General Information
Location : In the extreme northern state of India, Jammu & Kashmir.
Best Buys : Tibetan handicraft items.
Best Activities : Trekking, Mountaineering, river rafting, archery, polo.
Nearby Tourist Destinations : Leh, Manali, Srinagar, Pahalgam.
When to Visit : May to October
Tourist Attractions : Zanskar Valley, Hemis Monastery, The Thikse Monastery, Alchi, Dah-Hanu, Hemis Wildlife Sanctuary, Nubra valleys.
About Ladakh
Ladakh is a land like no other. Popularly known as the Lama Land or little Tibet, Ladakh Bounded by two of the world's mightiest mountain ranges, the Great Himalayas and the Karakoram, Ladakh lies sideways to Ladakh range and the Zanskar range. Ladakh lies at altitudes ranging between about 9,000 feet (2,750m) at Kargil & 25,170 feet (7,672m) at Saser Kangri in the Karakoram. Thus summer temperatures rarely exceed about 270 C in the shade, while in winter they may plummet to -200 C even in Leh. Surprisingly, though, the thin air makes the heat of the sun even more intense than at lower altitudes; it is said that only in Ladakh can a man sitting in the sun with his feet in the shade suffer from sunstroke and frostbite at the same time!
Major Tourist Attractions in Ladakh
The Hemis Monastery
The Hemis monastery is the largest monastery in Ladakh. At any given time, there are at least a 150 lamas living in it. Hemis is especially renowned for a huge painting of the Buddha, which is displayed to the poublic once in 11 years.
The Thikse Monastery
The Thikse monastery, near Leh, is considered to be an architectural wonder. The Shey monastery has a huge gold-plated copper statue of the Buddha. Alchi, Likir and Lamayuru are amongst the oldest gompas of Ladakh. Alchi was built 1,000 years back and Likir dates as far back as the 11th century.
Sankar Gompa
Sankar Gompa, 3-km north of the town centre, is among the most accessible monasteries in central Ladakh - hence its restricted visiting hours for tourists
Alchi
Driving past on the nearby Srinagar-Leh highway, you'd never guess that this is one of the most significant historical sites in Asia.
Dah-Hanu
Dah and Hanu are places on the far side of the great Indus River on the far side of Leh. Surrounded by the great Hindu - Kush mountains and peopled by a hardy but gentle people who have a bank of strange legends to relate for the weary traveller's ears.
Hemis Wildlife Sanctuary
The Hemis High Altitude National Park includes the catchments of two valleys, which drain into the River Indus. It is named after the famous monastery -- Hemis, and sprawls over 600-sq-km in the Markha And Rumbak valleys.
Nubra valleys
The Nubra Valley, once on the trading route that connected eastern Tibet with Turkistan via the famous Karakoram Pass, is the most recently opened area of Ladakh. Nubra invites you to a trip back in time into a nearly forgotten 'Shangri La'. With breathtaking views and delightfully hospitable inhabitants, it is quite an experience.
Lakes in Ladakh
The Tso Morari Lake is one of the largest lakes in Ladakh region and is almost like an inland sea. At an altitude of almost 4,500 meters, the Pangong Tso is only 8-km wide at its broadest but is an amazing 134-km long. Kyaghr lake is the halting place for trekkers moving from the Kiangdum camping ground to the Tsomorari Lake.
How to get there
Air : From June to September, 3 to 5 flights Delhi-Leh. Reservation should be made well in advance. It is a most beautiful flight above the Himalayas.
Road : The Manali-Leh road is open in summer. A long but magnificent (2 days) one. Buses run on this road.
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