Day 01
Delhi - Leh arrival
After
an exciting flight from Delhi to Leh . We receive you at Kushok Bakula
Rinpochey airport-Leh and transfer to Hotel/Guesthouse. Take complete
rest for the day for Acclamatization. O/N at Hotel/Guesthouse.
Day 02
Around Leh- Shanti Stupa - Samkar - Namgyal Tsemo - Leh Palace
Second
day for the acclimitisation, You will be doing short sight seeing
around upper Leh. Shanti Stupa, built by Japanese master in 1995, and
inaugurated by H.H.Dalai Lama of Tibet , from here you can have the
panoramic views of Leh and surrounding areas of Indus valley. Sankar
Gonap is a small Gelukpa Buddhist monastery at upper Leh and it is the
monastery of Head lama of Ladakh. Namgyal Tsemo or the Victory peaks as
it is called is on the top of the Leh and it was a ancient Casstle of
Ladakh King dRakpa Bumde and Lehche Spakar or the Leh Palace is in nine
storey built in 17th century by Ladakhi famous King Senge Namgyal. Now
it is taken care of by the Archeological Survey of India. Overnight
hotel/Guesthouse at Leh.
Day 03
Stok - Shey - Thiksey - Hemis - Nang village
After
breakfast leave by jeep to visit Stok royal Palace, the present home of
royal family of Ladakh and you can visit the most beautiful royal
museum for ancient ornaments, Jewelleries, Crown of the King and the
queen. Shey - The ancient capital of Ladakh,17th century copper gold
gilted statue of historical Buddha Sakyamuni. Thiksey, the most
beautiful Gelukpa monastery where the monastery boasts a 45ft Maiterya
Buddha statue as one of its attractions. Hemis, The Drukpa monastery
located on the other side of the river Indus is the biggest Drukpa
Monastery and is well known for the world famous Hemis Festival and the
auspicious Thanka Painting, opened to public once in 12 years
attracting world over tourists. after pack/hot lunch drive back towards
Nang village, a beautiful village, to be welcomed by the family of the
Homestay for cups of Butter tea and traditional Ladakhi foods. O/N at
Homestay at Nang village.
Sham valley 3 days home-stay trek begins. Physical Challenge: Easy
Day 04
Nang village - Yangthang ( 3hrs drive 4-5hrs trek)
We start the day early in the morning from Nang village, via Leh on the Leh-Srinagar Highway to visit the Likir Monastery.
After visiting the famous Likir monastery, the vehicle will drop us in
the village, where we start our trek into the lovely Hills of the
valley to reach the Yangthang village. The mountains views, Ladakhi
people and culture - this is the begining but the end of the first day
of the trek. O/N at Homestay in the village.
Day 05
Yangthang – Hemis Shukpachan Via Rizong (6-7 hrs)
After
an early breakfast at the Homestay we bid good bye to our hosts and
begin the new trekking day. today we start the trek alongside the river
and trees amidst the gorge to the Rizong monastery. It is worth
visiting Rizong Monastery, which is an isolated at the back of a
natural amphitheatre and has three main rooms to visit, two with large
Buddhas and third with a large stupa. After visiting the gompa, we
ascend gradually to the Shushut pass 4000 m. From the pass we have a
view of Hemis Shukpachan as well as surrounding peaks. An easy descent
towards our camp at Hemis Shukpachan takes a couple of hours. It is one
of the major villages of Sham, and the name of the village is derived
from the conifers (shukpa= cedar or juniper). O/N at Homestay in the
village.
Day 06
Hemis Shukpachan – Tingmosgam (4 hrs)
From
Hemis Shukpachan we go onto a flat ground as far as ill-defined pass
alongside the Chortens (stupas). A steep descent will lead us to the
right side of the mountains and climb steadily on the slope towards the
Mebtak La 3720 m. After taking short rest and enjoying the view from
the pass, we head down to the village of Ang. From Ang, we head towards
the south on the dusty jeep road to the village of Tingmosgam .
Tingmosgam is well famed for its monastery, and is perhaps the most
affluent village in the sham valley for its apricots, apples, nuts and
beautiful houses. O/N at Homestay in the village.
Day 07
Tingmosgam - Lamayuru - Dha Hanu (5 hrs)
After
a night at Temisgam, we drive still west-bound, to visit the oldest
monastery of Ladakh, perched on a cliff-top, with the geography of the
Moonland at its background, makes this place the most inviting place
for the tourists. after a pack/hot lunch we drive back to the turn away
from Khaltse town, along the river Indus, crossing various oasis
villages to reach our homestay at Dha Hanu village. O/N at homestay in
the village.
Highlights of Dha Hanu (Aryan-tribe village)
At
the confluence of the rivers Shayok and Indus in the Kargil region west
of Leh live a people known as Drok-pa. They are racially and culturally
distinct from the rest of Ladakhis. Their religious practices more so
resemble the animist practices of the pre-Buddhist religion Bon than
that of Buddhism as practiced in the rest of Ladakh. One curious
cultural feature is their abhorrence of the cow or any of its products.
