Quick FactsLanguagesHindi, Dogri, Urdu, Kashmiri, Ladakhi, Tibetan, Balti, English.
MoneyThere are plenty of ATMs in Jammu and the Kashmir Valley. Leh town has only three ATMs, all in the Main Bazaar and around. On the way to Leh from Manali and Srinagar, the last ATMs are at Keylong and Kargil respectively. In Zanskar, there are a couple of ATMs in Padum, but they’re not reliable.
MobiLe PhonesOnly post-paid connections work in J&K (including Ladakh). BSNL has the best connectivity in the state.
internet accessInternet cafes abound in Jammu, Kashmir and Leh and most hotels have wi-fi. Note that internet access is often restricted when there’s violence in Kashmir. Leh has patchy internet, especially on mobile networks. There is no internet (or mobile network) access in more remote areas.
tourist inforMationJ&K tourism (www.jktdc.co.in) has Tourist Reception Offices in Jammu (%0191-2476078, 2431917, 2548 172), srinagar (%0194-2472449, 2452690) and Kargil (%01985-232721) among other towns. The Ladakh autonomous hill Development council (LAHDC) runs a tourist office in Leh (% 01982-252297).
Need to Know
When to Go • april–July: Kashmir’s lakes and gardens are most resplendent in April–June. It’s mildly warm in the days and slightly chilly at night. The monsoon arrives in Kashmir by end of July. Jammu, being in the plains, is hot and best avoided. The roads to Ladakh open by end of May before which it’s too cold in any case.
• august–october: Excellent time to visit Jammu as summer is on the wane. Autumn arrives in Kashmir in October with lovely warm colours even as the weather becomes colder and the crowds disperse. August is the best time to visit Ladakh if you want to avoid the holiday rush, and save on air tickets and get good accommodation deals.
• november–March: Kashmir is covered in snow, attracting skiers who head straight for the slopes in Gulmarg. Leh shuts down almost completely in this season. January–February is the time to take the famous Chadar frozen river trek in Zanskar.
First Time in J&KheaLth & safety• Take out health insurance.
• Pack a medical kit, including prescriptions. This applies more to Ladakh where medications are harder to source. Consult with your GP about taking Diamox for altitude sickness if headed for Ladakh.
• Make sure you are armed with updated information on the security situation in Kashmir. See p28 for more information on staying safe in the Valley.
aDvance PLanning • two months before: If going in the peak season, book your air tickets and accommodation as early as possible. Last-minute air tickets to Kashmir or to Leh can cost the earth; start planning your itinerary.
• one month before: Book your chopper tickets if you intend to fly to Vaishno Devi or Amarnath. Book all accommodation.
• one week before: Photocopy all important documents. Reconfirm flight and hotel bookings. If driving, check for landslide updates on the Jammu-Srinagar/ Srinagar-Leh/Manali-Leh routes. Scan local news for updates on the security situation in Kashmir.
What to PacK• comfortable shoes: You’ll do a lot of walking in Kashmir and Ladakh.
• Portable charger & torch: These will come in handy in Ladakh when the lights go out (which they do every day).
• hand sanitiser: A must for long road journeys.
• Warm clothing: Useful in all seasons in Kashmir and Ladakh.
• sunscreen & sunglasses: Imperative for Ladakh where you can get a nasty sunburn in the high-altitude sun.
For detailed information, see Travellers' Helpdesk on p200
Kashmiri shawls are a popular shopping item
Dos and Don’tsRespect local customs;
dress modestly when visiting temples, mosques and monasteries.
Carry extra gas and a full toolkit if driving to Ladakh.
Visit Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg on weekdays (especially during the high season). Otherwise you risk getting caught up in endless traffic jams and long queues.
Do not buy antiques and precious stones in Kashmir or Ladakh unless you’re certain they’re authentic.
Do not eat openly in public during Ramzan anywhere in Kashmir.
Do not carry plastics into the Mughal Gardens in Srinagar. You’ll be required to furnish a deposit.
The Dal Lake (p84) is the one all-encompassing representative of Kashmir in popular imagination, and has long been immortalised in literature, film and art. The mirror-flat waters reflect misty peaks while gaily painted shikaras (hand-powered boats with heart-shaped oars) glide by. You can choose to experience the lake by staying in an old-world houseboat, hopping on to a shikara for a joyride or by simply strolling along the Boulevard for stunning sunrise or sunset views.
