Ladakhh an enchanted land, one of the most iconic and wonderful place to visit. I never imagined that a desert can be so beautiful, serene and scenic but all that changed when I saw Leh. The Ladakis are one of the most humble and friendly people, I have visited lot of places but never met such peaceful and lovely people.
Ladakhh is best visited Between June and Mid- October.
When the rest of India is drenched by the monsoon,the weather remains largely fine in the region.beyond the Himalayas, the high mountains keeping the clouds at bay.
Reaching Leh: There are several flights to Leh from Delhi (with amazing Himalayan views if you manage a window seat). You can also of course take the overland route through one of two stunningly scenic highways- one from Manali and other from Kashmir Valley –that connects Leh. Both road journeys normally take two days; crossing several passes over the Great Himalayas and other ranges, they are among the greatest mountain drives in the world. One needs minimum of one week to do justice to the sights and experiences of Ladhak.Travellers need a day or two to acclimatise because of its high altitude (above 3000m/ 10,000ft.), especially if you are flying in; failing to do so could result in acute mountain Sickness or AMS which can be fatal. It is best to take easy on the day you arrive.
Manali-leh road: The 473km/296 miles Manli-Leh road negotiates four mountain passes as it crosses the Himalayas. The first is the Rohtang Pass( 3978m/13,050 ft), 51km/32 miles from Manali, that takes you over the Pir Panjal range and into Himachal’s Lahaoul-Spiti district. Then comes the spectacular BaralachaLa pass (4891m/16,046 ft) with a pretty glacial lake at its approach. Descending from the pass, you reach Sarchu and then upon crossing the LachulungLa pass(5100m/16,730 ft) you reach Pang. An ascent after Pang leads to the Moray Plains and after that your vehicle will begin the steep ascent of TaglungLa pass (5350m/17,552ft), claimed to be the second highest motorable pass in the world. Eventually you reach Upasi, a road junction with a check post and Leh is now only 50km away.
Srinagar-Leh road: The road from Srinagar (434km/ 271 miles) is equally scenic,climbing first the ZojiLa Pass (3529m/ 11,578 ft) past Sonmarg, reaching Dras,the coldest inhabited place in India, which has a beautiful war memorating the fallen Indian soldiers of the Kargil war.Mulbek is the first big place after Kargil.The road next climbs the FotuLa pass (4108m/13,749ft) past the famous monastery of Lamayuru.After this road will enter the Indus valley, and now you are truly in Ladakhh.
Attraction of Leh: Apart from its amazing landscape,
Ladakhh’s other major attractions are its Gompas,
Leh Palace, Shey Castle, Shanti Stupa, Magnetic Hill,Lakes etc.
Gompas: Ladhakh’s famous monasteries: Hemis,
Alchi, Lamayuru, Thikse , Likir & more.
Nubra Valley: one of the most enthralling regions of Ladakhh,
Nubra lies north of Leh. Reached by crossing the Ladakhh range
over KhardungLa Pass, the world’s highest motorable pass (5,602m/ 18,380ft). Nubra’s villages- Diskit, Hundar, Sumur, Panamik.
Diskit has several camps for overnight stays.Soon after leaving the green expanse of Diskit, the road to Hundar runs into a desert.
The Desert is one of the highlights of the Nubra visit.
Rides on Bactrian camels (a native of the Gobi desert) is Nubra’s unique attraction.Riding the strange double-humped shaggy haired animals is indeed an experience not to be missed.
Lakes: Pangong Tso (tso means lake), Tso- kar
And Tso – Moriri are very famous lakes of Leh.
One Ladaki word that visitors soon learn is the universal greeting, “ Julay!”, which means ‘thank you’.
~ Author
Sonam Yadav
Ladakhh is best visited between June and mid-October.
