Ladakh is a melting pot for all photographic genres. With sublime landscapes, vibrant people, rich culture and exotic wildlife, its high-altitude realm is like an ideal Test match wicket that offers something for everyone and everything for the keen-eyed. Here are some highlights you can enjoy on our ‘High on the Himalayas’ Photography Tour.

1. Khardungla Pass

At 5,600 metres (18,368 feet), you will experience the dizzying Khardung La, and the view from there as seen in the above picture. It’s believed to be India’s highest motorable road and one of the country’s highest passes. Historically, its significance is that it lay on the major caravan route from Leh to Kashgar in Chinese Central Asia, which around 10,000 horses and camels would use annually, and a small population of Bactrian camels can still be seen at Hundar, in the area north of the pass. During the Second World War, there was even an attempt to transfer war material to China through this route.

2. Tso Moriri

At 4,595 metres (15,075 feet), Tso Moriri, the largest of the higher Himalayan lakes that are entirely in India, stands as a paradise for landscape photography with brackish water and a backdrop of whitish mountains. 34 species of birds and many mammals, including the lynx and the Tibetan wild ass favour this area, for it is as much a wildlife haven as the strongest antonym for the word ‘eyesore’.

3. Pangong Tso

At Pangong Tso, you will discover a new scale for size. An international lake that is 134 kilometres long, it stretches to Tibet and has the Line of Actual Control with China running through it. Although said to be bereft of fish, the lake supports a rich population of birds in the summer, and around its water, a number of mammals thrive. In the winter the lake freezes completely but in the summer it gleams with the magnificence of a polished jewel and the serenity of an elegant bride.

4. Shanti Stupa

At the sightseeing site of Shanti Stupa and the surrounding monasteries, you will savour the rich culture and heritage of the region that make Ladakh such a unique place. The monasteries inhabited by lamas and Buddhist paintings and sculptures offer a wealth of opportunities to make images and stories throbbing with cultural intrigue and chromatic richness.

5. Tso Kar

And finally, the Tso Kar, literally meaning ‘salt lake’, completes the trinity of high-altitude lakes to behold near the roof of the world, with turquoise water set amidst the spectacular ambience of verdant greenery. Apart from the salt concentration around the water, the other noticeable feature is the plentiful wildlife around, including red fox, tibetan wolf, little owl, brahminy duck, bar-headed goose, pied avocet, and different sandpipers and gulls.

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