Ladakh

Ladakh, a land which can be described only in speculative expanse. Geographical, historical and human factors have endowed this region, known earlier as Manyul - the land of men - with its unique character and place in the World.Wild flowers bring colour to this valley as spring takes over Ladakh has often changed names, all of which give a good description of the conditions prevailing in the region: Ladwags-land below the mountain passes; Bladwags: land of the lama; Maryul: the red country; Muah Ris bSsor Gsum: land to the west of Tibet. In the West it is sometimes referred to as Moon country and Little Tibet. Rather a long list of names for an area of 59,000 square kilometres having one of the lowest population densities in the world: 2 inhabitants per kilometer, 59,000 square kilometres of rocky desert, apparently inhospitable mountains, a world of bewitching silence, framed in a parallel fashion by two of the most imposing mountain ranges, the Karakoram to the North, the Himalayas to the South.

Place to see:

Ladakh

Ladakh has a rich landscape, peopled with different ethnic groups. The source of the Indus is in Tibet and it enters into Ladakh through Changthang, the region of the Changpah nomads. These are fiercely independent people, proud of their wanderings in the Himalayas. Most of them are Tibetan refugees, living on the raising of yaks, sheep and particularly goats whose wool, treated in a special manner, takes on the magic conjured by the name pashmina.This precious article is sold in Leh, in the Indus valley where the, inhabitants, belonging to the Tibeto-Mongoloid race has been sedentary since 13 centuries. Continuing this journey along the Indus, the Zanskar, coming down from the heart of the Himalayas. It is the valley marking the border between Ladakh and Kashmir. Further to the west, the land of the Drogpahs (Dards) opens up its doors. These Aryans come from Baltistan and they belonged to the kingdom of Gilgit. Just five Dard villages belong to Ladakh; an extraordinary world, which gives one a feeling of living through a meeting with the story of humanity. To the north of Leh is a road which seems to never stop rising ever higher, an astral quest. This is the Beacon Highway, the highest road in the world. Khardong La offers to our gaze a forbidden valley: Nubra. Here the Siachen meets the Shayok to present to the guardians of the Karakoram an expanse of greenery contrasting remarkably with the rest of Ladakh. The inhabitants of Nubra offer to modern travelers the hospitality reserved in earlier times for the caravans on the silk road which came to this rich oasis to replenish their supplies.

VISA

Foreigners visiting Ladakh must possess an Indian visa. No special permit is required for either travelling or trekking inside Ladakh. However, necessary travel documents need to be shown as and when required.





GETTING THERE and around

From June to September, everyday flights Delhi-Leh. Reservation should be made well in advance. It is a most beautiful flight above the Himalayas.The Manali-Leh road is open in summer. A long but agnificent (2 days) one.
 

GENERAL INFO


Adventure: Trekking, white water rafting, mountain biking and rock climbing.

Accommodation: Hotels of all categories are found in Leh while doing adventural trip to ladakh the accommodation will be on tent.

Best season: It starts snowing over the high passes from the end of September people expect it melt down by the end of June. So, the best season to travel to Ladakh is from end of June to late September. The monsoon clouds rarely make their way to Ladakh and hence it remains relatively dry.

Place of interest

Drass:

Drass (3230 m), 60 km west of Kargil on the road to Srinagar, is a small township lying in the centre of the valley of the same name. KARGIL (2704 m), 204 kms from Srinagar in the west and 234 kms from Leh in the east, is the second largest urban centre of Ladakh and headquarters of the district of same name.

Suru valley:

One of the most beautiful regions of Ladakh , the Suru Valley forms the mainstay of Kargil district. Lying nestled along the north-eastern foothills of the great Himalayan Wall, it extends from Kargil town, first southward for a length of about 75 Kms Upto the expanse around Panikhar, thence eastward for another stretch of nearly 65 kms upto the foot of the Penzila watershed where the Suru valley rises.

Zanskar:

About 20 kms. South of Rangdum stands the Pazila watershed across which lies Zanskar, the most isolated of all the trans Himalayan Valleys. The Panzila Top (4401 m) is the picturesque tableland adorned with two small alpine lakes and surrounded by snow covered peaks.

Rangdum:

The farthest and the most isolated part of the Suru Valley, Rangdum is an elliptical expanded plateau surrounded by colourful hills on the one side and glacier encrusted rocky mountains on the other. Situated 130 kms South- east of Kargil, it falls midway between Kargil and Padum.

Sankoo:

A picturesque expanse surrounded by colorful rocky mountains, Sankoo is an upcoming township with a small bazaar (42 kms south of Kargil) and numerous villages around.

Zangla:

Lying deep in the northern arm of Zanskar at the end of the 35 km. Long rough road from Padum, Zangla was being ruled by a titular king till his death a few years back.