Ladakh Tourism, Leh, India

Ladakh, the land of many passes, of numbingly cold and insanely high barren landscapes, is one of the highest inhabited plateaus in the world. Remote, yet never isolated, this is the land of different cultural and religious influences from Tibet, India and Central Asia.

 

Places to Visit

Khardungla Top

A panoramic view towards north of Khardung La (18380 feet), Ladakh, India. The Karakorum Range can be seen at the background. The road at the left leads one into Nubra Valley en route to Siachen Glacier, the highest battlefield in the world.

Leh

Leh is the land of Lamas, the Buddhist Monks and is mainly populated by Buddhists and Hindus. Leh houses numerous Buddhist monuments, monasteries and study centers, Shanti stupa and Sankar Gompa are some of them.

Alchi

Alchi is an ancient Gompa located 70 km from Leh on the banks of river Indus in Jammu and Kashmir. It is the only monastery on flat ground in Ladakh. The Gompa is taken care of by the monks from Likir monastery. Inside the Gompa, there are thousands of miniature-sized paintings depicting Buddha.

Pengong Lake

Located in an isolated area at a 5 hr drive (160 km) from Leh, this 134 km long lake extends from India to China. Tourists mostly visit this lake during May to September with a special permit. The Pangong lake boasts of being the world's highest brackish lake at a height of about 4,250 m (13,900 ft) from sea level. Villagers can be seen with their large herds of Pashmina sheep and long-tailed yaks. Despite being a salt water lake, it surprisingly gets frozen in winter. With such a wonderful location and a scarcity of oxygen, the Pangong Lake is a geologist's domain too.

Tso Moriri Lake

Providing a majestic natural view of Ladakh in the north, Tibet in the east and Zanskar in the west, Tso Moriri lake is mostly visited in summer. Changthang plateau, with snow peaks, provides the source of water for the Lake. The lake is popular for being the largest of the High Altitude Lakes in the Trans-himalayan region, entirely within India. It was earlier a salty lake whose salt was extracted by the end of 1959 for the consumption by the local people. Tourists flock to the lake to visit the Korzok Monastery, situated on the western bank of the lake, believed to be about 400 years old.

Lamayuru

Lamayuru is among the oldest known Gompas, dating back to the 10th century. This Tibetan Buddhist Gompa (monastery) lies in Kargil District, Western Ladakh, about 125 km west of Leh. With around 150 permament resident monks, Lamayuru hosts two annual masked dance festivals (in the second and fifth month of the Tibetan lunar calendar). People gather around the monastery together to pray and perform traditional dances.

Nubra Valley

Nubra valley is located at an altitude of 3,000 m. Known as a ‘Valley of flowers’, this valley is affluent in vegetation. You get a chance to enjoy camel riding. Trek through the scenic landscapes.