Leh

Leh is the capital of the Ladakh division of the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India.

Leh is in the Indus river valley, at a crossroads of the old trading routes from Xinjiang, Tibet and Kashmir. There is a pass that links it directly to Khotan. The city's importance as a trading town slowed down with the partition of British India, and ended with the closure of the border in 1962 during the Sino-Indian war. Since opening to tourists in 1974, it has become a bustling tourist town, with many Kashmiri traders. Since 2000, Indian tourists have been visiting Ladakh, with a dramatic increase in 2010 after the film Three Idiots.

It's a small town, so it's easy to get most places by foot. The old town is a compact area of mud brick houses and narrow lanes directly to the east of Main Bazaar. Changspa is the agricultural "suburb" northwest of the centre, with many guesthouses.

The main Bazaar's elevation is approximately 3,555 m (11,490 feet) and Changspa is higher, so take it easy on your first few days there or risk possible altitude sickness. Even those experienced with high altitude might have some trouble.

Winters are very cold and due to the drop in tourism, many shops, hotels and trekking companies will be closed. If you plan to visit during the winter and are an independent traveller, double check all arrangements (call your hotel instead of booking online).

For such a historic site and popular tourist destination, Leh has surprisingly few tourist sights (though a great number more are accessible as day trips):

• Donkey Sanctuary. Is just off the road leading to Khardungla Pass. The public is encouraged to visit the sanctuary and friendly signs will direct you to the sanctuary from the centre of Leh. It is no more than a pleasant 5 to 10 minute stroll from the main road to the Sanctuary and the artistic surprise awaiting you is well worth the effort. It is open to the public throughout the day and donations and juicy carrots are most welcome and used exclusively for improving the lives and welfare of these wonderful animals. Free.
• Khardung-La. Commonly but falsely claimed to be the world's highest motorable road (approx. 42 km or 26 miles from Leh town), on the road going to Nubra valley. The romance of the Silk Route still hangs in the air as you cross the formidable Khardung La (pass): the highest 'motorable' pass on the planet that connects Leh to the Nubra Valley. The road from Leh rises steeply to meet Khardung La and then dramatically plunges into a whirlpool of bends and turns to gradually unfold itself along the rushing Shyok and the Nubra Rivers.
• Palace of the King of Ladakh. The most noticeable building in Leh, the palace was built in the 17th century, and now undergoing restoration. There's not much to see inside, but there are good views outside. Admission 100 Rp.
• Pangong Tso. A beautiful high altitude lake at 4,350 m with deep blue waters, surrounded by tall mountain peaks. It lies on the Indo-China boundary, with only one fourth of the lake being in India. The road to the lake passes through Chang-la pass, claimed to be at 5,425 m. It's a five hour drive (149 km) from Leh. There is a small camp on the way where you can do a yak safari. The passage is very tough to cross by car, so a four-wheel drive car is recommended. Experienced bikers should not have any problem. Day return trips from Leh avoid the AMS issue, but you won't be able to see much during your 60 minutes stay there. Overnight trips directly from Leh are outside safety guidelines. The safe and comfortable option is to do this trip at the end of your stay in Leh, and with an overnight stop at Tangtse (altitude 3,950 m). If one is staying in Leh best leave around 04:00. The problem in reaching Pangong Lake is that around 5 km before the lake, water from melting snow blocks the passage by 13:00 and it doesn’t clear until 20:00. So, leave early unless you want to get stuck until late.
• Shanti Stupa. Built by a Japanese Buddhist group. This modern stupa is somewhat kitschy, but still worth a visit.
• Small mosque.
• War Museum. Fascinating place run by the Indian Army showcasing the history, glory and the equipment related to army operations in some of the most hostile terrain in the world. It also has a fascinating display on the Siachen battlefield, the highest and one of the more arduous battlefield in the world.

Many use Leh as a base to visit the numerous gompas, the Buddhist monasteries of Ladakh.

