Ladakh means “Land of high passes” and lies in the extreme far flung corners of north of India. Near the Indus valley lies the historic city of Leh, capital of Ladakh. Leh is the only city in Ladakh which has decent population count and offers you some basic amenities. Ladakh is surrounded by Kunlun Mountains in the north and The Great Himalayas in the south. It’s the one of the most picturesque but uninhabited place in India.
Ladakh few years back was one of least accessed tourist destinations in the country but of late it has been gaining much popularity, especially among the young and reckless. Ladakh is reachable by road and air route. The drive to Ladakh is an extremely adventurous one with the most picturesque scenes and breathtaking views but challenging with the most difficult terrain and not so perfect roads. It’s a mouth watering journey for road lovers. There are two popular motor able routes, the first is via Manali and Rohtang Pass gives you the most splendid drive, you get to drive between snow capped mountains and free flowing rivers. The second route is through Srinagar is as picturesque as any but capable of giving adrenaline rush even to a daredevil. Both these routes have heavy presence of Army and also have built and maintained by army too and pass through various rivers and passes and each has charm of it’s own. Also, Ladakh is only accessible during summers. The road from Srinagar to Ladakh remains opened from May to October while road from Manali to Ladakh opens only in June and closes in September.
Places to visit in Ladakh:
Leh is a very ancient city, famous for its monasteries and comprises mainly of Buddhist population.
Khardung La is highest motorable road in the world and a must visit place in Ladakh.
Pangong Tso is the same lake where few scenes of the famous movie, 3 Idiots were shot. The lake offers a sight which you can never forget. It’s a blue water lake which extend from Ladakh to Tibet.
Nubra Valley is a high altitude desert which experiences rare precipitation but very prone to landslides. It’s a desert you would never get to see on any planet.
Zanskar: Another isolated but most astonishing place which hasn’t been discovered completely but most expendable place. Zanskar has cities like Kargil, Drass and Siachen which have their importance for war reasons. Zanskar is also famous for its white river rafting in Indus river which is most difficult rafting anyone can encounter.
Ladakh has a variety of flora and fauna. A lot of birds migrate from different parts to Ladakh in summers. Also the camels found here are lot different from those in other countries and are known as Bactrian Camels. Ladakh is full of greenery and different coloured flowers which blossom mainly during the summers. It is also called white desert. The Ladakh trek has so much to offer to anyone’s taste for adventure and a lustful hunger for the grace of natural beauty. If you want to visit this beautiful place then try some of the Leh Ladakh Tour Packages here. I am sure you will find something that will interest you.
Also there are Changthang, Champa, Shyok and Nubra valley with each leaving you spellbound with their scenic beauties where people still live the most nomadic lives.
It’s said you do return from Ladakh but your mind and your soul are left behind thousands of kilometres back in the mountains of wilderness of Ladakh.