View from Sonam Guest House Hanle
Hanle is one of the most enchanting places in Ladakh and my favorite. Despite the unlimited mesmerizing landscapes, one thing is simple in Hanle there is no better place to stay than Padma Homestay in Hanle, earlier also known as Sonam Guest House Hanle :).
A simple, warm, and traditional Ladakhi-style homestay turned into a guest house by Sonam Dorjay, the owner who runs this guest house with his wife Padma. DO NOT confuse it with another Sonam Guest House in Hanle. Earlier this Padma Homestay was also famous with the name of Sonam Guest House because Sonam ji is the owner of it and by his name Padma Homestay was also known.
Padma-Sonam Guest House Hanle is run by a gem of a person, Sonam Dorje, and his wife along with their other close relatives. In this article today, I will share a detailed review of this homely guest house with you. It will surely help you weigh-in your options and book a place to stay in Hanle. However, before going into the details of the review, let’s first know a little about Hanle.
Unlike Nubra Valley, there are only a handful of guest houses or homestays in Hanle village of Changthang region in Ladakh. Most of them have shared bathrooms or Ladakhi styled dry toilets. Padma-Sonam Guest House Hanle offers 8-9 rooms (multi-bedded) and many of them now have attached washrooms.
Apart from the decent comfort of rooms at such a place, Sonam and Padma (Sonam’s wife) offer the warmest hospitality you will come across. The credit goes to his down-to-earth, simple, and modest personality. He works at Hanle Observatory, and mostly his wife, Padma, takes care of the guest house.
So, if you are traveling to Hanle and looking for a decent, value-for-money stay in Hanle for you or your family, then believe me there is no better place than Padma-Sonam Guest House. It is also known by the name Padma Homestay Hanle as well because earlier it was a homestay only.
Hanle in Changthang region of Ladakh is one of the most beautiful, enchanting, calm and soul loosing places in India. Hanle has a lovely Hanle Monastery offering some great aerial views of the whole village that is a home of about 1000 people. The views from the top of the monastery are just breath-taking.
Hanle also houses an Indian Astronomical Observatory which is the world’s highest observatory in the world at a staggering height of 4500 Mtrs. The Hanle Observatory is operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru and currently the second-highest optical observatory in the world, with an installed telescope of about 2.01 meters (6.5 feet) diameter.
The general route to Hanle that most people travel is from Leh The route is as follows Leh – Karu (36 KMs) – Upshi (13 KMs) – Kumdok (19 KMs) – Kere (53 KMs) – Chumathang (34 KMs) – Mahe (22 KMs) – Nyoma (25 KMs) – Loma (22 KMs) – Hanle (51 KMs) = 275 KMs.
You can reach Hanle in about 9 – 10 Hrs from Leh depending upon the number of breaks you take in between the journey.
As I have said, there are not many options of stay in Hanle and today I will share my detailed review of my enriching experiences at Padma-Sonam Guest House Hanle I had over the last few years of my visit to Ladakh.
Despite being limited and kind of only guest house in Hanle, Padma-Sonam Guest House continues to offer better and better quality topped with great hospitality with every passing year.
Hats off to the dedication & efforts put in by Sonam Ji, his wife & their team to continuously offer this enriching experience to the travelers in the Himalayas especially Ladakh. All this comes at a great VFM price range of Rs 1000-1300 per day based on the season and time you are traveling.
With the experience of staying at so many properties in the Himalayas over the last ten years, I can easily say that Padma-Sonam Guest House is quite decent in return for the experience, hospitality, and support on offer to you. In case, no room is available at Padma-Sonam Guest House Hanle; they can also help you get the accommodation at Hanle monastery guest house as well which is better than nothing at least.
Did you check my travel guide on Diskit Village and Monastery?
As my favorite saying goes, the pictures are better than a thousand words any day…
You can get in touch with Padma-Sonam Guest House Hanle using the below contact details:
The price ranges from Rs 1300-1800 per day based on the season and time you are traveling. You can refer my name or Discover with Dheeraj name, and I am sure whatever best price Sonam Ji, will be given to you.
As you reach Hanle, Khaldo Village, keep going straight towards the end where pasture land exists. It is the last house in the village. Don’t worry, it is not that big of a village, and anyone will be able to help you out.
