Ladakh, paradise in the mountains

From Schiphol we fly directly to Delhi with Jet Airways. The service is fine and there are still some seats available; plenty of space to relax on the adventure. Jet Airways has been flying direct from Amsterdam to Delhi and Mumbai for a few years now and recently to Bangalore. A big advantage is that they fly to many destinations within India and you can make beautiful combinations. Also during this trip we use the domestic flights of Jet Airways and despite the often short flights you always get a snack and drink. The snack then with local flavor such as a spicy samosa or a stuffed wrap.

After the transfer in Delhi we continue to travel with Jet Airways to Leh, a short flight of about one hour. After about 45 minutes in the air, the peaks come into view, a large number still covered with snow; a beautiful sight. It turns out to be a taste of all those beautiful landscapes that we were going to see.. I’m so glad I have a window seat to enjoy all that beauty during the flight.

We land in Leh,the capital of Ladakh state. The first thing that stands out are the many army bases next to the airport. Taking pictures is strictly forbidden here. The state of Ladakh is of strategic importance to India, which is still at odds with Pakistan. The border is not far and in Ladakh there are many soldiers stationed.
What also stands out is the temperature, on the fresh side, but still very pleasant and of course a bright blue sky. This is going to be a beautiful day! We set off for our first home, the pleasant hotel Grand Dragon,with its four star the best hotel of Leh located near the center of the city. The service is fine, meals particularly good and the view of the mountains from the restaurant and the outdoor terrace is quite beautiful. Wonderful accommodation to recover from the flight and to get used to the height difference.

The arrival day is therefore all about acclimatising, because Leh is at an altitude of almost 3500 meters and altitude sickness is therefore lurking. After a tasty lunch, most of us retreat to rest. That this is not an exaggeration is apparent when in the evening a number of people are quite sick, including myself. Thundering headaches and nausea.. Medicine: rest and drink plenty of water… Welcome to altitude in Ladakh!

From Leh we visit the monasteries in Hemis and Thikseythe next day. There is also a delicious lunch at
the The Ultimate Travel Camp
in Thiksey, a special accommodation made up of luxury tents. These tents are spacious and very comfortably furnished, there is even butler service. How wonderful it must be to enjoy from the porch of the tent the beautiful view of the Thiksey monastery that you see in the distance.

The next day through to Diskit. The drive to it takes about five hours and leads along beautiful mountain roads. The photo stops are innumerable and around every corner it is waiting to see if the views and landscapes will be even more beautiful and that is very often the case. We are on our way to the Khardung La Pass,the second highest pass in the world on which a road crosses. And it’s noticeable that we’re not the only ones on their way there. Due to work, traffic is sometimes stopped and there is a small traffic jam of vehicles with mainly Indian tourists. They have holidays and look for it higher like us. Also, many are on the motorcycle on the road, often on the famous Royal Enfield motorcycle. The motorbike trip across the Khardung La mountain pass is a long-held dream for many Indian men, so many groups of friends are on their way. Passing the famous mountain pass and taking the calibrated photo at the sign showing the height is and remains special, even though you are standing there like me for the second time. We are on top of the world at 5359 meters altitude!! No one who takes away this experience…

At first, Diskit seems like a small meaningless village. However, it has a particularly beautiful monastery and of course the nearby mega-large Buddha statue you must have seen. The view you have from the monastery over the valley through which the river flows is improbably beautiful.

We’re going to meditate for most of us, including myself, for the first time. We walk to a small lake located in ‘the middle of nowhere’, around the lake hang prayer flags. We’re all looking for a place and we’re half an hour from the world. It is special to be in silence with a group of people in such a beautiful place. After the session we travel back and have lunch along the way. We visit an ecological farmer who tells a story passionate about the home grown fruit and vegetables and about the plans he has to fish environmentally friendly. We’re touched by his motivational story. So world improvers really exist and we’ve actually met one!

The next day we travel back to Leh but via a different route. We go through the Wari La mountain pass which say and write is 15 cm lower than the Khardung La mountain pass. We again drive through indescribably beautiful landscapes with snowy mountain passes, valleys with yaks and lots of mountain marmots that dive away as soon as we get too close. And all without us running into anyone, or it must be those stray shepherds with their flocks of sheep. At the top we stop for another photo opportunity at a prime location. It can’t go on!Once back in Leh we visit the centre with an inevitable visit to a souvenir shop. The city is ready for the tourist crowd that is slowly getting going and has the peak in our summer months.

We drive to our place of accommodation Nimmu House. This old farmhouse has been transformed into a hotel with four rooms and in the garden there are a number of comfortable tents. The atmosphere is authentic and cosy and in the evening there is a campfire and in the morning we have breakfast at the long table in the garden. Nimmu House has been our base in Ladakh for the last few days. From here we visit the area.

Our first stop is at Likir to visit the monastery. Beautiful photo opportunities are there at the convent school. The young student monks, at first hesitant, are soon posing. We enjoy a cup of tea and the good company. Action follows. There are mountain bikes taken so on the pedals down, for some a simple activity, for myself an adventure of the top shelf. Unscathed, everyone arrives at the end point.

Then on your way to the Snow Leopard Lodge. The route goes up slowly, sometimes along decent precipices. Arriving in Ulley it is at 4000 meters altitude and with a strong wind very fresh. The lodge is already closed for the season, but for us the doors are opened and we can take a look inside the simple but fine rooms. Host and hostess, Mr and Mrs Norbhu, kindly guide us around. The Snow Leopard Lodge offers the traveller a comfortable stay during the expedition, staying overnight during very cold nights a tent is not necessary. Spotting the snow leopard is very special and unique. Jozef (our director) can talk about that. He saw the animal several times in March this year. He also stayed at the Snow Leopard Lodge.

The daredevils in the group again take the mountain bike and descend on the pedals down the mountain road. It’s a beautiful sight, although I enjoy it from the car.
After loading the bikes there is an alternative route to Alchi on the program. The route runs along a mountain road that has not before passed traffic and miraculously everything is going well. We arrive in good health and an adventure richer at the hotel where we have lunch. We got pulled from all that action!

We will then continue cycling and I too will be back in the side. In Alchi we visit the historic monastery and then our last evening arrived in Ladakh. The adventure at altitude ended way too soon but what a great time it was! We all agree: one day we’ll come back here…

The next morning we travel with Jet Airways back to Delhi. We’re going from 13 degrees to 43 degrees, so it’s pretty getting used to. And it’s not just the climate that we have to get used to. The tranquility of Ladakh is quickly forgotten in delhi where it is always busy with lots of honking traffic and lots of people on their feet!

We go out for a few more hours with the guide to Old Delhi and as it turns out in Delhi many Indians are settled on holiday in their own country. They often find us as much of a landmark as the monuments they visit. We are asked several times to take a picture. We visit the place where Gandhi was cremated, Raj Ghat,and suffer an attack on our nose, eyes and lungs during a visit to the spice market in Chandni Chowk where dried chillies are traded. Hatsy!
Very special is the Great Gurdwara, the temple of the Sikhs with which everyone can eat for free, regardless of faith or origin. We look at it with wonder, all those volunteers in the kitchen, those thousands of meals that are made and offered. It’s very special!

The evening we end at the hotel’s fine restaurant. We’ve had a great week and we’ve got to give it all a spot. Incredible India has another group of fans! That’s for sure!