Nubra Valley

A cold desert, Ladakh has stunning landscapes, snowcapped Himalayan ranges, green valleys and many indescribable vistas. And Nubra Valley, whose beauty is beyond compare is one of the must visit places in Ladakh. It is a tri-armed valley, known for its orchards, scenic vistas, Bactrian camels and monasteriesrom Leh. The valley sandwiched between Tibet and Kashmir, is located to the north east of Ladakh valley.

The Valley is among the sub-districts in Ladakh, having Diskit Village as the its headquarter. The average altitude of the valley is about 10,000 ft. i.e. 3048 metres above the sea level.

Nubra Valley is also known as the Orchard of Ladakh and was originally called Ldumra which meant the valley of flowers. Besides the chance to experience the natural beauty of Nubra , tourists can also see Buddhist monasteries dotting the landscape of Nubra. Ensa, Samstemling, Diskit and Hunder monastery are some famous Buddhist monasteries.

The other attractions in this area are the Bactarian Camels, a double-humped camel, which cannot see anywhere else in India and white sand dunes. The world’s second longest glacier outside the polar regions 'Siachen Glacier' lies to the north of the valley, the Sasser Pass and the famous Karakoram Pass lie to the northwest of the valley. Amidst this, the Nubra River, a tributary of the Shyok River, flows through the Nubra region, to form a large valley that separates the Ladakh and Karakorum Ranges. The Siachen Glacier melts into this river.

Since, it is near to the Line of Actual Control, one need to get Inner Line Permit to visit Nubra Valley. For this contact at DC office, Leh town. And all foreign nationals require a Protected Area Permit (PAP). The PAP, which costs Rs.600/- , specifies where tourist can visit and overnight.

The main attraction here is Khardung La pass from Leh town. The main road access to the valley, it is open throughout the year. Located at an average altitude of 10000 Feet or 3048 Mtrs, it is the highest motorable road in the world. The journey to this place itself is an adventure. Crossing beautiful Himalayas and the curves that will lead tourist closer to the valley. The Shyok river that flows with these mountains, the blue sky above etc creates a wonderful scene.

Along the Nubra or Siachan River lie the villages of Sumur, Kyagar (called Tiger by the Indian Army), Tirith, Panamik, Turtuk and many others.

The valley is also known for its fruits like apricots, apples and orange berries. In April month, one can see apricot flowers blooming all over Nubra Valley. Nubra is a major trade centre for woolen textiles made of Pashmina wool. There are shops selling Kashmiri and Tibetan artifacts. Nubra valley has several trekking sites, along the countryside.

September and early October season are the best time to visit Nubra Valley when colours are oozing out vividly all over Ladakh with clouds hovering like candies in the blue sky.

During winter, the whole valley looks like landscape of the moon and in summer full of greenery. In January to March, the Valley remains frozen with very few options to stay. But In April, some guest houses starts to open up but food does remain an issue in many guest houses. So, one have to rely on home stay options and home prepared food only.

Note: Since the vallery located at high altitude in altitude sickness may rise anytime. Drink plenty of water.

Sight Seeings in Nubra Valley

Diskit
Diskit is Nubra's commercial hub. It has a 14 th century monastery, the landmark of Nubra Valley. Built on a hilltop, it is the largest and oldest Buddhist monastery in Nubra Valley. It houses a 114-feet high Maitreya Buddha statue. It also has several frescos of fierce guardian deities. Every year in February, the monastery hosts Dosmoche, or the festival of scapegoat. There is Lachung Temple as well which is quite close to monastery.

Hunder
Hunder is famous for its sand dunes and double humped bacterian camel safari. It is popular for it Buddhist monastery

Sumur
It is a picturesque village in the Nubra Valley. The village is popular for the Samstanling monastery. Funded by Lama Tsultrim Nima about 150 years ago, it houses about 100 lamas. It has a large complex and large collection of thankas and frescos.

Panamik
Situated at an elevation of 10442 ft above sea level, it is known for its hot water springs. It is situated near to Siachen Glaciery and a sacred Yarab Tso lake nearby the entrance of the village. Surrounded by snowcapped mountains, the green valley of Panamik is the northernmost part of India where foreigners are allowed. It is the base for trek to Ensa Gompa. The 250-year-old Ensa gompa is popular for Buddhist murals and scriptures.

Turtuk
It is a picturesque and idyllic village which is opened for tourists in 2010. One can see apricot trees loaded around the entire village with views closer to Karakorum range.