Nubra valley located to the northeast of the Ladakh valley. It is located 150 km from Leh, the capital of the Ladakh region. It is a greener region of Ladakh being in Lower Altitude.
Main attractions in Nubra valley:
You have to cross a Himalayan range spreading NW to SE to reach the valley, which is guarded by Karakoram range on the north. The journey is breathtaking, and the road is mostly good excepting at the high altitude where frequent snowfall and the water from these frozen ice mass damage the road. The highest point is Khardung La at 18000+ ft. This is one of the highest motorable roads in the world. The valley itself is a creation by God. The barren landscape of cold desert will sure be implanted in you forever. They have excellent camps around. There are some activities like camel ride, ATV ride Kayaking etc within the near vicinity. A must-see for travelers from any part of the world and of any age. The only word of caution is the lack of oxygen at Khardung La Pass. They have an emergency medical center at that point to help you with oxygen cylinders.
On the way, you shall see the snow-covered road and vast stretches of smooth snow. Also get to see Yak, Mountain Fox with a long tail, Bactrian Camel and Marmot. At Hunder village you shall find a vast stretch of desert between mountains where you can ride double hump Bactrian Camel. Important tip: Must start for Leh before 11 a.m. (next day, if you are staying in Nubra) as you shall not get stuck on the mountain road jam for hours together, which is very frustrating.
l layers of winter clothes once you reach this place. Nubra is the only valley in Ladakh where one can see greenery. As you drive down into the valley after crossing Khardungla Pass, the whole landscape changes.
Deskit monastery is one of the top places to visit at Nubra Valley. It is perhaps the oldest and largest monastery in the region. It is about 14 km from Hunder. As with most monasteries, it is at multiple levels on top of a hill. Near the base of the hill is a tall (100 ft+ ) statue of Maitreya Buddha has been completed relatively recently in 2010. In a visit to monastery start with this statue which is amazing.
The approach to the monastery is through a flight of steps to the prayer hall. At each level, there are several prayer wheels that you should move in the clockwise direction as you enter. The monastery has a statue of Cho Rinpoche (Crowned Buddha) in the prayer hall. After visiting the prayer hall, don’t forget to rest and have tea with monks before you exit.
The sand dunes at Hunder (which is a few kms ahead of Diskit) is a wonder in a Himalayan valley altitude of more than 3100m. Some dunes are as big as that one finds in the Thar desert in Jaisalmer (Sam Sand Dunes). The place is clean; there is not a trace of filth. The sand is super fine and clean as well - a great place for children to enjoy. There are also Bactrian camels (double humped camels) that one can ride for a relatively inexpensive price. The dunes are hardly a km or two away from most of the hotels/homestays. Try to reach Hunder Sand Dunesa couple of hours before the sunset for the best experience.
Main attractions in Nubra valley:
- Diskit: Diskit monastery which
is built in 1420 AD - Hunder: capital of the erstwhile Nubra kingdom in the 17th
century, and is home to the ChambaGompa - Also, road between Hundar and Diskit lie several kilometers of sand dunes where Bactrian camels graze
- The main road access to the Nubra Valley is over
khardung la pass which is the highest motorable road in the world
Must visit and stay here for at least one night.Nubra is a cold desert; however, you will find ample vegetation around. You will feel hot here & might need to remove some
The approach to the monastery is through a flight of steps to the prayer hall. At each level, there are several prayer wheels that you should move in the clockwise direction as you enter. The monastery has a statue of Cho Rinpoche (Crowned Buddha) in the prayer hall. After visiting the prayer hall, don’t forget to rest and have tea with monks before you exit.
The sand dunes at Hunder (which is a few kms ahead of Diskit) is a wonder in a Himalayan valley altitude of more than 3100m. Some dunes are as big as that one finds in the Thar desert in Jaisalmer (Sam Sand Dunes). The place is clean; there is not a trace of filth. The sand is super fine and clean as well - a great place for children to enjoy. There are also Bactrian camels (double humped camels) that one can ride for a relatively inexpensive price. The dunes are hardly a km or two away from most of the hotels/homestays. Try to reach Hunder Sand Dunes