See the unseen

Humans have always been curious wanderers and it  helped us evolve faster than other species, so apart from some parts of the ocean world and the infinite space, we have discovered it all! 

Kudos to us, but sometimes, largely because of our monotonous schedules or a race to follow trends, we leave some gorgeous locations unvisited, and if you are that part of the population who doesn’t just follow trends, but create some too, we’ve got you covered.

For now that the human race has successfully defeated viruses, tourism picked its old pace and is back on rise and so we must explore the untouched, the one longing to be felt by us, and what could be better than the landscapes of Ladakh for this summer?

Ladakh is a cold dessert in India known for its gorgeous landscapes, snow-capped mountains, variety of terrains, clear lakes and its adventure and spirituality…
Much of these areas are hard to reach either because of their high security alert or just because they remain underrated, so we took it as our personal mission to curate the best list of best least crowded and gorgeous places in Ladakh you must visit this season-

1. Tso Moriri Lake - 

You must have heard people saying the phrase, "as calm as the ocean", now, alternatively you can also use, "as calm as Tso Moriri Lake"...
Known for its peaceful and soul-filling nature, Tso Moriri or the "Mountain Lake" is located in the alluring Rupshu Valley, 4,000 meters above sea level. It stretches for about 29 kilometres in length and 8 kilometres in width.
When you visit the lake, the sky and lake seems inseparable, both colored in shades of blues, merge their hues somewhere in the horizon. It is protected by tall-strong mountains on sides and by endless serenity from its inside. 

“Being part of the wetland reserve under Ramsar site, it is actual known as Tsomoriri Wetland Conservation Reserve and one cannot pitch any tents or construct anything near the banks of the lake……..Since, it is very near to the Line of Actual Control, one need to get Inner Line Permit to visit Tso Moriri.”

-https://leh.nic.in/

Being a conservation reserve, it homes many rare and even endangered floras and faunas such as the Black-necked cranes and Tibetan gazelle. This one in a lifetime trip can give you the chance to encounter the best people and vibe you could ever meet.

Maybe because destiny really wants you to be there, you can reach Tso Moriri by any means of transportation; air, train or road. Its peak tourism is during the summer season; May, June and July, while from January to March, it remains, mostly frozen.

2. Nubra Valley  or Dubra Valley

Ladakh's orchard was originally known as Ldumra, which means "the valley of flowers”, living up to its name the Nubra Valley has a lot to offer from being a snow valley resembling the moon itself in the winters to being covered in flowers as far as you can look in the springs.
It is located between Tibet and Kashmir, which only adds to its beauty. To visit Nubra, visitors from outside the country must get a Protected area permission. Indian citizens must now obtain an Inner Line Permit in order to visit there as of 1 April 2017.
Another big reason for you to visit this paradise could be because it homes a lot of Buddhist teachings and learnings and has a lot of centres for the same, to make your trip not just adventurous, but also educational.

3. Hemis National Park

Hemis National Park is a wildlife destination, famously known for homing snow leopards. After Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, it is India's second-largest continuous protected area.
You don’t need to be trecker or an adventurer to visit Hemis National park, you can also visit it for it flora and fauna, as nature lover, bird watcher or as a wildlife photographer.
Because the park does not receive much rainfall throughout the year, it is mostly dry forest and the same is reflected in the species that inhabit here; less moisture requiring.
There are several laws and guidelines that both individuals who are staying there and those who are just visiting must abide by because the park is within the Department of Wildlife Protection's purview.
The park is also home to the Hemis Monastery, the largest and wealthiest monastery in Ladakh.

4. Zanskar Valley

Stretch out those legs and visit Zanskar for never-like before trek , the Chadar Trek or the Frozen River Trek in winters.
Zanskar offers you snow-capped mountains, rugged terrain, semi-arid, perfect weather,  Sani Monastery, Lingshed Monastery, motorbiking, river rafting and much more.All travel systems to Zanskar and developed and very well equipped, so you can reach Zanskar by air, train or road.
Fan of heights?

“Two small, turquoise, high altitude lakes with camping sites, and views of the surrounding permafrost mountains are the highlights of the Penzi La pass, which is 160 Km from Kargil and at an altitude of 4,401 to 4,450 meters, the highest point on the Kargil – Zanskar road.”

-https://ladakh.nic.in/

Now you know where to come
Needless to say, this year, we know, Zanskar should definitely be in your travel bucket list !

5. Chumathang Hot Springs 

The world has been a little tiring lately, and if you are feel the same, let the waters of Chumathang hot spring heal your tired soul and body. 

Yes, it is a natural hot water spring!1

Yes, it has healing properties!

Yes, it is surrounded by great view!

Yes, it might make you feel dizzy!

Surprisingly, for a wonderful place like Chumatang, it is not much crowded. Most people travel past it, believing it to be a regular lake, so on your good days, if you discover the hot spring, take a pause, dip in and relax.

6. Phugtal Monastery 

Unlike all the other places on this list, Phughtal is much conventional and you would like to visit there by foot.  A road to reach by car is yet to be constructed.
Phugtal Monastery, also known as Phuktal Gompa, is a Buddhist monastery that you will find in the isolated Lungnak Valley in southern Zanskar, a Himalayan region of Ladakh in Northern India.
Legend has it, the Phuktal Gompa, which has long been a refuge for retreat, meditation, study, and teaching, owes its legacy to significant and illustrious academics and instructors who lived in the cave around which the monastery has been erected, so while it might not be for someone looking for a crowded place, it is a definite choice for someone looking for peace and tranquillity.

7. Lamayuru Monastery

What do you do once you’ve reached the top?

You go to Lamayuru monastery!

Located in Lamayouro, Leh district, Ladakh, India, the Lamayuru or Yuru Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist temple.

It is also called the bla ma gyung drung dgon pa meaning the "Eternal Monastery",so while it can last for etertnities, we cannot, so while we have this perfect opportunity, why not visit Lamayuru and find out what is keeping it eternal?

The gompa originally had five structures, and the four corner buildings' remnants may still be seen. 

Lamayuru is one of Ladakh's biggest and oldest gompas, and it is home to about 150 permanent monks. It once housed up to 400 monks, the majority of whom are currently stationed in gompas in nearby communities.

Every year, in the second and fifth months of the Tibetan lunar calendar, Lamayuru has two masked dance festivals. During these times, all the monks from the nearby gonpas come together to pray for us travellers to behold the sight of.

 8. Tsomoriri Wetland Conservation Reserve

Tsomoriri Wetland conserves is one of the most breathtaking reserves in India. Tsomoriri is the highest lake in India itself at 4,595 m and  largest of the high altitude lakes in the Trans-Himalayan biogeographic region.

To fufill its aim of wildlife conservation, predictably, shooting is strictly prohibited in the area and on your good days you might encounter some rare species such as Black-necked Cranes or Great Crested Grebe and much more as we mentioned earlier. 

Because the whole area remains under high security, we recommend, you to read all the rules and guidelines carefully beforehand so that you face any trouble later. 

Till then, Robert Frost wrote and we quote,

 “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
  I took the one less traveled by,
  And that has made all the difference.”

Every road you chose in life makes a great difference in where you end-up being, so chose wisely what road you take and where you want to be.
Until then, see you next time!