So Ladakh happens to be India's highest, northern barren frontier, and easily, the most underrated tourist destination in the country (Tip #1 Sit on the left side of the aeroplane to get really good views of the mountainous landscape below while the plane readies itself to land at the Leh airport).
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| View of Ladakh from the plane |
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| Leh Palace |
The first evening, the crisp chill of the ensuing night refreshed our minds as we toured the Leh palace, or what remains of it. The weather, though initially a little cold with the whipping wind adding to the discomfort, gets better as you spend more time outdoors ( like wine ;) ).
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| Lamayuru |
The next day we drove all the way to the ancient town of Lamayuru stopping at the famous Alchi monastery and the Magnetic Hill on the way. The ride, though long and pretty bumpy in some parts, was absolutely worth it; the road winds around this small mountain stream with picturesque mountains, forests and occasional gompas dotting the way.
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| Alchi |
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| Khardung La pass |
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| View from Khardung La |
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| Bactrian Camels |
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| Nubra Valley |
The next day we proceeded north from Leh to the valley of Nubra, a mere 100 kilometres from the famous Siachen Glacier, the highest battlefield in the world! The valley is flanked some of the tallest mountains in the region making for very scenic landscapes as we drove to the town of Hundar in the valley. We stayed in the valley for a night enjoying the scenery, riding Bactrian camels, and fretting occasionally over the breathlessness that weighed upon us sometimes. The route to the valley consists of crossing the Khardung La pass, which is the world's highest motorable road at an altitude of 18380 feet ( It is advised that one spend not more than fifteen minutes atop the pass for the low levels of oxygen that is present in the air ). We also stopped at the Diskit monastery on the way which looked truly majestic nestled in one of the lofty peaks that flanked either side of the valley.
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| Diskit Monastery |
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| Thikse Monastery |
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| On the way to Pangong Tso |
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| On the way to Pangong Tso |
Once we were back in Leh, we set off towards the east to the magnificent lake, Pangong Tso, very close to the Chinese border. On the way to the lake, we stopped at the famous Thikse monastery. The road to the lake led us through the Chang La pass, the third highest motorable road in the world at 17,586 feet. The lake itself is absolutely pristine with its multi-shaded blue waters flanked by barren mountains on either side expanding all the way to the unending horizon.
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| Pangong Tso |
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| Pangong Tso |
My trip to Ladakh made me see things I could only imagine and believe things that I could only dream of.
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