Hello again.



At first, I didn't plan to write a review because there are already many detailed reviews about traveling to Leh. I myself relied heavily on reviews from friends to help me plan my trip, and I'm truly grateful for their help.

In addition to the stunning landscapes, Leh's charm lies in the exceptional hospitality of its people. Their kindness and genuine warmth exceeded our expectations. For instance, during our trip to Pangong Lake, heavy snowfall caused vehicles to get stuck. Drivers from other cars would rush to help, digging out the snow and spreading it near the wheels to provide traction. Despite the freezing temperatures, many people willingly pushed the stuck vehicles. These acts of kindness left a lasting impression on us.

The people who took care of us, such as the staff at the guesthouse, the guides, and even the drivers, were all very kind to us. They treated us like friends or family. We understand that they are doing their job to earn money, but the people here are different. They seem to be doing their job with sincerity that goes beyond money. We were impressed by the people we met and are glad we had the chance to visit Leh.



Internet = 0. There is no internet at all, not even for a second. 5555. But it's actually good. Not having internet makes us pay more attention to the things around us. We can live without it, and we don't really want to play it that much.

We visited Pangong Lake, various temples, and Khardungla Pass (which we were unable to reach due to road closures). Every location we visited was breathtakingly beautiful, but they have all been extensively reviewed elsewhere. Therefore, I would like to share my personal experiences and impressions from this trip. There are two aspects that I believe are noteworthy and may be beneficial to those seeking additional information.



1. Accommodation: I'm unsure if anyone has stayed here before, but based on my research, I haven't seen any reviews. Therefore, I'd like to share this beautiful accommodation with breathtaking views worth billions and, most importantly, excellent service. The staff at this accommodation is incredibly friendly and attentive.

  1. A motorcycle trip to the remote Lamayuru Monastery in Moonland, braving the extreme cold temperatures.



The starting point is Woodyvu Stok House, Leh.

Website: Woodyvu Stok House

Facebook page: Woody Vustays

The homeowner's name is Sandeep and their email address is [email protected].

The sales manager's name is Hitesh and their email address is [email protected].



House Description:

This two-story concrete house boasts five guest rooms, each a spacious suite. The interior has been renovated in a contemporary style, utilizing local materials. Our group booked four rooms, leaving one unoccupied, resulting in a private stay. The property is enclosed by a fence and situated within the Stok village, approximately 15-20 minutes from the main market. The entrance is shared with Stok Palace. The house offers stunning views, with a dark mountain looming behind and rolling hills surrounding it, creating a breathtaking 360-degree panorama.

The picture below is from TripAdvisor. I wanted to show you the front of the house, but I didn't take a picture of it from the front.

Price: Compared to hotels in the market, it is considered expensive. But compared to the view and service, it is very worthwhile. **When booking accommodation, do not rush to decide whether booking through all the websites will be cheaper.** For example, this house, if checked on agoda, the price goes up to 4-6 thousand baht per room (depending on the time of stay). But at that time, the owner of this post booked on agoda, no matter how much, the house was always full. So I decided to send an email to inquire directly. The accommodation informed me that the period that the owner of this post booked was the winter season. And it is still not sure what the weather will be like. Can it be opened for booking?



Hitesh has quoted a price of 6,500 Indian rupees per room per night (approximately 3,250 Thai baht). This price includes airport transfers to and from Leh Airport, as well as breakfast and dinner. It is cheaper than the prices offered on Agoda and other websites.



There are only 5 rooms in total, each with a name.

1. Orchard Suite

2. Apricot Suite

3. Willow Suite

  1. Stok Suite
  1. The Khardungla Suite is the highest type of room here. There is only one room available. It costs an additional 2,000 rupees (around 1,000 Thai baht). The room is beautiful and has a private balcony, but we don't think it's the most beautiful room. It's probably just the largest room. We paid extra to get a larger room that could fit two beds as a triple room.



Overall, all the rooms are beautiful. The condition of the room is a bit more worn than the pictures on the website, but it is still very clean. The "worn" that I mentioned refers to the exterior of the house and the balcony that was covered in snow. However, the furniture does not look worn. It seems that the house has just gone through winter. At that time, the staff were helping to paint, etc. But it was still beautiful. I didn't feel like you were misleading me at all.



