The Zanskar River – India’s Best Kept Secret

We’ll have an early rise this morning for our domestic flight from Delhi to Leh. You’ll be treated to stunning views, sometimes as far as K2 on a clear day. We’ll do our best to arrange seating on the left of the plane, to get you the best perspective possible. We land in the barren landscape surrounding Leh and due to this being a military airport, security is tight but friendly.

We transfer you to the Gawaling at Chanspa hotel in Leh and the rest of the day is yours to explore or rest in this wonderful area. Leh is at an altitude of 11,500 feet, so we recommend very light exercise for the first day in order to acclimatize. Drink plenty of water and you will find you will adapt, fairly well.

If, when you first arrive in Leh, the altitude is making you feel lethargic, then we suggest going up to the Ecology Centre in the afternoon to watch the excellent one-hour video, Ancient Futures. It’s shown every afternoon at 3:00pm and is free, but be there by 2:30pm to get a good seat. The film provides a valuable insight into the culture of Ladakh and the problems that the region faces today as it struggles to come to terms with recent changes. The centre also has an excellent library; a shop selling locally produced handicrafts and demonstrations of various appropriate technologies such as solar ovens.

There are lots of restaurants under the open sun…you meet fellow travelers here to share information…stories…sipping a cappuccino or lemon tea while getting sun tanned… There is a saying in Ladakh: In Ladakh if your hands are exposed to the sun and your feet are under shadow…your hands will get ”sunburned” and your feet will get ”frostbite” at the same time.

Have some lunch, and then enjoy the shopping in town.

The town has a wide main bazaar street (c1840’s) wide enough to accommodate caravans, with 2 old gates at each end. Leh developed as a trading post and market, attracting a wide variety of merchants – from Yarkhand, Kashgar, Kashmir, Tibet and north India. Tea, salt, household articles, wool and semi-precious stones were all transacted in the market. Buddhism travelled along the Silk Road and the Kashmir and Ladakh feeder. It is an fascinating town to walk around. The bazaar is colorful and gives an insight in to Ladakhi life. The Old Village, with its maze of narrow lanes sits on the hillside below the Palace. The post office is at the Main Bazaar (Monday-Saturday 10.00 am – 1.00 pm & 2.00-4.00 pm). In Leh you can buy Pashmina Shawl, Handicraft Items such as Tibetan or Kahsmiri carpets, wall paintings, wooden masks, Ladakhi wooden table carved and painted, wooden dragons for wall hangings etc. You may also want to buy Tibetan and Ladakhi artifacts from the Tibetan market or antique shops.

After you’ve exhausted yourself around the town, we’ll meet up, have a few drinks and we’ll stop for a meal together.

After a hearty breakfast, we have a fantastic day to really explore Leh and the surrounding area.

SHANTI STUPA

Visible from our hotel, this new stupa was officially opened in 1985. The peace pagoda is part of the legacy of the Japanese Fuji Guruji who, as part of his mission to promote world peace through Buddhism, built pagodas and temples all over the world. It stands above Chanspa overlooking Leh and the Indus Valley. It’s possible to take a taxi all the way to the top but a good test of your acclimatisation is to walk up the 542 steps. The stupa may be a bit garish but the views are spectacular.

LEH PALACE

The Palace stands majestically overlooking the town, which allowed the king to survey his subjects at all times. (Follow signs for the palace from next to the mosque; it is clearly visible from every house in Leh.) Today it stands empty, as it has since the mid-nineteenth century when the royal family moved to Stok Palace after they were besieged by Kashmiri forces. It was built by King Sengge Namgyal in the seventeenth century in the same style as the Potala Palace of Lhasa. Although not on quite the same scale, it still stands nine storeys high. Royalty used the upper floors, while the store rooms and stables took up the lower floors, hence the larger windows on the top.

There is very little to see in the Palace today as the whole building is in a poor state of repair (be careful of the holes in the floor). Inside, it is like the Potala Palace in Tibet with numerous rooms, steps and narrow passages lined with old thangkas, paintings, arms and constitutes a museum. The central prayer room, usually locked but opened on request, is unused but has numerous religious texts lining the walls. Currently it is being restored by the Archaeological Survey of India – possible to watch work in progress. (Check up with the Hotel before you leave as to what time it is open for visitors).

We have arranged some private vehicles for a tour around the surrounding monasteries for those who are interested.

TIKSE/THIKSE

Situated south of Leh on a crag overlooking the flood plain on the east bank of the Indus, it is one of the most imposing monasteries in Ladakh and was part of the original Gelugpa order in the 15th century. The 12-storey red monastery with typical tapering walls has 10 temples, a nunnery and 60 Lamas in residence whose houses cling to the hillside below. The complex contains numerous stupas, statues, thangkas, wall paintings, swords and a large pillar engraved with the Master’s teachings. The temple on the right of the courtyard houses a 15 metre statue of the Maitreya, or future Buddha which was finished in 1981, while at the back of the Dukhang there is a more than a 500 year old Buddha.

