About Leh
Leh offer higher & lower class accommodation, with hundreds of guest houses & hotels, which can suit every budget. There are sum of good restaurants that offer a Plette of good multi cuisine dishes for sensible prices. There are a number of tour Operators/Travel agents around the town, who look after traveller'swants like booking of hotels, Providing tour guides, different tour packages and taxi services etc.
Buddhist monasteries are the requirement visit places in and around leh. Tours to these monasteries can be planned in one or two days, as all the famous monasteries are within a drive of one or two days from Leh. Within a drive of one or two days from Leh. For information on monasteries please check monastery section of this guide book.
Best Time to Visit Leh
Ladakh is open for tourists throughout the year, however the best time to visit Leh for cultural tours and treks is from June to October. Most of the trekking routes are closed after November due to heavy snowfall at high passes except the Liker-Khaltsey trek. The best time to visit Leh for Chadar trek (frozen river trek ) to Zanskar is from January to mid March.
The Festivals of Stok, Matho and New Year take Place in winter. It is possible to visit Ladakh in winters as there as there are some centrally heated hotels in Leh which provide accommodation in winters. Best Time to Visit Leh read more>>
Leh Weather
The temperature of Leh weather during summer is quite pleasant but in winters it touches extreme levels. During summer months i.e. from mid June to mid September, the hottest days rarely climb above 30 degree Celsius, though the sun can be quite intense. Winter season in Leh weather may push the mercury to as low as minus 30 degrees (Leh & Kargil) and to minus 35 degrees in Drass. Subzero temperature continues from December to February Throughout Ladakh, Whereas, zero degree temperature is experienced during the rest of winter. This results in freezing of all the conceivable water resources. Leh Weather read more>>
In Summers pack for hot, sunny and tropical weather. Bring light tees or cotton shirts and clothing to protect you from the sun. The sun can be intense so do bring a hat or cap, sunglasses and perhaps sunblock. In the evenings the temperature drips so you might need to wear a light jacket or a pullover. In winters (November-February) One needs to be fully packed with heavy woolens, warm jackets, woolen caps, gloves and mufflers.
Good waterproof shoes are needed while trekking and extra pair of shoes or slippers is useful while crossing the rivers.
Two ruck sacks are needed, one small handbag for your camera, water bottle, packed lunch and space for jacket and a bigger one for carrying clothes with extra layer to be safe from rain and dust.
What to Pack for Ladakh Trip read more>>Leh Transport
In Leh transport, Travelling to Leh by air makes the journey short and comfortable.
Leh by Air read moreThe Jammu & Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation functions daily Leh buses ordinary and standard deluxe buses bus services from Leh and Srinagar and Leh. The Himachal Road Transport Corporation operates services between Delhi and Leh via Manali Road and daily Services between. Manali and Leh.
The Himachal Road Transport Corporation operates services between Delhi and Leh via Manali Road and daily Services between. Manali and Leh. Manali Privates Bus Union also operates daily bus services between Manali and Leh, which take two days to reach Leh after night halt at Sarchu or Darcha.
Leh by Bus read moreThere are two roads to go to Ladakh in Leh by road, one is through the Srinagar-Leh road and the other is through Manali-Leh road.
Leh by Road read moreThe best and cheap travel options in Leh region is by public transportation that work on set roads according to set timetables. Though the most relaxed and suitable travel options is by taxi though expensive, that are available on hire with set tariffs from one end-to-another. The hotel in Leh you are staying can also assemble taxis on demand. You can even rent motorbikes. For short travel within the town you will find local taxis in plentiful during the day. For visits to the newly opened areas of Nubra, Dah-Hanu, Tsomoriri, Tsokar and Pangong Lakes it is mandatory to engage the services of a registered/recognized travel agency for making all the requisite arrangements including internal transport. Detailed information about bus schedule, taxi tariff, and travel agencies are given in the 'Ready Reckoner' in the same book.
To travel to Leh the tourists do not need permit to travel but yes all the outsiders and foreigners are compulsory to get registered themselves at the Rumtse, Drass, and Serchu if travelling by road. The tourists travelling by air must register themselves at the airport.
There are authorized agencies for money exchange including the state bank of india, the Jammu and Kashmir Bank, Hdfc Bank and some private agencies. You should insist for a receipt, which will help you in reconverting the money whenever you desire. Credit Cards are accepted by major travel Agents, hotels and antique shops on paying 2.0% service charge. The jammu and Kashmir bank, state bank of india, hdfc and azis bank have placed atm machines in main leh city.
Hospitals in Leh
Medical facilities in Ladakh are fairly rudimentary. Though there are dispensaries in all the villages and hospitals in Leh at Block level that can treat basic medical problems, but serious illness and injury will require evacuation to govt SNM Hospital in Leh town which is...
It would be advisable to ask before clicking pictures of individual or even group of people. However, a tourist should refuse to give money if asked for.
