Must Do Excursions from Leh
From Leh, travellers can head in several directions. North is the Nubra valley, with its crystal clear rivers, remote villages and miles of empty horizon to explore. Southeast is the famous Hemis monastery, with Thiksey and Shey gompas on the way; while the road southwest leads to Lamayuru, with Alchi, Phyang and Basgo en route. To the southwest is the district of Zanskar, even more remote and hard to traverse than Leh and its surroundings. A drive southeast from Leh, on the Leh-Manali highway that runs more or less parallel to the Indus river, leads to two of the region's most celebrated monasteries, Thiksey and Hemis. Before either of these, however, come the two small villages of Stok and Shey, both with a palace and monastery each. Stok and Shey are both about 15 kms from Leh, on the western and eastern banks of the Indus respectively. In 1834, when Leh was annexed by the armies of Raja Gulab Singh of Jammu, the royal Namgyal family abandoned the Leh Palace and move...