Sangam of Indus and Zanskar River

All the Ladakh packages take you to the River Sangam that lies in the way of Alchi monastery. River Sangam is a suitable starting destination for riverrafting in Ladakh, but only any A+ rafters can enjoy rafting here.

Sangam is a Hindi word which means confluence (where two rivers meet each other). Zanskar is the river formed by joining of two streams, Lungnak (means "dark gorge") and Stod, which carries the melted water of the great Drang-drung glacier.

Sangam of Indus and Zanskar River

One can drive through a picturesque landscape for about 30 km west of Leh. The confluence of the Indus and Zanskar River is 4 km before Nimo village in Leh Ladakh. The confluence has a magnificent view of the two rivers having different colors and force.

On the way before reaching Nimo village, one gets a magnificent view of the Sangam of Zanskar & Indus River. One can easily see the joining destination. At Nimo Zanskar joins Indus which ultimately called Indus. At confluence destination, the river coming from the left is Indus, which is very clear, and forms the fertile Indus valley (Leh, Saspol, Basgo, Alchi etc) and the other on the right is the muddy Zanskar, which water is not very much useful for the cultivation purpose.

It is at an altitude of 10,823 feet above sea level. From the top road one can have a good view of the entire area. One can drive down very near to the river shore and can feel the chill and fresh water.

Destination@Doorstep, a professional outdoor team comprising of well experienced guides, cooks, camp staff, porters, and pack pony men with sturdy dependable pack ponies. Their office staff's main endeavor is to please and answer any questions that you may have besides ensuring that your entire tour is well synchronized, streamlined and goes according to your requirements and planning. To get the detailed information of your tour and itineraries, write to them at travel@destination-doorstep.com.

Their motto is to make each customer a satisfied customer with a testament to their passion, commitment and ability. They also look forward to provide their customers with a uniquely Indian experience that exceeds their expectations & make the experience of the discerning traveler a memorable one.

Plan your vacation now, call us on 1800-103-2228 (toll free in India) or visit our website http://www.destination-doorstep.com/leh/

Why a motor-able road on Khardung la pass was built?

Ladakh, popularly known as “the moon land”, “snow desert” and “the land of high passes” is one of the most popular tourist destinations of India. Trekkingin Ladakh is a heavenly feeling for the enthusiast trekkers of the globe. Leh is the capital city and central point of Ladakh Tourism of this region. Khardung la, Alchi, Hemis, Lamayuru, Zanskar Valley, Nubra Valley, Kargil, Pangong Tso, Tso Kar and Tso Moriri are the main tourist destinations of the Leh Ladakh.

That is where Khardung la Pass, is located on the way from Leh to the Nubra Valley in Leh Ladakh. It is the highest motor-able road in the world as a signboard is kept at the ending point of Khardung la (also known as K-Top) pass denoting the height by the Border Roads Organization of India.

The Reasons why Khardung la pass was built:

According to the documents available with the Indian Army, the Khardung la has quite a bit of history behind it. I am about to share the facts which I got to read and know from Lt. General (Retired) TB Nanda, then Chief Engineer of the Northern Command in-charge of building this road:

“After the 1971 war with Pakistan, there was an exchange of territory in the mountainous country north of the Himalayas, and India acquired an area of some 400 square miles across the Shyok River.

Our main supply base for this area was at Leh on south of the Ladakh range. On the north side of this range was a Forward Supply Depot at Partapur. Up to this time supply to the FSD from Leh had been both by pack transport over the Ladakh range and by aircraft to Thoise, where there was a narrow runway.

But despite the efforts of path clearing gangs, the Khardung la pass was often impassable for pack transport in winter, and the Air Force was unhappy using the Thoise runway. The low mounted engines of the aircraft tended to chock in dust and sand.”

Then it was decided to make a motorable road over the Khardung La. The road was built within a year and later was opened to traffic on August 27, 1973 to solve the problem of supplies to the whole region.

Here, the weather can turn for the worse suddenly. Even on 2^nd May 2012, snowfall in this area is an indicator that one needs to be careful to harsher conditions anytime. The views from Khardung la pass are undoubtedly breathtaking views of Ladakh range to the south and Karakoram to the north. And snow capped peaks at almost touching distance all around.

One should not expect much to do while here, except walk around a bit and feel the cool air against the face and admire the views. But you can actually do some shopping here at a souvenir shop run by the Army at Khardung la the highest motor-able road of the world.

Plan your vacation now, call us on 1800-103-2228 (toll free in India) or visit our website http://www.destination-doorstep.com/leh/

Rupshu Valley in Ladakh

Peak season of Ladakh tourism starts from April and ends in October every year. People are busy in surfing attractive and peaceful holiday Ladakh Package. Let me tell you that Ladakh is surrounded by high mountain ranges of the great Himalaya and Karakoram at about 10,000 feet above sea level and bordering with Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tibet (China) which gives it another level of charm and interest. Adventure tours in Ladakh are most suitable and liked by tourists of the globe due to location and atmosphere of the region.

