Photos - Click on location (marked blue) or one of the links below.

·   India (October 2005) - Dehli, Agra, Fatepur Sikri, Bharatpur, Sariska, Amber, Jaipur	·   Flight from Delhi to Leh
·   Leh-Manali Highway	·   Manali and Mandi
·   Dharamsala	·   Amritsar and Golden Temple
·   Ladakh or Tibet?
·   Return to Top	·   Altitude Sickness

Sound Clips

The sound clips (in MP3 format) will either open up a new browser window or in media player to be played, depending on your computer's configuration.   Please close the browser window or media player to return to this screen when finished.   Please also note, depending on the speed of your internet connection (especially on dial-up), these sound clips may take a couple of minutes to download.   These links are repeated where appropriate - I think it's more effective if they're played alongside the relevant pictures (click on the above map).

	Monks Chanting (including monk with very loud horn), Likir Gompa
	Monks Debating, Dharamsala
	Singing from Golden Temple at Amritsar

Ladakh, "the land of high passes" and sometimes referred to as "Little Tibet", is located in the very far north of India and is regarded by many as the last stronghold of Tibetan Buddhism - they seem the keep forgetting about Bhutan, parts of Sikkim and the more remote areas of Nepal.   Situated in eastern Kashmir, Ladakh was opened up to tourism by the Indian government during the 1970's, when Srinagar and the Vale of Kashmir ended up out of bonds due to Moslem separatist activities.   The Buddhists of Ladakh did not participate in this action and Ladakh ended up a relatively peaceful enclave, which as far as the Indian government was concerned, made it safe for tourists.   The odd Islamic separatist does show their head from time to time, but the area seems to be no more dangerous overall than other areas of India - in Eastern Ladakh at least.

The first people in Ladakh were of Tibetan descent and a few Mons (these people tending these days to be Buddhist), these being followed by a bunch called the Dards of Indo-Aryan descent - their descendants still live in the Drass valley (where they live as Moslems).   Ladakh, like Tibet, went through a phase as a stronghold for the Bön religion, which was eventually largely replaced by Buddhism.   In the tenth and 11th centuries, Buddhism spread through Ladakh and onto the Tibetan plateau, where it had been knocked back after it's 7th century introduction.   In the 14th century, ties with Tibet strengthened, when it's rulers switched allegiance to Tibetan rather than the Indian Buddhism.   The area ended up completely separate from Tibet itself, due to the local king picking a fight with Tibet during the time of the fifth Dalai Lama - after three years of fighting, the Mogul of Kashmir waded in on the side of the Ladakhis and Kashmiri influence over Ladakh, already strong since the defeat of Ladakh in 1639, was from then on guaranteed.   This help came at a price though, with the building of the main Mosque in Leh and the conversion of the Ladakhi king to Islam being demanded by the Kashmiris.   A local Dogra finished the job off in 1834, annexing it for a now Hindu Maharaja of Kashmir and banishing the royal family from the now unused Leh and Shey palaces to Stok palace, where their now powerless descendants still live today.

The partition of India in 1948 saw the Hindu Maharaja of Kashmir delay his decision over whether to join India or Pakistan until after the British had left.   He then decided to take his largely Moslem population into India.  The subsequent wars with Pakistan over this issue have left a sizeable part of Kashmir and Ladakh under Indian control, though skirmishes with Moslem separatists occasionally make things uncomfortable in the Vale of Kashmir and the Moslem far west of Ladakh.   Tourists are advised to head for Buddhist central and eastern Ladakh.

To get to Ladakh, the quickest way is the one hour flight from Delhi over the Himalayas to Leh Airport, which happens to be the highest airport in the world.   More strongly recommended is the overland route from Manali in Himachal Pradesh (not that far from the Dalai Lama's abode and the Tibetan Refugee settlements around the area of Dharamsala and McLeod Ganj - worth visiting if you can put up with the rain) to Leh, which goes over some of the highest passes in the world - Rohtang Pass at 3,978 m (12, 900 ft), Baralacha Pass at 4,891 m (15,900 ft), Lachuang La at 5,079 m (16,500 ft) and the second highest drivable pass in the world, Taglangla at 5,500m (17,900 ft).   The third and historically legendary route is from Srinagar via Zoji-la Pass, Drass and Kargil, but this is not recommended given the political situation.

