Ladakh has been described as “The Last Shangrila”, a living museum of Tibetan Culture. Nestled high in the Himalaya and accessible by road just 2 months out of the year, this isolated ancient Tibetan Kingdom is home to one of the last surviving authentic Tibetan Buddhist cultures. Better termed an expedition, this unique motorcycling adventure travels through a variety of areas, from beautiful Himachal Pradesh through the stunning Kullu Valley, and up onto the Tibetan Plateau to the highest motorable pass in the world - Khardung La, 18,380 ft. Ladakh lies at altitudes ranging from about 9,000 feet (2750m) at Kargil to 25,170 feet (7,672m) at Saser Kangri in the Karakoram. Thus summer temperatures rarely exceed about 27 degree celcuis in the shade, while in winter they may plummet to minus 20 degree celcuis even in Leh. Surprisingly, though, the thin air makes the heat ofthe sun even more intense than at lower altitudes; it is said that only in Ladakh can a man sitting in the sun with his feet in the shade suffer from sunstroke and frostbite at the same time! Ladakh is a high altitude plateau in the north of the Himalayas. It is magical, remote, with delightful gentle people. It is an otherworldly place with strange gompas perched on soaring hilltops, ancient palaces cling on sheer rock walls and landscapes splashed with small but brilliant patches of green. Ride thru the highest motorable pass on the planet. For those who love mountain riding this ones for you!

Getting There:
Ladakh, the capital of Leh is connected with regular flights from Delhi, Chandigarh and Srinagar. The Leh airport offers one of the most spectacular landings in the entire world.

By road, the 434 kilometer long journey from Srinagar to Leh takes two days with an overnight halt at Kargil. The road is open from June to October. There is also a road from Manali to Leh via Keylong, which remains open from June to October.


Tourist Attractions:
The Leh Palace:
The Leh Palace is one of the major attractions here in Leh Ladakh. The palace, built in the 17th century, is now dilapidated and deserted still the tourists throng to see the majestic structure. The next comes the Victory Tower at the top of the Namgyal hill built to commemorate Ladakh's victory over the Balti Kashmir armies in the early 16th century.

The Namgyal Tsemo Gompa:
The Namgyal Tsemo Gompa, built in 1430, contains a three-story high Buddha image and ancient manuscripts and frescoes. One can also have breathtakingly beautiful views of Leh from the fort above this gompa. The Sankar gompa is located a couple of kilometers north of the town center. The Shanti Stupa, built by a Japanese order, was opened by the Dalai Lama in 1985. The stupa is located at a distance of 3 km from the Fort Road. The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb constructed the mosque at the head of the Leh Bazaar. The Soma gompa lies near the mosque.

In Ladakh, opening up of inner line areas such as the beautiful Pangong Tso lake on the Indo-China border, Baima, whose villagers trace their descent to the early Aryan settlers and Nubra Valley near the strategic Siachen glacier on the Indo-Pak border has shooted up the graph of tourists visiting Leh Ladakh.

Shey Palace And Monastery:
This summer palace of the erstwhile King of Leh is set upon a hill. The monastery itself has a 7.5-meter high, copper statue of a sitting Buddha, wrought in gold. This is the largest of its kind in the world.

The other important monasteries are:
Likir Monastery:
Founded at the same time as Spituk and Thiksey, Likir is recognized as the foremost Delgupta monastery in Ladakh region. It is found near Saspol on the Srinagar - Leh road. It houses a great deal of gigantic clay statues of the Buddha in various forms; the primary attraction of this monastery is its 1000-year-old wall paintings, which makes a visit more than worth while.

Alchi Monastery:
The monastic complex at Alchi was built in the 11th century. It is the best surviving example of the era and is notable because it was built down in a valley instead of on a hilltop or mountainside