Leh
From World travel guide
Leh is the heart of the Leh district and capital of Ladakh in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Contents |
Understand
Leh is located in the Indus river valley at a crossroads of the old trading routes from Kashgar, Tibet, and Kashmir. Its 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.
It's a small town, easy to get most places by foot. The old town is compact area of mud brick houses and narrow lanes directly to the east of Main Bazar. Changspa is the agricultral area northwest of the center, with many guesthouses.
Get in
By bus
There are two roads in to Leh, one from Manali and Himachal Pradesh in the south, and one from Srinagar in the west. Both routes are equally spectacular in different ways.
The advantage of the road from Srinigar is that it is open longer, normally from the beginning of June to October, and that it follows the traditional trade route between Ladakh and Kashmir. The disadvantage is that it passes through an area that has had trouble with militants in the past, and could be potentially dangerous. It takes two long days, with an overnight stop in Kargil. There are numerous military checkpoints. Tickets cost 370/470 on ordinary/deluxe buses.
If you are coming from Srinagar, go to #1 taxi stand in town. Book only your seat on sumo taxi jeep to Kargil for Rs. 500. Stay overnight. Book your seat for Leh from Kargil and pay 400 rupees upon arrival in Leh. Get them to drop you at Fort Road which is the heart of the tourist area and accommodation is close by. Make sure you ask for middle seat in the taxi. Too crowded in the front and too uncomfortable in the back. Fantastic scenery for whole two days.
The route from Manali to Leh is one more commonly taken by tourists, and takes two days, normally with a stop in tent accommodation. It traverses one of the highest road passes in the world, so the scenery is fantastic, through an extremely remote area with wildly rugged mountains. This route was only recently opened by the Indian army, historically traders would not have come this way. It is open mid July to mid September, and is blocked by snow the rest of the year. Both privately operated deluxe buses and state run deluxe and ordinary buses travel this route.
By jeep
Shared jeeps follow the same routes as the busses, normally at a much higher rate (changing depending on the season and direction of travel) and normally doing the trip in one very long day. They don't tend to be more comfortable than the state run busses as they are just as crowded, and the lack of an overnigh stop makes acclimation more difficult. It's also possible to hire a jeep for yourself, allowing you to stop wherever you like.
By plane
Planes fly year round, and are the only option in the winter. Book early and give yourself at least a few days of flexibility as flights are often delayed due to weather conditions. Flights go to/from Delhi, Chandigarh, Srinagar, and Jammu.
By train
The closest train station are Jammu or Chandigarh, both at least three days away by bus.
Get around
Leh is small enough to walk most places, most notable exception being the airport, for which it's advisable to take a taxi for around 100 to 150 Rupees, although you could even walk there if you really wanted to save the money.
See
For such a historic site and popular tourist destination, Leh has surprisingly few tourist sights:
- The former Palace of the King of Ladakh (entry 100Rp). The most noticeable building in Leh, the palace was built in the 17th century, and now undergoing restoration. There's not much to see on the inside, but there are good views outside.
- Buddhist temples:
- Namgyal Tsemo Gompa. Up above the Palace, built 1430, is only open in the morning during puja, 07:00-09:00.
- Soma Gompa. Just around the corner from Main Bazar, it's a large modern gompa. It's also the location of the Ladakhi Buddhist Association, a conservitive political orginisation, with ties to Hindutva groups.
- Karma Dupgyud Choeling - monastery in the Karma Kagyu tradition
- A small mosque
- Shanti Stupa: built by a Japanese Buddhist group, this modern stupa is somewhat kitschy, but still worth a visit.
Most travellers use Leh as a base to visit the numerous Gompas (Buddhist monistaries) of Ladakh
Do
- Leh is the place to prepare for a trekking in Ladakh, which offers a huge number of possible trekking routes.
- There is a Mahabodhi Meditation Center with a building in Chanspa, and a center for longer courses in Chanspa.
Learn
Buddhism
- There are several places in and around Leh where visitors are welcome to study the Buddha Dharma, ether privately or in a class environment. The Mahabodi Society on Changspa Lane is one of the most active of these.
Work
There are many NGO's working out of Leh doing important work, many of them being travelers who've stopped to volunteer for a few months.
Buy
Main Bazar and the surrounding streets have numerous shops selling souvenirs, mostly Tibetan antiques.
There are half a dozen good book shops with an excellent range of books on the Himalayas, including guidebooks, phrasebooks, books on history and on Buddhism, as well as novels.
Leh also has the best selection of food for trekking albeit not all that different from normal instant noodles, biscuits, powdered milk and chocolate that's available in villages with a shop, with the addition of fresh and dry fruit and veggies.
Eat
Traditional Ladakhi food is limited. Ngampe, more commonly known by its Tibetan name of tsampa, is ground roast barley, eaten without further cooking - it makes perfect food for trekking. Non-traditionalists can improve the flavor by adding lots of butter and salt (and even soup or stock powder) or sugar and powdered milk.
Budget
Main Bazaar has a few sweet shops selling samosas, chana dhal with puri, and other Indian junk 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.
Mid-range / splurge
In the summer numerous garden restaurants spring up in Changspa serving Tibetan, Western, and Indian dishes.
Drink
There are a few springs scattered around Leh that provide a natural, plastic free change to bottled water.
Sleep
Leh has a large selection of low and mid-range accommodation, with some offering the best value in India. The standards of even the cheapest places here tend to be much higher than elsewhere in India. Most of the guest houses are located to Leh's northern suburbs in Chanspa and surrounding areas, a 5 to 30 minute walk from the center. Surrounded by farmers fields and often with excellent views, they make wonderful place to spend a couple weeks unwinding.
Budget / mid-range
- Eagle Guest House, Changspa.
- Shanti Guest house, Changspa; tel. 253084. Family owned, the husband is a trekking guide and a fountain of information.
Splurge
Contact
Leh is still in the early days on the comunications revolution, the few Internet cafes using dial-up connections over long distance poor quality phone lines. It's expensive and it's unreliable, and some days no one will be able to get online. Warn your loved ones beforehand that you may be out of touch from time to time, and start writing postcards. There are numerous centers for international calls though so it's not too rough.
Stay safe
Cope
Get out
Explore the Leh district.
External links
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