LADAKH, North India -Tour Packages
Covering Leh, Khardungla, Nubra Valley, Changla, Pangong Lake, Tso Moriri, Alchi, Ulleytokpo, Drokpa Valley, Dha Hanu
Ladakh -Land of Mountain Passes, Lost Kingdom, Little Tibet, Last Shangri-La, Moon City, Roof of the World

Ladakh's spectacular beauty lies in its rugged, often barren landscapes, imposing mountain ranges and vast lakes. Bounded by two of the world's mightiest mountain ranges, the Karakoram in the north and the Great Himalaya in the south, it is traversed by two other parallel chains, the Ladakh Range and the Zanskar Range.
Ladakh lies at altitudes ranging from about 9,000 ft (2,750 m) to 25,170 ft (7,672m).

From the middle of the 10th century, Ladakh was an independent kingdom, its ruling dynasties descending from the kings of old Tibet. The kingdom attained its greatest geographical extent and glory in the early 17th century under the famous king Singge Namgyal, whose domain extended across Spiti and western Tibet right up to the Mayum-la, beyond the sacred sites of Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar. Later as part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir it became an integral part of India.
Like the land itself, the people of Ladakh are generally quite different from those of the rest of India. The faces and physique of the Ladakhis, and the clothes they wear, are more akin to those of Tibet and Central Asia than of India. The original population may have been Dards, an Indo-Aryan race down from the Indus and the Gilgit area.

Ladakh was the conduit through which Buddhism reached Tibet from India and in the process it got deeply entrenched in the region from the very beginning. The approach to a Buddhist village is invariably marked by mani walls which are long, chest-high structures faced with engraved stones bearing the Buddhist mantra and by chortens / stupas.
Many villages are crowned with a Gompa or monastery, which may be anything from an imposing complex of temples, prayer halls and monks' dwellings, to a tiny heritage housing a single image and home to a solitary lama.

Most of the Gompas celebrate an annual festival. These take the form of dance-dramas in the gompa courtyards. Lamas, attired in colourful robes and wearing masks, perform mimes symbolising various aspects of the religion such as the progress of the individual soul and its purification or the triumph of good over evil. The biggest and most famous of the monastic festivals is that of Hemis, which falls in late June or early July, and is dedicated to Padmasambhava. Other monasteries, which have summer festivals, are Lamayuru (early July), Phyang (late July/ early August), Tak-thok (after Phyang) and Karsha in Zanskar (after Phyang).

Phone: +91-11-46593564 / 46593565.
Cellphone:+91-9968658006.
E-Mail: info@caravantraveltalk.com

Sightseeing: By private vehicle. The vehicles are pre-arranged and have to be necessarily hired through the local transport union at Leh. Depending upon the time all places mentioned in the itinerary may not be covered. The above are to give an idea of the sightseeing points falling in the circuit.

Accommodation: The cost above includes accommodation in Category A Hotels in Leh.
At Nubra Valley, Pangogng, Tso Moriri and Ulleytokpo accommodation will be in deluxe camps.
Hotels are classified into A, B,C and D / economy categories while guest houses are divided into upper, medium and economy class. Tariff for A category hotels generally include all meals, offering a choice or combination of Continental, Chinese and Indian cuisine, with one or two local fares thrown in for variety. The categorisation is approved by the Tourism Department. Hotels in Leh are not luxurious or flashy.

Not Included: Any domestic / international airfare, medical and travel insurance, personal items like mineral water, phone calls, laundry etc., extra meals / room services / bottled beverages, additional costs due to flight cancellation, road blocks etc., porterage and tips at the airport, hotel / camp to staff and drivers, services of guide.

Terms and Conditions:
1. Ladakh lies at altitudes ranging from about 9,000 ft (2,750 m) to 25,170 ft (7,672m). Much of it is a cold desert falling in the rain shadow area, gets very less rainfall, remains snowbound during the winter months and roads out of Leh are rough and tough to negotiate at places. A trip to such a region should be undertaken only by travellers having a sense of adventure, love for nature and a curiosity for mysticism.
2. The traveller should also be prepared for changes in tour itineraries due to bad weather or unexpected conditions which might arise.
3. People coming here should be generally healthy and those having a history of asthma, blood pressure, heart trouble, arthritis etc. should consult their doctor before undertaking the trip.
4. The tours are operated from April to mid October and the prices are valid upto 31st October, 2008.
5. These prices are for Indian Nationals only. We will quote prices to Foreign Nationals against specific requests in their applicable currency.
6. There are no refunds for services, meals, transport, accommodation not utilized for whatever reason.
7. The Caravan or any of its participating suppliers like hotels / transporters / guides etc will not be responsible or liable for any additional expenses due to bad weather, flight cancellation, road blocks, illness, accident, strikes etc. We would not be responsible or liable for any unforeseen conditions, accidents, medical emergencies, war or situations beyond our control.

