Monday Images - Ladakh, ahoy!

Monday Images. Every weekend, we share images taken by us during our travel or those taken by fellow travellers from different parts of the world to places we haven't been to but liked them. Hope you will like them too.

Ladakh season has started. It is the time to explore its outstanding landscape. Time to explore cold desert and its beautiful vistas.

We were there in 2010 and it was a memorable trip. The drive from Manali to Leh was once in a lifetime experience. The drive to Pangong Tso was spectacular. To top it all was the heady feeling of being on top of the highest motorable road in in the world in Khardung La!

These are some pictures of magnificent vistas of Ladakh we had clicked during our trip.

A panoramic view of a Ladakhi village on the way to Khardung La

The road to Pangong Tso lake has stunning landscape like this

Awesome vistas of Pangong Tso lake 

Road through Barlacha La on Manali - Leh highway

Suraj Tal on Manali - Leh highway

Spectacular sand formations after Sarchu on Manali - Leh highway

In Ladakh, it is the journey to the destination which is beautiful. The drives through the mountains are mesmerising!

If you are planning a trip to Ladakh, you may look at the following posts on Ladakh in "Ladakh Diaries" series in this blog.

Ladakh Diaries 1 - Manali to Leh, Day one.

Ladakh Diaries 2 - Manali to Leh, Day two

Ladakh Diaries 3 - Leh, Sights of a Mountain town!

Ladakh Diaries 4 - On top of the world @ Khardung La!

Ladakh Diaries 5 - Spectacular drive to Pangong Tso, the lake @ 14,000 feet!

Ladakh Diaries 6 - Basgo, Magnetic hill & Gurudwara Pathar Sahib

Ladakh Diaries 7 - Himalayas from the Sky!

We came across this outstanding album on Ladakh by Ray Universe. The pictures in this album are just mindblowing. Take a look. Dont miss it. You will be left with a "Wow" feeling. Click on this link below.

Magnificent Ladakh!

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Ladakh Diaries 5 - Leh to Pangong Tso, the lake @ 15000 feet

After the summit drive to Khardung La, we were looking forward to our next day's trip to Pangong Tso. It is a high altitude lake at 15,000 feet. For anyone traveling to Ladakh, a visit to the lake is a must. Ever since it was show cased beautifully in Aamir Khan's Bollywood blockbuster "3 Idiots", it is "the hot spot" for the tourists visiting Ladakh. This a good example of how one movie can make all the difference. It had happened earlier to places like Ooty, Kodaikanal, Shimla, Manali and Kashmir.  Now it the turn of Ladakh to get swarmed by tourists.

As usual, Zigmet, our driver was ready with his vehicle at 5 in the morning and we set out for the drive to this lake at dawn. Driving in the hills as the sun comes up is an experience to behold. The Shadow-play over the hills is something one cherish for a long time. It happened to us as well. Leaving behind Leh and few KMs on the road, we could see sun coming up and lighting up the ranges. Stok Kongri, the tallest peak was literally basking in the sun.

Shadow-play at Dawn. Notice Stok Kangri - the tallest peak in Ladakh - in the centre.

The best part of the trip to Pangong Tso is the drive. No doubt, the lake is pristine and beautiful. But the drive to reach the lake must rank as one of the most beautiful drives in the country. We cross one of the highest pass in the region - Chang La - on the way. The landscape changes every few KMs and we are greeted by mesmerising landscape with amazing colours of mountains and sand. The barren landscape is broken by small streams with wild flowers growing in abundance. Fortunately, the road was freshly laid and fantastic. There was one patch which was bad - a avalanche prone area - and we had to literally struggle to get past that. But for this, it was a drive we always cherish.

The mustard and barley fields add contrast to barren landscape

The shadow play continues as we climb to Chang La

Yaks grazing

First glimpses of snow as we close in to Chang La

Colourful Prayer flags fluttering in a make shift mandir @ Chang La

Your truly @ Chang La

The bad stretch and avalanche prone area - Notice the snow wall

A frozen lake surrounded by snow clad peaks

We now move into barren and desert landscape. It is disturbed only by a stream with some lovely wild flowers on its banks. Notice the changing colours of the mountains in the succeeding pictures.

