Ladakh Travel Guide
Ladakh composes of Leh and Kargil. The Leh district covers almost more than half of the area of eastern Jammu and Kashmir. The concept of adventure tourism is rapidly growing in India since people do not want to go on stereotypical vacations where they do nothing but eat, sleep and go back to their normal lives. Exploring the unexplored is the new ‘in’ thing. Tourists want to explore new, remote areas. They do not want lavish or luxurious holidays. Imagine yourself trekking on a snow-capped mountain of Ladakh. Can you picture yourself river rafting in the Zanskar River? Or backpacking and walking for hours together to a monastery near Leh? If you like any of them, you are ready for a wild adventure trip to Ladakh. It may sound difficult or tricky in the beginning, but you can have the best time of your life on arriving at Ladakh.
Almost 18000 tourists visit Ladakh every year for adventure travel. A trekker’s favorite, it is gradually becoming a popular place among the tourists because of its scenic beauty and charming monasteries. The best part of Ladakh is that its Buddhist-Tibetan culture is still preserved by the government, which attracts thousands of tourists every year. You can always contact various tourist agencies that are set up all over the country. A favorite among the nature and culture enthusiasts, Ladakh is filled with exotic flora and fauna, which cannot be found in other areas of the country. With beautiful lakes, thrilling passes and charming historical sites, you will have an electrifying stay at Ladakh.
As mentioned earlier, Ladakh is considered to one of the favorite spots of the trekkers all over the world. The journey is ecstatic and fascinating as trekkers cross the Great Himalayas, Karakoram, Zanskar range and the Ladakh range. The Indian Government had banned tourists from trekking on some ranges because of security reasons but now people can easily trek on them. You should be physically and mentally fit before you go to trek here since the conditions are extreme and demand great climber. The famous Zanskar River freezes during winter but this does not stop adventure tourists from going there. You will require special clothing for trekking here. It is advisable to keep an extra pair of walking shoes. Pullovers, flashlight, sleeping bag and a first-aid-box are mandatory to keep. Apart from this you can always contact your trekking group to get information about other things.
There are many beautiful attractions in and around Ladakh. One of them is Pangong Tso. The Tibetan word means a long, enchanted and narrow lake. It is located at a height of approximately 4350 meters and a part of the lake lies in China. The lake freezes completely during winter despite being of saline water. The sparkling water of the Pangong Tso attracts many adventure tourists every year because of its breathtaking view. If you are not used to extreme conditions, you might take some time to acclimatize yourself to the environment. You can leave Leh in the morning and reach by afternoon. You might find photographers clicking and savoring the view along the shores of Pangong Tso. The breathtaking view of the Himalayas is alluring from the lake. People often opt to visit the lake in the night too.
Many trekkers camp around the lake for a day or two. When visiting the place, it is important to get ready to face cold weather, and extreme windy condition. The serene and peaceful environment of the lake attracts the tourists throughout the year. The lake is considered extremely sacred and holy by the localities in Ladakh too. You can also find small shops selling local food near the lake. It is advisable you take edible biscuits and other stuff so that you don’t have a problem camping there. Nature enthusiasts love going to the lake because migratory birds, gulls and various ducks come here on the lake to rest during summer. It is a famous breeding ground for these birds. The Brahminy ducks and the Bar-headed goose are the most famous birds that come here.
Best Places to Visit
The Sani Monastery had been built during the 2nd century AD. It was constructed in several parts. It is related to the King Asoka or also called the King Kanishka who wanted to spread Buddhism all over the Indian sub-continent. He was the Kushan ruler of the 2nd century AD. This temple this temple has been constructed in the form of a castle and has a typical dome like structure or ‘stupa’ at the back. As you enter the monastery, you will see a praying hall in the center. The complex is filled with intricate carvings of divine Buddhist Gods and Goddesses. The monastery has a typical Indo-Buddhist architecture, which symbolizes the introduction of stupas, human figurines and carvings of Buddha that tell various stories. The monastery is supposed to be extremely sacred for the Buddhists and the localities there. It is located on the Kargil Road, six kilometers away from Padum. The monastery is called a ‘gompa’ in Tibetan.
There are stonewalls and you can find engravings of various Buddhist deities as you enter the temple. The deity is bejeweled and has prayer cards all over it. The phrase, ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’ is written on the prayer wheels of the temple. It is a Sanskrit phrase that is related to ‘bodhisattva’ of Buddhism. According to Buddhism, ‘bodhisattva’ is the only ‘sattva’ or truth of life. Buddha says that the human being if moved my compassion and morality, can only then become a true human being. This is for the benefit of the whole mankind. It is a very important shrine for the Tibetan-Buddhists.
A cremation ground for the Buddhists is there outside the temple with fine intricate carvings all over. The Buddhist prayer flag shines high above the ground and you can also see the painting of Maitreya. Devotees come and pour holy oil there. It is considered extremely sacred by them. The best time to visit the Sani Monastery is during August or September because they celebrate the great Naro-Nasial festival then. It is during this time the ‘Guru Neropa Flower blooms. It is said to have get good fortune in the houses of Leh. Tourists love to visit the place to witness the masked performance of villagers during this festival.
The Royal Leh Palace is called by the King of the Sengge Namgyal in mid of 19th century. Dogra forces in the Ladakh with nine statures high built it and the upper floors mainly accommodated some of the best royal family. Later, the place turned into a ruin and is currently restored by the Archeological Survey Of India. This place is open to public and the surrounding areas. The painting, jewels and ornaments are open to public but they look 450 years old. The Stok Kangri can be easily seen from the Indus Valley. The place has 9 storerooms high and has storerooms in the lower floors.
