Discover the beauty of Ladakh-the Land of High Passes

Ladakh is a Union Territory in the northern part of India. Leh is the capital.

Ladakh is bordered by Himachal Pradesh in the south, China in the north, Jammu & Kashmir and Pakistan in the West, and Tibet(an Autonomous Region of China) in the East. The Ladakhi culture is rich and unique with a majority of the people following Buddhism.

Most travellers have Ladakh on their bucket lists. Over the years, for some reason or the other, my trip to Leh Ladakh kept getting postponed. I am so happy to have finally visited this beautiful region of the Himalayas and would like to share my 2-week experience as a solo traveller.

Best time to visit Ladakh

Ladakh is one of the highest regions in the world, so you can expect it to be cold throughout the year. The ideal time to visit Ladakh is between April and July. Remember, it means more crowd too but you can enjoy sunny days throughout. I travelled during the shoulder season in the month of October. It was cold but the landscape was enchanting. Of course, the last week got a lot colder and I did get to the see first snowfall of the year. In spite of having a few tourists during that time, finding a shared taxi to travel within the region was not impossible.

I feel September / October is a perfect time though not all the places in the region will be accessible. If you have places like Zanskar Valley and Tso Moriri in your itinerary, it might be a bit dicey during these months. Summer months will be ideal for that.

Things to pack

Dressing in layers is the key to comfortable travel within the region irrespective of the month you are travelling. If you travel in winter, you will have to wear more layers. Of course, in the summer months, you can get away with summer clothes but for places like Khardungla etc, you will still need a good warm jacket. Carrying a few essential things is recommended

• Thermals
• Fleece jacket
• Warm socks
• Lip Balm( locally produced organic lip balm is great)
• Power Bank
• Comfortable hiking shoes. Walking shoes will do as well if you are not into serious hiking.
• Water bottle(preferably a flask )
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses ( UV rays are extremely high)
• Daypack
• Warm gloves

The above list is not exhaustive. In case you forget to pack anything, almost all essential things are available in Leh town. You get all leading brands of toiletries, energy bars ..literally everything. I would advise you to bring a warm jacket from home since I found the options are limited here and most of the shops sell used ones and if new ones are available, you might not get the best ones and sizes available are also limited.

The journey begins

I know people say you have to plan well in advance and have a solid itinerary to travel to a place like Ladakh. My case wasn’t exactly the same. I knew I was going to Ladakh and had a rough plan for the places I wanted to see. Since I am a slow traveller, I was pretty flexible if I was not able to make it to all the places. This was my first trip to Ladakh but I am pretty sure that there definitely is going to be a second time as well. Also, having travelled to cold places like Russia and having lived in some of the coldest cities in Canada, I was well prepared as far as the clothing was concerned.Shorten with AI

How to reach Leh

There are two ways you can reach Leh. One is by road from Srinagar or Manali or you can fly into Leh. There are flights from Delhi, Srinagar and a few other cities in India. I decided to fly since I wanted to enjoy one of the beautiful landings with the majestic Himalayas surrounding the desert valley of Leh. Oh, it was mesmerizing. It is one of the highest commercial airports in the world located at an altitude of 10682 feet.

Upon landing, there were signs to not take pictures of the airport since the airport is primarily administered by the Indian Armed Forces. It is a very small airport. I was so excited that I have made it to this beautiful part of India. On exit, we were greeted by live local dance and music. You can book a prepaid taxi at the counter outside. Leh city is a short drive from the airport and it should cost about Rs 550 to the city centre.

As I made my way to the Guest house, I could already see the stunning landscape surrounded by towering mountain peaks.

Dealing with High Altitude Sickness

Acute Mountain Sickness is usually felt by people flying directly into Leh and I did go through it with symptoms like dizziness, pounding headache and inability to sleep. These are the signs that you should rest well since your body is adjusting to the sudden change in altitude and weather. Acclimatization becomes easier if you travel by road since you gradually reach this altitude.

Flying to Leh usually results in High Altitude sickness( a few might be lucky not to experience it). It takes a day or two to acclimatize. Taking adequate rest, having light food and keeping yourself hydrated is the only solution. I did carry Diamox but managed without having even one tablet. All you need is rest. Your body needs time to adjust to the altitude. If your condition gets worse, the hotel or guest house staff you are staying at will check your oxygen level and if needed will even take you to the nearest hospital.

