Leh, the capital of Ladakh
by norain
Leh, the capital of Ladakh is situated at a height of 3505 meters and is towards the eastern parts of Jammu and Kashmir. The Ladakhi capital sprawls from the foot of a ruined Tibetan style palace.
Ladakh is open for tourist throughout the year, while the best period for tour and trek is from June to October. Most of the trekking routes are closed after November due to heavy snowfall at high passes.
Tourist don't require permit for Leh; however, all foreigners are required to registered at Drass, Rumtse and Sarchu if they are traveling by road. The tourist are required to get a permit for restricted areas like Tsomoriri, Pangong Lakes, and Nubra Valley, which can be obtain through registered travel agencies.
AFTER WHISKY...DRIVING RISKY
by Wangchuk
At every high passes on the highways, you will notice a secred spot which can be identified easily as multi color prayer flages are placed all over.
Local custom and belief is that every pass has a diety protecting it. The prayers flags usualy has printed mantra on it with horse figure. It is called "Lung Ta". "Lung" meas Sprit and "Ta" means horse thus the propose is to keep ones "horse of spirit high" placing the flags at high passes..... amin
Pangong Lake
by MalenaN
Pangong Lake is a beautiful lake situated at an altitude of 4350 metres. The water is cold and clear and shift in blue and green colours. The lake is surrounded by bare mountains, some with snow on the tops even during the summer months. The water in Pangong Lake is brackish so it makes it the highest situated lake with salt water. Pangong means extensive concavity and it is a 134 kilometre long lake, but it is only 5 kilometres wide at the widest points. More than 60% of the lake is situated in Tibet.
You can arrange for a daytrip to Pangong Lake from most travel companies in Leh. But I had to visit many before I fond one who had other people to share the price with on the same day I wanted to go. As for other tours there is a fixed price for Pangong Lake. There is one price for the first stop by the lake and if you want to go to the village 7km away along the lake it is a bit more expensive. As we were going all the way to the lake we also wanted to go the last 7 kilometres. For that the price of the car with driver was Rs 5398 (July 2010). We were four people sharing so we paid Rs 1350 each.
You need a permit to visit Pangong Lake and that can be arranged at the travel agent. I already had a permit, a one-week permit, which I had arranged at my hotel before going to Nubra Valley. The one-week permit valid for both Nubra Valley and Pangong Lake was Rs 230 (July 2010).
It is a long drive to Pangong Lake. It takes 5h one way so we started early. At 7.00 we were at the office and soon the car came. When we arrived to Karu the driver stopped to eat breakfast. As all others had had breakfast already we waited for him. He drove fast and had his window open. I didn’t like it and when we came to higher altitude it was really cold. I asked him to close the window, but he said he would fall asleep then. Finally he only had half the window open and it was still cold.
After eating lunch at Pangong Lake we were going to the village further away along the lake. The driver tried to persuade us not to go but to return to Leh. We insisted to go as we had paid for it and wanted to see more of the lake. It was obvious the driver didn’t like it. Going back to Leh he drove even faster and it took only four hours.
It was a long day and many hours spent in the car, but it was worth it. The scenery is beautiful along the way and so is the lake.
I didn’t have much time so I just went to Pangong Lake on a daytrip. Most people only visit on a daytrip, even if the journey there takes 5h one way. Some tours are a two-day tour though and I think it can be worth staying the night if you have the time. Then you can also see the shifting colours of the lake and surrounding landscape in evening- and morning light.
Leh Palace
by call_me_rhia
Leh Palace is an imposing palace towering over Leh town - it's also a 9 storey high empty shell - but a beautiful one. It was built in the 16th century by King Singe Namgyal and it still belongs to the royal family, who doesn't live there anyway. The Palace, often locked, has a museum with some tangkhas and paintings. However this is not what makes your visit worthwhile: the highlight is the view you get over Leh town - which is particularly suggestive at dusk. The lane that leads you up there starts from Main Bazaar - just ask around for its precise starting point.
Pangong Lake
by kin79
Pangong Lake in Kashmir is the world’s highest brackish lake at 14,256 feet above sea level. A few years back the government decided to open it to tourists though the lake and its surrounding is under army surveillance. The tourism department intends to develop the infrastructure and facilitate the route leading to the lake.
The 160 km trip to Pangong Lake from Leh is one such experience. It begins with Thiksey village famous for its huge monasteries covering an entire mountain ridge. Beyond this remote village there is nothing but the extreme mountain ridge. Beyond this remote village there is nothing but the extreme mountain ranges for company.
The placid Pangong Lake is not just a tourists paradise but a geologist’s domain too and if one is to brush up with political history, the place is a melting pot of confusion and for sure it in no fun for the army in the biting cold to take care of the strategic landscape.
Travelers enjoy the solitude for a day or two, zoom their cameras to shoot the black necked Siberian crane around the Mahe marshes which are the only breeding ground for these migratory birds. At times they are seen swarming in the cool colourful water of the lake. If one has boating in mind, one is heading for disappointment. Very few boats are available and they belong to the army who may consider your request but won’t allow you to go beyond half a kilometer though one third of the 150 km lake belongs to India. The remaining 100 km stretch of water belongs to China. The lake was once divided between Ladakh and Tibet as early as 1684 under the Treaty of Tingmosgang signed between the king of Ladakh, Deldan Namgyal, and the Regent of Tibet. As of today it is shared by India and China.
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Pangong Lake (Pangong Tso)
Nice outdoor area
Day 8 (Hanker to Nimaling)
Day 1 (Spituk to Zinchen)