Ladakh can be divided into three areas:

• Leh (the capital) and in the Indus Valley - the main area holding most of the main monasteries, including Leh palace itself (derelict, but allegedly to be restored), a very impressive 'sort of' miniature of the Potala Palace.   The main tourist trail will take you to the likes of Likir to the west, Shey, the highly impressive Tiksey (Thiksey) - very Potala like, Hemis, Stok, Alchi, Lamayuru, Chemrey, Thak Thog (or Tak Tak or Tak Tok or Thak Thok or any number of different spellings) and many more smaller monasteries - unlike Tibet, no Chinese Red Guards have been charging around demolishing them all.   Side trips include Tso Moriri, a high altitude lake 210 km (130 miles) south east of Leh, with lots of high mountains, some migratory birds and the odd nomadic herder, and the Nubra Valley, accessible over Khardung La in the Ladakh mountain range, which at 5,602 m (18,380 ft), is the actual highest drivable pass in the world.   Trekking options are extensive and rafting on the Indus is possible.   There's a significant Moslem population in Leh itself, due to the trade route that used to pass through Leh on the way to Tibet.   There's the aforementioned main mosque near Leh Palace, this dating back to the time of the annexation by Kashmir.

• Zanskar Valley - split from the rest of Ladakh by the Zannskar range, is also Buddhist, but far less populated.   Quite a few hardened trekkers end up here.   The main route to get to Zanskar is via...

• Kargil, Drass and the Suru Valley - situated in the far west of Ladakh, these also have a fair few trekking options, but the welcome received can be luke warm.   The residents are almost all Shiite Moslem and are in favour of either joining up with Pakistan or Kashmir becoming once again independent.   Buddhism stops at Rangdum Monastery (well, actually Juldo, slightly further on), coming down the Suru Valley and Mulbekh and Shergol coming from Leh down the Indus valley.   These areas ended up Moslem, due to their leaders converting from Buddhism to Islam in the 16th century, with their subjects following suit.   Western Ladakh, I would say that it would be better to steer clear of there if possible, being so close to the ceasefire line and areas of trouble in Kashmir proper.

A road into Zanskar along the Zanskar river is under construction; however, is taking a long time to build.   Trekking into and out of the valley during the summer are feasible options if properly organised.

Permits are required for some areas, these obtainable from the Collector's Office next to the Polo ground in Leh or from one of the many tour operators scattered around Leh.   For places permits are needed for, that will have to be checked either at the Collector's Office or the tour agents, but if it's remote, a permit will more than likely be needed.   This applies to Indian nationals and foreigners, regardless

Getting around isn't too difficult from all accounts, with reasonable bus services passing along the main roads, but rarefied elsewhere.   Jeep taxis can be hired in Kargil and Leh for the more remote areas - good bet is ask the around the tour agents about rates when obtaining permits.

Early summer and especially in July seems to be about the best time for many of the monastery festivals - if you want to see tantric Buddhism and their associated rituals at their best, check exactly with tourist offices when they're on.

My motivations for going were basically to get to see Tibetan culture, without the Chinese having had their say.   But the quantities of tourists can be overwhelming at times, as the high levels of cheap basic (but normally clean) accommodation in Leh and Alchi indicate.   The answer is there's a much high concentration of things to see than in Tibet; however, gompa (monastery) and chorten (stupa) overdose can be easily achieved unless you're seriously into Buddhism.   As to which I thought was best, see 'Ladakh or Tibet?'.

Altitude Sickness: Altitude sickness can be a problem for many people in the Himalayas and Ladakh - Leh for example is at an altitude of approximately 3,500 m.   Many of the high passes can reach above 5,000 m or 17,500 ft, thus taking account of altitude is of high importance for a healthy and comfortable trip.   I have placed a sizeable section on altitude sickness on my 'Tibet Frequently Asked Questions' page.   I copped it at Sarchu on the Leh - Manali Highway with probably one of the most intense headaches I've ever had.   You'll also feel knackered from the slightest effort during the first day or two up at altitude.

Weather: The best time to go to Ladakh and the high Himalaya is summer between late June and late October, when flight are more reliable and heavy snow does not block the high passes - any roads over high altitude areas are blocked during this time by snow (including the Leh-Manali Highway).   The daytime weather is at least warm (25°C or 77°F maximum in Leh during the summer - it can get a little hotter), though chilly during the night, thus some basic warm weather gear is needed.   During the winter, night time temperatures can sometimes drop to as low as -40°C (-40°F - daytime temperatures generally stay below freezing during the winter - Drass has the lowest recorded temperatures in India) and it's only possible to get in and out of the Zanskar Valley via the frozen surface of the Zanskar River.  

