Ladakh
“Julley!”
Ladakh is a cold desert! Not a desert that has vast stretches of sand and nothing else in sight, but, a desert of beautiful landscapes, snow–clad mountains, vast beautiful lakes, Buddhist monasteries, warm people, and vibrant festivals. It is a Union territory that forms the northern boundary of India sharing its borders with China. The Ladakh range, the Zanskar range, the Himalayan range and the Karakoram range merge and crisscross to give the different valleys their unique look and feel.
Introduction
It is a journey of a lifetime. Without visiting Ladakh your trip to India is incomplete. Made popular in the most recent of times specially by the biking enthusiasts, the entire Ladakh is one stunning journey. Most of Ladakh is mountainous, rocky, and remote. Its remoteness has preserved its true essence. Its special terrain makes it a struggle to survive here. The everyday life of the local population is difficult which they spend with a smile on their face.
As beautiful as it is, it is not easy to scale the heights of above 3000m that makes up this entire region. It needs careful planning and preparation. The climatic conditions of such heights is not everyone’s cup of tea. That is what makes it even more adventurous! Having said that, Ladakh is not scary. Everyone must visit here at least once in their lifetime. We cannot pinpoint if it was the culture, the difficult life or the Buddhist vibes of this place but it shifted our perspective towards life.
There are many areas to explore in Ladakh – Sham Valley, Nubra Valley, Shyok Valley, Panamik, Pangong, Hanle, Tso Moriri, Manali Highway. Each very different from the other. You will blink in disbelief at the beauty this place has to offer. It becomes a difficult task to select what you would like to visit and what to skip in a single trip. That is why you will keep coming over and over! You can spend months living here. Working on weekdays and travelling on weekends.
Confused? Do not worry. We got your back! To make things easier for you, we have a detailed description of our trip to Ladakh. Lie back and come explore Ladakh with us.
Leh
There are so many things to do and explore in and around the Leh city. Palace, monastery, passes, valleys, hills and what not. There are several routes from Leh to other major locations and we have covered all the tourist spots that fall on those routes accordingly. In this post we are covering the area… Read More
Sham Valley
Sham Valley is the area west to Leh city. It covers the regions upto Kargil and includes some of the most stunning and incredible landscapes of the world specially Lamayuru– “the moonland”. You also get to see the Indus river cutting its path through the Ladakh hills. Then there are some of the oldest monasteries… Read More
Nubra Valley
The Nubra Valley is popular because of several reasons. First of them is it being accessible through the Khardung La pass which is one of the highest motorable road in the world (11th on the list). It is popular as the highest but it is not! Do not worry! 8 out of top 10 motorable… Read More
Pangong
Pangong is not a specific region. It is only the name of the lake. By Pangong here we mean, enroute Pangong lake. The village where Pangong is located is named Spangmik. There are two nearby villages by the names Man and Merak, where you would find many homestays and hotels. The Pangong stretches upto the… Read More
Hanle
Hanle is a small village marked by one of the highest observatories in the world. It is an area not suitable for habitation. This region is popular for walking, star gazing, and photography. If the skies remain clear, you can get a clear view of the milky way galaxy from here for which photography enthusiasts… Read More
Tso Moriri
Again, Tso Moriri is not a region. It is the name of a lake situated at Korzok village of Ladakh. Tso Moriri is a difficult trip from Pangong via Chushul and Mahe bridge. The roads are basically absent. No proper infrastructure is available in the village that is near the Tso Moriri lake. This is… Read More
Places of Interest (Ladakh)
Previously part of Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh is now a Union Territory. Ladakh has a large area divided into two districts: Leh and Kargil. It has China to its east and north-east and Pakistan to its north west. Nevertheless, it is a beauty. There are many unique and stunning places of interest in Ladakh. As… Read More
Weather (Ladakh)
The weather of Ladakh is unlike other parts of India. It has a very cold and arid climate. Ladakh has very low temperatures throughout the year. If you want to learn more about when and how to visit Ladakh check out our suggestions post here. Seasons: Season Summer Monsoon Winter Months April- June June-September October-March… Read More
How To Reach (Ladakh)
It is always a dream of a traveller to visit Ladakh. Depending on your style of travel, there are several options. Ways to reach Ladakh is as interesting as the place itself. There are three ways in how to reach Leh, the capital of Ladakh. All three are exciting and suited to the different sections… Read More
Acclimatization
Acclimatization is a frequently mentioned term associated with high mountainous regions. This simply means to come to terms with the climate conditions of the place. Since, Ladakh is situated at a very high level, the temperatures are very low and there is a lack of oxygen. This can cause our body to respond differently than… Read More