Ladakh is the confluence of old and rich cultural history; it embodies wanderlust, opines Sarika in this travelogue – exclusively for Different Truths.

Ladakh the beauty lies in the trans-Himalayan region. It is known for its deep blue skies, pure atmosphere, and many more. The rugged land is bounded by two of the world’s highest mountain ranges- the great Himalayan and the Karakoram range.

It is naked, barren, and rustic, yet lively and colourful!

Ladakh is desolate, yet it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. It will undoubtedly be caged in my memory forever. I usually do not choose one destination more than once; in this short life, if I keep visiting one place again and again, when shall I see the rest of the world? So, my intention is obvious. But Ladakh is pure love, and I would like to go there again. 

Ladakh is wanderlust, a fusion of ancient and rich cultural heritage. Its mystical beauty lies in its sparkling crystal-clear lakes, foaming rivers, living Buddhism, landscapes, old monasteries, ancient villages, and soaring mountains. 

It was my son’s summer break, and he returned home in August. Ladakh was on our to-do list, so Mrinal and I planned accordingly. The journey began.

We took our flight from Delhi, and I took the window seat. My eyes caught magnificent lifetime sights like the Zanskar river, the Tso-Morori lake, the Karakorum range, and the mighty Himalayas.

If you plan to take a flight from Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu, or Srinagar, take TO grab the window seat and catch some magnificent sights like that of the Zanskar River, the Tso-Moriri Lake, the Karakoram ranges, and the mighty Himalayas.

When we reached Ladakh airport, the flight path from the Himalayan Mountain towards Leh airport was one of the most breathtakingly scenic beauties in the world I witnessed. I stayed there for some time to ensure it was real.

Nature is undoubtedly beautiful. The Creator is a great artist.

After landing at the airport during the mid-morning hours, we headed to the hotel. On our way, we thoroughly enjoyed the beauty at its best. We decided, and many travellers suggested rest for the day in the room. Acclimatisation is mandatory for our bodies to enjoy the rest of our holidays. I was tempted to explore the city, but I finally rested in the room and had enough liquids to avoid mountain sickness due to less oxygen in the air. 

In the late evening, Mrinal and I just walked next to our hotel and figured out a big local market. It was the 14th of August. Hence all the streets were filled with Indian flags, and a spirit of patriotism was in the air.

On the first day, we decided to stay and relax, so we just walked down to Leh market in the evening. The market was filled with awe-inspiring statuettes and Buddhist cloth paintings. Tibetan cloths. Different gems and stones, local apricot jam, fantastic health products, turquoise and coral jewellery, wall paintings, prayer wheels, rugs, shawls, wooden curved painted tables, and many more.

Food Experience

We had a fantastic food experience in the mountain. We experienced our meals at restaurants, cafes, tiny shacks, typical Tibetan eateries, roof-top places, and in our hotel. We tried the local thupka, soup noodles mixed with veggies, and tender, juicy meat served with hot sauces. The traditional food of Leh also contains dry fruits and spices. We hogged momos, thupka, noodles, and garden-fresh rocket salad. It is heaven for various teas like gur-gur chai, mint or lemon-honey-ginger, and herb tea. 

Some places we went to and made lifetime memories are worth mentioning.

Places to Visit

We explored and discovered in and around Ladakh for the next four days. The following are the ones I remember vividly:

1. Hall of Fame
2. Spituk Monastery
3. Gurudwara Patthar Sahib,
4. Magnetic Hill
5. Likir Monastery
6. Nimmu and around
7. Leh to Nubra Valley  

Hall of Fame: A place where every Indian will get goosebumps and shed tears after knowing the heroic acts of our jawans. They lost their lives unquestioningly for Mother India. They were located around 40 km from the city on the Leh-Srinagar highway. The museum was built to remember the valorous soldiers who died for India during the Indo-Pakistan war. 

Spituk Monastery: Ladakh is heaven for monasteries. It is eight km down the Indus river from Leh; The monastery is located atop a hill; we can see houses of Spituk villages from the monastery. Here everything is ancient and breathtaking. The monastery has a long and robust history. It is home to 100 monks. You can see the giant statue of Kali inside the monastery. 

Gurudwara Patthar Sahib is almost 27 km from Leh on the highway. It is connected to history and dedicated to the first Sikh Guru, Nanak Dev ji. It is believed that Nanak stayed here for some time while returning from Tibet and transformed a demon into a saint with his power of prayer. The Sikh regiment of the Indian army presently maintains it. They constantly serve langar and hot tea for the tourists. 

Magnetic Hill: It is seven km away from the Patthar Sahib Gurudwara — the magnetic hill. Near the specific field, our chauffeur kept the vehicle in neutral mode, and to our surprise, the car moved up the mountain on its own for a very short distance. It was a thrilling experience. 

Likir Monastery: A Buddhist Gompa located 56 km from Leh in Likir village. It vividly sits atop a hill at the height of 3700 meters and provides panoramic views of the picturesque landscape of the Himalayas. It is synonymous with exuberant peace and tranquillity. 

Nimmu House: We also experienced the beauty of the Nimmu house in the fantastic village of Nimmu. It is a relatively low-lying spot, around 30 km west of Leh.

Nubra Valley: Of all the tourist places in Ladakh, Nubra valley is probably the most easily accessible. A very well-maintained road takes you across the high-altitude pass of Khardungla and is followed by deep inside the valley of Nubra, and its beauty is beyond words. 

Nubra is home to beautiful landscapes and postcard villages. It is on the bucket list of many travellers who wish to visit Ladakh. It is way more than beautiful. The most exciting part is the combination of desert and greenery, huge mountains with brown hues. A few amazing places in Nubra valley are: Diskit monastery, Hunder Sand Dunes, Maitreya Buddha Statue, Meeting Bactrian camels, Turtak village, Samur Monastery, the valley of flowers, Khar dung la route.

Once you visit Ladakh, the romance and visual poetry will linger forever!

Photos by the author

Sarika Sarkar Das

A teacher, day dreamer, random experimental cook and some hit and miss photography, and at last love to call myself a full time mother. ​

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