Ladakh means the “land of high passes”. It has been a dream destination of most of the India’s youth. Everyone wants to go to Ladakh and explore the rustic trans Himalayas, the barren land, the high altitude lakes, the beautiful monasteries, and many more. Leh is the headquarters of Ladakh where one has to stay for acclimatisation purpose and the place filled with numerous cafes, bars and trekking shops. There are multiple stay options here in Leh. You can stay in a home stay, hostel, hotel or a guest house ranging from as cheap as Rs. 400 per bed to Rs. 20,000 per room. There’s a list of some places you can visit in Ladakh :
1. Khardung La : The highest motor able road in the world. This pass at a height of about 5600 m above sea level is a major attraction in this region because of its height. Being the highest road in the world, it attracts a lot of tourists from all over the world. This pass also connects Leh with Nubra valley. This place is a mecca for a lot of adventure seekers : Bikers for the breath taking roads, cyclists for the endurance and thrill of riding on this strenuous terrain and runners to make a mark in their memory by running on this high altitude pass. At the top of the pass, there is a military cafe where you can treat yourself with snacks and beverages. One thing you should keep in mind before going to this pass is you need to acclimatise well in Leh as it is quite high in altitude and may cause Acute Mountain Sickness. My personal favourite adventure at this pass is going up by a car and cycling back down, the narrow cuts, the speed gives you an high of your own.
2. Hall of Fame : Leh Hall of Fame is another major attraction in Ladakh. Surrounded by snow capped mountains and Stok Kangri in the back drop, this place is a museum keeping the memories of the Kargil war. It shows the history of Ladakh as well as the of the war on 1971 and 1999. In its display it has captured weapons of the Pakistan army. Every evening there is a parade and a small 20 minute movie on wars faced by India earlier.
3. Turtuk : A place which was in Pakistan until the 1971 war, where the local language is Balti, which is located 7 km from the India – China border Turtuk has opened up for civilians only 2 years back. If you want to see the untouched place in Ladakh, this is the one. Turtuk is located around 80 km from Hundar and almost 186 km from Leh. It has one army school, two museums, one palace, a river flowing which divides the village in two parts, one small monastery, a turtuk view point and multiple amazing cafes. This tiny village is so disconnected with the world that it gets electricity for only 4 hours a day and there is no network connectivity. If you have to get in touch with someone in your family or friends, there are a couple of cafes which have wifi connectivity, but again only for 4 hours a day. There are a lot of Apricot trees in this village and you will eat the best Apricots here. If you wanna learn more about this place, read my blog about TURTUK
4. Tso moriri : Tso Moriri lake in Changthang region of Ladakh is one of the most beautiful, calm, and sacred high altitude lakes in India. This beautiful blue pallet lake is about 7 km wide at its broadest point and about 19 km long. Being located at a distance of about 240 km from Leh, this place cannot be done in a single day, it will be too hectic. It is advisable to keep two days for Tso moriri lake. You need to get Inner Line Permit from Leh to visit this lake as the area comes close to the LOC region.
5. Pangong Lake : You must have seen this lake in a couple of movies, starting with 3 Idiots which made Ladakh a popular tourist destination. Pangong lake, at a distance of around 150 km from Leh is one of the most popular destinations in Leh Ladakh, 70% of the lake is in China while the rest is in India. This is the highest saltwater lake in the world at an altitude of around 4200 m. Most of the travelers who go to Ladakh, add this place in their itinerary. The lake is worth a visit, which changes colour with the sky. It is surrounded with the beautiful trans Himalayas. You need two days from Leh to visit this lake because the roads are really bad and it will take you almost 6 – 7 hours to reach the lake.
6. Diskit : It lies in Nubra Valley, a couple of kilometre before Hundar. Diskit boasts the beautiful Diskit monastery which can be seen from far away, hanging up on the mountain. It also has one of the largest Buddha statue in Ladakh just opposite to the Monastery. This small village has one school where kids from nearby villages come and study.
7. Hundar : The only place to find double hump camels in India is Hundar. Imagine yourself on a road, desert on both the sides, and all you can see behind them is beautiful snow capped mountains, this is Hundar. ATV rides, camel safari, star gazing are some activities which you should not miss at all in Hundar. All the stay options here are camping. You will be staying in permanent tents with all the facilities, also do not miss watching the stars, you will have hell of an experience.
8. Thiksey Monastery : Located at a distance of around 15 km from Leh, Thiksey monastery is a is one beautiful piece of art. This monastery is located in the village of Shey, when you travel to Leh via Manali, you cross this beautiful small town. The monastery has an interesting anecdote of how it was built in this exact location. It is said that when two Buddhist monks offered prayers and rituals at the Yellow Temple and were about to through a cake (offering to God) into the valley, a crow took away the cake and place it on a hilltop. They assumed this a divine order and built a monastery here. Very close to the monastery is the Shey palace. Do not skip Shey palace if you happen to go to Thiksey.
9. Hemis Monastery : Located at a distance of around 50 km from Leh, Hemis monastery lies in the village Hemis in the Hemis National Park. This multi storey monastery is home to a lot of monks. A lot of monks of different ages come to this monastery to learn, cook, work, or just to meditate. The small village outside of the monastery is completely untouched. There’s a small pond in the village where all the kids play after their school. It is so satisfying being there, along side the pond, with the kids. Below the Hemis monastery there is a cafe, which serves multiple cuisines, you can go there and spend the day there, drinking coffee and eating. We camped just opposite to the monastery in between the woods, it was one of the best camping locations i have ever stayed in. Imagine yourself among the trees, a beautiful monastery on one side, behind the monastery are the astonishing Himalayas, other side is this small gompa (status) of Buddha and trans Himalayas on that side as well and a river flowing just alongside. If you love history, go to the museum section of the Monastery and you will get to learn a lot of things about Buddhism.
For more information about Ladakh please get in touch : prashant@hillsandbeyond.com
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