2 Entrancing Leh
The country’s most popular new summer escape, Leh (p144) is all too easy to fall in love with. Not yet inundated by hordes of tourists (even during high season), its streamlined backstreets, traditional mud-brick houses, stupas and Tibetan-style fort and palace take you back to another age – you’ll be hard pressed to find any concrete in this charming town. Yet, Leh is not caught in a time warp. It is home to a host of restaurants serving international cuisines, as well as a slew of hotels, guesthouses and activity operators catering to travellers from all over the world.
3 Picture-perfect Pangong Tso
There’s not much to do at Ladakh’s most famous lake, Pangong Tso (p174), but gaze at the mountain valley scenery and the surreal blue waters. Yet when it’s time to leave you’ll probably have to tear your eyes away from the ever-changing hues of the 'enchanted lake', emphasised by natural reflecting pools. In stark contrast to Pangong Tso’s tranquil setting, you’ll always find people congregated at the 3 Idiots Point (where the climax of the eponymous Bollywood blockbuster was shot), often jumping and clowning around and thereby doing justice to the locale’s epithet – although there are usually more than three.
5 6Kargil & ZaNsKar
Kargil & Zanskar
Why Go?The highlight of Ladakh’s less visited ‘second half’ is remote, sparsely populated Buddhist Zanskar. Its scenery reaches some majestic mountain climaxes and its combination of remote settlements, ancient gompas and rugged mountains make it a trekker’s paradise. The gateway to the Zanskar Valley is Kargil, which is unremarkable except for its proximity to the relatively untouched and green Suru Valley.
Getting There & Awayair: The nearest airports to the gateway town of Kargil are Srinagar and Leh, both about 420km away.
bus: From Leh, buses to Kargil (from `230, 10 hrs) depart at 4.30am, driving via Mulbekh (1½ hrs). From Srinagar, JKSRTC buses (from `357, 10 hrs) usually leave around either 2pm or 1am.
taxi/share taxi: Taxis from Leh charge around `6200 one way for the trip to Kargil. Shared jeeps (`1000 per person) leave around 7am. From Srinagar shared jeeps depart from Tourist Taxi Stand 1 to Kargil (`800, 5am).
Top 5 Highlights• suru valley (p128) One of Ladakh’s most scenic and unspoiled valleys.
• Lamayuru (p129) Stark moonscapes and an ancient monastery.
• rangdum & beyond (p132) Stunning vistas of glaciers and mountains.
• Phugtal gompa (p135) Cliffside monastery with 700-year-old frescoes.
• trekking in Zanskar (p137) Spectacular places where wheels can't go.
Majestically rugged Zanskar is located in one of the most remote regions of the western Himalayas. The greatest attraction of this mountain-hemmed Ladakhi-Buddhist valley is simply getting there, preferably on a trek. However, even the drive from Kargil allows stops at viewpoints such as rangdum. The administrative centre of Zanskar is Padum, and
on its myriad trekking routes are a host of the region’s oldest and best preserved monasteries. While some like Karsha gompa are easily accessible from town, others such as Phugtal (p135) require at least an arduous day-long trek. Most people, however, visit the region for even more challenging undertakings, including rafting (p136) down the Zanskar River; see p138 for our round-up of Zanskar’s best treks and p137 for expert tips on making the most of a trekking trip.
1 rangDuM & beyonDSet in a wild, big-sky valley, wind-scoured Rangdum (130km east of Kargil) is the first Buddhist village heading for Zanskar, and halfway to Padum. Rangdum’s tiny cluster of low-rise Ladakhi houses and communications masts are not attractive in themselves. However, the white-capped Nun and Kun mountains rise spectacularly to the west while rangdum gompa (`50), 5km east, looks like a tiny floating island backed by oddly contorted rocky scenery. The gompa’s 25 yellow-hatted monks are outnumbered by monastery donkeys (which sleep inside at night).
Beside the slightly hidden police checkpost, Rangdum’s three basic teahouses can organise beds in village homes.
• taxi: From the Kargil taxi stand (%09419176515), you can hire vehicles for Rangdum (12 hrs round trip, `9000) and Padum (28–36 hrs round trip, `15,000). From Padum, one-way/return fares to popular sites include Karsha `800/950; Zangla `2500/3500, Rangdum `4500/6500.
• bus: The unpredictable Padum-Kargil-Leh bus takes around 18 hours to Kargil (`300). It only runs a few times weekly (keep asking!).
Otherwise the nun Kun Deluxe camp (p136) awaits in marvellously scenic isolation, 2km beyond the village.
After crossing Rangdum, travellers pass the rugged Pensi La (4401m) which divides the Suru and Zanskar valleys. Just beyond are spectacular views encompassing the long, glistening-white Drang Drung glacier. Further down, the Zanskar Valley broadens with several small villages in grassy parcels of farmland hemmed by sheer mountain walls. Phey has a small gompa and homestay. At sani, Zanskar’s oldest gompa is a small, two-storey prayer hall ringed by a tunnelled cloister and a whitewashed stone wall studded with stupas.
