India Travel

Panikhar in Ladakh

Related Properties from Gurgaon

The Sum Valley in Ladakh

A spellbinding divide between two of the world's most formidable mountain ranges, the Suru Valley winds south from Kargil to the desolate Pensi La - the main entry point for Zanskar. Since a fair-weather road was bulldozed all the way to Padum, you can travel to the heart of this remote region by bus (albeit a clapped-out J&K state one), in a single haul of around fourteen hours. The first leg, usually undertaken in the pre-dawn darkness, leads through the broad lower reaches of the Suru Valley, whose fertile floor is strewn with Muslim villages, clustered around gleaming metal mosque

Travel details in Ladakh

The bus details here apply during the tourist season between July 1 and September 15 only, after which date the Manali-Leh highway is officially closed. Most other roads, including the highway from Leh to Srinagar Kargil, remain open till the end of October. Despite heavy snow falls, the road from Leh to the Nubra Valley over the open all year. Buses Leh to: Alchi (1 daily; 3hr); Chemrey (3 daily; 2hr); Dishit (Nubra) (1 weekly; 6hr); Hemis (1-2 daily; 1hr 45minl; Kargil (2-3 daily; 6hr 30min); Lamayuru (2-3 daily; 6hr 30min); Likkir (1 daily; 3hr); Manali (6-8 daily; 28hr); Matho (2 daily;

Likkir to Temisgang in Ladakh

A motorable road along the old caravan route through the hills between Likkir and Temisgang makes a leisurely two-day hike, which takes in three major monasteries (Likkir, Rhizong and Temisgang) and a string of idyllic villages. It's a great introduction to trekking in Ladakh, the perfect acclimatizer if you plan to attempt any longer and more demanding routes. Ponies and guides for the trip may be arranged on spec at either Likkir or Temisgang villages, both of which have small guesthouses and are connected by daily buses to Leh.

The Ecology Centre of Leh in Ladakh

Five minutes' walk north of the main bazaar (next to the Tsemo-La Hotel), the Ecology Centre (Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; $01982/52646) is the headquarters of LEDeG (the Ladakh Ecological Development Group) - a local nongovernmental organization that aims to counter the negative impact of Western-style "development" by fostering economic independence and respect for traditional culture. This involves promoting "appropriate" technologies such as solar energy, encouraging organic farming and cottage industries, and providing education on environmental and social issues through village drama, workshops and seminars. A garden hosts an open-air exhibition ot solar gadgets, hydraulic pumps, water nulls and other ingenious energy-saving devices

Visiting Ladakh

Two main "highways" connect Ladakh with the rest of India. Due to the unrest in Kashmir, the legendary Srinagar Leh road now sees far less tourist traffic than the route up from Manali, almost 500km south.These two. plus the track from Kargil to Padum in Zanskar, also link the majority of Ladakh s larger settlements with the capital. Bus services along the main Indus Valley highway are frequent and reliable, but grow less so the further you get from Leh. To get to and from off-track side-valleys and villages within a single day, it is much easier to splash out on

Arranging a trek or tour and hiring equipment for Leh Ladakh

Leh offers a bewildering number of operators for the large volume of tourists who come to Ladakh to trek. Most trek and tour operators offer much the same services sharing much the same resources. Although trekking rates are quite uniform, you can get some cheaper deais on items such as porterage and pony hire by shopping around. You can also rent equipment either through the chosen agency or through places like the Traveller Shop, White House, Fort Road (01982/53048). Expect to pay Rs100 a day for a tent, Rs70 for a sleeping bag, Rs30 for a gas stove and Rs40

Voluntary organizations in Ladakh

With limited resources at their disposal, a handful of voluntary organizations, including LEDeG, battle to protect Ladakh's delicate environment and ancient culture against the sea of change. SECMOL (Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh), founded in 1988 by Ladakhi university students, strives to increase awareness of developmental issues and guide younger students through an educational system fraught with chrome inadequacies. In the hope of maintaining pride in Ladakh's traditions, SECMOL teaches local history and runs workshops on handicrafts, agriculture and technology. Volunteer help from TEFL-qualified visitors is especially appreciated at the summer schools run just outside Leh. If you'd

Pangong Tso in Ladakh

Pangong Tso. 154km to the southeast of Leh, is one of the largest saltwater lakes in Asia, a long narrow strip of water stretching from Ladakh east into Tibet, Only a quarter of the 130-kilometre-long lake is in Ladakh, and the Indian army, who experienced bitter losses along its shores in the war against China in 1962, jealously guard their side of the frontier. Until the mid-1990s, it was off limits to visitors, and tourists still need a permit to come here. The lake, at an altitude of 4267m. with the dramatic glacier-clad Pangong Range to its south and the

The Kargil war in Ladakh

After three years of cross-border artillery exchanges across the "Ceasefire Line", in the spring of 1999 conflict between India and Pakistan escalated into the full-blown Kargil War. The war was to shatter any semblance of Indo-Pakistani dialogue which seemed to be gradually improving after years of impasse, and resulted in the dramatic overthrow of the Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and the re-establishment of military rule by General Musharraf. Pakistani intentions were to cut the Srinagar-Leh Highway and capture the Muslim-dominated areas of western Ladakh, putting further pressure on Indian Kashmir. In early May, the Indian army realized that infiltrators across

