Journey Through Ladakh in 4K ¦ Complete 2024 Travel Guide ¦ India Documentary

Ladakh, the Himalayan territory that extends into three countries and is vied for control at different parts by India, Pakistan and China. Despite the heavy military presence due to its political sensitivity, this dry high altitude territory is home to stunning landscapes and uniquely vibrant cultures. Where are you from? I'm from Nepal. Wow, wow, wow. What do you like to do in Nepal? I like to travel. And no matter where we are travelling, trying out the local food and beverages is always one of our favourite things to do. Get excited to explore one of the most exciting travel destinations ever. Rich with its cultural and natural treasures, still remnant of the ancient Indus civilization which existed here at the same time as ancient Egypt. From its largest city Leh, one can access various other parts of Ladakh through some of the highest motorable roads anywhere in the world. This is the highest I've ever been at 17,982 feet. Find out what it's like to drive through Khardung La, the highest motorable point in the world at 5,359 metres. Explore the cold high altitude deserts of Nubra Valley, home to the extremely rare Bactrian camels, the last remnants of the historic Silk Route in India. Discover these serenely stoic desert ungulates where you would least expect to find them. Meet the people of Nubra who have helped these animals come back from the brink of local extinction since the closure of the Silk Route. We even met a man from Nepal who looks after these camels. They come here to play and have fun. They come here from November to December. And then from Nubra, we drive through gorgeous mountain roads to one of the most beautiful lakes in the Himalayas, Lake Pangong that stretches all the way into Tibet. We are at Pangong Lake. We are out here acting crazy. If you wonder why this lake looks familiar, it is probably because you've seen it in a really popular Bollywood movie. Join us as we venture into India's Union Territory of Ladakh and explore its jaw-dropping natural beauty. If you are new to our channel, subscribe to Travel Art for more immersive travel videos from around the world. Get ready to experience Ladakh like you have never before. And if you are headed there yourself, we have all the tips and a list of things to do just for you. Take a second to hit the like button so that we can reach more travel enthusiasts just like you. And the first thing to learn before you even reach Ladakh? If you are flying to Ladakh, get ready for some insane views from the plane. If you are flying from outside India, catch a flight to Delhi first. One way to get to Ladakh is to drive from Delhi through the Manali Highway. If you are looking for a faster way to reach there, wait for a direct flight to Leh that leaves in the morning. And treat yourself to a flight of a lifetime. Throughout the flight, you will get magnificent views while sitting inside a flying airbus. Stretching to a history as far back as the Neolithic Age, the latter stages of the Stone Age, Ladakh offers an incredibly unique mix of Tibetan cultures of the north and the Islamic cultures of Kashmir in the east. For a settlement lying at an altitude of over 3,500 meters in the high altitude deserts of the Himalayas, Leh, the capital of Ladakh, is a huge city in the midst of the rain shadow regions of the Tibetan plateau. Ladakh is actually a union territory and not a state, which means it is directly ruled by the union government of India, unlike states which are self-governed. The ancient market in Leh dates all the way back to the 15th century and offers an exciting adventure to anyone who loves to eat. From sizzling kebab to sumptuous dumplings. And don't forget to try the delicious local beverages before going out to find more food. Everything that is for sale in the market will dazzle your eyes. From Kashmiri carpets to gorgeous Tibetan paintings. You'll want to take everything home. We are selling here Pashmina shawls, stoles, dress material, sari, bags. Rich with its age-old history, unique Ladakhi culture and timeless beauty, Leh in itself is a destination worth coming to Ladakh for. But it is not just the night time that captures your attention. Leh during the day is as dazzling as it is at night. I'm giving up for the snow. Leh Palace. The 9 stories high Lichen Palkar Palace was built in the 1600s by a king of the Namgyal dynasty that ruled Leh back then. Its balconies offer gorgeous views of the city and the landscape and its interior exudes earthen elegance. On another hill right next to the palace sits the Namgyal Chemo Monastery known for its 3 story high solid gold idol of Maitreya Buddha. Make sure to carry warm clothes for your trip to Ladakh. Thanks to the high altitude, the daytime temperatures were well below zero during our time there in late October, which is actually the end of the travel season here. After spending 5 days in the historical capital of the former kingdom of Ladakh, we headed towards Nubra Valley. And to get there, about 40 kilometers from Leh, we first had to cross the Khardung La, a pass at over 5300 meters. This is actually higher than Chola Pass that we did last year. And we're going by car, we're not even walking. But getting there isn't always simple. We had to wait for 3 days for the road to open, thanks to falling ice and continuous snow. So today, we're going to go to the bus stop, find out if the roads are closed or not, and figure out if we need a permit to go to wherever we can possibly go tomorrow. What sort of options