First glimpse of the lake

The lake itself is pristine, calm and beautiful. Though tourists have increased, it has not gone to the level of spoiling the pristine charms of the place. You will come across people who will inquire locals - there is hardly anyone except for a small tent selling chai and meals - about where the last scenes of 3 idiots were shot. Grant it to them. The lake is one of the largest brackish water lakes in Asia stretching across India and Tibet. You can not see the farther bank which stretches into Tibet. Fortunately there is no boating arrangements in the lake and hope it will remain so in future as well. The beauty of the place is enhanced when the sky is clear when you can see the reflections of the peaks in the crystal clear water. It was a bit cloudy on this day. Nevertheless, we could capture some nice pictures of the lake.

It is possible to camp on the banks of the lake for which you need prior permission. I have heard from friends who have camped here of watching the sky with millions of stars. The best time to camp should be full moon day.

The lake and its surroundings

The lovely blues of the sky reflected in the clear waters

 We have observed that many a time, we miss out some views which will always strike you on the way back. It did happen to us a s well. Our return journey was fabulous as well. The mountains, the desert, the sky, the clouds all made a beautiful collage.

Natural Zen Garden

To us, the trip to this lake always remain special. The drive, the tranquil lake and pristine surroundings make this a pleasurable day trip. If you are doing this as a day trip, we strongly recommend you to leave Leh early and return early as a road condition in avalanche prone areas may turn out to be a risk.

Travel Tips

a) A visit to Pangong Tso can be comfortably done as a day trip from Leh. If you want to enjoy the stars pitch a tent at night or stay in any Eco-tents pitched by some agencies. Check this out in advance. Leave early and return early if you are going on a day trip. Special permission from district authorities will be needed. Check with any tour operator in Leh and they will help you.

b) If you are staying at night, make sure you have a good tent, sleeping bag and woolens. It will be very cold and windy at night.

c) If you are stuck with any medical emergency, contact army detachments which are nearby. They will be glad to help.

d) Be a responsible tourist. Don't leave any plastic or any other thrash. Take it back with you. Enjoy the tranquility of the lake and surroundings. Don't spoil it with loud music. This is not a place for partying.

e) Savor the drive. Stop and enjoy the nature. It is just awesome. 

f) Always be mentally prepared for delays due to unforeseen landslides. The Border Roads Organization (BRO) is doing an amazing job in keeping these roads in excellent condition. They will clear the blocks in quickest possible time.

Related posts on Ladakh in this blog 

Ladakh diaries 1 - Manali to Leh, Day One 

Ladakh diaries 2 - Manali to Leh, Day 2 

Ladakh Diaries 3 - Leh, Sights of a mountain town 

Ladakh Diaries 4 - To Khardung La, the highest motorable road in the world 

Ladakh diaries 6 - Basgo and Magnetic hill 

 Useful Links

On Wiki - Pangong Tso

If you are staying overnight you can look at this nice link - Camping at Pongong Tso

Glossary

a) Bollywood - Another name for Hindi film industry in India

b) Aamir Khan - One of the super stars of Hindi film industry

c) 3 Idiots - Name of a super hit Hindi film

d) Chai - Indian spicy tea

e) Mandir - Hindu temple

f) Zen garden - Japanese gardens which use minimalistic designs with stone and sand

g) Tso - Ladakhi word for "Lake"

This is the Fifth post in "Ladakh Diaries" series of nine posts in this blog. If you want to explore earlier/later posts - click on the link in this series, please click this link below. Clicking "older posts" at the end of the page will take you to previous posts in the series.

Ladakh Diaries - Our experiences in Ladakh

Did you like this post?  Do you need help in planning a trip to Leh and Ladakh? You are welcome to write to me at poorna62@gmail.com.

Happy to help

10 Things to do in Ladakh you haven't done before!

It is the Time to go to Ladakh. This blog has been celebrating Ladakh and Kashmir for last few weeks. We will continue with another post on most enchanting place in India.