Leh Ladakh is providing a range of adventure sports, such as mountain climbing in the hilly terrains, white water rafting in the Indus and Zanskar Rivers, trekking in Ladakh in hilly and terrain land, discovering footprints of snow leopard in snow desert and playing polo in the highest field of Leh Ladakh.

The Rupshu Valley is a sparsely populated large area in the south east of Leh Ladakh, on the road from Kulu to Leh. The altitude of the valley varies between 4500m and 5500m. The climate is extremely cold and dry, which does not allow agriculture in this valley but a lot of grazing land can be seen.

The highest and least known region of Leh Ladakh lying between the Tibetan border and Zanskar is known as Rupshu. The Chang Tang plain is extended eastwards from Rupshu for nearly 1000 kilometers up to Tibet. Rupshu Valley has a network of high valleys, separated by impressive ridges, with snow - capped peaks towering nearly 5500 meters. Rupshu a rugged land is actually a part of the Chang Tang plain.

Residents of Rupshu are hard-working and cheerful nomadic people, who are known as Chang pa. They are traveling with their herds of goats, yaks, dogs and flocks of sheep. Their other source of income is trade and transport of goods by caravans. They are doing their business between Leh Ladakh, Lahoul and Spiti, which provides them additional income.

Adventure tour in Ladakh starts from Hemis, leading southwards into the heart of unspoiled Rupshu, crossing 4 high passes, 3 of them over 16,400 ft., with each offering splendid view across majestic plateau land to distant snow peaks, lovely high meadow campsites stunning scenery, and isolated villages.

Don’t waste your time reading the excitement, plan your vacation now and go for it. Call us on 1800-103-2228 (toll free in India) or visit our website http://www.destination-doorstep.com/leh/

Hotels in Ladakh

There are some people who love to spend their vacation in the land where danger, adventure, thrill are present, Leh Ladakh is the best place with parallel importance to all. Some people give more importance to the adventurous vacations than comfortable vacations. Some like to go to any extreme for that type of holiday trip, they will not care of inhospitable rugged terrains or even harsh climates and acute mountain sickness which are very difficult to acclimatize and to reach the place. Trekking in Ladakh is a paradise for these types of adventure-lovers.

Thongsal Hotel in Ladakh

Ladakh is sandwiched between the great Himalaya and Karakoram mountain ranges in Jammu and Kashmir the northernmost state of India. This region offers plenty of breathtaking panoramic views from hilltops, rolling valleys, snowcapped mountains, meadows, a rich cultural heritage, interesting flora and fauna and ancient tradition.

It is an arid desert, farmers have to depend on the melting of ice in summer which is automatically stored when heavy snowfall in winter over the glaciers. Altitude of this land varies from 9000 feet at Kargil to 25170 feet in the Karakoram ranges. Leh Ladakh experiences minus 20 to 25 degree Celsius in winter where as summer temperature rises up to 27 degree Celsius.

Apart from the hiking, mountaineering, white water rafting, trekking in Ladakh, people can also enjoy the elegant scenic beauty, company of friendly people and century old peaceful monasteries in Ladakh along with ancient art and paintings, etc. Leh Ladakh attracts the people across the globe to visit here due to the unspoiled, rustic charm and the adventure of the land. Ladakh is a very important tourist spot in northernmost India with large number of tourists from both India and abroad. Ladakh Tourism is an important means of earning livelihood of Ladakhi people. The people earn money mostly during the tourist seasons from April to October.

There is no shortage of superb deluxe hotels in Ladakh if you are looking for comfortable accommodations. These hotels are operated by some of the famous hotel chains in the country and have all sorts of modern amenities and comfort like luxurious rooms, room service, laundry, dry cleaning, lobbies, library, medical units, transportations, etc. They also provide you excellent Ladakh Packages. The tariffs are a bit costly in any luxury hotel in Ladakh but the experience is totally worth it.

Travelers who are in tight budget can check in standard hotels in Ladakh which has much lower tariffs. Standard hotels in Ladakh are suitable and affordable for those who don’t want to miss any experience here. These hotels are ideal with good facilities. They also collaborate with tour operators in Leh Ladakh. They manage tour trips for their customers to places like Shanti Stupa, Kargil valley, Zanskar, Zangla, Leh Palace, Nubra valley etc. in Ladakh.

The best way to experience local cuisines and traditional hospitality of Ladakhi people: You can book guest houses in Leh Ladakh which is operated by local families. Ladakhi guest houses are comparatively better and cheaper than guest houses in all parts of India although it is equally facilitated with rustic charm and delightful living facilities.