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India - Leh/Ladakh

Bijgewerkt op: 25 mei 2023

My boyfriend and I originally wanted to visit India in December to skip the harsh Belgian winter. Visiting Northern India, with an average temperature of minus 10 degrees, wasn't the obvious choice. After a lot of thinking and rescheduling, we decided to go there anyway. Five days of freezing our toes off were no match for this breathtaking place.


LEH - LADAKH

Leh's nature is incredible! And in winter, there's not a single tourist in the entire area: the cold, heavy rain- and snowfall cause serious transportation problems. In between seasons, the army does a great job keeping the roads clear, but in the wintertime, they give up. The only way to get to Leh at that time is by plane. Once you reach the city, the roads are ok. Do leave some room in your schedule for a surprise or two.

Pangong Tso lake in India
Pangong Tso Lake

As usual, we got lucky ;) Sunny days and little to no snowfall. If the weather is nice, you only need to consider 'mountain illness' (Leh is 3500 meters above sea level). I recommend staying in Leh on the first day! Initially, I didn't believe in mountain illness, but after this trip, I (unfortunately) had to change my mind. Headache and nausea will kick in the first 24 to 48 hours.

After a nap and several bottles of water, we walked into the town and calmly climbed the stairs to Leh's palace for a beautiful view of the city. Because there aren't many tourists, only a few restaurants are open. The best restaurant we found was 'Summer Harvest.' The food was delicious and crazy cheap! Certainly, try the 'chilly honey baby corn.' You won't be disappointed!

Leh, Ladakh India

AROUND LEH

Still slightly dizzy the second day, we fixed a taxi for sightseeing around Leh. First, we stopped at the crossing of the Indus and Zanskar river. Definitely one of my favorite views in the area. After that spectacular break, the taxi driver drove us to the magnetic hill. This is a 'gravity hill.' The scenery and surrounding slopes create an optical illusion. For example, Cars or other objects may appear to be rolling uphill when they, in fact, aren't. Last but not least, we visited the 'Thiksey Monastery.' It's a gompa (Buddhist monastery) located on top of a hill in the Indus Valley.


NUBRA VALLEY

The following day we woke up feeling much better. So we called our driver to take us a little further. I initially wanted to hire a car, but the roads are too dangerous to drive when inexperienced. Certainly, this particular road, because it's one of the world's highest motorable roads (Khardung La', 5.359m). When you want to visit Nubra Valley, you'll need a permit. Our hotel was kind enough to arrange all that for us. We left very early in the morning. It was only a 150-kilometer drive. However, very mountainous and dangerous. It took us nearly 5 hours to get to our destination. We enjoyed beautiful landscapes and visited a second monastery (Diskit monastery) with a massive Buddha on top of the hill. The views were stunning. Finally arriving in Nubra Valley, we walked through the desert of Hunder. This plateau is covered with white dunes formed by wind, time, and erosion. To bad it didn't come with the desert heat :)

Nubra valley India

Mimi's Tip: there are plenty of Bactrian camels in the white desert during summer. Rent one and go for a walk! The camels are a lot different than the ones you're familiar with. They have long hair, which looks pretty funny. Surprisingly the camels disappear during winter.


PANGONG TSO LAKE

This lake is insane! The kind you can stare at forever. As a pleasant result of the off-season, we were the only ones there, which made it even more beautiful. There's only one restaurant open in winter. We had noodles and black tea for only 1 euro. Only one-third of the lake is located in India. The rest belongs to China. A road around the lake guides you all the way up there if you like.

While driving, you'll be constantly surprised by the fantastic scenery.


If you are a nature lover, do not hesitate and visit this place. You will not be disappointed. If you have any questions, you're always welcome to email me. Cheers!


Love,

Mimi

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