Heaven on Earth. That's just what Ladakh is. Situated in Jammu and Kashmir state of India, one of the most beautiful places in India. June to September is the best time to visit this place, as the snow recedes and the roads become clear. Leh, the capital of Ladakh is at a height of about 9000 feet.
Pangong Tso is a salt water lake which adds up to the beauty created by the snow capped mountains. It is undoubtedly the most beautiful part of Ladakh. The lake changes its color during the day. The waves in the lake makes it look more like sea. The lake is completely frozen in winter. The weather is very cold and windy most of the times and you have to make yourself comfortable staying in one of the tents on the lake as that is the only accommodation available here. Pangong Tso is partly in India and partly in China thus forming a part of Indo China border.
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Pangong Tso.
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| Khardung La. |
At a height of a little above 18,000 feet is the highest motorable road in Ladakh called Khardung La. This is a mountainous road and a bit rough due to landslides occuring frequently with snowing. The beauty of the place is in watching glaciers all around you. You should be wearing goggles and woolen clothes while you are here, as the glare is too much and the cold is quite severe,especially when there is snowfall. Altitude sickness can be a problem here in case you are not properly acclimatized. Khardung La has a military canteen to satiate your hunger,that offers Kawa(local tea) and few ready to eat snacks. It is imperative to carry food along with you while you travel through this way as there are no other proper restaurants on the way. Khardung La connects Leh to Nubra Valley and Siachen further down.
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| Khardung La top. |
Another beautiful pass on the way to Pangong Tso is Chang La. At a height of about 17800 feet, this motorable road offers a breathtaking view of the snow mountain ranges. Chang La too has a military canteen on top which serves Kawa and ready to eat snacks. The roads here are very steep and have frequent landslides. The road leads to Changthang plateau and to Tangtse village further down. There is a guest house called Dothguling guest house which serves food to tourists on the way to Pangong Tso.
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| Chang La |
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| Nubra Valley |
Nubra Valley has everything one can ask for. Sand dunes in a cold desert, snowy mountains and a beautiful river flowing through. Camel rides on double humped Mongolian camels are an attraction here. Diskit is the capital of Nubra. There is a famous monastery, a tall statue of Maitreya Buddha(future Buddha to be born) and a beautiful river called Shyok river which separates the Ladakh range of mountains from Karakorum range at Diskit.
The weather in Nubra is generally pleasant. It is at a lower altitude(about 10,000 feet) compared to most other places in Ladakh. Hunder is a small and beautiful village in Nubra valley.
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| View of Maitreya Buddha from Diskit monastery. |
One can certainly not afford to miss the confluence of Indus river and Zanskar river near Leh once you are in Ladakh. The rivers are completely frozen in winter season making it a venue for Chadar Trek, a walk over the frozen Zanskar river to reach Zanskar Valley, which is otherwise cut off from the country for several months. In summer, Zanskar river is a great location for river rafting.
The beautiful Shanti Stupa, Leh palace, ancient monasteries and the fine taste of apricots which linger on for a long time all contribute immensely to the beauty of this place.
Click Here to watch the beautiful Pangong Lake.
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