Ladakh-the land of high passes

My flight was about to land at Leh airport, and my first feeling was, where is this flight landing … I am not trying to hint at turbulence, rather trying to divert your attention towards the scenic beauty.  Leh airport is one of the highest airports in the world and the experience of touching down is almost similar to piercing through brown coloured rocky mountains. If the start to the journey is like this, the expectation starts building up. Whichever city you are flying from, this change of landscape will be a surreal one! I was in Ladakh, wow !

First day in Leh

While one is consumed by the scenic beauty, acclimatisation is the critical thing to be taken care of. We had planned the first day for relaxation and walking around the place . it was of great help to get adjusted to the higher altitude. And walking around Leh is so cool (both literally and emotionally). It also gave us a chance to try some Tibetan food .

A quick introduction to Ladakh

Before I talk about my 10 days in Ladakh, let me share my two bits on this place. Ladakh, meaning land of high passes,  shares it’s boundaries with Himachal Pradesh, Jammu &Kashmir, Tibet, China and parts of Pakistan. In the ancient times, it used to be a very important trade route. Rock carvings discovered in Ladakh, indicate about habitation from the Neolithic times. Herodotus, the father of history has written about Ladakh and its Indo Aryan population in his book. By the way, did you know that Leh has the maximum number of festivals in a year, on an average two every month ?

Vacationing in Ladakh

Khardungla Pass

We started the next day with a drive to Khardungla pass, the highest motor able road in the world which is at a height of approximate 5400 metres. It took more than an hour to reach there, but the drive is beautiful with the views of mountains around. This place is the gateway to Shyok and Nubra valleys.

Nubra valley ,  Bactrian camel and Balti village

An evening at the eco camp at Nubra valley has to be a part of the itinerary. Also known as the orchard of Ladakh, this is very scenic location. It is green during summer and snowy during winter. Locals call it a moon land during winter.

Next day we visited the Diksit (capital of Nubra) and Hunder villages and its monasteries, followed by a Bactrian camel safari. .  The visit to Turtuk village was a surprise for the day. This village is just before the Line of control, with neighbouring country Pakistan.  The locals language is Balti , and as per our guide it is mix of Persian and old Tibetan. One can see mount K2 , the world’s second tallest mountain peak. It was a day and a night well spent.

Back to Leh and some gastronomy

In the morning , we met a few locals, bought some apricot and drove back to Leh, which was a really long drive. The good thing about Leh is , once you are used to the high altitude , you can savour the beauty of the place and even such a long drive becomes enjoyable. Evening was the time for some Thukpa (soupy noodles) and momos.

Two days by the Pangong lake

Pangong, is the highest salt water Lake in the World, shared by two countries India & China. This lake also welcomes a lot of birds both residents and migratory. It is almost a 5 and a half hours drive from lake and we were glad that we had planned an overnight stay in one of the eco camps there. This lake also shot to fame because of a Bollywood movie “3 Idiots”. Next day we explored the area around the lake and visited the school run by “Sonam Wangchuk”. The character of Phunsuk Wangdu from the movie is in fact inspired by Sonam’s real life contribution to the society.

Did you know the water of the Pangong lake changes its colour from shades of blue to green to red? Even though it is a salt water lake, it   freezes completely during winters.

Ladakh at leisure

We were back to Leh and decided to relax since the last couple of days were quite action packed. Also we wanted plan our next few days well to explore the best of Leh

These were some of the places we covered in the next 5 days in Leh

Hemis Monastery

This was built in 1630 and looks very colourful from outside and absolutely peaceful from inside. The Monastery has a library of Tibetan books and also hosts a  of Thangkas, gold statues and Stupas embedded with precious stones. Hemis festival is celebrated every 12 years in the month of June and July and one of the largest Thangkas is on display during the festival. Guru Padmasambhava birth anniversary is celebrated every year , and if you are in Leh, do make it a point to attend this. Hemis is around 40 kms from the city and can be covered as a day trip

Hemis National Park, Ladakh

Just next to the Hemis Gompa is the Hemis national park, which is famous for snow leopards. The national park has a rugged landscape and has a very different feel from any other wildlife parks. And some of the endangered species of birds can be sighted here.

Magnetic Hill

This is the signage you come across once you reach there. The place creates an optical illusion supported by the layout and surroundings. Cars on the hill appear to roll “uphill” when they are actually moving downhill.

Leh Palace

This palace is inspired by  the Potala Palace in Lhasa ,Tibet. It is a nine storeyed building with the upper floor dedicated to the royal family and the lower floors for stables and storage. This palace was abandoned in the mid-19^th century and the royal family moved out of here. It was later restored by the Archaeological survey of India. The palace museum has huge collection of Jewellery, ornaments, traditional attire and crowns. It also offers a great panoramic view of the city

Jama Masjid

It is the biggest mosque in the Ladakh region and has a memorial called Shahi Hamdan, dedicated to Mir Syed Ali Hamdani,  a Muslim Sufi Saint. It was built in 1666-67 A.D. and has been reconstructed and rebuilt many a times.

Drukpa Nunnery and the Kungfu nuns

Meeting these young nuns practicing martial arts inside a nunnery is not a setting that one usually comes across. Don’t forget to visit Drukpa nunnery , it should be ideally covered along with the Alchi or magnetic hill trip.

River rafting

River rafting is definitely fun, even though it is quite cold out there.  Don’t forget to click a picture of the confluence of Indus and Zanskar rivers.

My travel was mostly restricted to Leh district, but even after spending around 10 days, I felt that I am yet to capture the essence of Ladakh. I am already planning for another trip, perhaps a long one this time. Hope I was able to fuel your imagination about Ladakh and its top experiences.

For the adventure lovers Chadar trek should be high on agenda. No we did not go trekking. The Chadar trek is considered as one of the most difficult treks in India and requires a little bit of preparation.

How to reach Leh & Ladakh ?

Leh airport has regular flights from Delhi, Srinagar, Chandigarh and Mumbai. And in case you love the long drive , you can either take the Manali  Rohtang pass route or the Srinagar Kargil route. Though it is a long driving distance, the route is very scenic

Best time to visit Leh, Ladakh

May to September is a good time to visit Leh. Incase you want to drive down to Leh, then it has to be timed with opening of the Rohtang pass route

For more such experiences on natural beauty in India, you could take a look at the article on Natural Wonders of India

In case you are keen on traveling to Ladakh, you could take a look at the Ladakh itinerary and customise your experience as a part of this itinerary.

India is not just about Natural wonders. There are many more facets to this ancient land – culture, mystery, history, nature, wildlife and so on. Read more about how the different facets of India travel are celebrated here…