Things to Remember Before Visiting This Mini Ladakh
This lake is located in a village surrounded by hills. There is no parking area so you will have to park your vehicle near the lake itself. If you have a car, you need to park it near the cemetery of the village since there is no way you can take your car to the lake. And from the cemetery, you need to take a short walk to the lake. If you have a bike (two-wheeler), you can take it to the lake and park there so that you can keep it in your sight. While we were parking the car, a kid told us that he would take care of the car since some other kids might scratch it or break the glasses. So that’s a challenge. If you ask a kid to watch your vehicle, you may pay him a ten-rupee note or something to eat.
There are no shops, cafes, etc. at the lake. Either you need to carry your food or snacks or you can buy from the market. The village has some shops. Since this is a village so you won’t find the area clean and you need to watch your foot before you step. Make sure that you don’t litter anything around. Already the lake is full of plastic waste, food wrappers, polybags, beverage bottles, etc. which people dump in the lake. So, if you carry any plastic with you, kindly carry it back with you and dispose of properly instead of throwing it randomly. Let’s contribute our share in keeping nature clean and plastic-free.
Avoid any sort of public profanity. Couples may find this place suitable since it is a hidden gem and away from too much crowd, but it’s in a village. Be a responsible traveler/tourist. The water of the lake isn’t deep at the shores but in the middle, the depth may reach a few feet. One can sit at the shores with shoes off. However, walking in the lake will need attention. The stones are sharp and totally covered in algae which makes them slippery. So keep that in mind if you plan to get in the lake.
Panikot Lake is distributed in different ponds like water bodies and it looks like a cluster of small islands. To my mind, it was a mined area which is now left abandoned and the rainwater filled it. The hills on one side are cut straight from the top to the bottom while the hills on the opposite side look like those of Ladakh. I am not sure if camping is allowed here or not since I didn’t get to see any person whom I could ask. All I could see were kids playing around.
If you are not able to travel outside Delhi due to COVID situations, it is better to travel within and around Delhi to explore some unexplored and hidden places. I am a huge lover of offbeat locations like this lake and such places often make me happy. I have been traveling to offbeat places and I will be exploring them in the future as well. If you plan to go to Panikot Lake, there is no exact time to go there. You can go anytime. But it’s better to visit during the daylight. You can visit here any time of the year. But better to avoid too hot and too cold season. Monsoon can be a good time to visit when the lake will be full of rainwater and the surrounding will be green.