Restricted areas and permits in Ladakh

Much of Ladakh is still inaccessible to the casual tourist, but with the easing of tensions along the border between India and China, parts of this incredible land, once hidden behind the political veil of the "Inner Line", are being opened up. Three areas in particular were opened to visitors in the mid-1990s: the Nubra Valley bordering the Karakoram Range to the north of Leh; the area around Pangong Tso- the lake to the east of Leh; and the region of Rupshu with the lake of Tso Moriri: to the southeast of Leh. (Dha Hanu in west Ladakh was similarly

Summer festivals in Ladakh in Ladakh

Most of Ladakh's Buddhist festivals, in which masked dance dramas are performed by lamas in monastery courtyards, take place in January and February, when roads into the region are snowbound. This works out well for the locals, for whom they relieve the tedium of the relentless winter, but it means that few outsiders get to experience some of the northern Himalayas' most vibrant and fascinating spectacles. Recently, however, a few of the larger gompas around Leh have followed the example of Hemis. and switched their annual festivals to the summer, to attract tourists. Proceeds from ticket sales go towards maintenance

Accommodation price codes of Ladakh

All accommodation prices in this book have been categorized using the price codes below. Prices given are for a double room, and all taxes are included, for more details. OuptoRs100 Rs30CMOO Rs900-1500 R3100-200 Rs400-600 Rs1500-2500 Rs200-300 Rs600-900

Kargil Practicalities in Ladakh

Buses arriving in Kargil from Leh, Srinagar and Padum either puil in to the main bus stand, immediately below the top (west) end of the bazaar, or at the truck park above the river, two minutes' walk downhill from the mam street. If you plan to head off early in the morning, check when you buy your ticket where the bus leaves from. There are only a couple of buses every day for Mulbekh but you may be able to catch a Matador - a shared minibus. The buses to Padum in Zanskar are subject to delays but run on

Sarchu Serai to Tanglang La in Himachal Pradesh

Sarchu Serai packs up for the season from September 15. Northbound buses thereafter press on over Lachuglang La (5019m), the second highest pass on the highway, to the tent camp at Pang (4500m), which stays open longer. Unfortunately, this means that the drive through one of the most dramatic stretches of the route, through an incredible canyon, is in darkness. Sarchu Serai is also 2500m higher than Manali, and travellers coming straight from Manali nught suffer from the higher altitude here. The army camp at Pang, 3km north of the serai, stands at the mouth of the Pang Gorge at the

Special permits

In addition to a visa, special permits may be required for travel to certain areas of the country - notably Sikkim, parts of Ladakh,the Andaman Islands, Lakshadweep, the far west of the Thar desert beyond Jaisalmer, and some northeastern hill states. There are two types of permits: those for restricted areas such as Sikkim, and the Inner Line Permit required by both foreigners and Indians intending to visit politically sensitive border areas of Ladakh, parts of the northeast, and north and east Sikkim. Inner Line Permits are usually issued by the District Magistrate (see chapters for more detail). Some areas (parts

West of Leh Phyang in Ladakh

A mere 24km west of Leh, PHYANG gompa looms large at the head of a secluded side-valley that tapers north into the rugged Ladakh Range from the Srinagar highway. Of the three daily buses that run here from the capital, the 8am departure (lhr 15min) is the most convenient as it allows you plenty of time to explore the monastery and the pretty nearby village. Buses return to Leh at 10am and 5.30pm; between these times, you can walk across the fields to the Kargil-bound road (30min), and hitch a lift on a truck. The gompa icself, a tall buttress-walled building,

Keylong in Himachal Pradesh

Lahaul's largest settlement and the district headquarters. KEYLONG, 114km north of Manali, is a good place to pause on the long road journey to Ladakh. Although of little interest itself, the village lies amid superb scenery, within a day's climb of three Buddhist gompas. One visible on the opposite (south) side of the grandiose Bhaga Valley. A couple of stores in the busy little market sell trekking supplies if you are heading off towards Zanskar.

Kargil Eating in Ladakh

Besides upmarket hotels like the Siachen, finding somewhere to eat in Kargil is a toss-up between the small tourist-oriented cafes on the lane from the truck park to the bazaar, or a dhaba on the main street. Choice is even more limited for breakfast: all the restaurants are closed, but hot chapatis and omelettes are served from 7am onwards at the chai stall just up from the Naktul (take your own plate). A couple of chai-wallahs also hang around the bus stand at the crack of dawn.

Rhizong to west of Leh in Ladakh

Blocking the head of a rocky ravine, the towering monastery of RHIZONG remains hidden off the main highway 72km west of Leh. A wealthy monastery, presided over by Shas Rinpoche and linked to Sumur in the Nubra. the atmospheric Rhizong is a relatively new gompa dating from the seventeenth centuty Getting there is half the challenge as there is no public transport along the five-kilometre road leading up from the highway between Khalsi and Saspol. The road follows a stream past a small nunnery - Thardot Choling - to a ca park from where you walk up the ravine which can

Moving on from Delhi

Delhi has good domestic and international travel connections. Anyone heading from the south to the western Himalayas (Himachal Pradesh, Kullu. Manali, Ladakh) will pass through Delhi; it seldom takes more than a day to arrange the onward journey. Scores of travel agents sell bus and air tickets, and many hotels (budget or otherwise) will hook private buses for you; touts, concentrated at the top of Janpath, waylay tourists with promises of cheap fares, but can't always be trusted.