travel trivia (ladakh)

Occupying a high desert Plateau in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, a tour of Ladakh and Zanskar is a dramatic and exciting experience. Sandwiched between the Tibetan plains and Kashmir Himalayas, this region is a vibrant meeting place for Tibetan Buddhist culture from the east and Islamic influences from the west and is considered by many to be the only surviving replica of Tibet before it was taken over by the Chinese. A side trip to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal, before concluding the trip serves as the icing on the cake.

This experience of a lifetime starts from the capital city of India, New Delhi, where you have a couple of days to look around several monuments remaining form the rule of the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal kings.

A flight from Delhi will take you to the highest airport in the world, the one in Leh. Leh the capital of Ladakh seems to be stuck in a time warp featuring a maze of narrow lanes winding up to the ruins of the Namgyal Palace. A couple of days will be spent in Leh visiting several monuments including the Palace, Shanti Stupa and several gorgeous Gompas including the Namgyal Tsemo Gompa. After enjoying Leh you will drive to Padum, the capital of Zanskar on a road that provides stark scenery though it could get a bit bumpy at times. There will be plenty of time for undertaking short hikes around Zanskar and even a short trek into the surrounding mountains is possible. After returning to Zanskar you will drive over the Khardung La Pass, which is the highest motor able road in the world at 5578m before returning to Delhi via Leh.

Back down to the plains you can visit the historic city of Agra, which houses the Taj Mahal – one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Agra is also famous for other monuments erected by the Mughal kings of India such as the Red Fort, Fatehpur Sikri and the Buland Darwaza. This wonderful trip concludes after a drive back to Delhi.