TOP 5 BEAUTIFUL PLACES IN LADAKH

Ladakh ("land of high passes") is a region in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir that currently extends from the Kunlun mountain range to the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetandescent.It is one of the most sparsely populated regions in Jammu and Kashmir and its culture and history are closely related to that of Tibet. Ladakh is renowned for its remote mountain beauty and culture.

• Nubra Valley

Nubra is a valley located to the north east of Ladakh valley. Diskit the capital of Nubra is about 150 km north from Leh town, the capital of Ladakh district, India. Local scholars say that its original name was Ldumra (the valley of flowers). The Shyok River meets the Nubra or Siachan River to form a large valley that separates the Ladakh and Karakoram Ranges. The Shyok river is a tributary of the Indus river. The average altitude of the valley is about 13,000 ft. i.e. 4000 metres above the sea level.

Height: 4000 meters above the sea level. You can get Double Dib Camels, which comes from magnolia, Dessert and Rough ranges.

Location: The paradisiacal Nubra Valley is located at a distance of 140 km from Leh and the main road access to the valley is through Khardung La pass where you have to show the photocopies of your travel permit to the soldiers camping.

Best time to visit: The months from June to September is the perfect period to visit Nubra Valley.

• Tso Moriri

The lesser known of the many lakes within the Changtang Wildlife sanctuary, MoririTsolake is a twin to the PangongTso Lake. Located inside the Changtang wildlife sanctuary.  The water body measures about 28 km in length from north to south, and about 100 feet average in depth. The lake is surrounded by barren hills, with the backdrop of beautiful snow-covered mountains. Since MoririTso lake is the lesser known of the two lakes, the crowd frequency is less too so they started to spell Tsomoriri.

TsoMoriri has been declared as a wetland reserve, covered by village name Karzok& very near to china. A number of species of birds included bare-headed goose, the great-crested grebe, the Brahmin duck and the brown-headed gull. Himalayan hares are abundantly found here. MoririTso is also called the 'mountain lake', owing to the peaks that surround it, towering at a height of 3800 meters, shutting it off from the outside world.

• Pangong Tso

PangongLake, situated at a height of almost 4,350m, is the world’s highest saltwater lake. Its waters, which seem to be dyed in blue, stand in stark contrast to the arid mountains surrounding it. Extending to almost 160km, one-third of the Pangong Lake lies in India and the other two-thirds in China.

Pangong Lake, one of the most famous lakes in LehLadakh, derives its name from the Tibetan word, “PangongTso”, which means “high grassland lake”.

• Hanle

Hanle is a place with low ambient temperature, low concentration of atmospheric aerosols, low humidity, low atmospheric water vapor and absolutely no pollution. In a nutshell, the sky is extremely clear. You know what that accounts for? A sky so brightly lit with billions of stars, you won’t imagine your eyes.

This is also the reason Hanle has the worlds second highest optical telescope in the world. Would you believe me now? I hope you do.

Hanle rarely makes it to itineraries, at times because of time crunch and the rest of the times due to lack of knowledge. I did my part here, I hope you do yours.

• Chang La

Chang La stands out because of its beauty and the remarkable thrill hiding in the trails. The pass is closely connected to Leh via Kharu and Sekti village by a tricky asphalt road..

The name Chang La means pass to the south and there are numerous stories have been told regarding the etymology of Chang La. The main story is related to Chang La Baba on whose name there is a temple at the pass. Tangste, a small town existing near the pass is the only inhabited region in the vicinity.

Chang La can be seen on your tour to PangongTso from Leh and the pass is recognized as the major gateway to the famous Changthang Plateau in the Himalayas.

Maximum Altitude: 17586 feet is the measured height of Chang La Pass which seems to be a great height for trek lovers and bikers.

Best time to Visit: The months from May to October is believed to be the suitable time to cross the pass since during winter the paths would be covered by thick snow.

How to Reach: Chang La lies on the national highway 21 or the famous Leh-Manali highway. It is located on the road to PangongTso from Leh. You can reach the pass by bike, jeep or bus. It is thrilling to reach the pass by trekking.