The photos of the room were taken from the TripAdvisor website, as the photos I took were not clear and incomplete. It was very cold in Leh, and I moved like a sloth, slowly and without energy. My walking speed was comparable to that of a snail. I was also feeling unwell, but it was not due to high altitude sickness. It was purely from motion sickness. Sorry for going off topic!



The Orchard Suite, in my opinion, is more beautiful than the other rooms. It has a private door leading outside and a private seating area with a view.

Apricot Suite

Willow Suite

Stok Suite

Khardungla Suite

For more photos, please visit the accommodation's website and TripAdvisor.



After receiving the price, I hesitated a little, weighing the convenience of being in the market and the lower price against paying more and staying further away in exchange for the view and peace and quiet. In the end, I chose this place because I thought to myself that at least if someone got sick from high altitude sickness and had to stay in the accommodation, they would have a beautiful view to look at and could still walk around and enjoy the view in the vicinity. More importantly, I would probably be able to relax completely when I was tired from traveling because it was so quiet there.

Pictures of the view from the accommodation and the surrounding village where you can take a walk.

The view from the bedroom window is beautiful.

In the early morning, birds chirp and sing.

Food prices have increased.

Lunch

  • Home-cooked: 650 rupees per person, approximately 325 Thai baht.
  • Packed lunch: 200 rupees per person, approximately 100 Thai baht. The pack includes a sandwich, orange, banana, boiled egg, and chocolate. (The accommodation is not in the city, so for convenience, we asked them to prepare it.)



Each room is provided with one bottle of plain water per day. If you request an additional bottle, it will cost 50 rupees (approximately 25 Thai baht). We drank a lot of water and took some with us when we went out. We ended up finishing 24 extra bottles.



Tea and coffee are included in the room rate and there is no additional charge.



A bottle of beer costs 250 rupees (which is quite expensive), which is about 125 Thai baht.



I would like to continue the discussion about the service in the department. >>>

Continue.



The service was exceptional. I would give it a five-star rating if I could. The staff was incredibly helpful and went above and beyond to ensure a positive experience.

We understand that people want money and will do anything to get it, but this is beyond the pale. We are extremely surprised by everything the staff has done to serve us.



Sandeep, the owner of the accommodation, is an Indian man living in Delhi. On the first day of our stay, Sandeep flew in from Delhi himself to bring food for the chef. The reason for bringing food from Delhi is that during the winter season in Leh, it is impossible to grow any vegetables. Everything there, trees, the city, everywhere you look, is brown, black, and white. Food is scarce and expensive. There was only one apple in the market. Even the road leading into Leh was closed due to a snowstorm, so the food had to be brought from Delhi by plane (which means it was brought in to be sold, you understand? The owner, well, let's not praise him, haha!). Sandeep is a kind person. He stayed to look after us for a few days, checking our blood oxygen levels and ordering the chef to prepare suitable food for the sick.



What truly amazed us was the incredible staff of five working in the house.



Upon arrival at the accommodation, we were greeted by the chef, who was incredibly handsome and could have easily been a celebrity in Thailand. He discussed our dietary preferences and offered to prepare meals according to our requests. We simply told him to surprise us, and he did not disappoint. The chef showcased his remarkable culinary skills by preparing a diverse range of dishes, including Indian, Chinese, Mexican, and Italian cuisine. As time passed, he noticed our growing weariness of international cuisine and surprised us with a spread of authentic Thai dishes, including papaya salad, grilled chicken, stir-fried cabbage with fish sauce, and stir-fried instant noodles. We were so impressed by the chef's culinary prowess that we requested the manager to call him into the dining room and gave him a standing ovation.

In addition, there was a local dessert surprise, which made us confused, amused, and speechless. It was a happy and joyful experience. It felt like they had been secretly preparing something and then surprised us with it. They seemed happy when we reacted with "Wow, wow, amazing, yay!" Here are some highlights of the surprise. It was so cute! The highlight was on the last day when they baked a cake and decorated it with beautiful flower patterns. They wrote "Welcome" on it for us. Welcome? We were about to leave!



The snowman-shaped dessert was so meticulously crafted that we almost didn't dare to eat it. Just kidding! It's made from coconut and smells wonderful. ^^

This is an attempt to make Thai papaya salad, but with ripe papaya. Plus, it's arranged in a heart shape. Hahahahahahahahaha.

Grilled chicken

Every dish is meticulously prepared and presented.

