Meerdaagse Himalaya fietsexpeditie van Manali naar Leh

This was my third 'long-haul' trip with Unventured, and I would continue to recommend them to anyone who is thinking of doing one of their tours. The itinerary took us through some of the most amazing places in the region, the accommodation gave us no cause to complain (a very good thing after an intense day of cycling!), and the tour support was very good too. Functional aspects aside, the overall tour experience is what keeps me coming back to them. Tej and Guru are both a pleasure to travel and interact with, the support teams they work with at their tour locations are no less awesome (special mention - Sharmaji, who kept telling me the downhill was ''just after the next bend'', and without whom I might have thrown in the towel on a couple of days), and they are well-prepared for any contingencies that could suddenly arise. Tej was also very particular about getting in some practice climbs to prepare me for the level of intensity that the tour entailed.

Tejaswini co founder of Unventured accompanied us on this unforgettable tour of the Spiti valley . This is my third trip with them . And they always deliver what they promise . Off the beaten path , interaction with locals , interesting conversations , candid but everlasting memories, open to the groups needs and desires , and great story telling . My first trip with them was to Bhutan with my then 8 year old son. And that was brilliant too . With children also is extremely comfortable . One just knows that everything will be taken care of and that even if there are surprises in the way they will be dealt with in the most sensitive and creative manner possible. Their staff and the guides they work with are also very commendable . Kudos to their very detailed ground work and recces that translate to smooth transitioning journeys and adventures for us . Thanks Tej and thanks Guru . Thanks for unventuring us

This should almost go without saying but yes, the Manali-Leh highway lives up to its hype. It’s beautiful, breathtaking (literally at times!), wild, rugged, towering and surprisingly varied across it’s almost 500km of length. And to cap it off you visit the spectacular Pangong Tso. Not that you’d expect anything less from the Himalayas. Your cameras will be overworked, I can guarantee you that. Onto Unventured itself, they made it possible to enjoy the scenery and beauty without worrying about anything else. 1.First things first, the people were great. Guru and Aarthy cycled with the group all the way through and were never short of encouragement and maintained a jolly atmosphere around the group which is very important if you want to have fun and enjoy yourself. In addition, the support crew led by Raju was fantastic. They were ceaseless in their efforts to ensure we all reached Leh in one piece while still enjoying the ride. 2.The organization and the end to end logistics were all completely taken care of by Unventured. It’s one of reasons I chose Unventured and they did not disappoint. As a participant, all you have to do is buy your tickets show up at the Delhi airport. Everything else is taken care of. 3.The cycles are in very good condition and very well suited to the tough terrain. 4.The food was outstanding. Some of the dishes that were prepared at high altitudes and in the middle of nowhere were genuinely mind boggling. The Pizza at over 4000m was one of the best I’ve had! Plenty of bananas, juices and chocolates also helped us along on a daily basis while riding. 5.The Tents were spacious and 1 person per tent ensured the privacy that you tend to crave after a hard days ride. The sleeping bags were extremely cozy once everyone figured out the best way to fit inside them;) 6.Safety was taken seriously throughout the trip and while a lot of us were initially disappointed at having the Khardung La ride stopped half way through it was absolutely the correct decision in hindsight. It helps to have experienced people like Guru and Raju on the trip to ensure safety is never compromised. 7.The post Cycling leg of the tour was organized just as well. From a trip to the spectacular Pangong Tso to an authentic Tibetan dinner at a local homestay on our final day in the mountains, everything was great. The review would be incomplete without a shout out to all the lovely people I rode with for 10 days. They were all brilliant and let’s not forget the tense and captivating games of Mafia over dinner;) For anyone thinking about a Manali-Leh cycling trip, Unventured is the way to go. Worth every penny!