• The Hemis Monastery. The largest monastery of Ladakh with at least 150 lamas. Also notable for a huge painting of the Buddha, which is displayed to the public only once every 11 years.
• Karma Dupgyud Choeling. Monastery in the Karma Kagyu tradition
• Namgyal Tsemo Gompa. Above the Palace, built 1430, is only open from 07:00-09:00 during the morning puja.
• Soma Gompa. Just around the corner from Main Bazaar, it's a large modern gompa. It's also the location of the Ladakhi Buddhist Association, a conservative political organisation, with ties to Hindutva groups.
• Tak Tok Gompa. Up a quiet side valley, it's a small Ningma Monastery built around a cave that Padmasambhava is said to have meditated in.
• Thiksey Gompa. 17 km from Leh, is excellent place to visit, well maintained, active and interesting Geluk (the sect headed by the Dali Lama) Monastery. The two storey tall Matreya statue is stunning.

The Hemis Monastery. The largest monastery of Ladakh with at least 150 lamas. Also notable for a huge painting of the Buddha, which is displayed to the public only once every 11 years.

Karma Dupgyud Choeling. Monastery in the Karma Kagyu tradition

Namgyal Tsemo Gompa. Above the Palace, built 1430, is only open from 07:00-09:00 during the morning puja.

Soma Gompa. Just around the corner from Main Bazaar, it's a large modern gompa. It's also the location of the Ladakhi Buddhist Association, a conservative political organisation, with ties to Hindutva groups.

Tak Tok Gompa. Up a quiet side valley, it's a small Ningma Monastery built around a cave that Padmasambhava is said to have meditated in.

Thiksey Gompa. 17 km from Leh, is excellent place to visit, well maintained, active and interesting Geluk (the sect headed by the Dali Lama) Monastery. The two storey tall Matreya statue is stunning.

• Choglamsar. A village with a large Tibetan community, almost close enough to Leh to be a suburb. Is an important Tibetan refugee community, and centre for Buddhist studies with both the Central Institute of Buddhist Studies and the Mahabodhi Meditation Centre.
• Stok. A pleasant village across the Indus and a few km up a side road. Stok Monastery and a former royal palace are worth visiting.

Choglamsar. A village with a large Tibetan community, almost close enough to Leh to be a suburb. Is an important Tibetan refugee community, and centre for Buddhist studies with both the Central Institute of Buddhist Studies and the Mahabodhi Meditation Centre.

Stok. A pleasant village across the Indus and a few km up a side road. Stok Monastery and a former royal palace are worth visiting.

Donkey Sanctuary. Is just off the road leading to Khardungla Pass. The public is encouraged to visit the sanctuary and friendly signs will direct you to the sanctuary from the centre of Leh. It is no more than a pleasant 5 to 10 minute stroll from the main road to the Sanctuary and the artistic surprise awaiting you is well worth the effort. It is open to the public throughout the day and donations and juicy carrots are most welcome and used exclusively for improving the lives and welfare of these wonderful animals. Free.

Khardung-La. Commonly but falsely claimed to be the world's highest motorable road (approx. 42 km or 26 miles from Leh town), on the road going to Nubra valley. The romance of the Silk Route still hangs in the air as you cross the formidable Khardung La (pass): the highest 'motorable' pass on the planet that connects Leh to the Nubra Valley. The road from Leh rises steeply to meet Khardung La and then dramatically plunges into a whirlpool of bends and turns to gradually unfold itself along the rushing Shyok and the Nubra Rivers.

Palace of the King of Ladakh. The most noticeable building in Leh, the palace was built in the 17th century, and now undergoing restoration. There's not much to see inside, but there are good views outside. Admission 100 Rp.

