Manashi Pathak
“Leh-Ladakh is in the bucket list of every traveler and I am no exception. And when I got the amazing opportunity to go on a Photo-Expedition trip as participant with Green Dot Expeditions led by Capt. Suresh Sharma, I grabbed it with both hands.
And it is one of the best decisions of my life. GreenDot not only provides a unique getaway into nature among the Mighty Himalayas, camping in natures lap where otherwise one will just have to drive by, but it also gives an unmatched experience of one of its kind outdoor life which enriches the very soul of a traveler. And to put icing on top, the Green Dot crew ensures the safety of all its participants with utmost care. It is the perfect combination of the Thrill of a rugged road-trip across the Himalayan terrain (crossing dangerous Passes being at Natures mercy) and the Security that each one of us and people back home are concerned about in such a trip. Captain Sharma has built a wonderful machine with his undaunted hard work and pure love of the outdoors and it is aptly named The Taurus, the mighty Bull which is a force to reckon with. One would immediately feel secure with the sturdiness and excellent engineering involved in this majestic Overland truck. It is so thoughtfully built, taking care of every need of its participants while on the road, enough space for everything efficiently designed. You name it and Taurus has it. Essentials are covered to the T: storing more than enough ration in its vast concealed and well packed storage, overhead storage lockers for participant to store their belongings, good comfortable seats, and two beds, in case one feels like to stretch their legs while on the go, a John as well for the emergency which again is well secured and good quality.
Adding to this luxury, comes a well-equipped and highly resourceful kitchen, yes, a kitchen on board! Again with all safety checks done. And fellow travelers/photo enthusiasts, it was a high point of my trip that there was enough device charging facility on board! We don’t want to miss taking pictures with our phones and cameras in such a beautiful trip, do we? And Green Dot, ensures we are always charged!
So, this was about the logistics of it. The flesh and bones of the amazing concept. Now, coming to the soul of it, is Captain Suresh Sharma, a very passionate outdoor expert, who has taken tourism to another level in India. With the awe inspiring Army background, he embodies perfection and trust. An achiever in many noteworthy fields, he is a fervent leader and he walks the talk. The attention to detail is commendable and his hospitality straight from the heart. Right from serving perfect cups of choicest of teas ( tea drinking is a cherished ritual on the trip), amazing variety of food, breakfast spreads, snacks, meals to ensuring hygiene needs, providing the best available accessories of sleeping bags, pillows, tents, Quechua items of foldable, seats, chairs, etc, even hot water bags! And Captain has done good research on the route and the unique places that can be explored Only through Taurus where you simply enjoy the journey because that’s where the fun is! I can go on and on about it, but in short, all you need to come to this trip is your backpack, your camera and a spirit to enjoy the outdoors, cherish the panoramic beauty of the Himalayan terrain and the experiences that Taurus has to offer, which otherwise, even money can’t buy!
It is indeed a path-breaking initiative by the Green Dot Expedition team and I wholeheartedly Congratulate them and feel blessed that I could be part of one of its first photo-expeditions in the Srinagar to Leh route. Given a choice, I might write a book on my entire experience, but for now, all I will say is that it was an experience of a lifetime and I can’t wait to get onboard Taurus again!”