In the Western Himalayas, the Monsoon only makes it across the first range of Himalayas as far as Lahaul - Ladakh being beyond this remains dry with only the odd rare shower.   It is for this reason that Ladakh is classed as high altitude desert, with water for cultivation coming from glaciers and winter snowmelt.   That said, hail, sleet and even snow are possible, even at the height of summer, though the latter tend to be very short lived - precipitation above 4,500 m always falls as snow, though in summer this tends to melt rapidly.

Below the Himalayas in India proper and on the Ganges plain, here you're subjected to the more normal Indian weather. From April to late June, it's excessive heat with temperatures of 40°C plus possible in Delhi and 50°C plus possible in the Thar desert. From late June until October, it's excessive rain, with the monsoon advancing from the Bay of Bengal in the East (or the Arabian Sea in the west). You get some wet days (temperatures can be as low as 28 or 29°C if you're lucky) and some sunny days (with the thermometer marching back towards the 40°C plus mark). If you're in the lower Himalayas, the air forcing it's way up the mountains encourages the clouds to form and rain can at times be guaranteed. If you're not planning on going into the Himalayas, it's best to go between November and March (when snow hits the Himalayas), as the temperatures are more comparable to a warm summer in Britain and there's only a little rain. Temperatures in January can be as low as 20°C in Delhi during the day.

Travel Companies: Basically, not many.   The most reasonably priced companies are on my 'Links Page'.   Prices are pretty steep, which can't be avoided.   Of the UK companies, Explore Worldwide has the best all-round trip (including Amritsar, Dharam Sala and the Leh-Manali Highway as well as a quickie around some of the main gompas in Ladakh's Indus Valley.   However, Exodus has the largest selection of Ladakh-only options, mostly trekking.

Currency: Indian Rupee.   Currency exchange is readily available inside India, though you cannot exchange rupees outside India.   Keep a few smaller denomination notes handy for tips, which is a way of life and at times a soddin' nuisance in India.

Beer, Beverages and Food: Kingfisher, Godfather and various foreign lager beers brewed under license locally.   If you're going to high altitude, please remember that alcohol consumption is not the best idea for the first few days, due to the aforementioned 'Altitude Sickness'.

As for none alcoholic stuff, tea, coffee, etc.   The Indian tea is what's drunk in the west (with the various brands that you expect).   If you're looking for 'chai', 90% of the time you will just get the Indian tea anyway ('chai' and 'tea' being the same word) and the actual chai (as in China and elsewhere) you really have to insist on in cafés and restaurants.   Many westerners get a taste for 'chai' and basically won't drink anything else whilst they're in a given country.   It amused me how much some people insisted on the 'chai' and still just got the Indian tea (without the milk and sugar if they were lucky) - I gave up pretty quickly on this score myself and hadn't the heart to tell others they were just drinking bog standard tea.   Managed okay a few times in Ladakh itself.

All kinds of food are available in India and Ladakh.   As well traditional Indian (where vegetarians have a very easy time of it) - korma, curry, etc. - you can get your pizza, omelette, fried egg and in Delhi your fish and chips!!!   You can also get your hands on the infamous Yak's butter, which is also used for the candles seen burning in the temples and monasteries all over Ladakh as well as Tibet - this produces the strong smell noticeable on entering some monasteries.  

Language: Indian and English are the lingua franca languages - 'namaste' is the normal greeting in India instead of 'hello'.   That said, the number of languages spoken in India are phenomenal.   In Ladakh, it's the Ladakhi dialect of Tibetan (you say 'julay' for hello there and not 'tashi delek').   Moslems anywhere should be greeted with 'assalamu alaikum' (peace be upon you).

Religion: In India proper, it wall-to-wall Hinduism with a big dollop of Islam.

Up in eastern Ladakh and parts of Himachal Pradesh, Lama Buddhism has the upper hand, split in the Dalai Lama's Yellow Hat Sect and the separate but closely related Red Hat sect .   Some elements of the older animist Bön religion remain.   There are increasing concentrations Shia Moslems in Ladakh, mainly around Kargil and the lower Suru Valley in the very far west, and also around Leh itself.   The balance has been shifted also by the influx of Moslem Kashmiri traders from strife torn Srinagar and the Hindu influence large presence of Indian Army soldiers (jawans) in Ladakh.   The shift is so great that within a few years, the Buddhists could be a minority in their own land.