Recently on my trip to Leh, I came across to some of the unforgettable moments, unbelievable views and unexpected wonderful experiences. The small brick houses, generous people, narrow lanes, colorful flags and desert landscape make the place a perfect destination for every kind of traveler. Here’s is the list of places which you ought not to miss in Leh:

HEMIS MONASTERY, LEH LADAKH

A monastery representing the beliefs and colors of Buddhism to the fullest, it is also popular for ‘Hemis Festival’ which takes place around June-July every year. So, make sure to visit the place for experiencing the celebration of spirituality with music and dance.

GURUDWARA PATHAR SAHIB, LEH LADAKH

12000 ft above sea level, it is a beautiful gurudwara in memory of Guru Nanak on the outskirts of Leh on Kargil road. It is visited by both Hindu and Buddhists; legends say that Lamas found the stone boulders with silhouette of a guru meditating and footprints engraved in it.

SHANTI STUPA, LEH LADAKH

It is one of the biggest stupa in Ladakh, it was built by a group of Japanese Buddhist travellers on a hilltop in Chanspa. With time, t became a popular tourist destination not just due to its religious significance but also due to its location surrounded with panoramic views. You can witness the best sunrise and sunset in Leh from this white-domed stupa.

LEH PALACE, LADAKH

In 1553, the palace was one of the highest buildings in the world. It was built on the Namgyal Hill by Buddhist kings; the architecture of the palace surprises you as it demonstrates the magnificence of the Buddhist culture and religion.

MAGNETIC HILL, LEH LADAKH

This hill gives you the most unexpected experience in the world, a car or bike going uphill with ignition off. Yes, this is what happens here in the magnetic hill zone, it’s an illusion which makes a downhill slope appear to be an uphill slope.

OLD TOWN, LEH LADAKH

The charm of old town of Leh cannot be missed, you can easily get lost in the small alley-ways, brick huts with colorful paintings and prayer flags. The unique feature of this town is that there are no windows in the houses.

HALL OF FAME, LEH LADAKH

The Hall of Fame is a place where you get to realize the sacrifices made by the Indian soldiers for making our life easy. The museum provides all the information on army operations here, even stories on our soldiers in the Kargil battle of 1999.

PRIM RESORTS- SABOO LEH, LADAKH

The PRIM Resorts Leh welcomes its guests with great hospitality, it is located in middle of nowhere with has awe-inspiring views of the landscape. It is one of the Best Resorts in Leh, I was over whelmed with generosity of the staff who made sure that I got everything I asked for during my stay. The resort gave me time to relax and re-energize, to end up the trip with good memories and began the normal routine life in a positive manner. 

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If you happen to be in Leh-Ladakh and you miss out this fantastic tourist destination, Pangong Tso or Pangong Lake then your trip was definitely incomplete. For lifetime memories, do make a ride for 2.5hours from Leh by your jeep, car, bike anything and visit the lake that is beautifully featured in the movie 3 Idiots by Rajkumar Hirani. Yes, the enchanting waterfront showcased in the movie when gorgeous Kareena rides a scooter and meets Amir Khan is Pangong Tso. Further, the lake is splendidly blessed with natural beauty that is has been pictured in many other movies, to name one, Mani Ratnam’s epic Dil Se. 

Perched 13,900 ft above ground, the lake can be located on the upper reaches of the vast Himalayan Mountain range in Leh, Jammu and Kashmir. This picturesque water body derives its name, Pangong from Tibetan word Bangong Co that means “Long, Narrow, Enchanted Lake”. And as a matter of fact, it truly justifies its meaning with its sprawling nature and amazing hues that change with ever changing climate. 

Enroute to Pangong Tso lies Chang La, the thirst highest motorable mountain pass of the world, 5289 m. One can also enjoy the beautiful Ladakh countryside while driving here. And once the travelers arrive at Pangong Tso, the mesmerizing image of the lake will remain etched forever in their eyes. The lake looks serene in its calmness and stillness. The bright blue waters amidst the rocky lakeshore bewitch the onlookers. The sight of a narrow ramp-like structure of land which runs into the lake has become the favorite attraction amongst the tourists. 

The beauty of this natural water body makes it one of the sought after tourist destinations round the globe and attracts tourists to come and visit. Though the lakes water is saline, it freezes completely in winters making it a wetland. For this very reason, it is being considered for inclusion in Ramsar Convention, a project for conservation of wetlands. When it will happen, Pangong Tso will be the first amongst trans-boundary wetlands in South Asia under convention. 

Its saline nature also makes it lack in vegetation and aquatic life. In fact, there is hardly any water life or vegetation at Pangong Tso but still it has become a home for many exotic migratory birds. You can spot glorious black necked cranes and seagulls on the water of Pangong. The beautiful Brahmani Ducks can also be witnessed breeding on the waters of this magnificent lake. Some other creatures like Ladakhi Marmots, a type of rodent can be found growing here. 

Sixty percent part of Pangong Tso and majority streams that fill the lake are located in Tibet, controlled by China while only 40 percent of the lake is situated in India. Moreover, the line of actual control passes through the lake, thus making it a crucial point of security for both the countries, China and India. This is one of the major reasons for prohibiting boating on the lake. 

But doesn’t matter, if one cannot boat, one sure can click amazing photographs of the marvelous scenery and indulge in some exotic bird watching. The place in short has become a paradise for nature lovers, writers, photographers and adventure enthusiasts. 

Author:

This article is written by Prim Resorts, who has described the situation of Resorts in Ladakh and Hotels in Ladakh in this article. 

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