong, you are completely famished and low on energy by the time you reach Pangong, but believe you me, one look at the spectacular view, and you are left speechless !! The fatigue, the exhaustion just wears off and all you see is miles and miles of aqua exquisiteness and stand there in awe just trying to believe what is true and not a painting!
The First view of Pangong Tso certainly makes you feel this is a sketch and not reality… but as you reach closer, you do realize this is God’s picture-perfect painting! It’s stunningly gorgeous and so peaceful, you will leave your heart here and want to keep coming back for some sanity away from the crazy lives that we lead.
There are prettier lakes like Tso Moriri and Tso Kar, but Pangong will always be special and will always have a soft corner for me. I fall short of words to explain the serenity this place offers.
There are many campsites at Pangong, you can choose the one that suits your budget. But no matter which camp you take, the views will leave you spellbound and will make you crave to return to this place.
We went in August but trust me it was freezing even then, I dread at the thought of winters how cold it would get. We woke up at dawn so as to not miss the stunning sunrise, as truly so, the sunrise was magical! An unforgettable sight which is etched in my mind.
We stayed just one night at Pangong but one night was more than enough for me to soak in the serene charm of the lake and make me want to crave to go back there…
Maybe one day … maybe soon…. maybe its round the corner…. my little piece of paradise that I wish to go back to!