Where to stay in Leh

I usually use booking.com to find the best hotels. Whenever I am staying in a place for a longer period, I like to stay in different types of accommodation. This time I decided to split my stay between a Guest House and a Boutique Hotel.

I first decided to stay in a guest house so that I could get that authentic feel by living in a local’s house. My stay at Raku Guest House was great. The room was immaculately clean and the view from my room was amazing. The only thing missing was a heater. I highly recommend staying at this guest house if you are travelling in the summer months as it’s great value for money.

I found a number of guest houses on Upper Tukcha Road. So, finding a hotel or a Guest House in this area should be pretty easy.

Next, I stayed in a Boutique Hotel on Changspa road. My stay at  Gomang Hotel was exceptional. I can’t praise them enough for their hospitality. It is a mid-range hotel with beautiful heated rooms and the tariff includes a sumptuous buffet breakfast. They have a restaurant and I liked every single dish that I tried during my stay. They do accept special requests as well. In a place like Leh, this hotel exceeded my expectations in every way. I highly recommend this boutique hotel for a very comfortable stay.

Both places are a short 10-15 min walk to the city centre, cafes, and some local attractions. Since I travelled during the shoulder season, some of the cafes were closed but there were still many others that were open.

Transportation

Leh market and some other places can be explored on foot if you are staying near the city centre. If you are adventurous and have trust in your bike riding skills, renting a Scooty is a wonderful idea to explore the city and some nearby monasteries. An acquaintance Anant ( whom I met in Leh), an experienced traveller suggested renting a Scooty for easy travel within Leh. The rent per day would be Rs 1000.

I rented a private taxi through the hotel to explore nearby places around Leh. A full-day trip around Leh would be about Rs 3500.

For travelling to other places within the region, buses run on a regular basis to most of the places. Since I was travelling almost at the end of the peak season, I took a shared taxi. For a 3-night package, the total rental cost for an SUV and a driver including sightseeing would be around Rs 26ooo- 28000. So, if there are 4 people sharing the taxi, the share per person would be Rs 7000(approx). You will have to pay for the accommodation separately. If you opt for a 2-night package to fewer places, the cost would come down.

For Solo travellers wanting to get a shared taxi, the best way is to inform the dates and the places you would like to visit to travel companies located in the main market. They would contact you once they have the required number of passengers. It should be very easy during the season time. I had to wait for 2 days to get a confirmation.

SIM card

Only BSNL and Airtel postpaid numbers work here. Prepaid numbers from other states do not work at all. You can easily get a SIM from Leh market should you need one. I felt it was a great change to not have to look at the phone every now and then, instead, I could enjoy the beauty of the place to the fullest. The hotels and Guest Houses had wifi to stay connected with family and friends.

ATM and Cash

There are ATMs in Leh but they are usually crowded or at times not working. Hotels accept Credit Cards and some guest houses accept UPI transfers or google pay. Carrying cash is better.

Inner Line Permit

Indians are no longer required to get the Inner Line Permit. However, you will need to pay an environmental fee / Green fee. You can pay the Environmental fee online. Soft copies are accepted at checkpoints. You can pay for it after reaching Leh but I found applying online to be an easy and hassle-free option.

Where to eat

Due to its proximity to Tibet and close connection to its culture, Ladakhi food is highly influenced by Tibetan cuisine. As a vegetarian, I recommend the top three dishes when you are in Ladakh. They are Khambir, Momos and Thukpa. The best place to experience the cuisine of Ladakh is in and around the Leh market. There are some good bakeries famous for their bread. There are many restaurants and cafes serving international cuisines.

For typical Indian food, Neha snacks is a great place though you will have to wait for some time to get a seat since it is a very small place with just 6 tables or so. It is in the Main Bazar.

I had most of my meals in the restaurant of Gomang Hotel where I was staying. They have a wide variety to choose from and everything is prepared fresh.

The food in Bon Appetit restaurant & French Bakery on Changspa road was delicious. You can also place an order over the phone and they deliver it to your hotel. I did that a few times and every time their food was great and fresh at a reasonable price.

For authentic Ladakhi food, De Khambir is wonderful. This place was recommended by at least 3 locals. It is a very small place on the first floor of a building on Changspa road near the Main Bazar.

There are many other places like The Tibetan Kitchen, Lamayuru restaurant etc. Some were not open when I visited but these were recommended by other tourists.

