Ladakh Travel Guide
About Ladakh:
Ladakh has been described as “The Last Shangrila”, a living
museum of Tibetan Culture. Nestled high in the Himalaya and accessible
by road just 2 months out of the year, this isolated ancient Tibetan
Kingdom is home to one of the last surviving authentic Tibetan Buddhist
cultures. Better termed an expedition, this unique motorcycling
adventure travels through a variety of areas, from beautiful Himachal
Pradesh through the stunning Kullu Valley, and up onto the Tibetan
Plateau to the highest motorable pass in the world - Khardung La, 18,380
ft. Ladakh lies at altitudes ranging from about 9,000 feet (2750m) at
Kargil to 25,170 feet (7,672m) at Saser Kangri in the Karakoram. Thus
summer temperatures rarely exceed about 27 degree celcuis in the shade,
while in winter they may plummet to minus 20 degree celcuis even in Leh.
Surprisingly, though, the thin air makes the heat ofthe sun even more
intense than at lower altitudes; it is said that only in Ladakh can a
man sitting in the sun with his feet in the shade suffer from sunstroke
and frostbite at the same time! Ladakh is a high altitude plateau in the
north of the Himalayas. It is magical, remote, with delightful gentle
people. It is an otherworldly place with strange gompas perched on
soaring hilltops, ancient palaces cling on sheer rock walls and
landscapes splashed with small but brilliant patches of green. Ride thru
the highest motorable pass on the planet. For those who love mountain
riding this ones for you!
Getting There:
Ladakh, the capital of Leh is connected with regular flights from
Delhi, Chandigarh and Srinagar. The Leh airport offers one of the most
spectacular landings in the entire world.
By road, the 434 kilometer long journey from Srinagar to Leh takes two
days with an overnight halt at Kargil. The road is open from June to
October. There is also a road from Manali to Leh via Keylong, which
remains open from June to October.
Tourist Attractions:
The Leh Palace:
The Leh Palace is one of the major attractions here in Leh Ladakh. The
palace, built in the 17th century, is now dilapidated and deserted still
the tourists throng to see the majestic structure. The next comes the
Victory Tower at the top of the Namgyal hill built to commemorate
Ladakh's victory over the Balti Kashmir armies in the early 16th
century.
The Namgyal Tsemo Gompa:
The Namgyal Tsemo Gompa, built in 1430, contains a three-story high
Buddha image and ancient manuscripts and frescoes. One can also have
breathtakingly beautiful views of Leh from the fort above this gompa.
The Sankar gompa is located a couple of kilometers north of the town
center. The Shanti Stupa, built by a Japanese order, was opened by the
Dalai Lama in 1985. The stupa is located at a distance of 3 km from the
Fort Road. The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb constructed the mosque at the
head of the Leh Bazaar. The Soma gompa lies near the mosque.
In Ladakh, opening up of inner line areas such as the beautiful Pangong
Tso lake on the Indo-China border, Baima, whose villagers trace their
descent to the early Aryan settlers and Nubra Valley near the strategic
Siachen glacier on the Indo-Pak border has shooted up the graph of
tourists visiting Leh Ladakh.
Shey Palace And Monastery:
This summer palace of the erstwhile King of Leh is set upon a hill. The
monastery itself has a 7.5-meter high, copper statue of a sitting
Buddha, wrought in gold. This is the largest of its kind in the world.
The other important monasteries are:
Likir Monastery:
Founded at the same time as Spituk and Thiksey, Likir is recognized as
the foremost Delgupta monastery in Ladakh region. It is found near
Saspol on the Srinagar - Leh road. It houses a great deal of gigantic
clay statues of the Buddha in various forms; the primary attraction of
this monastery is its 1000-year-old wall paintings, which makes a visit
more than worth while.
Alchi Monastery:
The monastic complex at Alchi was built in the 11th century. It is the
best surviving example of the era and is notable because it was built
down in a valley instead of on a hilltop or mountainside