The Magnetic Hill is located near the Leh, Ladakh. It is supposed to have strong magnetic properties strong enough that it can pull cars and other vehicles. In real life, it is an optical illusion effect, and there is supposedly no magnetic disturbance in the area. It is located on the Leh-Kargil-Srinagar highway. The local localities have also put a board saying that there is a Magnetic Hill due to which tourists have to wait when they are on car journeys. The magnetic hill also attracts the airways and the helicopter pathways too. If the aircraft or the helicopter comes in the ‘magnetic hill’ pathway, it starts jerking. The Indian Air Force is always very clear of the Magnetic Hill.
Accommodation
Accommodation will never be troublesome for you in Ladakh. If you are seeking to visit the place a number of days, you can always book a small room in the budget hotels in Ladakh. People are extremely friendly and are always ready to help you. If you are an international tourist, you can allow yourself a day or two to adjust to the place. The hotel is very comfortable and the management is extremely friendly. They provide customers with budget rooms as well as luxury rooms too. The rooms are extremely spacious with comfortable clean beds. Since most of the tourists reach the hotel late, they have a restaurant, which is open all day and night. Almost all the rooms have air-conditioner except some that are budget rooms. Hotel Ladakh Sarai is one of the famous hotels.
The hotel is extremely luxurious and provides you with quality service. With its impeccable service, Hotel Ladakh Sarai has achieved the topmost status in the city of Ladakh. Although the rates of the rooms are a bit high, the hotel promises to give its customers excellent customer service. As said earlier, it has impeccable service along with good customer service; the hotel does not allow it’s the tourists to complain.
The Ladakh Residency
The Ladakh Residency is one of the most enchanting hotels in Ladakh. They provide beautiful luxury rooms for people so that they can enjoy their stay at Ladakh. The management provides the customers with budget rooms as well as luxury rooms too. The rooms are very spacious with comfortable clean beds. Since most of the students reach the hotel late, they have a restaurant, which is open the whole day. Almost all the rooms have air-conditioner except some that are budget rooms. The budget rooms too are very spacious. Many people opt for budget rooms since they are mostly out the whole day and do not want to spend their money on facilities they do not use. They only want clean and comfortable beds to sleep. Some of the rooms are air-conditioned and some do not have an air conditioner. They have been divided into rooms of deluxe and non-deluxe.
Hotel Caravan Central
Amongst the budget hotels in Ladakh is the Hotel Caravan Central. They have one restaurant in their compound and their parking lot is very spacious. People love staying at the hotel since the management and chefs are very friendly. They often provide their customers with guided tours also. The Hotel have made their rooms in a budget style so that none of the tourists can crib about the stay after they are done with their stay,
Hotel Grand Dragon
Hotel Grand Dragon is one of the few hotels in Ladakh that is centrally located and the main customers of the hotel are corporate. They need banquet halls and conference rooms. The hotel provides them with such facilities and sometimes people stay over for a day or two and then leave afterwards. There are deluxe and non-deluxe rooms. The deluxe rooms also have a television set and spacious bathrooms. People can easily afford these rooms and enjoy their stay. They prefer staying in the hotel, finish the work and go back to their destination as fast possible. The hotel provides them with tours that can help them in their religious journey. They have personal chefs who take care of the taste and needs of the tourists. Not only do they provide Indian cuisine but also Continental food for their customers. They have special restaurants where tourists can sit and relax with their peers.
Hotel Lotus is another hotel amongst the luxury hotels of hotels in Ladakh. According to tourists and students, the hotel is very comfortable and the rates are pretty affordable. Since the structure of the hotel is so built, there is always an opportunity of changing from air conditioner room to non air conditioner room. The rooms could be deluxe or non deluxe too. Most of the rooms have WIFI Internet connection. They use their WIFI connection to find where exactly their hotel location is. The rooms are very spacious with comfortable clean beds. Since most of the students reach the hotel late, they have a restaurant, which is open the whole day. Almost all the rooms have air-conditioner except some that are budget rooms. The beds are extremely comfortable but they do not provide you with any meals. You should go to the hotel with an expectation that you would do almost all the work.
The Omasila Hotel is one of the prominent hotels in Ladakh. They provide their customers with amenities like laundry service in the morning car parking. They prefer staying in smaller rooms with basic amenities and comfortable beds. The hotel also provided you with breakfast in the morning but you have to go out for other meals. Tourists say that the hotel is very comfortable and the rates are extremely affordable. Many people believe in staying in budget rooms, as it allows them so save money to spend in other places. Most of the time people spend their money on trekking and backpacking.
Hotel Lingzi
Another hotel amongst the hotels in Ladakh is the Hotel Lingzi. The beds are extremely comfortable but they do not provide you with any meals. You should go to the hotel with an expectation that you would do almost all the work. Many international visitors prefer staying in these budget hotels since it is extremely convenient for them. The people of this place are friendly, and always willing to offer assistance to visitors. Since the structure of the hotel is so built, families love staying in this hotel. There is always an opportunity of changing from air conditioner room to non air conditioner room. You should go to the hotel with an expectation that you would do almost all the work. Many international visitors prefer staying in these budget hotels since it is extremely convenient for them.
Hotel Chube
Hotel chube/chubi is one of the budget hotels in Ladakh. This hotel is considered to be among the most convenient and affordable hotels in Ladakh. The service is quite commendable and has spacious bathrooms for the tourists. It is extremely clean and quiet. It is most meant for people who are staying for a night’s journey. The rates are extremely low and cheap. The hotel does not have a restaurant but you can always tell the manager to provide you with breakfast and other meals. Most of the tourists who prefer budget hotels love staying at Hotel Chube. For people who are finicky about cleanliness, hotel Chube is the place to stay at.