If Ladakh is referred to as paradise, then Leh is the set of steps towards heaven! Ladakh is the hilly region located in the greater Himalayan range and surrounded by and made up of mountains. The infertile beauty of this region is the snow-capped peaks and the clean cerulean skies that attract the tourists and travelers around the year. This scenic and hilly destination has preserved to cast its spell since it was opened to travelers back in 1970. Today, Ladakh has emerged as the highly preferred and much-loved destination for mountaineering and trekking enthusiasts.
The grandiose mountain ranges and rocky terrains around make the ultimate cocktail for all adventure seekers. But before you plan to visit this land of brave people and Buddhist monasteries, here is everything that you need to know. Plan your visit to this land of bleak grey mountains and bluer-than-blue lakes with this quick guide and ensure to check Goomo coupon code for domestic flights to save money on your flight booking.
Things to Do Around in Leh-Ladakh
- History and Art – To explore the old history and art of this destination, visit the Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa, and the old town in Leh. Tourists may also explore the local art at Ladakh Arts and Media Organization located in Old Town. This institute organizes workshops on varied subjects, including design, textiles, and writing. If you are planning your visit during June and July, you will get a chance to experience the colorful Hemis festival. The two-day celebration is conducted at the 17th Century Hemis Monastery.
- Shopping at Leh – The primary local market of Leh is the abode to some of the local Tibetan jewelry, curios, and antiques. A variety of handmade carpets are available in the market, along with pashmina shawls and rugs. There is also a store in Zangsti called Ladag Apricot, where you will find organic foods and jams made from organically harvested apricots.
- Voluntourism – If you are planning to stay longer in Ladakh, then collaborate with 17000ft Foundation that works with schools in villages of Leh and offer a 10-16-30 day program that involves infrastructure building and teaching.
- Adventures – There are lots of things to allure the adventure seekers. Adventure enthusiasts can spend time watching the Ladakh Marathon. For monastery and trekking, the Ladakh Ecological Footprints are the best choice as they offer river rafting tours for experienced and beginner level enthusiasts. The Frozen Himalayas provide biking trips for tourists, and tourists can enjoy the leopard trekking during winters.
What to Eat?
Ladakh has some of the best local restaurants where local dishes and cuisines are served. Most of these restaurants are open throughout the holiday season and are the best option for meeting locals and people watching. Enjoy a sip of a hot cup Cappucino at Jeevan Cafe that has a small library on the 1st floor or ask for lasagne or pizza at the cafe. Have your lunch at value for money restaurant, Summer Harvest located in Changspa and try some mouth-watering thukpa or walk up to the Bon Appetit restaurant to enjoy a meal with mesmerizing views of the surroundings.
To explore the local cuisines, you may visit the Tibetan Kitchen located on Fort Road or try out some local meals at Amdo Cafe at the primary local market of Leh. It serves the steam momos and noodle soup. Your visit to Leh won’t get complete if you miss visiting Lala’s Cafe, a restored Ladakhi house, and serving butter tea in Leh. For vegetarians, there is a pure vegetarian restaurant on Fort Road, Lamayuru Restaurant.
Where to Stay?
Almost all the top attractions of Ladakh is a day trip from Leh, so most tourists prefer to go camping here at Leh. There are many excellent accommodation facilities in Leh that get swamped during the peak holiday seasons. So, you must book your room well in advance to avoid the last-minute rush. Some of the top accommodation facilities in Leh are:
- The Grand Dragon Ladakh – It is the centrally located, solar-powered hotel, and all rooms offer mesmerizing views of Stok Kangri Mountain range.
- The Hotel Shangrila – It is a minute drive away from the airport and has 45 well-designed rooms and Tibetan Style restaurant that serves the local cuisines.
- Mahey Retreat – This hotel is a few minutes’ walks away from the city center of Leh, and all its rooms are well organized, overlooking the spreading green gardens that produce vegetables used by the built-in restaurant
- Mogol Hotel – This is the family-run hotel with 19 spacious rooms, and every room offers the tourists with panoramic views of the Himalayan Mountain ranges.
How to Get There?
Leh is well connected via flights from all major cities of India. Delhi and Mumbai serve 4 direct flights to Leh. The other options to get to Leh are via Manali or Srinagar.
- The Srinagar to Leh road is open mostly from May till December. It is only 415KM away from Srinagar, and the road is well maintained. It takes 24 hours to reach Leh from Srinagar via road, and you may stop overnight at Kargil or Dras which is 200KM and 140KM from Srinagar
- To reach Leh from Manali via road, you need to drive 482KM, and the high altitude road is snow-capped for most of the year. The road is open from June and closes in October. Overnight stay is possible at Jispa, which is 140KM away from Manali.
For local transportation, tourists can book taxis from hotels or travel agents. Tourists may also book local taxi services online using ZoomCar coupon code to avail discounts. Solo travelers can choose to travel in shared taxis, and family or groups may opt for a complete taxi online from a local taxi stand, which is available at the central market.
Hopefully, everything is covered in this post, and now you are in the better state to plan your trip to Leh-Ladakh. Enjoy your visit!