HEMIS

South of Leh on the west bank of Indus, the Monastery built on a green hillside surrounded by spectacular mountain scenery, is hidden in a gorge southwest of Karu. As you drive up to it you pass two enormous mani walls. It is the biggest and wealthiest in Ladakh and is a ‘must’ for visitors. However it is not the most beautiful and much of the gompa looks run down and in need of restoration. The gompa was founded in the 17th century and is sometimes called Chang Chub Sang Ling, ‘the solitary place of the compassionate ones’. It belongs to the Kagyupa sect. Try to see the impressive image of Guru Padmasambhava. Gompa towers above a centrally rising hillock, entrenched around by the bifurcated course of a mountain stream. It houses approximately 40 monks and looks like an ancient fortification that stands as the guardian of a spiritual mountain valley.

The villagers that stay around the Rangdum Monastery of Leh Ladakh are the descendents of the serf-tenants of the monastery. They do not own any land, since, the entire valley including the fields tilled by the villagers- the pastures, hills and even the streams, is the property of the monastery.

Tonight sees us camping in stunning surroundings whilst enjoying your favorite tipple, no doubt.

We’ll wake up to the most fantastic scenery and after a hearty breakfast, will continue are drive to Remala. The valley rises to 14,500ft as we drive over the Pensi La , giving us magnificent views of the Zanskar peaks. At the bottom of the valley is the Drung Durung glacier which feeds the Zanskar river, we drive through green oasis like villages in the lunar landscape and orchards of apricots ripe with fruit. In winter the Pensi La road is blocked with snow, keeping Zanskar in frozen isolation for 7 months each year.

We camp overnight, time to relax and have a cool beer and you are sure to exaggerated river stories round the campfire (only from the guides).

Today our rafting expedition starts!! We say goodbye to our duffle bags and transfer all that we will need for the next six nights into large dry bags. Pack carefully!

Of course we begin with a safety briefing by the guides. Then start rafting near to Karsha Gompa, close to Padum.

We raft 30 km in 5 hours which includes a break for lunch and hot beverages, surrounded by 6000 meter high peaks. The river section today includes a class 2 section (a good introduction for first timers).

By afternoon, we settle into camp and we can take an optional hike to Karsha Gompa for the evening incantation. The Karsha monastery is situated on a steep mountain overlooking the Padum valley. It is around 9 Kms from Padum across the river and it takes around 2 hours by walk to reach Karsha. Karsha Gompa was founded by a translator Fagspa Sherab from Zanskar and later taken care by Dorjey Sherab and Sherab Zangpo of Stod. At present it is the largest Gelukpa monastery in Zanskar region. Around 90 monks are in residence.

After a late morning start, we raft from Karsha to Pidmo.(11,025ft) This stretch is approximately 25 km with class 2 and 3 rapids. Another easy day to get used to the river and the altitude. We descend the majestic Zanskar River valley. Once again, breath taking scenery and a gorgeous overnight camp.

After packing camp and having breakfast, we raft 25 km to Nyerak.(10,780ft). – a class 3 section. The gorge narrows here on the river-this is indeed a Grand Canyon in it’s own right. We stop for the day to pitch camp in a gorge below Nyerak village.

Rest at the Nyerak. Today is a day for you to do just what you want, read a book, take a hike to Nyerak Village or relax under the cool shade of the willows at our campsite. Nyerak village has a tiny monastery, which is simple, but effective. The views from the monastery verandah are just amazing!!

Today’s 35km rafting section takes us from Nyerak to Lamaguru (10,465ft), through the core of the Zanskar, a classic white water day with continuous Class 3 rapids and a few class 4 rapids where the river squeezes through a gap of about 18ft. We stop for lunch near a huge waterfall at the confluence of Markha River with Zanskar. Rock formations, spires and an amazing palette of colours add to the trip today. We camp at Lamaguru.

We raft 40 kms of Class _ white water from Lamaguru to Nimu ( 10,345ft) . We raft past the village of Chilling and the exciting rapids as the Zanskar plunges out of the canyon to meet with the Indus at Nimu. We end our trip at the confluence of the Zanskar with the Indus. We then take a relaxing drive for an hour back to Leh. How about some last minute retail therapy…. Or just a hot shower!

We stay overnight at the Gawaling at Chanspa Hotel on our return. We head out for dinner at one of the many top quality restaurants.

We take a domestic flight from Leh to Delhi for our post trip meal. We have booked a table at a fantastic restaurant in Delhi called ‘Punjabi by Nature’! There we can have a nice, relaxing meal and tell stories about the trip!! We are staying overnight in The Rockland Hotel.

(post trip meal not included)

We will transfer you back to the airport if you are leaving today. Depart Delhi International flight to home country

Morning drive to Agra. Experience the chaos of Indias roads! You will arrive in Agra by lunchtime when we will check in at the Hotel Grand Imperial. After lunch we’ll make a visit to the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort.

Overnight: Hotel

Morning after breakfast visit Fatehpur Sikri. Later drive back to Delhi. Arrival Delhi by evening.

Minimum 2 guests GBP£ 250 per person

The above cost includes: 1 night accommodation on twin sharing basis with breakfast, transport ex-Delhi and back by AC car/ coach, English speaking local guide and all applicable hotel taxes.

The cost excludes: Lunch and dinner, entrance fees, any services in Delhi, any other personal expenses i.e., mineral water, drinks, tips, laundry, room service, telephone calls etc which are not mentioned above.

Single Room Supplement: GBP£60

Entrance fees: GBP£25