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Tourism to Leh, ‘Land of the High Passes’ and capital of India’s Ladakh region, otherwise known as ‘Little Tibet’ offers opportunities for trekking at high altitudes and yet enjoying the comforts of a modern hotel; of meditating in the silence of the wide cold desert spaces or joining in with the bustle of one of the many festivals held to celebrate every possible occasion.
Historically, Leh tourism became important in the seventeenth century when Sengye Namgyal moved his royal court from Shey to his palace at Leh which soon became one of India’s best-known stops on the famous Silk route. Leh’s tourism began in 1970 and has come a long way since then,
gaining a great deal of expertise without losing the wonderful qualities that made people wish to go there in the first place, a feat most certainly not accomplished by every place on the tourist trail! |
There are palaces, temples and bazaars to visit, each with a multitude of fascinating history and artifacts to captivate the interest of visitors. Tourism to Leh is aided by the existence of a huge solid gold Buddha in one temple, an eight-meter Thangka, or religious painting, in another, palaces both occupied and abandoned. Stupas, as Buddhist shrines are called, abound and range from elaborate and gleaming miniature temples to the simplest pile of stones adorned with the colorful prayer flags that are, everywhere, a feature of the lunar landscape that surrounds Leh, in India’s rugged north.
The ruins of an ancient fort can be visited by those with an interest in military matters and the modern fort is not accessible to tourists but can be admired from outside the military compound. Rare wildlife, such as the protected Snow Leopard, wild horses and giant sheep attract nature tourism as do the many varieties of alpine flora that adorn the mountainsides with a riotous carpet of color in summertime. Leh Tourism is growing. Leh tourism is becoming even more popular. Lots of people enjoy tourism to Leh.
Modern hotels in Leh, like so many all over India, offer all the comforts of home to those who prefer a leisurely time in town. Whilst some members of the family may sign up for a safari astride a yak or a camel trek into the cold desert, others will be happy to let them return gratefully at the end of a long day to find that those who stayed behind have enjoyed the shopping opportunities afforded by the colorful shops and bazaars, emporia and co-operative projects that are at the centre of tourism in Leh.
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