Land of High Passes – Ladakh

Packed in between the great Himalayas and the impressive Kurnarakom Range, Ladakh is the bizarre section situated in the northernmost Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir. It is a hard feeling to portray while you drive beside those mountain ranges or dip your feet in a cool watercourse near a village may this is the reason Ladakh is a very admired tourism destination in India. Ladakh is one of the attractive locations which win the heart of voyage tourists and nature lovers. Before you enter to the adventurous land of Ladakh, we would like to enrich your information about Ladakh’s culture and activities.

Ladakh culture is very rich due to which Ladakh is well recognized for artistic tours, adventure tours, fair and festivals, monasteries, trekking, and many more activities. The events during the festival including –

• Archery ,
• Polo and Mask Dances from the monasteries,
• Conventional dances by cultural troupes,
• Motorbikes expedition to Khardung-la,
• Thanka canvas exhibitions,
• Trekkingin Ladakh,
• River rafting and
• Folk songs in addition to a string of various music concerts as well as cultural programs organized.

Weather

You can visit Ladakh in summer as well as in winter. International tourists come and spend the summer here while domestic tourists prefer the snow capped hills and the frozen lanes. Moreover, couples visit the destination for their honeymoon.

Ladakh experiences tremendous climate deviations a lot for its lofty altitude. The region is also meagrely populated. Due to Greater Himalayas range of location, exposes the place to excessive winters.

The distinctive feature of the winter is excessive temperature dip during the hours of darkness but no snowfall. Although, the Himalayas lingers snow covered during this time. However, some parts experience snowfall from end of September and liquefy faster.

Just as the intense winter, summer would put you soaked in perspiration. The temperature rises up to 35 degree Celsius, a sharp difference to the winter. The parts that experience snowfall have it thawing out at faster rate whereas, in Leh and Shimla, the snow stays on for no less than a month.

Destination At Doorstep has great Ladakh packages deals for you with no concern from which part of the world you are! This destination is a place where you can enjoy all types of the tour packages. We also offer packages for our visitors who want to experience adventurous pleasure.

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The most difficult river rafting on Zanskar River

Ladakh tourism is the backbone of ladakh’s economy. This industry has provided employment to a huge number of local people. Ladakh tourism offers great scope for adventure activities amidst landscapes of breathtaking, rugged beauty. The most popular among these are trekking, mountaineering and river-rafting.

Nestled in the snowy peaks of the alarming Zanskar Range, Zanskar is a sub-division of Kargil in the interior part of the Leh Ladakh region. Its administrative center is at Padum. Zanskar is the most isolated part of the Leh Ladakh region.

River Rafting on Zanskar River

Ladakh temperature can fall to a bone-severing -30 degree Celsius during winter season. Temperature in Ladakh rises up to 30 degree Celsius in the summer months. The best time for tourists to visit Leh ladakh is between April to September.

River rafting is available on the Indus and its major tributaries. The best stretch for professionally guided rafting in white water is on the Indus River between Spituk and Saspol. River rafting in this stretch can be performed by up to grade 2 rafters. After Saspol, the river becomes very difficult and funny, so it requires technically more skilled 4+ grade participants under careful and best trainer’s organization. The easiest stretch in Lndus River is between Spituk to Karu that can be performed by below 2+ grade rafters in a day. This stretch is an ideal for basic training and full of scenic floating for amateurs. In recent years, running the Indus has become an attractive alternative to trekking and features on the itinerary of most visitors.

The most difficult but exciting option for river rafting is on the Zanskar River between Padum and Nimo through the gorge in the Zanskar Mountains. This is suitable only for well organized white-water expedition, prepared for several days of river running and camping in absolute wilderness. Participants are required to be trained rafters of grade 4+. The arrangements should be assigned to a dependable professional agency like Destination@doorstep. Sufficient rescue arrangement is an essential pre-requirement for embarking for a white -water expedition on river like the Zanskar.

Plan your vacation now, call us on 1800-103-2228 (toll free in India) or visit our website http://www.destination-doorstep.com/leh/

Best Ladakh Packages for Happy Moments

When you plan for a tour with family or with your friends what you look for most is fun and happy moments. You always look for tours that give your wild, passionate and wacky thoughts the complete satisfaction. Your tours are like realizing your wishes and dreams that was never fulfilled. All these thoughts and desires can be fulfilled when you are in Leh Ladakh.

