Things To Do

Leh Town
In the main market of Leh, you are at almost 3500m above sea level at approx 77° 34̍ 40̎ E & 34° 09̍ 60̎̎ N. The town is a tiny metropolis in peak summer. It is the centre of all tourist activity and has all the amenities you might need, be it hotel, restaurants, banks, shops, taxis, etc.

Khar or Lachen Palkhar or the royal palace built in the 17th century is the iconic-landmark of the town. The nine-storey enormous palace is one of the oldest and largest single structure monuments found anywhere in the world and is truly an architectural masterpiece. The palace was built in the late 1630s by King Sengge Namgyal (1616-1642).

Handicrafts, Artefacts and Clothing
Ladakh is known for its many local handicrafts and artefacts. The most famous among these are Thanka paintings, wooden crafted tables (chok-tse), Tibetan carpets, Pashmina shawls, gems and jewellery, masks and other items of decoration.Tibetan markets (usually tented, make-shift shops) are the best places to buy antiques and both genuine and not-so-genuine artefacts.

Pashmina (Cashmere) shawls are available at several shops in the Leh main market. Though Pashmina is produced in Ladakh, the most superior shawls are still the forte of Kashmiri artisans. But if you want an absolutely pure Pashmina shawl, you need to be an expert on Pashm or you can buy a handcrafted one from Government Handicrafts outlets; there’s one near Sabzi Mandi.

Ladakhi dresses can be purchased from New Shar market, parallel to Main Bazaar.

Moti Market
Moti Market in Leh town is a well known place for those interested in purchasing pearls (moti) and other precious and semi precious stones and jewellery. Lamo Pearls  in Moti Market is one of the oldest shops here.

Fruits and Related Products
Apricot and its oil are also famous local products of Ladakh. Actually, the best qualities are produced in lower Ladakh including Kargil as also in Turtuk belt. The footpath based vendors at the end of the Main Market, sell cheaper varieties. One of these shops at Zangsti, Ladakh Apricot has better products in well packed pouches and bottles. The Grade I Halman variety of apricots costs around Rs 200 per kg. The better ones are the naturally dried apricots that are dark coloured with the kernel. While artificially dried varieties look more appealing, they are less tasty. Here you can also get other apricot products as well as various dried horticulture items.

Seabuckthorn (Leh Berries) juice, produced locally, is also available in some restaurants.

The Adrenalin Rush
Adventure travel in Ladakh is dramatically different from the rest of India - it opens your eyes and mind to a different world. A world of humility and compassion. To some extent Ladakh in itself is a destination for an adventurist. It is not meant for the ‘fragile’ tourist. Even the sights to see are hundreds of kilometres away from Leh. However, core adventure in Ladakh means Trekking, Hiking, Mountain Biking, Mountaineering, River rafting and Kayaking. Interestingly all of these sports have different grades for different level of adventurists.

Trained local guides are available for your treks and wildlife watching. For more details visit: http://www.lehladakh.org/

Trekking
Trekking in Ladakh is one of the major attractions. It may range from a day-long trek to a nearby village to weeks of walking in the wilderness. The world in the desolate wilderness of Ladakh is quite different from modern civilisation and provides a firsthand knowledge of humanity in constant struggle for existence with harsh nature. Here time is neither digital nor analog, but a flow with the season. For more details visit: http://www.lehladakh.org/

Mountaineering
There are plenty of mountain peaks (Kangri) in Ladakh above 6000m in the ranges of Karakoram, Ladakh, Zanskar and Great Himalayas.

One of the famous ranges ranges in the Zanskar region is the Stok Kangri (6153m). It is the most easily accessible peaks around Leh that can be climbed without specialised training and too much of technical equipment. With a suitable guide you can scale it in just 4 days .You can even see its streaked white peak from Leh town. For more details visit: http://www.lehladakh.org/

River Rafting
There are quite a few travel agents organising river rafting in Ladakh. Several stretches are available. Hemis to Choglamsar on the Indus, and a wilder stretch on the Zanskar river from Chilling valley are among the more popular ones. Although there are some fixed routes, you can choose almost any stretch on the Indus depending on your appetite for adventure, budget and time.

Rafting on the Zanskar river is an ultimate game and is arranged as special packages. It passes through exhilarating gorges and wild waves between Padum and Nimo with rafting grades of III to IV. For more details visit: http://www.lehladakh.org/

Mountain Biking
A ride on a mountain bicycle to the World’s Highest Motorable road will be a lifetime experience. If that sounds too tiring, ask your tour agent to arrange  a ride down from the top to Leh - a 40 km scenic ‘gravity pulling’ ride. There are other popular rides too, that are along the Indus in lower Ladakh. For more details visit: http://www.lehladakh.org/

Memories to treasure
Buddhist culture and traditions conserved and nurtured in its purest form, are all there on a platter for a visitor to experience and savour from.

Ladakhi Homestays offers you a unique opportunity to stay with and share the culture of Ladakhi people in their traditional homes in a clean and comfortable room well furnished in Ladakhi style. For more details visit: http://www.lehladakh.org/


 
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