You would have already planned your trip to Ladakh by now. Your itinerary would include visiting Thiksey Monastery, Palace, Posing like Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor on Pangong Tso..... everything packed and planned for you by your tour operator on what to do in Ladakh.

There is more to Ladakh than these typical touristy places. Here is our list of what you should do which others might not have done before. Things that will enhance your Ladakh experience.

Read on.....

1 Stay with a Ladakhi family

If you want to have a true Ladakhi experience, then you have to stay in a Ladakhi home stay. Friendly people, they make you comfortable. You will enjoy best Tibetan cuisine. You will be accompanied by family members for walks in the nearby hills if you wish to!

Enjoying a meal in a Homestay (Photo Courtesy - Aimeebell)

For a list of Homestays in Ladakh, you may look at this link below.

Ladakh Home Stays

2 Go for Treks

You don't have to be mountaineer to climb a hill in Ladakh. It is easier to climb small hills and trek in the lovely valleys if you are well acclimatised. Climbing small hills and going for day treks locally is easier if you are staying in a Home stay. If you have time, plan for longer treks. It is worth the experience.

McKay Savage and team on Trek in Ladakh

For a pictorial essay of a trek in Ladakh click on McKay's album here

Trek to Tso Moriri in Ladakh

There are many agencies specialising in trekking in Ladakh. Here are few

http://dreamladakh.com/

http://www.trekkinginladakh.com/

http://www.ladakhtrekking.org/

3. Watch a High Altitude Football match

Ladakh and Football? Yes. Though not as popular as Polo and Archery, Football is slowly getting a fan following in Ladakh and Ladakhis are fond of the sport. You can watch local clubs fighting it out at 11,000 feet above sea level! You may join them for a game if you are well acclimatised. Else enjoy the match as a spectator.

A football match in Leh ( Photo Courtesy - T R Dastidar)

4 Talk to a Monk

This is something we did in Mcleodganj and it was a enriching experience. Monks in the numerous monasteries in Ladakh are pleasant lot and you can definitely spend time talking to them and understand their spiritual life in Tibetan monasteries. You can know more about Tibetan form of Buddhism from them.

A monk at his work table ( Photo Courtesy - Mihir Inamdar)

5 Attend a ceremony in a monastery

This will  be something special which you should do. For this, you need to contact the monastery in advance and find out the timings. When we were there in Leh, the monasteries were deserted as His Holiness Dalai Lama had come to Nubra and all monks had gone there. You can watch chanting and other rituals which would be a memorable experience. You can also attend the festivals which will be held in many monasteries between May - September.

A ceremony in Lamayuru monastery ( Photo Courtesy - Nityanand Shankar)

For a list of festivals in Ladakh, please click the link below

Calendar of Ladakh Festivals

Here is our experience of visiting monasteries and palaces in Leh town

Ladakh Diaries 3 - Leh, Sights of a Mountain town!

6 Visit a remote lake

Forget Pangong Tso. Everyone goes there now. Go to Tso Kar or Tso Moriri or even further to Tso Yaye. Thanks to Bollywood blockbuster 3 Idiots, Pangong Tso gets crowded during season. Head to other remote lakes to enjoy the serenity. You can either drive yourself or hire a Jeep in Leh.

Not only the lakes are spellbinding, the drive to them is an experience in itself.

Yaye Tso (Photo Courtesy - Romesh Bhattacharji)

7 Drive along Indus

You don't have time to do Manali - Leh road trip? But want to experience a bit of it? No problem. Hire a cab and drive along Indus river beyond Upshi for 100 KMs......May be upto Tanglang La. Leave early and do it as a day trip. You will love every minute of the experience.

Lovely Landscape on the way to Manali from Leh

You may check out our drive from Manali to Leh here in this blog.

Ladakh Diaries 1 - Manali to Leh, day One

Ladakh Diaries 2 - Manali to Leh, Day two

8 Sky watching in Nubra

Don't miss carrying a Binocular when you go to Ladakh. We would say carry a telescope. Ladakh is the best place to do sky watching. World's second highest observatory is located in Hanle near Nubra. Crystal clear skies at Nubra or Pangong Tso or anywhere in the region gives you an opportunity to spot the stars.

