Introduction
There are many reasons to visit Ladakh for all the travelers mostly being bike trips to enjoy the unreal beauty of the journeys and visiting high altitude passes. Yeah definitely that’s the best part of the trip, but apart from that there are some really beautiful tiny villages in Ladakh situated in between spectacular valleys, beside the rivers, on top of the mountain and many such photogenic locations.
List of Villages
Here is a list of 8 villages which you should consider visiting to capture some unreal images of beautiful Himalayas and experience staying in such remote villages to take an amazing break from city lifestyle
Turtuk and Tyakshi
Both villages are situated just 7-8 kms apart and are the last villages tourists can stay as the next village Thang(in India) doesn’t allow tourists after 5 PM and Phurna(In POK) is not allowed for Indians. Turtuk is located 80 kms from Hunder and the deserted journey to Turtuk is one of the best in Ladakh. The small villages carry the old lifestyle of Pakistan even now.
Puga
Located beside the Leh-Manali highway, this is very close to Tso Moriri lake and the lesser known Tso Kar lake. This is one of the active hotsprings of the world and attracts many tourists every year. The surrounding valley makes it much more attractive due to the green patch of land surrounded by cold deserts.
Shyok
This village is situated on the way between Nubra Valley to Pangong Lake and you reach after a very steep climb. The Shyok River flows parallel through the entire journey and since this village is located at a greater height, one can get a spectacular view of the Shyok River and the entire valley. This village is also very close to Durbuk village and the DS-DBO road.
Durbuk
Another lovely village located just after the Shyok village. This is the starting point of the DS-DBO road which connects to Daulat Beg Oldie. One road goes towards Pangong Lake, one to Leh and another to DBO, making it a very important junction. Situated at a comparatively lower altitude, the roads around are amazing.
Mann
This is a village which is just in front of the Pangong Lake and if you’re someone who is visiting Pangong Lake and finding hard to find tents near the lake, one can head towards Mann village located 5-6 kms away from the Pangong Lake main view point. The village is just in front of the Pangong Lake along with the sand to get the best views of the Lake and the crowd is comparatively lesser as well.
Loma
The gateway to Hanle which is in turn the gateway to Umling La. This is the most popular route to reach Hanle from Leh or even from Pangong Lake side.Though the overall altitude is more than 14,000 ft all around, the entire land is situated at a very plain area and the roads around are very good. The village further connects to Dungti, Demchok, Chumur, Chushul and other areas closer to LAC.
Karzok
The most beautiful and the very underrated Tso Moriri lake actually starts from Karzok village near Mahe on Hanle-Leh highway. This tiny village which doesn’t have any Jio or Airtel network relies only on BSNL network. But the silent surroundings all around and the lovely lake makes it a very beautiful place. FYI the nearest big town is Mahe which is 60 kms away on a single lane deserted road.
Tso Kar
One of the lesser known and the one of the most beautiful lakes exists in this village. Similar to the name of the village, this is just ahead of Puga Valley onto the Leh-Manali highway and since very few tourists travel on this road, the pristine surroundings, clear sky and beautiful lake make it a lovely village.
Conclusion
These were a few of the lesser known villages which are worth visiting and even worth staying to witness lovely sunrise, sunset and stars in the night. Stay tuned for much amazing places to discover in Ladakh. Also read must visit passes in Ladakh.
