LADAKH

Zanskar Valley is nestled in a remote corner of Ladakh but surely is the heart of this place. This valley is popular among tourists, especially adventure enthusiasts for trekking and river rafting. The thrill of this mountain range lies in its rugged terrains, which makes it one of the most daunting trails. Some of the popular circuits of Zanskar mountain range are Lugnak trail, Padum to Pidmo, Padum to Darcha, and Zanskar to Sham.

Surrounded by great attraction and delicious food, Kargil is one the biggest town and major tourist attraction of Ladakh region. Kargil is known for trekking and mountaineering. Apart from it, the main market of Kargil is quite famous among tourists for shopping woollen clothes, Buddhists paintings, Pashmina shawls, and other woollen stuff. Tourist attraction in Kargil are Drass War Memorial, Munshi Aziz Bhat Museum, and Kargil City View Point.

Out of many other spectacular surprises Ladakh has for you, the Pangong Tso lake would definitely be the first. Located at an altitude of 4,350m, Pangong Tso lake is world’s highest saltwater lake. The lake gained popularity after being shown in the Bollywood movie “3 Idiots.” Although, the tourists rae recommended to obtain their inner line permit to visit this lake due to its near proximity to China border.

Khardung La Pass, also known as the Pass of Lower Castle, is one of the most thrilling passes of Ladakh. Popular among mountain bikers, this pass also used by the Army personnel for carrying supplies to the Siachen glacier. The pass was opened in 1988 for the public use after being constructed in the year 1976. The pass remains close from July to August and November to February due to heavy snowfall.

There are several bizarre and unusual things in the world and one of them is present in Ladakh, the Magnetic Hill. Cars, motorcycles and even helicopters are attracted by the magnetic power of this hill. There is a signboard on this road stating “Park your vehicle on the painted areas to experience the magic of magnetism.” Although, the mystery of this hill is still unresolved, this hill is one of the major attraction for tourists in Ladakh.

Nestled on the top of the Gompa Hill, this monastery is also known as Spituk Gompa. Built in 14th century, this monastery features a giant idol of Goddess Kali and is the home of more than 100 monks. Gustor Festival hosted at this monastery is one of the major attractions of this place.

Hemis National Park is a high altitude national park located in the Ladakh region of Jammu & Kashmir and is quite popular among tourists for snow leopards. If you are a nature lover or wildlife watcher, then this is the best place or you. Besides snow leopard, other endangered species found here are Tibetan wolf, Euroasian brown bear, red fox, Asiatic ibex, and leopards. If you are visiting this park for snow leopard, then plan your trip in between November to March.

Shanti Stupa is a white dome shaped temple dedicated to the lord Buddha. The face of Ladakh tourism, this stupa was built in 1991 by Japanese Buddhist Gyomyo Nakamura. This temple is the symbol of peace between the people of Japan and Ladakh. Shanti Stupa remains open 7 days a week from 05:00 am to 09:00 pm. July to September is the most preferred time to visit this stupa, as the days are much sunny and warm in these months.