A night sky over Leh! (Photo Courtesy - Puneet Vikram Singh)

9 Go to Lamayuru.

We can't go to Moon. Can we experience moonscape? Yes, you can. In Lamayuru. Plan a day trip or stay overnight there to experience surreal moonscapes!

Moonscape!! (Photo Courtesy - Sandeepan Chetan)

10 Drink Ladakhi Rice beer - Chhaang!

We kept this as last item. But don't miss it. Light and tangy, the home brewed rice beer is a good drink. Should be drank freshly brewed. If you are staying in a home stay it becomes easier to get a drink.

The Bubbly! (Photo Courtesy - John Steedman)

Did we miss out any?  Do you have more to add? You are welcome to expand the list!

For other related posts on Ladakh in this blog, please click the link below.

Beautiful Ladakh!

Ladakh taken care of. Let us go off track here.......If you are a Goa buff like us, you would like this similar post below.

12 Things to do in Goa you haven't done before!

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Monasteries of Ladakh - Brilliantly aesthetic!

When you are in Ladakh, you will be greeted by the the cold desert in its myriad formations. You get mesmerised by its valleys, the snow-caped peaks, the sand dunes, wind weathered mountains forming unusual shapes, colossal granite walls et al...... When you are enjoying such a brilliant landscape, you will suddenly stop and get awed at some lovely structures ensconced into the mountains. They are Gompas or Buddhist monasteries.

One of the charms of travelling in Ladakh are the numerous monasteries spread across the barren landscape. Perched on the mountains, they add colourful contrast to the landscape around. Be it the large monasteries like Tiksay or Deskit or the smaller ones, these places of worship are like lovely little gems in the arid landscape. They are aesthetically pleasing, rustic and colourful.

During our recent trip we thought of capturing many of them. We don't know the names of many of them but looking at them, we assure you that you don't need any more information to enjoy the beauty of their brilliance!

Here we go......

We saw this small gompa on Srinagar - Leh highway near the village Budhakarbu. Perched on a steep hill.

This was again on Srinagar - Leh road. The location was beautiful

The Gompa @ Lamayuru. One of the largest in Ladakh, the Monastery located on a hill commands a lovely sight of the moonscape surrounding it.

Namgyal Tsemo Gompa - Located behind the Leh palace in city in the mountain, it still commands brilliance of Isolation

Gompa @ Rumtse village. Perched on a small hill in a lovely village of Rumtse on Leh - Manali road

Stakna Gompa on Leh - Manali road. On a hill on the banks of Indus river

Gompa @ Deskit. One of the largest monastery in Nubra valley

Shanti Stupa and Monastery as seen from Khardung La road

A Gompa in Leh city. We clicked this on our way to Khardung La.

A monastery located on the bank of Indus on a small hill on Leh - Nimmu road

Not sure of the name. A large monastery which can be seen on the horizon behind Stakna on Leh - Manali road.

Thiksey Monastery - One of the largest in Ladakh.

Charming monastery @ Basgo. Located in the wind weathered hills on Leh - Srinagar highway

We reserved the best for these last ones. Isn't this amazing? The monastery in Phuktal which is 6 hours drive from Kargil and then a day trek to the monastery. Thanks to Neo Parekh for this lovely picture

And this one too......Can you locate the Monastery? This is Tacha Gompa. Atop a steep hill, we saw this during our Markha valley trek.  Our guide asked whether we would like to climb to it. It looked steep and we were tired. We were awestruck at the location.

We have still not listed many which we haven't been to like the ones in Alchi and Hemis. Some of the Gompas are located in such places that you can only trek to them.

Next time when you are in Ladakh, reserve one day for Gompa hopping. It is spiritually up lifting.

Thank you for sparing your time to read this post. If you are interested to know more about travelling in Ladakh, we have many posts on Ladakh titled "Ladakh Diaries". You can start with this one here.

Ladakh Diaries 1 - Spectacular drive from Manali to Leh, Day one

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