Pangong Tso. A beautiful high altitude lake at 4,350 m with deep blue waters, surrounded by tall mountain peaks. It lies on the Indo-China boundary, with only one fourth of the lake being in India. The road to the lake passes through Chang-la pass, claimed to be at 5,425 m. It's a five hour drive (149 km) from Leh. There is a small camp on the way where you can do a yak safari. The passage is very tough to cross by car, so a four-wheel drive car is recommended. Experienced bikers should not have any problem. Day return trips from Leh avoid the AMS issue, but you won't be able to see much during your 60 minutes stay there. Overnight trips directly from Leh are outside safety guidelines. The safe and comfortable option is to do this trip at the end of your stay in Leh, and with an overnight stop at Tangtse (altitude 3,950 m). If one is staying in Leh best leave around 04:00. The problem in reaching Pangong Lake is that around 5 km before the lake, water from melting snow blocks the passage by 13:00 and it doesn’t clear until 20:00. So, leave early unless you want to get stuck until late.

Shanti Stupa. Built by a Japanese Buddhist group. This modern stupa is somewhat kitschy, but still worth a visit.

Small mosque.

War Museum. Fascinating place run by the Indian Army showcasing the history, glory and the equipment related to army operations in some of the most hostile terrain in the world. It also has a fascinating display on the Siachen battlefield, the highest and one of the more arduous battlefield in the world.

• Prepare for a trekking in Ladakh, which offers a huge number of trekking routes.
• White-water rafting: on the Zaskar and Indus rivers is also organised from Leh. The Indus rafting route from Nimmu towards the Pakistani border has rapids of increasing severity of grades of 4, 4+, and 5; the latter two grades being not for the faint of heart.
• Confluence of the Zanskar and Indus rivers: this is easy to determine as the water of Zanskar is brown, whilst that of the Indus is a little pink. Also available are sports activities such as water drafting
• River rafting in the steep gorges of Zanskar River.
• Yak and Camel safari to explore the town.
• Skiing and Biking on routes such as Panikhar to Kanji.
• Besides trekking, mountaineering and cycling.

The Main Bazaar and the surrounding streets have numerous shops selling souvenirs, mostly Tibetan antiques or replicas. The Tibetan market is a good place to buy jewellery, souvenirs, and various other items such as Pashmina shawls (about ₹4,500-7,000).

be extremely wary when buying pashmina as half the shops in the city will falsely claim their products are pasmina.

There are half a dozen good book shops with an excellent range of books on the Himalayas, including novels, guidebooks, phrase-books, books on history and on Buddhism.

People needing some warm clothing should consider the second hand clothing bazaar near the jeep stand. Good used clothing from first world countries is cheap, which is handy if you are only in the cooler climate for a little while.

Leh also has the best selection in the area of food for trekking albeit not all that different from normal instant noodles, biscuits, powdered milk and chocolate that's available in any village with a shop, but with the addition of fresh and dry fruit and vegetables and a few other luxury foods.

Cheap food can be hard to find in Leh because everything has to be brought by truck on the winding ladakh roads and the population of the region far exceeds it's ability to produce food- a problem only worsened by building on farmland in the valleys.

Main Bazaar has a few sweet shops selling samosas, chana dhal with puri, and other Indian food in addition to the sweets. The shopping areas of the old town and the area around the bus station are good for Tibetan styled restaurants, although few offer more than thukpa (noodle soup) and momos (dumplings). Vegetarian dishes are difficult to find in these places.

there are several punjabi thali shops in the "old city bazar" on the corner of the main bazar where you can get thali for 70-90 rupee.

• German bakery. Fresh baked breads with honey and cheese in the main market.
• Lamayuru Restaurant.

German bakery. Fresh baked breads with honey and cheese in the main market.

Lamayuru Restaurant.

Main Bazar has a decent selection of mid range Tibetan-style restaurants, popular with tourists and locals. In the summer numerous garden restaurants spring up in Changspa serving Tibetan, Western and Indian dishes.

OpenHand Shop and Cafe, around the Old Fort Road, has good South African and Continental cuisine. Decent Western-style coffee, and some good Indian textiles.