Well not all but almost all, as it is a high terrain region where of course there is no SEA, so you won’t be getting the seaside fun, but yes, you will find many lakes and river bodies. You can enjoy swimming, river rafting and many such water sports in these water bodies. These rivers and lakes are clean and healthy for your body, so no hygiene issues as well. Some famous lakes and rivers of Leh Ladakh are Pangong Lake, Nubra Valley River, and Zanskar River.

The famous Buddhist monasteries and temples that you will find at Leh Ladakh are very old and are also the golden heritage of Ladakh. When you plan to visit such places, you cannot just pack your bags and leave for fun. But yes, you can do so when you get the help of Destination@Doorstep. It is a Travel and Tour Company that pioneer the Ladakh tourism.

The company has different types of Ladakh Packages and these packages are categorized according to the choice of tour. Some packages are based on the selection of days while some simply the combination of all. Your expedition with fun and happiness is the ultimate aim of this company, so they also offer custom package options for all customers. The main areas of expedition you shall enjoy at Leh Ladakh are Jeep Safari, Cultural, River Rafting, and Mountain Rafting and Climbing.

Ladakh Tour cannot be summarized in these expeditions. The experience and fun you enjoy there is beyond speech and expression, it is just the moments to live in and remember life time. Explore your favorite expedition and let your soul free in Leh Ladakh.

Choose your favorite Leh Ladakh package plan at Destination@Doorstep, call us on 1800-103-2228 (toll free in India) or visit our website http://www.destination-doorstep.com/leh/

Beginning of New Year: Losar Festival

Losar is a Tibetan word which means “New Year”. Losar is considered as one of the most beautiful festival in Leh Ladakh. This festival is celebrated for the 15 days in which 3 days were the main days. Most of the festivals are held in winter but some popular festival take place in summer too. The monastic festivals are the heart of all the festivals. They are performed by Monks wearing colorful silk garments and different facial mask.

The Losar (New Year) celebration is followed by Galdan Namchot, the birth anniversary of Tsogkha pa who introduced Gelukpa School of order. 14^th Dec. 2012 will be celebrated as New Year day (Losar festival).

Losar Festival

The origin of Losar festival can be marked even before the beginning of Buddhist religion in Tibet. During pre-Buddhist period, Tibetans followed the Bon religion. With the arrival of Buddhism in Tibet, Bon ceremony was merged into Buddhist tradition and was renamed as Buddhist Losar festival. During the reign of the ninth king of Tibet, Pude Gungyal, this religious custom was celebrated as the Buddhist celebratory occasion.

The sheer charm of Losar festivity steals the heart of every visitor. It is a mirror of the rich and vibrant culture of Ladakh. People celebrate the festival with great pomp and splendor. The festival fever begins one month in advance and people make lots of preparations for the festival.

Losar festival is celebrated with dancing, music and laughter. People are filled with joy and excitement on arrival of Losar. Local people clean their houses and get them painted. After that they decorate their houses with beautiful decorative items to create a happy atmosphere. Every house and holy shrine is illuminated with colorful lights in the evening. Images of Ibex are hanged on the doors and walls of houses for good luck and prosperous life.

Losar Festival Celebration

On the auspicious occasion of Losar, a huge procession, “Methi” is organized in the evening. The streets and bazaars of Leh Ladakh turn out to be lively as the people walk through these streets with flaming torches (Mashal) and enchanting slogans. The procession ends with throwing of torches outside the town to offer farewell to old year and heartily welcoming the New Year.

Ladakhi people wear new bright colored clothes and visit the holy shrines, and monasteries to seek the blessing of Lord. They offer prayers and follow the tradition of 'Lama Losar' in which they give gifts to nuns and monks of the monastery. On this special occasion, people also exchange greetings by saying “Tahsi Delek”.