In addition to the exceptional service, the staff at the house went above and beyond to ensure our comfort. Every morning, they would wake us up at the precise time we needed to leave, and they would serve us tea or coffee in our room without fail.



When the weather was too cold to eat in the dining room, they would light a fire in the lobby, set up tables, and turn the lobby into a dining room. They waited for us to come down for every meal we ate at home, serving food one item at a time, one person at a time. They would ask what we wanted to eat, what we didn't want to eat, or what special food we wanted, and they would tell us everything. They would stand by and wait to serve us water, tea, coffee, and juice with a full heart. They would stand in line and wait until we finished eating. They looked so happy to see us happy. It was a service I had never seen before. I can't describe the sincerity I received. I really need to experience it myself.



The dining table was set with dishes brought from the dining room, and the fireplace was lit to keep us warm.

Every time I go out, when I return home, they will wait for me at the door and rush to help me carry things into the house, and prepare tea or coffee to serve in the room every time, without ever having to ask.



Before bed, she would serve herbal tea and a warm hot water bottle for everyone to cuddle with, even though there was a heater in the room.



On our last night, as we were driving home, we passed the chef and manager riding their motorbikes out. We didn't eat at home that day because we had pizza at the market and went shopping. In the car, we secretly gossiped, "Oh, the chef is going out! We don't have to cook today." 55555 No, after that, they came back with local scarves and put them around our necks. It was like a garland around our necks to wish us a safe journey. Oh, I was so touched, I almost cried.



Some of the photos in this post were borrowed from my friends who joined me on this trip. Thank you so much, guys!^^



This concludes the review of the accommodation. The next section will discuss the Royal Enfield motorcycle.

The journey from Leh to Moonland, a distance of 120 kilometers (240 kilometers round trip), offered stunning views along the way. Riding a Royal Enfield motorcycle, we embarked on this adventure after a long hiatus from motorcycling. Looking back, we can't help but laugh at our audacity! 555



Note: The photos are ten times uglier than the real thing. No matter how I take them, they don't look as beautiful as they do in person. You have to go see it for yourself ^^



What is the price? We booked through Sandeep (we arranged the program ourselves and asked him to arrange the guide, car and pay for the tour package for the whole trip, but asked for the price of renting a motorbike separately).

The rental cost for a Royal Enfield motorcycle is 1,600 rupees (approximately 800 Thai baht).

Mandatory fuel surcharge of 1,000 rupees (approximately 500 Thai baht) per vehicle.

The customer did not pick up the car at the shop. The delivery fee for the car is 500 rupees (250 baht). The price is fixed for 3 cars.

Our guide throughout the trip, Paksang, was exceptional. Their knowledge was extensive, their demeanor polite and cheerful, and they were always punctual. They took excellent care of us, showing genuine concern and never complaining even when we kept them waiting.

Contact guide: [email protected]. However, there is no internet signal at all. I don't know if they will respond. Haha ^^”

To call, dial +91-94195 38008.



It is crucial to have a motorcycle driving license (a car driving license is not valid) and your passport must be carried with you at all times when traveling. ^^

*The guide said that if you don't have a driver's license, you can drive, but if you get caught by the police, you're on your own. If you're not Michael Scofield, you can't prison break. I suggest you prepare it. Haha.*



We rented two Innova cars and hired two guides, one to lead the way and the other to follow at a distance in case of emergencies or breakdowns. During the trip, a motorcycle's exhaust pipe fell off, and the car following behind was able to assist. (The lead and trailing cars maintained a safe distance and did not obstruct traffic.)





Although it was winter, the sun was scorching, almost competing with the cold. The upside was that it didn't feel as cold as it could have been. The downside was that it was incredibly hot, and my face got completely sunburned. But I'm old, so I'm okay with it. It was a lot of fun. It was the only day I didn't get carsick. As for the views, they were breathtaking. Every path, every bend, the scenery kept changing, and it was more beautiful than words can describe. The pictures I took don't even come close to capturing the real thing.



If you plan on taking long motorcycle rides in Leh during the winter, be sure to pack gloves specifically designed for riding and clothing that provides complete coverage and wind protection.

We conclude with a view during the drive.



The Royal Enfield motorcycle is of British origin but is manufactured in India, where it is very popular.

A photograph taken during a motorcycle trip.

Done. I will fix the typos soon. Thank you very much^^

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