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Ladakh Travel Info | Ladakh Travel Guide
The main overland approach to Ladakh is from the Kashmir Valley via the 434 km Drinagar-Leh road which remains open for traffic from early June to November. The most dramatic part of this road journey is the ascent up the 11,500 feet/3,505 m high Zoji-la, the pass in the Great Himalayan Wall that serves as the gateway to Ladakh. The J&K State Road Transport Corporation (J&K SRTC) operates regular Deluxe and Ordinary bus services between Srinagar and Leh on this route with an overnight halt at Kargil. Taxis (cars and jeeps )are also available at Srinagar for the journey. Groups can charter Deluxe and A-class buses for Leh, Kargil or Padum (Zanskar) for the J&K SRTC at Srinagar.
Since 1989, the 473 km Manali-Leh road has been serving as the second land approach to Ladakh. Open for traffic from around mid-June to early October, this high road traverses
A number of high passes fall en route among which the highest one, known as Taglang-la, is the world's second highest motorable pass at an altitude of 17,469 feet/ 5,325m. H.P. Tourism, H.P. STRC and J&K SRTC operate Deluxe and Ordinary bus services between Manali and Leh. The bus journey between Leh and Manali takes aout 19 hours or two days with an overnight halt in camps at Serchu or Pang. Gypsy and jeep jeep taxis are also available, both at Manali and Leh.
Ladakh, situated between the Karakoram and the Himalaya in the far north of India, is one of the highest and most remote regions in India. The name is derived from Ladags, which means 'the land of high passes'.
This term does not do justice to the inherent beauty of its chaotic ridges, twisted and exposed geological strata, saw-toothed peaks, dark gorges and wide valleys, relieved by the vibrant green oases of the villages.
Closed for six months a year due to harsh weather, Ladakh is also one of the few remaining areas where the Tibetan system of medicine remains undisturbed.
Being located in lap of the Himalayas, Kargil serves as an important base for undertaking adventure tourism and trips to the exotic Zanskar Valley and other Himalayan regions. Visitors travelling between Srinagar and Leh have to make anight halt here before starting the second leg of their journey.
The town and its suburban villages lie nestled along the valley system formed by the confluence of the Suru River and its tributary, the Wakha-chhu. The land along the narrow valley floor and the hillsides are neatly terraced and intensively cultivated to grow barely, wheat, peas and several other cereals, besides a variety of vegetables.
Thick plantations of poplars and willows, besides rich orchards of apricot, apple and mulberry, adorn the area to form a rich oasis against the backdrop of the undulating mountains.
Kargil area is famous for its fine apricots. In May the countryside surrounding the town gets awash with the white apricot blossoms, while in August the ripening fruits lend an orange hue to the landscape.
Kargil is convenient base for undertaking adventure activities like trekking, mountaineering, camping, river- rafting, etc. in the high Himalayan valleys.
It is also a convenient base for taking excursions to the Wakha- Mulbek valley, where the chief attraction is a 9 m high rock sculpture of Maitreya, besides other monuments.
Another tour option is to visit the beautiful Suru Valley to behold the gradually unfolding panorama of the impressive Himalayan landscape. Yet another interesting excursion option is to visit Drass to see its famous features like Tolo-ling, Tiger Hill and the Mushkoo Valley, well known throughout India on account of the extensively televised conflict on the LoC between India and Pakistan during May-August, 1999.
Kargil also offers some interesting walks through the suburban villages nestling along the rising hillsides of theriver valleys. The best among these is the walk towards Goma Kargil along a 2-km long winding road that passes through some of the most picturesque parts of the town, offering breathtaking views of the unfolding mountainscape as one ascends alongside a tumbling mountain stream.
It is best taken in the afternoon as the setting sun plays magic with the changing hues and shades of the hills. A shorter walk across the bridge, over the Suru River, takes you through the ancient village of Poyen, and up the Wakha-chhu valley.
In Kargil town one may meet the Brokpa or Drokpa tribals from the Indus Valley villages of Darchiks, Garkon etc. of Batalik Block, which is about 56 kms north of Kargil.
This area is now open for foreign visitors up to Dah village from the Khalsi side. However, Indian nationals can also approach the area (with the permission of the local authorities) along the Kargil-Batalik Road, which connects Batalik, Darchiks and Garkon villages and leads onward to Khalsi, via the other Brokpa or Drokpa villages of Dah and Biama, along the course of the Indus.
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