Book Your Package Now: Either choose an itinerary from that given above or ask us to customise one for you. Flight tickets are best booked 2-3 months in advance. July and August are the rush months.

Phone: +91-11-46593564 / 46593565.
Cellphone:+91-9968658006.
E-Mail: info@caravantraveltalk.com

Permit
Tourists don't require a permit for Leh. However, all foreigners are required to get themselves registered at Drass, Rumtse and Serchu if they are travelling overland. Those traveling by air get themselves registered at Leh airport.

Both Indian and foreign tourists are required to get inner line permits for restricted areas like Tsomoriri, Tsokar and Pangong Lakes, Dhahanu and Nubra Valley, which can be obtained from District Magistrate, Leh.

The Travel Agents arrange these permits easily within one working day and normally include the nominal price in the tour cost.

Carry an ID proof and passport size photographs.







Phone: +91-11-46593564 / 46593565.
Cellphone:+91--9968658006.
E-Mail: info@caravantraveltalk.com

Acclimatization and avoiding altitude sickness
Anyone travelling to altitudes above 10,000 ft (3300 m) may suffer from acute mountain sickness (AMS) unless properly acclimatized. The most common symptoms of acute mountain sickness are headache, disturbed sleep and loss of appetite, nausea, coughing, irregular breathing, breathlessness, lassitude and lack of concentration. If you are reaching Leh by air, it is important to take complete rest for the first 24 hours after arrival. Any kind of physical exertion should be avoided. Smoking and drinking should also be avoided till you are fully acclimatized. “Rest” means complete lying down in your hotel room without reading or watching TV.  It is absolutely important to keep yourself properly hydrated by drinking enough water. Ladakh is dry in nature and lacks moisture. Your body should get used to the lower oxygen level of Ladakh for which you should take complete rest for the first 24 hours and as much rest as possible during the next 12 hours.

The main centre for health care in Leh is the SNM Hospital, which is well equipped and staffed by specialists to handle all problems. Elsewhere in the region, there are sub-district hospitals at block headquarters and medical dispensaries in major villages, which are staffed by qualified doctors.

Diamox, popularly suggested to prevent AMS, should be taken under medical advise only. Also note that it is a sulfa drug (many people are allergic to sulfa drugs), is a diuretic and is not a cure for AMS but if prescribed is done so for prevention of AMS and is taken before the ascent.

Rest, water and aspirin (in case of headaches) is probably the best and safest way of avoiding acute mountain sickness, AMS. Descending to lower altitudes also combats AMS.

Things to Carry:
Good U/V protection sun glasses. 
Sun Cap.
Sunscreen with at least 35 degree SPF.
Flashlight or torch.
Comfortable clothing.
Good pair of walking shoes.
At least one warm jacket and pullover.
Personal medicines.   
Binocular for landscape, mountain ranges and wildlife viewing.
Digital camera with wide-angle lens, extra memory sticks or devices for downloading the pictures frequently.  
Your sense of humour, indomitable spirit and footloose attitude.
 

Fast Facts  |  How to Reach  |  Itineraries and Packages  |  Places of Interest  | 
Acclimatization  |  Map of Ladakh   |  Best Seasons  | Things to Carry  |
 

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TOURS IN UTTARAKHAND: Corbett Tiger Reserve and Kumaon and Garhwal Himalayas.
(Covering Nainital, Bhimtal, Sattal, Ranikhet, Mukteshwar, Almora, Binsar, Kausani, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Mussoorie, Auli, Badrinath).
TOURS IN HIMACHAL PRADESH: Shimla, Manali, Rohtang, Dalhousie, Dharamsala.
(And also covering Chail, Naldehra, Narkanda, Solang Valley, Mcleodganj, Khajjiar).
TOURS IN LADaKH: Covering Leh, Khardungla, Nubra Valley, CHANGLA, Pangong, Tso Moriri, ALCHI, ULLEYTOKPO, DHA HANU, DROKPA VALLEY, INDUS AND ZANSKAR RIVERS SANGAM.
TOURS IN RAJASTHAN: Covering Jaipur, Pushkar, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Jaisalmer.
(With Camel Safaris and stays in Palaces, Forts and Havelis).
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