Things to do in Leh Ladakh

Visit Leh Bazar

The Leh market is vibrant and an excellent place to interact with friendly locals. This would be normally your first stop. It looks like a small market but I was surprised to see that almost everything is available here. A number of travel agencies are located in and around this place. There are ATMs, a small Post Office, grocery stores, and a number of Tibetan Refugee shops. You can enjoy tea or a meal in one of the many cafes and restaurants here. It was crowded even in the month of October.

It is also an ideal place to shop for warm clothes, pashmina shawls, jewellery, dry fruits(particularly apricots) and nuts. If you are specifically looking for Tibetan Singing Bowls, this is a great place. Bargaining is pretty common.

Hemis Monastery

I finished my breakfast and was all ready to start this beautiful day. The driver came to pick me up at 9 am. Hemis Monastery is 45 km from Leh city. It took a little over an hour to reach there. The entrance to the monastery is very beautiful. After reaching the base, you will have to climb the steep steps(maybe around 100).

You will see the way up to the monastery to be beautifully adorned with colourful prayer flags and paintings and the view from the top is spectacular. This monastery is located at an elevation of 12000 ft. There is an amazing collection of ancient books, statues, and mantras in a well-maintained museum. You will have to leave your bags outside and photography is not allowed.

Thiksey Monastery

Thiksey monastery is 19 km east of Leh. It is located on top of a hill overlooking the Indus river. Thiksey monastery is known for its resemblance to the Potala palace in Lhasa, Tibet.

I wish I was there to see the morning prayer ceremony. It is a 12-storey complex that has temples and stupas. There is a beautiful 49 feet tall Maitreya Buddha statue. The statue is so huge that it covers two floors of the building. The courtyard has brightly painted walls and beautifully carved wooden pillars.

Leh Palace

It was a windy and cloudy day and as I crossed the entrance, it started snowing lightly and it was getting colder. I went inside and sat in one of the rooms. After a while, started exploring the rooms on other floors and reached the top floor for yet another spectacular view of the city. The palace was built in the 17th century for the royal family of Ladakh.

Shanti Stupa

Located 5 km from Leh city, this is a must-see place. You can either drive to the base from where you have to climb about 50 steps or reach on foot by climbing 500 steps. I must admit that it was very cold while climbing the steps, particularly the last level when you have to remove your shoes. The floor was almost wet and freezing but the view was rewarding. I recommend carrying spare socks in your daypack and especially if you would be visiting this place after September until the end of Winter. Also, carry a water bottle to keep yourself hydrated. The first thing that caught my attention was the fluttering beautiful colourful flags.

The first level of the stupa has a large statue of Buddha and I found the second level to be very interesting with colourful reliefs depicting the birth and death of Buddha and how he defeated the evil powers through meditation.

Trip to Nubra via Khardungla Pass

I was all set for our road trip to Nubra. While having breakfast, I got a message from the travel Agency that our trip might get delayed by 2 hours or so since there was heavy snowfall in Khardungla and the roads are blocked. In the meantime, it started snowing in Leh too. I was discussing with my guest house owners about an alternative trip in case this one gets cancelled, and that’s when I received another message that the driver will be there in a few minutes and we will be going for the trip as planned. I was so happy and excited.

Khardungla Pass

We stopped at Khardungla Pass on our way to Nubra Valley. The road to Khardungla was covered with snow which made the drive a bit challenging but our driver was skilled and experienced, making it a smooth and enjoyable drive. As we ascended higher, I could feel the drop in the temperature and the change in the scenery. The snow-covered Himalayas stretching out for miles on both sides of the road was surreal.

The distance is about 40 km and takes about an hour and a half. It was exciting to be driving on one of the highest motorable roads in the world at an altitude of 17982 ft. As the driver stopped, I got down to see how it actually felt to be at that altitude and I felt on top of the world. It was freezing but we managed to click some photos.

It is not recommended to stay here for an extended period of time because you can breathe this rarefied air for a short time only. Our driver said 15 mins should be fine. This was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. From here our journey to Nubra valley continued…

Nubra Valley

After a beautiful long drive of some 5 hours from Leh with a couple of stops for refreshments, we finally reached Nubra and decided to look for accommodation in Hundar. There is an ATM in Diskit which comes a few kilometres before entering Hundar.