Their ancient traditions and way of life are partly preserved through
their songs and hymns. One of these is a description of an ibex hunt
and the ibex is specially sacred to them. Another recalls their
migration from the Gilgit region further west in Pakistan, an event
which must have occurred well before Gilgit came under the influence of
Islam. Their language is said to be akin to that spoken in Gilgit and
by immigrants from Gilgit settled in Dras south of Kargil. Their facial
features, however, as well as their head and dress ornaments are the
most striking and first noticeable as one encounters them. Whereas
Ladakh’s population seems to be mostly of Tibetan origin, they are of
pure Indo-Aryan stock, believed perhaps to have descended from the army
of Alexander of Macedonia. Today they number around two thousand
inhabitants settled in five villages.
Max Altitude: 3900m
Day 08
Dha Hanu
Today
is a day for us to explore the villages and the culture of this part of
Ladakh. Early in the morning after breakfast at the Homestay we take a
long walk into the neighbouring villages. picnic pack lunch and walk
back to the homestay to sit in the traditional kitchen to talk and give
a helping hand in making dinner. O/N at Homestay in the village.
Day 09
Dha Hanu - Basgo - Alchi - Leh
After
an early breakfast we bid goodbye to the hosts and leave back to Leh.
Enroute visiting Alchi monastery, the only monastery in Ladakh built on
flat ground, well known for its peerless wall paintings and to visit to
the old Castle of Basgo, 16th century copper statue of future
Buddha-Maitreya and huge clay statues and lots of fresco to be seen
here. O/N at Hotel/Guesthouse at Leh.
Day 10
Nubra Valley- Khardong - Khalsar - Disket - Hunder - Sumur - Panamik - Leh
Early
morning drive to Nubra Valley, Of all the valleys in Ladakh, the Nubra
is the most luxuriant and fertile lays North of Leh with the mighty
Karakoram Range forming its northern boundary and the Ladakh range on
its south. Two major tributaries of the Indus. The valley is lush green
as far as the eye can see with glaciated peaks all round it. The route
from Leh takes the travel far over the Khardongla pass (5,600 m) the
highest motorable road in the world. The view from the top is amazing.
One can see all the way south over the Indus valley to the seemingly
endless peaks and ridges of the Zanskar range. Diskit is the main
village of Nubra division with Diskit Gonpa on a sheer rock cliff,
built in 16th century; 7 km from Diskit is Hunder village where the
shaggy double humped Bactrian camel is found. And camel riding in the
sand dune between Diskit and Hunder village could be really fun and
more interesting in this region.
Innerline
permit is require to this side as it is Pakistan border and World’s
highest Glacier Siachen is in this region. Overnight hotel/
resort/Camp/Guesthouse in Nubra.
Day 11
Nubra Valley - Leh
Excursion around Nubra and drive back to Leh from the same route. Overnight in Leh.
Day 12
Leh
Leisure time at leh. interested people can go for the rafting.
Day 13
Chumathang hotspring - Tsomoriri lake - Nomad area
Drive
to Tsomoriri Lake, which is situated at an altitude of 4511m above sea
level; with an area of about 140 Sq.km.It is the southern most and one
of the largest lake in Changthang region of Ladakh, India. The lakes
remain frozen in the winter from December till March. Its forms a huge
enclosed basin fed by two main streams, one from the north side and
other from south –west. This creates extensive areas of wetlands and
sheltered bays with small islands. These wetlands form the prime
habitat for breeding waterfowl including the globally threatened,
Black-necked crane and the Bar-headed goose. The third stream, which
enters the lake from the west, has formed a fertile alluvial plain,
below the village of Korzok , one of the highest inhabitants to be
cultivate in the World. Overnight at Homestay or Guesthouse.
Day 14
Tsomoriri lake - Tsokar lake - Wildlife Wacthing
The
shadows of the surrounding mountain and the varying depths of the water
give the Tsomoriri most amazing hues of blue and green, alternating
between jade and turquoise emerald and an unbelievable indigo.
The nomad people are most outstanding feature of this area, that they
can be seen moving from one place to other grazing herds of goats,
sheep and yaks. Changpas pass their days with their animals and move
with their flocks, their only wealth, from pasture to pasture according
to changing season. Their flocks, their yaks, and goat's hair furnish
the raw material of which they make their ropes, their clothes and
shoes. All day long men and women are busy milking, churning the milk
into butter, making ropes, weaving mats and other fabrics and repairing
their tent. These people have been completely beyond the pale of all
civilizing influences. Even towards the fag end of the twenty first
century, they actually belong to a primitive pre-historic age.
Overnight at camp.
Day 15
Tsokar via Taklang pass - Leh
After
excursion at Tsomoriri lake drive Tsokar, which means white lake
because of the evaporates found on the margins of the lake. Tsokar, an
area of about 20 sq.km, is situated at an altitude of 4530m above sea
level and about 160 km southeast of Leh. In the Rupshu Valley of Ladakh
region. It situated between the Zanskar range in south-west the Ladakh
region in the north-east.
Tsokar
is also called salt lake, as in ancient time local Changspa extract
salts out of it and it is surrounded by extensive areas of fresh and
saline marshes and wet meadows, which host a varieties of water birds,
including Black-necked crane, great crested grebe, Bar-headed goose and
Tibetan Wild Ass- Kyang, great Tibetan Sheep-Nayan and Gazelle are
found in this area. And late afternoon drive to Leh. Overnight Hotel at
Leh.
Day 16
Leh - Delhi departure
Early morning drive to Kushok Bakula airport.
|
