Madhu Reddy, a seasoned traveller and amateur photographer from Hyderabad, is in love with Ladakh. “The space, the silence, the winds… there is nothing like it anywhere,” she says. Leh, the capital, is squarely on the tourist trail, where you will find your luxury resorts and trendy cafés. “But if you go deep into the interiors with a jeep, pitch a tent and go trekking, you will see vistas that take your breath away,” says Madhu. “The colours are so pure and brilliant. An artist could come here. Or a poet. It is truly magnificent.”
Madhu recently rode all the way up to Hanley, which is high on a ridge with a 360-degree view of the valleys. There is a monastery there, built in 1624 by Taktsang Repa of the Drukpa lineage, who also founded the better known Hemis monastery in Ladakh. There is also a school for Tibetan children, possibly the most secluded school in the world. Nomadic tribes, their ponies and yak herds are among the only other things you may see.
Since Hanley is so close to borders with China and Pakistan, it is closed to foreigners and even Indians need a permit to enter. The world’s highest observatory, run by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, is situated there. To visit Hanley, an eight-hour drive from Leh, you need to be fit, prepared for high (4517 metres) altitude, thin air and very basic accommodation—to stay, you will have to either set up camp or ask to be accommodated in a village house.
If Hanley is difficult to accomplish, just sign up on any organized trek that goes through Ladakh and you will find landscapes which are just as heartstopping. Alchi, the Markha Valley, Yangtang, Tso Moriri… you can combine driving and walking there.
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