It would be not only being suitable while trekking but also convenient to take water purification set along. While trekking the best would be to use boiled fresh water. There are places to find high pressure boiled fresh water like the Dzomsa Laundry in the main market for Rs.7 per liters. Bring in your container or water bottle at this Dzomsa Laundry to get it filled with chemically free safe drinking water.
The officials banned the use of plastic bags making the Ladakh state in India the first state to go plastic free. No use of plastic bags in Leh, Ladakh though you will find readymade goods and food articles that are wrapped in plastic packages in market. A trekker should ensure that biodegradable camping wastes are buried properly and burn the non-biodegradable ones before they move furher.
All the trekking routes fall under the sensitive wild life habitant area including the hemis National Park . In fact ladakh is a palace where villages are a part of the vast wilderness that harbours rich but sparse wildlife. Some of the species are even endangered ones. Therefore, one should be extremely careful about not causing any disturbance to the vulnerable wild life habitat while onn a trek.
Book of Author Janet Rizvi 'Cross Road to High Asia' gives detailed information on history of Ladakh and traditions of Ladakh. It is published by Press of Oxford University. 'Ancient Features-Learning from Ladakh' is book written by Helena Norberg Hodge to represent the loveliness of the traditional farming society of Ladakh.
'Getting Started in Ladakhi' is written by Rebecca Norman. If you are fascinated in learning a few Ladakhi phrases it is one of the best options for you. Book 'The Monasteries of Ladakh' written by respected author Thupstan Paldan presents short but important historical details about backgrounds of the monasteries.
Detailed trekking in Ladakh information is offered in a guide book 'Trekking in Ladakh' by Charlie loram from Trail Blazer Publications and 'Trekking Indian Himalaya' by Lonely Planet.
Trekking Map of Leh by sonam Tsetan provides detailed information regarding trekking routes in Ladakh region.
Hired taxis from outside ladakh are not allowed to be used for local sightseeing and jeep-safari. You can book the non-local taxis only to drop you at leh or for your return trip while leaving Ladakh. You have to hire local taxis for local sightseeing and jeep-safaris. However, there is no retraction for those traveling in their own private cars.
Leh Taxi
Privates Leh taxi are also available at Leh, Manali and Srinagtar on Booking or sharing basis.
Leh Tourist Attractions
There are many Leh tourist attractions like Dal Lake, Buddhist monasteries, Leh Palace Lake Ladakh, Magnetic Hill Ladakh, Pangong Lake Ladakh, Gompas in Ladakh, Zanskar Valley Ladakh, Hemis High Altitude national Park, Nubra Valley Ladakh, Hot Springs Ladakh, Ladakh Polo, Oracles and Demons of Ladakh, Wood Block Printing and Cultural Resources in Ladakh for the tourists to see
Monasteries in Leh
Leh is known for its beautiful monasteries. There are many monasteries in Leh like Hemis Monastery, Thiksey monastery etc. There are in all 20 monasteries in Leh for the tourists to see. Most of the visitors come to Ladakh in order to enjoy beautiful scenery or the Gompas. Monastaries in Leh hold carvings, gilded statues, religious icons, exquisite murals, scrolls and these remain alive with the devotions of monks. Ladakh has many significant monasteries which are known as Gompas and these Buddhist practices their religion,study. The monastaries in leh are situated in attractive places such as mountains, hills and and have rich collections of artifacts. Buddhist Thangka paintings and sculpture.
Leh restaurants
There are many restaurants in Leh, for benefit of all the tourists who visit Leh. All types of leh restaurants, budget leh restaurants are available. Leh restaurants and Bar are also available in Leh.
Leh Restaurants read moreHistory of Leh
In history of Leh, on trade routes along the Indus Valley between Tibet, Kashmir and also between India and China, Leh was a significant stopover for centuries. The major goods carried were salt, grain, pashm or cashmere wool, charas or cannabis resin from the Tarim Basin, indigo, silk yarn and Banaras brocade.
Tibetan prince, Skyid lde nyima gon (or Nyima gon) in history of Leh, who was grandson of the anti-Buddhist Tibetan king, Langdarma (r. c. 838 to 841) occupied Western Tibet. He founded several towns and it appears that he ordered the construction of the main sculptures at Shey. "In an inscription he says he had them made for the religious profit of the Tsanpo (the dynastical name of his father and ancestors), and of all the people of Ngaris (Western Tibet). This shows that by now in this generation Langdarma's opposition to Buddhism had moved out." Shey, just 15 km east of modern Leh, was the ancient seat of the Ladakhi kings in history of Leh.
History of Leh read morePeople of Leh
Leh Ladakh is not only beautiful because of its wonderful natural beauty but also the tenderness and love of the people of Leh in Leh Ladakh makes it beautiful. The Leh people gel fairly well with the tough and rocky terrain of the place. The original population of Ladakh is called Dards who are an Indo Aryan race but afterwards because of its closeness to Tibet a number of inhabitants from Tibet settled here and finally now it's more of Tibetans than Dards. Around the Kargil there is a diverse race which exists. The Arghons are the Muslim communities in Ladakh which have resulted in connection with the Kashmiris.
People of Leh read more