General Information Area: 97,000 sq kms out of which nearly 38,000 sq. kms are under Chinese Occupation since 1962. Population: Approx. 2.40 lakh in the 2 districts of Leh & Kargil. Altitude: Leh 3505 m, Kargil 2750 m

Ladakh is a land like no other. Bounded by two of the world'smightiest mountain ranges, the Great Himalayas and the Karakoram, it lies athwart two other, the Ladakh range and the Zanskar range. Ladakh was once covered by an extensive lake system, the vestiges of which still exist on its south - east plateaux of Rupshu and Chushul - in drainage basins with evocative names like Tso-moriri, Tsokar, and grandest of all, Pangong-tso. Occasionally, some stray monsoon clouds do find their way over the Himalaya, and lately this seems to be happening with increasing frequency. But the main source of water remains the winter snowfall

Location :
Jammu & Kashmir India

Tourist Attraction Ladakh Hill Station :
Leh Khar Palace: built in the 16th century. There are wall paintings of the life of the Buddha. It has a collection of 100-year old tankhas, statues etc.
The Leh monastery : which houses a solid gold statue of the Buddha.
The Leh Mosque: Mosque of Turko-Iranian architecture, built in 1594.
Tsemo Gompa: one of the royal monasteries.

Best Time :
October to March

Nearby Tourist Destination :
Spituk Monastery (8 km.), Shey Palace and Monastery (15 km.), Thiksey Monastery (19 km.),Shankar Gompa (3 km)

Visiting Ladakh :

By Air
The quickest way out of Ladakh region is by plane. Airline service operates regular scheduled flights to Leh from Delhi, Chandigarh, Jammu and Srinagar. Some private airlines are also planning to operate air services betwe4n Delhi and Leh in the near future.
By Road
The main overland approach to Ladakh is from the Kashmir Valley via the 434-km Srinagar-Leh road, which remains open for traffic from early June to November. The most dramatic part of this road journey is the ascent up the 11,500 feet /3,505 m high Zoji-la, the passing the Great Himalayan Wall that serves as the gateway to Ladakh.

Accomodation :

The popular tourists attractions in ladakh are responsible for drawing numerous tourists to this place every year. To accommodate them, Leh in Ladakh offers many hotels or family-run establishments. Tourists can put up at these hotels and enjoy a comfortable stay. They can choose to stay at any of the A, B, C or D/economy categories. Also, there are guest houses, a less formal accommodation, that accommodate many tourists in Ladakh.