Plan your vacation now, call us on 1800-103-2228 (toll free in India) or visit our website http://www.destination-doorstep.com/leh/

Effigy of the evil forces is burnt in Karsha Monastery

Ladakh Tourism provides the opportunity to know the ancient culture of northern hilly area of India. Various Ladakh packages for cultural tours are announced by the tour operators of India which will take you through the Buddhist monasteries in Leh Ladakh. Mostly festivals of Ladakh is celebrated in winter season, when tourists has to face many difficulties to reach there. Some festivals are held in summer.

One of the important festivals of the region is Karsha Gustor, which is celebrated in Karsha, Stok  and Spituk monasteries in Ladakh every year as their annual festival. Karsha monastery is situated on the top of the hill in Zanskar region of Ladakh. This year, the festival is going to be celebrated for two days on 16^th and 17^th July 2012.

The fate of predictions held in Stok is commonly known as Zanskar (Karsha Gustor). The layman is predictor of the future instead of reputed forecasters, who are commonly recognized for this job. The layman is spiritually authorized by the Lamas after a formal selection, and is prepared for receiving the spirit of the Holy Deity.

During the Karsha Gustor, a Black Hat Dance is performed. The significance of this dance is to force the evil forces to leave the region and to establish the victory of good over the evil. This is also a masked dance similar to Chhams. The festival is a famous festival of the Buddhists.

This is a Masked Dance that is performed by the Monks of the Geluk-pa order because the Zanskar (Karsha Gustor) Festival is typical to that order. The masked Hat Dancers symbolizes the guardian divinities (Dharmapalas), and is a kind of help by the Geluk-pa order.

The festival finishes with the distribution of the sacrificial cake. This is also known as the Storma. The concluding part of the Black Hat Dance during the Zanskar (Karsha Gustor) is killing of the evil force by the leader of the dancers, which is known as Argham.

The main feature of this dance is the re-enactment of the assassination of the Tibetan renegade, King Lang-dar-ma, by a Buddhist Monk. The king was said to be a traitor who lived in mid 9th century, and caused a lot of harm to the state. Effigy of the evil forces is burnt at the end of the festival.

Plan your vacation now, call us on 1800-103-2228 (toll free in India) or visit our website http://www.destination-doorstep.com/leh/

PANGONG LAKE Ladakh

Pangong Lake is situated in Himalayas. Its height is about 4,350 ft. It is 134 km long. It Extends from India to Tibet. 60% length of Pangong Lake lies in China. The lake is wide about 5km. Its water is saline. But lake freezes completely in winter season. But lake freezes completely in winter season.

PANGONG LAKE Ladakh

Distance between Leh and Pangong Lake can be discovered in a five hours. This route is a rough and dramatic mountain road through the village Shey and Gya and crosses Changla pass. Many Army men (guard) and Tea shops will be seen on your way. It is said that once the lake had an outlet, Shyok River, a tributary of Indus River, which was destroyed by a natural dam.

After a journey full of difficulties we reached Pangong Tso from Leh. Camping at Spangmik village will give great opportunities to admire the beauty of the lake and ladscape. Spangmik is a small village, spread across a narrow stretch of earth between the lake and adjoining mountains. Spangmik village is next to Pangong Lake, where the inhabitants are now finding additional income from tourist inflow. You need nothing to enjoy yourself, the lake and the mountain make sure you are kept happy contented. The lake spread so long that I can’t see the other end.

Change of shade in Lake can be observed as the day progresses. It has deepest hues of blue when the sum I high and deeper hues in the middle of the lake. It looses colour later in the day and turns dull as the sun moves towards the west. At times when the is no wind, the clear surface of lake becomes mirror, so it reflects the brown mountains surrounding it. The water near the shore looks black when there are strong waves.

The mountains are in various shades of brown, their colours doubled by the scorching sunlight and shades come due to small patches of clouds blocking the sun. Waterways on the stopes formed by melting snow have made long thin lines.

The lake is an ideal site for bird lovers as well various migratory birds including the black- naked Siberian Crane and Brahmini ducks can be seen in the cool colourful water of the lake.  The best time to visit thin lake is between June to September. An inner permit is required to visit the lake as it lies on the line of Actual Control. Indian can get individual permit. Others must have group permits (minimum of 3 persons) accompanied by an affiliated guide. You can get permit from the tourist office of Leh. India government does not permit boating due to security reason.