Well, I am one of many people who love travelling to a new destination. In April, we finally got the opportunity to travel to Ladakh as we booked our Ladakh Package Tour from Delhi. The Ladakh trip has given us memories worth a lifetime permanently inscribed beautiful sights of this enthralling place in my mind. Once I travelled to Ladakh, then only I realize it can’t be our last trip. The magical high altitude region of the Himalayas mesmerized us with its overwhelming barren mountains, the warmest people and deep blue lakes.
Ladakh is one of the must-visit destinations. It offers natural diversity, three highest motor able roads (Chang La, Khardung La & Tanglang la), Desert Mountains, gorgeous night skies, Tibetan monasteries, flowers, lakes and the breath-taking landscape. This article will guide those who plan their trip to beautiful Ladakh.
As soon as we landed at the Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport in Leh, the capital of Ladakh, the guide was already there waiting for our arrival. We completed all the permit (ILP – Inner Line Permit) formalities at the airport within 20 min. We headed towards the hotel in Leh. En route, our guide made everything clear and informed us everything about my tour in Leh, Pangong Lake and the Nubra valley. Leh situated at 11,482 feet above sea level, and we were worried to suffer from dizziness, headache and acute mountain sickness. The tour guide suggested we spend our first day in acclimatization and drink lots of water. The first day we just relaxed in a hotel room.
1ST DAY LEH TOUR - THE CAPITAL OF LADAKH
Leh is the capital of Ladakh, and there are so many things to explore. Leh is a world of rugged valleys, snow-capped mountains; endless hills, barren lands, winding roads, and the place of monasteries have still maintained their charm. Our day started with a visit to Shanti Stupa, one of the major attractions in Leh. The beautiful stupa perched on the mountain top. It provides a breath-taking view of the city and the surrounding. Our guide pre-informed us the best time of the day to visit the Shanti Stupa was during the hours of dawn and dusk. Accordingly, the visit to this stupa was during the sunrise, and wow, we captured the spectacular view. Then next, we headed to see the confluence of the Indus and the Zanskar River. We could differentiate between the rivers from a distance. After visiting the river confluence, we went to see the rare phenomenon of Magnetic Hill, which made every one of us astonished.
Then we headed towards the famous museum of Leh, known as the Hall of fame, constructed by the Indian Army. We learnt from the guide the Hall of fame is a memorial for brave Indian soldiers who sacrificed their lives for their motherland in the Indo-Pak wars. The Hall of fame has a different kind of weapon used in wars. It is worth visiting this army museum. The last sightseeing point for the day was Gurdwara Pathar Sahib. The visit to this beautiful place was incredible, we were amazed by the love and affection shown by the armed forces personnel who manage this Gurdwara with a warm smile on their face.
Towards the evening, we decided to explore the market and try the Tibetan cuisine a must to try at Leh. We headed to Tibetan Kitchen and enjoyed the yummy Momos, Shabalay and Thukpa. No doubt, the restaurant around here in Leh served the best Tibetan food, and it was worth trying it.
2ND DAY PANGONG LAKE TOUR – THE MOST SPECTACULAR PHENOMENON IN LADAKH
Early morning after breakfast, we headed to our most awaited destination – the Pangong Lake. The car was a nice one with wide-open windows that offers a stunning view. The road to Pangong was not up to the mark, so it took around 6 hours to reach there. The drive was scenic as it offers sky-touching mountains, rock hills, a green valley and astonishingly Changla pass. It is situated approx. 17000 feet above sea level.
We have noticed this is the only best spot for mid-way snacks break and to take some snaps between Leh to Pangong Lake. Until we proceed further towards our destination, we enjoyed the picturesque place surrounded by Himalayan ranges, snow-capped mountains and chill weather with hot coffee. The way to Pangong Lake passes through numerous green valley and barren full of rocks.
After continuous travelling for hours, we had a glimpse of the corner of blue water. The guide informed us we were almost near Pangong Lake. Later we learnt it is the world’s one of the highest saltwater lake. The lake is unusual as it starts slow and gets massive as we move. We enjoyed the beauty of the blue lake, appreciating the changing colours and fascinating high altitude of the lake. Yes, Pangong Lake is undoubtedly one of the most peaceful places on this planet.
3rd DAY NUBRA VALLEY TOUR – THE VALLEY OF FLOWERS
Nubra valley is also known as the valley of flowers, is one of the most beautiful parts of the moonscapes of Ladakh. Nubra valley is a great attraction to all those travellers who travel to Ladakh. It is a village, valley and river surrounded by sky touching beautiful hills.
We headed to the last destination of our trip, and it took five hours via the Khardung La pass to reach Nubra Valley from Leh. The road trip to the valley was amazing, encircled by the Himalayan ranges and frequent change in landscape, green pastures and wandering yaks. On the way from Leh to Nubra valley, we reached Khardungla pass. It is the oldest highest motorable road at 18,380 ft. above sea level. We discovered the Khardung la pass played a vital role in Ladakh’s popularity, and we felt a great moment to be here. It is one of the top attractions and the gateway to the Nubra valley.
At Khardungla pass, I liked the mountain ranges and the gorgeous valley. Even there was an Army canteen on the top that served us with hot tea.
Just before the Diskit monastery, we made a quick visit to the stunning lake, and we have seen the reflections of the mountain ranges. After a long road trip, we opt for relaxing at the hotel rather than stepping out to explore the place.
The next day after a relaxing night, we explored the places in and around the Nubra valley. We started the day by visiting the Diskit monastery, one of the must-visit sites in Nubra valley. We experienced a peaceful moment at Diskit after hearing the flattering hanging prayer flags, the white-washed Chorten and the soothing sound of chanting mantras. This Diskit Monastery is the oldest and largest Buddhist monastery in the Nubra valley.
After the Diskit Monastery, we haven’t seen such eye-arresting visuals in our life until we landed in the cold Desert of Hunder, just before dusk. Diskit Monastery is one of the most picturesque places. The shapes and forms that these dunes take during different times of the year attract every visitor who visits Nubra. Even the Bacterian Double Humped camels are offering beautiful rides through the dunes. It was an incredible moment to witness the unfolding drama of nature and became part of the transition. Wow, the place was magical and also known as the Desert in the sky.
The next day we boarded into flight for back to our onward destination with all the beautiful memories of our Ladakh Package Tour from Delhi. The tour ended but not the memories of it, which will remain in our mind forever.
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