2 PadumAfter the rigours and beauty of getting here, Zanskar’s dusty little capital, Padum, is a bit of an anticlimax. Despite an impressive mountain backdrop, central Padum is essentially a characterless crossroads within a block of which you’ll find
Rangdum Monastery
Top Tip: Load up on cash & gasPadum has two ATMs, the only ones in Zanskar, but they are often out of cash. There are no gas stations in Zanskar. Carry adequate quantities of both. In an emergency, you can contact the Padum Taxi Union which has its own supply of diesel. There’s no fallback option for petrol-driven vehicles and motorcycles.
courtyard and a convivial restaurant. There are also bedded tents with shared outside toilets; they sometimes offer drop-in bargain rates from `700 (`1200 with meals). Similarly priced Kailash and Changthang hotels nearby look outwardly smarter but lack the traveller vibe.
Phutkar guesthouse guesthouse ``%01983-245226; Padum; d `600 The best of three old-town guesthouses, it is located above a small ethno-botanical museum and an unfinished row of shops. Good-value rooms, some with tiny private bathrooms; there’s a restaurant too.
2 ActivitiesMost trekking and rafting operators are based in Leh and srinagar; see p45 for some recommendations.
trekking Zanskar’s top activity is trekking (see p138 for a lowdown on popular excursions). Guides, tents and provisions are essential for such multi-day routes on which highlights include the isolated monasteries at Lingshet or Phugtal. To find pony operators (`700 per horse per day), guides and porters, ask at the simple camping ground opposite the Tourist Office or agencies like Zanskar trek (%01983-245136) along the road to the mosque in Padum.
rafting Rafting in the freezing waters of the Zanskar River is not for the faint-hearted, or for novices. Expeditions begin at Remala past Padum, and over the course of five days negotiate
4 Accommodation & 5 EatingMost hotels close from late october to June, except when pre-booked for winter trekking groups the JKtDc tourist bungalows offer basic but acceptable lodging options in rangdum and Padum. small eateries serve local fare such as momos, soup and noodles.
rangDuMnun Kun Deluxe camp camp ``%01982-252153; rangdum; d `4620 (incl full board) Bedded tents with shared outside toilets. It sometimes offers drop-in bargain rates from `2500 (with meals).
PaDuM
Marq hotel hotel ``%01983-245223; www.marqinzanskar.com; d `2800 This large double-storey Ladakhi mansion has eight bedrooms with attached bathrooms. There’s green carpeting on the floors and large windows overlooking the town. The in-house restaurant dishes up Ladakhi and north Indian fare and there’s internet connectivity as well.
hotel ibex guesthouse ``%09419803731; d `800 Room standards vary, but there’s a pleasant setting around a sheltered garden
• When to trek: July and August are ideal. Storms occasionally interrupt itineraries and snow is possible from early September. In February you could attempt the Chadar trek (p139).
• time and money: A proper trek in Zanskar needs at least seven days. Budget a minimum of `6000 a day.
• What to pack: A high-altitude sleeping bag, UV protective sunglasses, good trekking shoes, woollen socks, high SPF sunscreen, waterproof mountaineering gloves and any personal medication. Bring a good lightweight camera. Don’t carry bulky outerwear. It’s better to wear many layers and these can be shed one at a time as the day gets warmer.
• Preparation: As most trekking routes start around 3500m (and up to 5000m) proper acclimatisation is essential to avoid altitude sickness. Factor in at least a day of doing nothing before you embark on a trek.
• Ponies & homestays: At these altitudes carrying heavy packs is much more exhausting than many anticipate.
While engaging a trekking operator, make it clear that you’re going to need ponies, porters and guides. Or opt for a trek which incorporates stops at rural homestays and/or parachute cafes which are available along popular trekking routes. This reduces the need to carry bulky supplies and camping gear. Such homestays (typically `400 per person including meals) provide a window into local culture; you’ll generally eat with the family in their traditional kitchen and might even be able to help with farming.
Local Knowledge Trekking in Zanskartenzing Jamyang is a certified mountaineer. He runs a rock-climbing cafe in Leh and leads trekking and mountaineering expeditions around Leh and Zanskar.
Grade II, III, IV rapids all the way to Nimmu just outside Leh. Rafts often stop for land expeditions to gompas and to encamp for the night. The highlight is a large waterfall near the confluence of the Markha and Zanskar
A lone trekker negotiates the rugged terrain of Zanskar
