Trip to Nubra Valley, Ladakh

In the last four following postings, I recounted briefly the experiences of my trip to Nubra Valley of Ladakh with a few pictures:

1. Khardung, the Pass and the Village;
2. Himalayan Diskit;
3. Hundar - Retracing the Silk Route; and
4. Panamik.

I tried to cover the breathtaking views from Khardung-La, the scenery all the way south over the Indus Valley to the seemingly endless peaks and ridges of the Zanskar range, and north to the giants of the Sasser massif, the road from Leh rising steeply to meet the Khardung-La and then dramatically plunging into bends and turns to gradually unfold itself along the meandering Shyok and Nubra rivers, the romance of the Silk Route and the joy of riding in border land areas on the jeep safari bringing out the adventure of travel to gain an insight into fascinating landscapes, villges, people, and their culture.

Mountain road on the way back to Khardung-La
Hopefully in days to come, I shall write more about the rest of Ladakhi regions I visited this time including posting more pictures of Leh, the Ladakhi capital and the areas around it, my trip to the awesome Himalayan Pangong Lake and also about a day spent in the beautiful Himalayan village of Phyang.



It's said all that you feel in your heart cannot be described in words, and all that you see through your own eyes cannot be captured on camera. That stands true for my experiences during my recent trip to Leh, Ladakh.

A view on the way to Nubra Valley

Himalayan Diskit

The Karakoram Range (which is at an altitude of 20,000 feet) can be viewed from the northern part of the Khardung-La Pass. Turn 180 degrees and one can see the Himalayas back towards Leh.

The Karakoram Range in the horizon as seen from Khardung-La

Another view from Khardung-La Pass

After enjoying the magnificent views from the Khardung-La Pass and drive through breathtaking scenery to Khardung village, pictures of which have been posted here, we passed through starkly beautiful mountain country side to the Traffic Check Post at Khalsar where permits have be registered and checked. From here one has to turn to the left side from the winding Shayok river.

Shayok River

Then it was a drive for about 25 kms over a narrow steep road to the beautiful village of Diskit.

There was a dust storm that kicked up in the Diskit village after our arrival and I was able to shoot a few pictures both before and during the dust storm.

Picture of Diskit village before the dust storm

Our guest house at Diskit was comfortable and it had a beautiful garden in front of it along with a few fruit trees.

Guest house at Diksit

Beautiful garden

View of Himalayan mountains from the guesthouse

There is a new Gompa being built in Diskit, and it is said that the Maitreya Buddha statue, when completed, will be one of the largest in Ladakh.

Pictures of the new monastery under construction

The other old Diskit Gompa dates back to the 14th century. My visit to the Samstanling Gompas nearby had to be cut short due to the dust storm that started.

Samstanling Gompa

Dust storm blowing over Diskit village as viewed from the Diskit Gompa

Dust storm blowing over Diskit village as viewed from the Diskit Gompa

That evening at the guesthouse in Diskit, I met two groups of French tourists. There were also a few other tourists from other parts of India, including some students and one from South Korea. The evening was interesting having animated conversation with people from different parts of the world and from all walks of life. All guests were served dinner in a rectangular traditional Ladakhi dining room that had some decorated dining tables and colorful rugs arranged in the area. Food was plenty and Ladakhi hospitality was, as usual, commendable.

Ladakhi dining style

Khardung, the Pass and the Village

The Nubra Valley means Ldumra (the valley of flowers), situated in the north of Leh. The area was off limits to tourists until 1994. It is therefore not a much explored area. Now the Nubra Valley can be visited with a seven day permit that can be arranged in Leh.

The road journey to Nubra valley leads through Khardung-La (the highest motorable road in the world) at 18,380 feet above sea level and is around 50 kms away from Leh. This short distance take hours to reach because of the perilous mountain roads, with breathtaking views of mountains and valleys.