Ladakh has been known by many names in its history and it was firstly inhabited by the Buddhist Dard tribe, an Indo- Aryan race. Hence, the villages situated on both sides of Indus River are called the Aryan Valley. Having a rich and intriguing history and a mix of Eurasian culture makes it a place worth visiting.

Being known as little Tibet, it is known to be the purest remaining examples of the Tibetan-Buddhist culture. Ladakh has a special place in everyone’s heart and probably is one of the places on everyone’s bucket list. These places are spectacular to view everywhere you turn. However there are some places in Ladakh you shouldn’t miss which have the most astonishing landscape filled with facts and wealthy history.

Pangong Tao in Ladakh

Translated from the Tibetan word, Bannong Cho which means high grassland lake, Pangong Tso is one of the most alluring places in Ladakh. Situated at an altitude of 13,860 ft (4350m) is the world’s highest saltwater lake having a hue of bluish green  and sometimes red colour which keeps changing during the day. Apart from changing colours , the lake lies on the Indo – China border with ⅓ of the lake being in India and the rest being in China controlled Tibet. You can spend time contemplating the picturesque topography which will still not be enough to gasp the beauty of this lake. 

Thiksey monastery

The monastery was built in the 15th century by Palden Zangpo and some of his disciples after receiving a divine indication by two crows to construct the monastery at the spot it currently stands. Its characteristic beauty with red and yellow main building standing above the numerous monk cells attracts tons of tourists visiting Ladakh. The Gompa is inhabited by 500 monks and has an impressive two storey Maitreya Buddha. Atop the monastery you can see the Zanskar range and a fine view of the Indus Valley and other monasteries. 

Nubra valley 

Derived from the tibetan word Ldumra meaning ‘The valley of flowers’ has lured people from all over the world especially photographers and videographers because this place is a paradise offering aesthetically pleasing views to whoever comes here. Located at an altitude of 3,150 metres houses the largest monastery in the valley- The Diskit gompa. In order to reach the nubra valley you have to cross the Khardung La pass which is recorded as the highest motorable road being at an altitude of 5,602 metres ASL. 

Diskit monastery

Diskit village is the administrative headquarter of the Nubra valley which hosts the oldest and largest monastery – The Diskit monastery in the whole valley. The monastery has a vast collection of murals and religious scrolls. It’s most pristine attraction is the huge Maitreya Buddha that stands tall and from below the statue you can have a panoramic view of the whole valley.

Hall of fame museum

This was built by the Indian army commemorating the brave Indian soldiers who sacrificed their life defending their motherland India. In the Indo- Pak wars. This museum is about four kms away from the town of Leh and displays the pictures, stories of the war, arms and ammunition captured by the Indian at during the war. There is a wall named “Lest We Forget ” which displays photography of soldiers who laid down their lives defending our country. 

Magnetic Hill

“The phenomenon that defies gravity” is what the board says and it actually does. The magnetic Hill is another peak attraction around Leh which is at a distance of 30 Kms from the town of Leh on the Leh- Kargil -Srinagar National highway. Park your vehicle on the white box on the road as you are seated inside and see the magic happen.