Indianature
Time Passer
Recommendation given by Alok [Alpha]
The Changla Guest House at Tangtse was our accommodation last week for a trip to Ladakh's famous "All Iz Well" Pangong Lake. Tangtse is about 30km from Pangong Tso.
We chose this because it was one of just two that were open at the time which had rooms with attached bathrooms and we did not fancy staying in a tent at the freezing cold lake shore with gusty worse than Arctic winds. They also have rooms without attached bathrooms which are cheaper. The tarriff was rather high at 1500 incl. meals for room w/bath - compared to the guest house we stayed at at Hunder which charged just 700 with running water in the bathroom!
The guest house is run by the mother and daughter team of the Yakmik family. Both were friendly and warm and did their very best to make our stay as comfortable as possible in the circumstances - freezing cold with no electricity or running water!
The room we were offered was large enough, basic but with enough quilts and blankets to tide through the cold night. We were given a gas heater for a few hours to warm up the room. It was quite effective.
The bathroom was bright and spacious, Ladakhi style and very clean but with one hitch. There was no running water. Why? Because it was frozen and could not be pumped up even when there was electricity - which like in other rural parts was on from 7pm to 11pm only. The daughter brought us water in buckets, and to be fair, adequate hot water was brought in the morning at the time we had asked for it. Nonetheless, for the steep off season room rate one did expect and want running water and at the end of the day holidays are meant to be for enjoyment not punishment.
Meals were included in the tarriff. Mrs Yakmik cooked up a simple vegetarian hearty and piping hot dinner which we enjoyed in the dining room, heated by a traditional bukhara. We had breakfast and tea in the warmth of the kitchen. They did try to do their best and it was not their fault that the weather was so freezing cold.
We had intended staying two nights, wanting to walk the shores of Pangong lake but it was frozen and the gusty winds were a tad too icy for comfort, so we stayed just one night. Our taxi driver also took us to Harong pond near Tangtse along the Chushul road, where we got some extraordinary views.
I expect that in summer, there will be water running in the taps of the guest house and it ought to be a fairly okay place to stay, though in summer there are other guest houses open, closer to the lake to choose from. That said, the rates here may be better in summer when everyone flocks closer to the lake.
Tel:
0 946 956 7990
0 946 972 6902
The Changla Guest House at Tangtse was our accommodation last week for a trip to Ladakh's famous "All Iz Well" Pangong Lake. Tangtse is about 30km from Pangong Tso.
We chose this because it was one of just two that were open at the time which had rooms with attached bathrooms and we did not fancy staying in a tent at the freezing cold lake shore with gusty worse than Arctic winds. They also have rooms without attached bathrooms which are cheaper. The tarriff was rather high at 1500 incl. meals for room w/bath - compared to the guest house we stayed at at Hunder which charged just 700 with running water in the bathroom!
The guest house is run by the mother and daughter team of the Yakmik family. Both were friendly and warm and did their very best to make our stay as comfortable as possible in the circumstances - freezing cold with no electricity or running water!
The room we were offered was large enough, basic but with enough quilts and blankets to tide through the cold night. We were given a gas heater for a few hours to warm up the room. It was quite effective.
The bathroom was bright and spacious, Ladakhi style and very clean but with one hitch. There was no running water. Why? Because it was frozen and could not be pumped up even when there was electricity - which like in other rural parts was on from 7pm to 11pm only. The daughter brought us water in buckets, and to be fair, adequate hot water was brought in the morning at the time we had asked for it. Nonetheless, for the steep off season room rate one did expect and want running water and at the end of the day holidays are meant to be for enjoyment not punishment.
Meals were included in the tarriff. Mrs Yakmik cooked up a simple vegetarian hearty and piping hot dinner which we enjoyed in the dining room, heated by a traditional bukhara. We had breakfast and tea in the warmth of the kitchen. They did try to do their best and it was not their fault that the weather was so freezing cold.
We had intended staying two nights, wanting to walk the shores of Pangong lake but it was frozen and the gusty winds were a tad too icy for comfort, so we stayed just one night. Our taxi driver also took us to Harong pond near Tangtse along the Chushul road, where we got some extraordinary views.
I expect that in summer, there will be water running in the taps of the guest house and it ought to be a fairly okay place to stay, though in summer there are other guest houses open, closer to the lake to choose from. That said, the rates here may be better in summer when everyone flocks closer to the lake.
Tel:
0 946 956 7990
0 946 972 6902
After all, we are masters of that game, no?