Picturesque scenario is what each and everyone love. Now to be honest, that is what most filmmakers aspire. One of the places which offer the excellent tranquility of nature along with the much needed thrill of the adventure world is Ladakh. There is so much to Ladakh along with dramatic, barren and snow-capped Himalayas of Ladakh with luxury camp right on the shores of mighty Indus and also hitch-hiked right along various remote villages in Western Ladakh and be a witness to the grand welcome of Dalai Lama making way through surreal landscapes right on the steps of monastery with ride in rickety buses.
Ladakh has so much more to offer and you will surely know why visiting Ladakh should surely be on your list. Lies in the mountains of Ladakh are the highest motorable roads in Ladakh along with the chance to bond with semi-nomadic Changpa tribe. Be prepare to hear the call of the Trans-Himalayas with the desire to revisit the remote mountain desert. Ladakh offers extreme weather climate heat and cold with little or no rain with exclusive agricultural practices along with traditional healing and rare wildlife and a heartwarming culture remaining isolated over centuries.
Let northernmost state of Jammu & Kashmir consists of three of the main regions – Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. There are three different regions with distinct cultural and geological features. Jammu is one of the major cities in the region of Jammu, Srinagar which is the capital city of the state and similarly Leh being the largest settlement in Ladakh region.
What does Ladakh has in store for us?
Ladakh with its staggering altitude has a lot in store for us with 9000 ft to 25170 ft leaving you gasping for breath. This land has no boundaries or ranges- the Great Himalayan Range and also mighty Karakoram Range right on the other side. Whatever you expect from Mother Nature, you can get here right from barren slopes, colorful lakes, lofty mountains, impossible climbs and amazing glaciers with striking monasteries in the perfect setting drawing attention to the Land of Endless Discoveries helping you want for more.
How to reach Ladakh?
Leh is known to be the only major town in the Ladakh region. Leh is accessible by air during each and every season while in case of road, it is available only a few months a year. In and out of Leh, flights like Air India, Kingfisher and Jet Airways flying in and out of Leh all through the year from Jammu, Srinagar, Chandigarh and Delhi.
Leh is located at a strategic location falling right along the Indo-Tibetan and Indo-Sino trade routes. The ancient routes have been modified to provide access to reach Leh right from Srinagar or take a route from Manali. These highways are certainly the Mecca when it is the question of road trips. The Leh-Srinagar highway is 434 km long with the other being 475 km long. J&K tourism can feature an overnight stay. It takes two days for each of the journeys and these roads are seriously open for few months like May/June through September/October.
Certain tips and tricks which will help you when you are planning to Ladakh
- Ladakh has some exclusive homestays for you to have a perfect stay. Use the homestays offering special facilities where you can toilets with well equipped geysers and all.
- Shed urban lifestyle as it may not that important. Ladakh will surely bring you closer to nature. Choose traditional Ladakhi houses or camps which make use solar energy for power as well as heating water with various decomposing practices. There is Tsermang which is organic luxurious eco-camp in part of Leh using solar conserving water.
- Find a list of Ladakh-based organizations and contact them early to book your hotel in advance.
- Well Ladakh is desert-land with little or less water. Since tourism is extremely popular in region so is the need for western flushing toilets. Try using decomposing toilets and try to eliminate need for sanitation drains and water. Try to reduce water consumption in the region and avoid bathing everyday.
- Do not turn this excellent land of paradise into a land of plastic. Do not throw kurkure packets and coke bottle just beside a pristine lake or hillside especially flowing right into the stream into glacier.
- If you are adventure enthusiasts then ladakh is the best places your adventure activities like trekking (markha valley, suru valley, nubra valley, chadar trek), river rafting (Phey to Nimo, Upshi to Kharu, Upshi to Nimo) mountain expedition (Stok Kangri, Matho, Nun Peak, Kun Peak Expedition)
- In fact when you are hiking pick up bottles and wrappers and keep it in your bag. Try dumping it back at airport where one can easily dispose the different bottles and wrappers.
Given its difficult terrain, Ladakh cannot so easily be enjoyed without the minimum preparations. But on your part, if you take the right possible preparation your Ladakh trip can surely be one of the memorable trip of all time.