• Happy World Restaurant, Zangsti Rd (corner of Fort Rd beside the rivulet. All types of food. A good restaurant.

Happy World Restaurant, Zangsti Rd (corner of Fort Rd beside the rivulet. All types of food. A good restaurant.

There is little in the way of nightlife in Leh. You can have a beer at many of the restaurants, but they close fairly early. For a more adventurous alternative, ask around the old town (or your guest house owner) for Chang the local home brewed beer, which costs about ₹15 for a litre; bring your own bottle.

There are a few springs scattered around Leh that provide a natural and plastic free alternative to using bottled water.

Clean filtered and boiled water is available from shops, such as the organic food shop and guest houses.

Leh is still in the early days of the communications revolution, and some Internet cafes use long distance, poor quality phone lines for dial-up. These are not only expensive, but also unreliable. There are numerous satellite run internet cafes and also mobile services (BSNL, Airtel) in Leh.

The numerous centres for international calls are fairly reasonably priced.

Leh is one of the safest places in India.

Carry a torch at night, as there is next to no street lighting, and there are some very deep drainage ditches. Beware of the stray dogs which rule streets during the night, especially in the inner alleys and around eateries.

If you feel breathlessness after some exercise, scared of height or any heart problem then avoid visiting Leh. But if you are still desperate to be in Leh then drink lots of water or eat in frequent times while in this beautiful place. Be extra careful while visiting Leh in winter. It is stunningly beautiful but extreme cold weather means a little discomfort for visitors.

Be cautious if you are driving on your own. Though roads are fine, the constant melting of snow tends to damage the road conditions. There are always a chances of landslides, so don’t venture at the edge of the road.

Ladakh was struck with serious floods and mud slides in August 2010. The airport was operational within days, and the major roads and bridges after a few weeks, and Manali-Leh was re-routed temporarily, until October after Rumtse, making it more than a hundred kilometres longer. The road was fully operational in October 2010.

It is vital have your first acclimatisation nights after arriving at altitudes over 3,000 m before venturing to higher altitudes. This means not going for the tent camps at Sarchu (4,300 m) or Pang (4,500 m) directly from Manali, i.e. no longer than Darcha the first night. All overnight stays are not planned, in September 2008 the Air Force had to evacuate those with altitude sickness from Sarchu in after massive snowfall, and landslides are not uncommon. Not allowing your body to acclimatise can result in altitude sickness, which has only one cure: turning back. Stay a minimum of two nights after flying in before going higher, so as both to give your body time to acclimatise and to explore the city.

If you are travelling from Delhi to Leh by road, the route which enables better acclimatisation is via Shimla, and then towards Kinnaur and Spiti, which gives several acclimatisation nights between 2,000 to 3,000 m: Sarahan (2,134 m), Kalpa (2,800 m), Tabo (3,265 m). After Kaza (3,600 m) and the Kunzum La (4,550 m) the road connects with the Manali-Leh highway just north of the Rothang pass.

If arriving by flight, rest at least over the first night before starting sightseeing, consider visiting Alchi first since it is lower than Leh.

Diamox is available over the counter in India which can help, with varying success, to speed up acclimatisation. Those that are allergic to sulfa medication can not use Diamox, and it can have side effects: this needs to be discussed with a doctor beforehand.

• Kargil Number is a widely available local newspaper.

• Shey – a small rural village that was once the ancient capital of Ladakh, 15 km away
• Alchi – small village with a gompa or Buddhist monastic complex, 4 km off the road to Kargil
• Lamayuru – small village with a Buddhist gompa, beyond Alchi and still on the way to Kargil
• Nubra Valley
• Manali via Keylong, a long and trecherous road that is closed in late september/october depending on snowfall/rain. Note if the road is closed police may not let you visit towns south of Upshi
• Choglamsar- A predominantly tibetan town imediately south of Leh. Take the bus from the Leh public bus station or the adjoining main road. (around 10 rupees).