Ladakh

Ladakh
Ladakh is Gifted with high mountain, valleys, lakes beautiful ancient Buddhist monasteries on hill

top and their resident (monks) chanting prayers, absolutely different culture, courtesy and the smiling

faces of the Ladakhis is like an icing on the cake – adding further to its breathtaking landscapes.

The charm of its landscape and people will force you to come here again and again.Ladakh, open to

tourism only since 1974, is a land of high passes, bounded by the Karakoram and the mighty Himalayas.

The Indus with its tributaries acts is the lifeline for Ladakh’s scanty population. Ladakh covers an

area of 97,000 sq kms, and has an average elevation of 3,500 m. It is often called ‘Little Tibet’,

because of its topographical and cultural similarities with neighbouring Tibet.The rugged, arid Ladakh

mountain-scape has been the subject of many a photographer and destination of world-class mountaineers.

Its brackish lakes at high altitudes, picturesque peaks, charming mountain villages, expansive meadows,

wildlife, monasteries, rich heritage, awesome physical features, and remoteness sets it apart from

other favourite holiday hot-spot. Ladakh provides great opportunities for adventure sports such as

river rafting, trekking, mountaineering and mountain biking. Adventure tourism has contributed in a

big way to Ladakh’s economy. Ladakhis are sweet natured, hard working and fun loving people marking

every occasion with festivities. There are a number of Monastic festivals held through out the year,

whose dates are decided according to the Tibetan calendar.Being in the rain shadow of the Himalayas,

it is generally dry, with hot and dry temperatures during summers, and cold and dry during winters.

Its winter season is long with temperatures dropping to minus zero, and summer, warm with cool nights.

Temperatures of -60 have been recorded in Drass. The best time to visit Ladakh is between May and

October. There is an airport at Leh, which is well connected to Delhi, Chandigarh and Srinagar. By

road, Leh is connected to Srinagar and Manali.