Ladakh

                              Ladakh
             'Little Tibet', 'the moonland' and 'the last Shangri-la' are names that have been applied  to Ladakh, all with a bit of truth. Ladakh is a high-altitude plateau north of the Himalaya situated geographically in Tibet. It's a miniature version of Tibet, the people are Tibetan in their culture and religion, and there are many Tibetan refugees.
   The Himalaya is a very effective barrier to rain-few clouds creep across their awesome height and as a result Ladakh is barren beyond belief. Only where rivers, running from faraway glaciers or melting snow, carry water to habitation do you find plant life-hence the mainland label, since Ladakh is as dry as the Sahara.

     Finally, Ladakh could well be a last Shangri-la, although since the troubles in the Kashmir Valley began there has been quite an increase in the number of tourists visiting Ladakh. Only in the mid-70s was it opened to outside visitors. It's strategic isolation is matched by its physical isolation-only from June to September are the roads into Ladakh from Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh not covered by snow and only since 1979 have there been airline flights into Ladakh. That flight is one of the most spectacular in the world.
    Ladakh is well worth the effort involved  in getting there. It's an otherwordly place-strange gompas perched on soaring hilltops, ancient palaces clinging to sheer rock walls, and shattered-looking landscape splashed with small but most of all there are the delightful Ladakhis, friendly as only Tibetan people can be and immensely colourful.

      Information
     A sleeping bag is very useful in Ladakh even if you're not trekking or camping.  The nights can get very cold and visiting many of the gompas by public transport will require an overnight stop. Be prepared for dramatic temperature changes and for the extreme burning power of the sun in Ladakh's thin air. A cloud across the sun will change the air temperature from T-shirt to sweater level in seconds. Without a hat and/or sunscreen you'll have sunburn and a peeling nose in hours.
      Acclimatise to Ladakh's altitude slowly don't go scrambling up mountainsides as soon as you arrive. A spell in Kashmir is a good halfway acclimatisation, but people who fly straight from Delhi to Ladakh may feel very uncomfortable for a few days.
    Outside Leh it is not easy to change money and in the tourist season there is often a severe shortage of small change. One very important word to learn for Ladakh is the all-purpose and frequently used greeting. Finally, remember that this is a sensitive border region disputed by India, Pakistan and China. You are not allowed more than 1.6 km north of the Srinagar to Leh road without permission.
     If you visit Ladakh in winter be prepared for the fact that many gompas are only open to visitors in the summer months.