Where to stay in Hunder

I want to mention here that if you are travelling in a shared taxi, you are expected to stay in the same hotel as others travelling with you or at least at some nearby hotel so that the driver can easily pick you up the next day to visit other places in the itinerary. We checked some hotels after reaching there and I recommend:

La Tsas Eco Lodge

I stayed here and was initially hesitant about this place since there was no heater in the rooms. They provided some 3 blankets and it wasn’t cold at all. Surprisingly the tariff was just Rs 3600 for 2 nights including breakfast and dinner. We probably got it at this rate since it was the end of the season. Coming to the room, it was spacious with basic facilities and there was running hot water in the bathroom just in the mornings which was alright. There was also a balcony facing the tall mountains and a little farm. The food was simple yet delicious. They have an organic vegetable garden and they use only fresh produce from the garden. I would recommend this hotel for your stay in Nubra.Shorten with AI

Hotel Hill Crest

I checked the rooms and they looked clean and modern with wifi. If you are looking for a room with heating, then this might be a good option since the hotel has a central heating system. The room tariff is about Rs 5000 a night.

Hunder itself is a very nice place to go on a stroll and interact with the locals. The weather was warmer and pleasant here. It would be nice to spend a few days here.

Diskit Monastery

The location of this monastery is breathtaking with a view of Nubra valley. I visited during the morning around 9:30 and it was not crowded at all. There is a huge 106 feet tall statue of Maitreya Buddha(the future Buddha). You will have a tough time taking a full picture of the huge statue with you in the same frame.

As in every other monastery, there are beautiful and colourful prayer wheels before entering the monastery. I loved spinning these wheels for good luck. Remember to spin them clockwise. On entering the temple, there were chantings, and fragrances of incense creating a perfect atmosphere for meditation.

Visit the adorable Bactrian Camels in Nubra valley

While in Nubra valley, do visit the two-humped Bactrian camels. We were there during sunset when the camels were resting. They are so adorable. You can go on a camel ride through the stunning sand dunes.

It was a magical experience to witness the sunset over the snow-capped mountains. The multicoloured sky, sand, camels, and mountains all gave a strikingly beautiful desert scenery.

ATV ride

An ATV ride in Nubra Valley is a great experience for adventure seekers. You will have an experienced guide along with you. The ride through the sand dunes was very scenic and the cold air in the valley added an extra layer of excitement to the ATV ride. Don’t forget to dress warmly. This was a very unique and unforgettable experience.

Turtuk Village

Turtuk is one of the northernmost villages in India and is located very close to the Line of Control between India and Pakistan. The village is surrounded by the Karakoram mountain range and the Shyok river. As you reach the village, the first thing you will notice is a quaint bridge and I remember seeing at least two vegan restaurants here in case you are looking for one. Anyway, I decided to enter a small path to the left that will take you to the heart of the village. Here, you can get an authentic glimpse of this village. The locals were warm and welcoming. The language spoken here is Balti. It was a wonderful experience strolling through the narrow lanes. There is a small museum displaying artefacts from the Balti culture. If you love visiting off-the-beaten places, do visit Turtuk in Nubra Valley.Shorten with AI

Pangong Lake

 

Pangong Lake is 150 km from Nubra Valley. It took around 5 .5 hours. The drive from Nubra to Pangong was as beautiful as it can be and the roads were good for a while and then for some stretch, the drive was bumpy. As we were nearing the lake and could see the lake from afar, it was a great feeling. The view was out of this world. The deep blue colour of the lake with the majestic mountains in the background, I do not have words to describe the beauty of this place.

Pangong Lake is the highest saltwater lake in the world. You can spend hours sitting by the shore and watching the natural beauty this place has to offer. I could spot a few tourists. We initially had plans to stay here overnight but I was travelling in a shared taxi, two of them were not really interested in staying here overnight, so we decided to leave for Leh the same day.

I decided to spend a few more days in Leh before heading back home. I could spend many more days here just admiring the scenery during the day and stargazing at night. As I boarded my flight back home, I was looking at the pictures and reliving the days spent there. It was definitely one of the best experiences.

Whether you are travelling to Ladakh for jaw-dropping landscapes, to witness the rituals of the monks in the monasteries or just looking for peace and tranquillity to be one with nature, whatever may be the reason, Ladakh is a place that is great for every kind of traveller.