In the Land of High Passes – Ladakh

 Best time to visit – July & August -Ladakh has much to offer, be it watching a game of Polo in Leh Town, or the sight of the Moravian church built in 1855, the striking view of both the Zanskar & Indus rivers from the Thikse Monastery, or the strike of Brahmini Ducks on the Tso Morari Lake. The silence inside the incense filled monasteries or the cascading river-raft ride on the river Indus. Prayer flags & prayer wheels greet visitors to most villages, while high above hills, huge ‘gomphas’ act as watchtowers. Also known as ‘ Little Tibet,’ Ladakh has cultural & religious influences drawn from Tibet, Mainland India & Central Asia. Ladakh offers unique natural beauty on one of the highest plateaus in the world. Join Hector Dsouza on a fascinating journey across Ladakh over twelve days, discover the `land of high passes’ – Ladakh, located between the Himalayan & Karokoram Range in the state of Jammu & Kashmir in North India. The variety baffles many a visitor in a land exposed to extreme winters & mild summers.

Testimonial

These few lines are meant to convey to you our feelings of sincere gratitude. We shall always remember your solicitude & care during our highly satisfying tour of India.  – Aracelli Aranguren & Javier Garde, Spain

Highlights of your tour

Fly into the world’s highest airfield located at Leh, the capital of Ladakh. Considered to be the most scenic airport for mountain landscapes, your one hour ride from Delhi to Leh offers scintillating views of mountain ridges, undulating valleys, treacherous passes & snow covered peaks. Check in at a traditional Ladakhi family managed hotel. Day free for rest & relaxation at a comfortable hotel

Highlights of your tour

-19^th century Leh Palace, compared to a smaller version of Lhasa’s Patola Palace – Though in ruins, this nine storey structure offers exceptional views. Taking in the grandeur of Shanti Stupa & Sankar Gompa, on foot is a great way to make your body slowly acclimatize to the dizzying heights.

Highlights of your tour

Visit the Royal Palace, Stok – the official residence of the Royal Family, it houses a small museum containing `thangkas’ (paintings) & royal dresses, head-dresses made from turquoise & lapis lazuli.  A 18 meter high statue of the Future Buddha (Maitreya Buddha) dominates the interior, while `chortens’ (tomb stones) of the royal family dominates the surroundings

Brilliantly located on top a crag overlooking the serpentine Indus & barren deserts, Thikse Monastery is like a picture postcard when seen from a distance. Contains a 15 meter high Buddha statue with the third eye (reportedly made from ammonite), wall paintings, frescoes, It has sprawling living quarters for monks & stupas & offers stupendous views of Ladakh & Zanskar Range.

Highlights of your tour

Overnight excursion to most scenic lakes in Ladakh at height of 4500 meters, Tso Morari & Tso Kar. Take in breath-taking scenery along the route – brief halt at Chushul for sulphur springs. Watch marmots at play, yaks grazing on short grass, & wandering Changpa shepherds with a herd of woolly Pashmina goat forage on `crew-cut grass.’

Be enthralled when you arrive at the turquoise blue sprawling lake dotted with salt mounds along the edges. Keeping you company are migratory birds ranging from Bar Headed Geese to Brahminy Kites or it could even be the elusive `Khyang’ (Tibetan Wild Ass) . Overnight at Korzok village.

Highlights of your tour

Depart for Tsokar Lake after breakfast Yet another scenic cobalt blue lake formed by the melting ice from retreating glaciers. Visited by few tourists, spend hours in solitary silence soaking in the beauty of the lake surrounded by barren hills & snow-capped mountains, also home to the Tibetan Ass & migratory birds. Overnight in tented accommodation or at home-stay in a village

Highlights of your tour

Drive back to Leh via the Tanglang-La-Pass, the second highest pass in Ladakh, affording snowy peaks & treacherous paths.  Overnight in Leh

Highlights of your tour

Attend the Masked Dance Festival at Phyang Monastery, these festivals are held at different parts of the year in monasteries located in Ladakh. Temple priests known as monks often dress in colourful costumes and wear expressive masks, with a prayer wheel in hand & dance to the rhythm of cymbals, drums & chants. Locals & tourists are enchanted with this display.

Highlights of your tour

A memorable journey to a dry lake bed with undulating structures at Lamayaru bearing significant resembles to surface of the moon.  Located in an admirable setting, the restored Lamayaru monastery offers many paintings & frescoes. Overnight at Alchi Resort.

Highlights of your tour

A short ride brings you to Alchi Monastery which is the only monastery having frescoes painted on walls in a unique Indian style of architecture & is an important Buddhist centre in Ladakh. Most of the mandala paintings are done by Tibetan &Kashmiri artists. Located in an oasis of picturesque green, this 11^th century monastery has a portrait of its founder, Rinchen Zangpo. Return back to Leh & overnight at hotel.

Highlights of your tour

A momentous outing with a six-hour drive to Nubra Valley over the second highest mountain pass in the world at Khardungla (5600 meter), permanently covered in snow. Nubra Valley (green valley) offers milder climates, enchanting views of Himalayan Mountains & in a manner of speaking – the last outpost of India, beyond of which is the road to Siachen Glacier & closed to non-army vehicles. On the trade route from Turkistan to Tibet, this fertile valley had an important role to play in ancient times.  Likely to spot the double humped camel on sand dunes. Overnight in tented accommodation.  The milder climate may also prompt you to take your shirt off!!

Highlights of your tour

Return back to Leh, arrive late afternoon for rest, relaxation & overnight.

Highlights of your tour

A exciting four hour river rafting tour on the Zanskar river culminating at the confluence, when Indus `meets’ Zanskar. With grade II & III rapids, the raft snakes its way past a wall of mountains & is compared to the rafting ride on the Grand Canyon. Be dressed for the occasion – shorts & tee shirt should suffice!!  Bring you mobile phones for selfies along with a plastic bag to store your phone to prevent it from getting wet.

Highlights of your tour

Depart Leh for Delhi

Flight Details

Go Air departs at 1030 hrs, arrives at 1150 hrs