do you have? Nubra Valley? Jastar Valley? Bangkoti? Chamori? At 5359 meters, Khardung La is the highest motorable pass in the world. In fact, the last time we reached such high altitudes, we had to walk for a week to get there. Lying above the permafrost line, these roads are always covered in snow and ice. After a 2-hour drive from Leh, we reached the top of the pass and stopped there. This is the highest I've ever been. It's at 17,982 feet. Crossing the Khardung La and entering Nubra Valley requires that you get the Inner Line Permit, or the Protected Area Permit, depending on which country you're from. Make sure you are fit enough to go atop 18,000 feet in snow and ice before heading into these areas. If you climb the stairway, right next to the pass, there is a quiet little stupa waiting for you. So cool. There's a cute little bumba at Khardung La Pass. It's quite magnificent. It's frozen. This guy is wearing a converse. There's a stupa up there. It is advisable to not spend too much time at the top, as you've just gained lots of elevation without much time for acclimatization. After dropping off the snow from our shoes, we then started our descent into Nubra Valley. Part of the politically sensitive regions of Jammu and Kashmir near the meeting points of the borders of India, China and Pakistan, one can see heavy military presence in the area. We waited for countless military trucks to pass by, while this truck was employed on the road to make sure it wasn't too slippery. After crossing the ice-covered roads, we finally entered Nubra Valley. Before making our way to Diskit village, we stopped for some food. Make sure to try the potato stuffed aloo paratha, no matter where you're in India. Here's a tip, don't eat too much before getting on windy mountain roads. After reaching near the banks of Shuk River, we finally reached the vicinities of Diskit and Hunder villages. We first stopped by the Diskit Monastery. The Diskit Monastery is the largest and oldest of its kind in Nubra Valley. It belongs to Gelugpa, the newest of the four major sects of Buddhism. And it was actually built in the 14th century when the Gelugpa sect came into being and was built by a disciple of Chong Khapa, the founder of Gelugpa. The monastery is situated on a hill just above the plains of the Shuk River at an altitude of 3200 meters. The 106 feet tall statue of Maitreya Buddha is an impressive structure that towers above the main monastery. At the base of the statue is a small temple inside. It was consecrated by the Dalai Lama in 2010. From the top, one can get a panoramic view of the surrounding valley along with Diskit and Hunder villages in close proximity. These villages sit right at the edge of the high altitude sand dunes of Nubra Valley. While we were at the monastery, the monks were practicing for a mask dance for an upcoming festival. These mask dances are traditionally known as Chham dance and the biggest of the festival here happens in February. The wind instruments used by the monks are called Dunchen or the Tibetan horn. The monastery also houses a school for the children from Tibetan families in the region. After exploring the monastery and its surroundings, we still had the afternoon with us. So we went to the silver sand dunes next to Hunder village to witness Bactrian camels. Seeing these camels was arguably one of the most exciting things on our list of things to do during our trip. When you think about the Himalayas, you don't normally think immediately of camels. But when it comes to the Nubra Valley, you would be right to associate the place with these desert wandering ungulates. The sand dunes around Diskit and Hunder villages are a great source of inspiration. These villages are surprisingly home to Bactrian camels, also known as Mongolian camels. Not too far away in the Thar desert of Rajasthan wander the Arabian camels. The ones you will find here are Bactrian camels. Instead of one humps of the Arabian camels, these furry animals have two humps of fat that act as food and water storage on their backs. From the brink of extinction from Ladakh in the 1960s since the closure of the historic Silk Route, the local population of the Bactrian camels has once again started to spread over the sand dunes of Nubra Valley. Thanks to the recent surge in tourism in Ladakh and a handful of individuals who take care of these animals. We leave the camels in the jungle. This year we have a month old calf. In winter, we cut the grass and dry it. This is my village hunder. How old are these camels? 10-15 years old. I have 3-4. How many months old are they? They are 14 months old. In 2 years, they give birth to a calf. In winter, they become bald and lose all their hair. Their shawls and sweaters are made of wool. If you make a shawl, you won't be able to work for 8-9,000 rupees. In winter, their hair becomes very long. They are full of gold, right? Yes. Look at its long teeth. The gorgeous silver sand dunes of Nubra, located at an altitude of 4,000 meters, bound by snow-capped mountains, is one of the most unique travel destinations anywhere. This camel caretaker, who comes all the way from the district of Baglung in Nepal, has been working with these camels for the past few years. What is your name? Dhanbir. How do you like working with camels? I like it a lot. What do you like the most? I like to play with them. What do you do in Punjab? I work in a factory. I work with goats and sheep. Like in most mountainous regions, herds of goats and sheep blocking your road is a common occurrence. The villages of Hundar and