You can also travel to Hanle when coming from Pangong Tso to Tso Moriri direct route.
4-5 cars can come in the compound of the guest house and rest you will have to park the cars outside on the road. Plenty of open spaces and there is no need to worry about it.
As I said above, my experience has always been fantastic every time I stayed at Padma-Sonam Homestay/Guest House Hanle. Everyone is always accommodating, accommodating, supportive, and were always present there whenever there was any need.
I have got a chance to stay at Padma-Sonam Homestay in Hanle and newly built guest house rooms as well. At such a remote place where even a toilet is the ultimate luxury, getting attached running water toilets and beds to sleep is nothing but a haven to live 🙂 🙂
Both Hanle Observatory and Hanle Monastery are nearby to the guest house. You will find plenty of wild horses in the pasture land behind the guest house and great night skies as it goes pitch dark at night. Those interested in night photography, it is a perfect place to stay sipping the cup of tea served by them. These are one of the most beautiful memories of every of my Ladakh trips.
You can also read what other DwD Community members say about it at: Padma (Sonam’s) Guest House/Homestay, Hanle.
Rooms in the guest house are basic yet comfortable, cozy and of course, spotless. The best thing was at such a remote location you are getting this kind of homely experience, which is a kind of luxury in itself for a person like me.
Rooms are of decent size, some rooms can even sleep 4-6. There is a mix of rooms with both attached and shared bathrooms having a running cold water supply. Of course, on request room heaters & hot water can be arranged too.
The quality of the food is quite decent and homely. Do not expect too much but simple food. You can also request if you like to have some special but simple food.
Well for booze lovers, there is no Liquor shop in Hanle and hence, carry your own. But do take care and be away from liquor in initial days to acclimatize properly. Otherwise, liquor can hamper the acclimatization which can lead to AMS and other health issues.
Sonam Ji has also always guided us for executing our DoW Causes, a step towards Responsible Travel by DoW, in the village school. You can read about these causes at the links DoW Cause | GYAAN 500 in action at Hanle, Ladakh.
For any major medical assistance, you will have to approach the main Hospital in Leh. Otherwise, for minor medical issues, there is a primary health center at the Hanle village. I always recommend that, if possible, carry an Oxygen cylinder with you on the Ladakh trip. This helps with AMS.
If you don’t know where to get it, you can read my article on How & Where to Rent Oxygen Cylinders in Leh Ladakh?
I always carry a pulse oximeter with me to ensure that oxygen levels and my current pulse rate. It helps me keep a tab on them when I am in doubt. It also helps people who travel with me and also many times at home as well. I believe it is essential for any medical kit, especially when you are traveling to high altitude places in the Himalayas.
Although, I have moved to my Fitbit Charge 2 now that helps me track my workouts and as well as resting heart rate 😉 … But, you can buy an inexpensive pulse oximeter online easily from sites like Flipkart or Amazon India. I have this Dr. Morepen Pulse Oximeter with me.
There is no ATM in Hanle, so please ensure you carry proper cash with you to settle the bills and pay the tips.
There is no petrol pump near Hanle but there could be black fuel available in the village. Do carry a funnel and a thin cloth to ensure the filtration of the impurities. You can also read my article about Fuel Availability In Leh – Ladakh | Ladakh Self Drive Tips
In the end, I will again say that Padma-Sonam Guest House Hanle is a great value for money and an amazingly comfortable option for a stay at Hanle, especially when you consider the remoteness of this place.
You will surely get an enriching experience in the Himalayas of Ladakh by staying at Padma-Sonam Guest House Hanle 🙂 🙂
I hope that as more and more people visit Hanle, this guest house continues to provide this excellence in hospitality and amazing services to the people traveling to this remote part of the Himalayas.
Have a travel question?? You can subscribe to my YouTube channel and leave a comment to ask your travel questions about traveling to the Himalayas.
Well, I hope that the above review will help you decide your stay at Hanle. I will be here to answer any further questions you may have for your upcoming visit to Hanle or Leh Ladakh. Feel free to post them under comments below on this website.
Do share this article with your friends or family whom you think might be in need of a stay at Hanle on their upcoming trip.
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