Stok, Likir, & Alchi: The Last Ride of the Season
A quick ride through Stok Palace, Stok, Gompa, Likir Gompa, & Alchi Gompa in October, end of season, followed by a close escape to Manali from Leh.
A quick ride through Stok Palace, Stok, Gompa, Likir Gompa, & Alchi Gompa in October, end of season, followed by a close escape to Manali from Leh.
Due to its Tibetan Buddhist heritage, people identify Ladakh as a land of gompas but it used to be an independent Kingdom too. Naturally, there are lots of palaces and forts in Ladakh too. Some of them can be found in the city of Leh itself while many others are scattered in the far-off areas.
Stakna is a smaller monastery with the best possible setting on the Leh Manali Highway. It also has a Bhutanese connection but the best part is the views of Indus you get from the top.
Hemis is among the largest monasteries in Ladakh, but I was obsessed more with amazing autumn landscapes & also with the unlikely Jesus theories linked to it.
Turtuk is a part of the ancient Gilgit-Baltistan province, most of which lies on the other side of the Line of Control (LOC) between India and Pakistan, north of Ladakh. Turtuk was retaken by the Indian army during the war of 1971 and tourists were allowed in Turtuk only in 2010.