Diskit are oases amidst the cold desert. We make mixed vegetables. Like onions, potatoes, these are first-class here. Like flour, sattu, these are big. Like rice, it is not available here. It always comes from outside. Dal is also very good here. Most of the crops are grown here. But it is not like a big farm. Everything is available for us to eat. We can't depend on anyone. Everything is available for us. Onions are grown like this. We take it out of the field, put it in the sun, put it in a sack, and put it in a normal room. It is not spoiled at all. Potatoes are dug under the ground. The field under which the potatoes are dug will remain fresh till March. It won't spoil. No matter how fresh it is, it is still good. After spending the night in Diskit, we were to wake up early the next morning and head towards another natural treasure of Ladakh. Almost 300 kilometers from Nubra Valley, one can access Pangong Cho, a 700-square-kilometer lake that spans from eastern Ladakh into western Tibet and hence lies in disputed territory with both India and China vying for access to various parts of the lake. Pangong is a saline water lake, meaning its water is salty. In fact, it is the highest saltwater lake in the world. Despite its salinity, the lake completely freezes during the winter as it lies at an altitude of over 4,350 meters. The lake derives its name from the Tibetan word Pangong which means high grassland and Cho meaning lake. Although we visited towards the end of the travel season in Ladakh in October, there were still many visiting tourists here. If the lake looks familiar to you, it might be because you saw it in the hugely popular 2009 Bollywood movie, Three Idiots. Parts of the ending section of the movie were shot here. The lake, however, is not the only landmark in Ladakh to have become popular after the movie came out. After being featured in the movie, the Druk Padma Karpo School popularly became known as Rancho School. But even well before it gained popularity because of the movie, the school has been imparting world-class education to the children of the nomadic tribes in the region. This is Pangong Lake. It's in Ladakh. It's at 4,200 meters. It touches both borders of India and Tibet. And it's huge. For those of you who have watched our other videos, you know that we love lakes high up in the mountains. With our cameras in our hands and the gorgeous scenes all around us, we lost track of time for a while. Watching these migratory brown-headed gulls swimming on the blue water is synonymous with Zen. You can expect to find herds of goats wherever there is any sign of grass in these dry lands. While returning to Leh from Pangong, you have to cross another pass, this time the Chang La, at 5,391 meters. And this pass has a Hindu temple next to it. 76 kilometers from Chang La, and you are back in Leh. On the way back, not far from Leh, on top of a hill sits the Thiksey Monastery. Its design resembles that of the Potala Palace, the former winter home of the Dalai Lama in Lhasa, Tibet. This is Thiksey Monastery. Also known as Mini Potala, the colors of the monastery are a treat to the eyes. One of the temples here is home to a 15-meter statue of the Maitreya Buddha. It is one of the largest monasteries in the Indus Valley and the Jammu and Kashmir region. The blacktop roads of Ladakh, set in the scenic valleys amidst its willow trees, are a treat to drive on. 40 kilometers south of Leh marks the beginning of the largest national park in all of India. The entrance to the Hemis National Park, which is home to many snow leopards, is marked by Hemis Monastery, the richest Gumba in Ladakh. Re-established in 1672 by the Ladakhi king Senge Namgyal, the monastery is believed to have existed well before the 11th century. It belongs to the Drukpa lineage or the Dragon Order of Mahayana Buddhism. Make sure to not miss out on local fruit juice, namely seabuckthorn berries and apricot. Damn. This is apricot. So good. And what better way to immerse yourself in a place than to go to a local tea shop in the morning for a delicious cup of chai. And since we are on the subject of tea. This is Kashmiri Kawa tea. It's cinnamony. And it's a perfect way to drink. Smells so good. Make sure to try Tibetan food at the Chimath Tibetan Kitchen, where you will most likely have to wait for a table. But it is well worth the wait. And if you are craving for biryani, head over to the Biryani Queen at Leh Market and devour everything in front of you. On our way to a wedding, we met this adorable lady. We then discovered how fun Ladakhi wedding ceremonies are. A Ladakhi wedding ceremony typically starts in the evening after the arrival of families from surrounding villages and lasts all night. A traditional dance is carried out throughout the night with attendees participating at different times at the center of the proceedings. While everyone feasts and drinks. One is regularly offered Chyang, a traditional alcoholic beverage and warm salt and butter tea. Gorgeous traditional attires and enchanting music make the entire experience quite surreal. And finally, the bride also joins in on the festivities. Share this video with everyone from Ladakh or with anyone wanting to travel to Ladakh. Let us know in the comments what your favorite things to do and places to go here are and where we should travel to next. Hit the like button and subscribe to join us on all our quests to find beauty and wisdom as we make friends around the world. And before we catch a flight to our next destination, we are going to take a... nap. Nap whenever, wherever.