Ladakh and Himachal

Ladakh is situated in the northern part of India, in the Trans Himalayan plateau. The most striking physical aspect of Ladakh is the parallel mountains running from southeast to northwest. In the north, there are main ranges of Karakoram and Kuen Lun, separating India from Central Asia and Tibet. The Ladakh range starts from the Indus- Shyok confluence and the Zanskar Range is the dividing lines between Indus valley and Zanskar valley. The great Himalayan Range in its south demarcates Ladakh from the Kashmir Valley and Himachal. On its northern frontier lies the high land of Aksai Chin and Soda Plains, on the western extremity lies the Kanjut area of Hunja. Ladakh is also called as ‘Little Tibet', ‘Moon - Land', or the ‘Last Shangri la'. The Himalayan is an effective barrier to the rain and as a result Ladakh is barren beyond belief, hence the name ‘Moon - Land'.
 
The habitations are at an elevation of 3,000m to 5,000m. They are either nomads or live in small hamlets. Monastries are the landmark all over the country and influence every aspect of the most strategic places, usually on the top of the hill or the rock face. Its stark landscapes, its ancient monastries, its medieval way of life and its remoteness attract visitors, geologists, anthropologist, mountaineers and lovers of nature from far and wide.
 
The people are known for the devout and peace loving ways. After the hardship of extreme winter, they bring their land alive during summer with festivals, mask dance and mystic plays. ‘Jullay' is the all-purpose friendly and frequently used word.
 
Its strategic location is matched by its physical isolation - only from June to September are the roads open, rest the time it is covered with snow. And only since 1979, there has been flight into Ladakh, which is undoubtly one of the most spectacular in the world.
 
Ladakh maybe a part of India, but it is less like India than anything you could imagine. Be it cultural, Camping or driving through the highest motorable road in the world or have a view of the ‘Moon-Land': Ladakh has so much to offer.