A flood of memories of our visit to Leh..in 2012..the second picture clicked by my daughter was published in the EVS book of NCERT..with due credits to @anindit28 ...Ladakh is a beautiful,vast,ever changing landscape of rugged mountains,deep gorges n sprawling plateaus..

Leh is connected by air to Delhi...earlier there were flights from Srinagar n Chandigarh as well..by road Leh is connected both from Manali and Srinagar..Manali to Leh via Keylong is 474 kms with a night halt at Sarchu..Srinagar to Leh 434 kms with a night halt in Kargil..

One takes some time to acclimatize to the low level of oxygen at that altitude..so the first day is usually a day of rest after reaching Leh..many tourists develop "High Altitude Sickness"...common symptoms being dizziness, irregular breathing, loss of appetite or sleep..doctors

suggest a medication called"Diamox" to ease the mountain sickness n acclimatise tourists..those who love the adventure of a Himalayan drive...the road journey is the best...hotels in Ladakh...the 3 star ones r the "A" category ones...rooms r usually well furnished with Ladakhi..

Interiors..
There r some amazing monasteries to visit..flourishing Mahayana Buddhism..it is also an adventure paradise with trekking, mountaineering and rafting opportunities.
Cultural n monastic festivals r other attractions...

The average stay of a foreign tourist in Ladakh is 15-20 days..the less adventurous tourist can do a trip in 7/8 days..but if the tiny villages which r scattered far and in between r to be explored one must have 15 days..permits are reqd at the Pangyong lake, Tso Moriri lake area

Nubra valley and Dha Hanu region. Ladakh per say requires no permits but advisable for foreign tourists to carry passport with appropriate visa n Indians their valid ID proof...Leh town offers finest Tibetan, Kashmiri and Ladakhi food. There r restaurants serving Thai, Chinese,

Japanese, Italian n Israeli cuisines..tourists who smoke, suffer from asthma, high BP, anaemia, diabetes should consult their docs before travelling...tourist vehicles r SUVs..to survive the rugged terrain...no autos there!!
Family run home stays available though not popular..

Light woollens in summer though down filled wind proof upper garments may be reqd while going to the lakes...Summer is max 25°C n min 5-8° C...Best time to visit Leh is mid May to mid October..Winter from Nov to Mar...tourists will be less...nonetheless the winters have a charm

of their own..card payments were a challenge when I visited...though am sure now things must have improved vastly!!Shey Palace, Thiksey Gompa, Hemis Monastery, Shanti Stupa, Pangyong Lake, Alchi village, Likir Monestary, confluence of the Indus/Zanskar river, Hall of Fame Museum,

Khardungla Pass at 18000+ ft above sea level...highest motorable road...Nubra Valley, and the list goes on....Do visit Leh...I hv rekindled some beautiful memories we created....