A long time awaited and a long time wish list-ed trip that finally came true and I was the happiest kid (I swear!). I always listened and wondered what's so good about this place that everyone around me wanted to travel Leh. And I finally got my answer in this 7 day trip. I finally can say that I have discovered my dreamland.
On 14th July, I flew from Delhi to Leh with GoAir and reached Leh around 11:00 in the morning. Rest of the day was to be covered in hotel due to acclimatization. In the evening though, I went out to explore the near by market. The hotel I stayed in is Silk Route and is just 6 minutes away from the airport.
The property is super cool and staff their too courteous. The rooms are spacious enough and the hotel also provides you with wi-fi facility (a bonus point). There is a lush garden, a hammock and what's good other than sitting on roof top in a chilly night and watching the stars just up above you. Serene!
Though I was told not to go out, but I am not the person who can sit in hotels and miss the serenity around. So, I obviously went out to discover the near by areas.
After breakfast, it was the day dedicated to cover the places in Leh itself.
1. Hall of Fame- Build by Indian Army, in memory of soldiers who lost their lives in Kargil war.
2. Gurudwara Pathar Sahib- It was constructed in the memory of Guru Nanak.
3. Indus Zanskar Sangam- The very famous indus and zanskar sangam is the one you cannot miss. You can actually view the two different color rivers flowing and mixing into one.
4. Lamayuru Monastery- One of the largest and oldest monastery located here in lamayuru.
This was the day 2, covered with all the amazing locations.
This day was extra long as it had more of travelling. I started in the morning at 9:00. I took the way via Khardung La to Diskit to reach Nubra. From the altitude of 11000 to 17000 in 3-4 hours, is bit extreme. But the picturesque view is definitely breath-taking.
I moved ahead towards Diskit Monastery. Basically, I didn't visited the monastery but visited the largest Maitreya Buddha also known as the Future Buddha.
Moving ahead towards Nubra Valley also called as valley of flowers, you can only fine deserted way and sand dunes. Yes, that's unbelievable. Between mountains there exist high sand dunes and straight long roads.
I stayed in Nubra eco village. You will mostly find the accommodations here with tents. Living in tents is definitely a different experience and I would suggest you to try it once. (I am not able to attach the location here.)
Next day after having breakfast, I left for TurTuk Village. It is the northernmost village located here. This village was taken over by India in 1971. Mystical village and those small lanes, a village I visited ever. People here don't interact much with the outsiders. Some of the people here are Tibetan and some belong to Aryan period.
After roaming around, I headed back to the Nubra Valley for the camel safari. This was undoubtedly the best camel ride. A double hump camel is what you will find here and is worth the ride.
For me it was an evening camel ride. Thus, the sunset views were epic here. Coming to an end of the day, it was worth the day.
This day was going to be epic but at the same time it was going to be tiring. I left early in the morning for Pangong Tso and then back to leh. The most heard and the main landmark I always wanted to visit. The way full of grains, sand and untraveled paths and then the final destination.
The serene and picturesque view is to die for. For me, it was absolutely surreal. The words won't do justice here.
Back at Leh, this day I covered Shanti Stupa and Leh Palace. Due to rains, leh palace was closed. Therefore, I got much more time to cover the local market here.
In the evening, I had the privilege to witness the cultural program of Leh. The troop presented the local dance forms. It was totally a pleasure to watch these dance forms and then dancing together at the end.