Nubra Valley is one of the must visit places in Ladakh which is a tri-armed valley situated to the north east of Ladakh valley. It was once the trading route that connected eastern Tibet with Turkistan via the famous Karakoram Pass. It is the most recently opened area of Ladakh.
History of Nubra Valley
Nubra Valley is located 150 kilometres north of Leh, the capital town of Ladakh, India. It is among the sub-districts in Ladakh, located in North East side having Diskit Village as its main headquarters.
Geography of Nubra Valley
Nubra Valley is a high altitude cold desert with exceptional rainfall and little vegetation except along the river beds. The villages are irrigated and productive, producing wheat, barley, peas, mustard and a variety of fruits and nuts, including apples, walnuts, apricots and even a few almond trees. Most of the Nubra Valley is populated by Nubra dialect or Nubra Skat speakers. Summers here are the slightly less cold months of the year. Winters are extremely harsh with unbearable conditions.
Attractions of Nubra Valley
The major attraction of Nubra Valley is the highest motorable road, Khardung La Pass. Diskit is a home to the dramatically positioned Diskit Monastery. Hundar was the capital of the erstwhile Nubra kingdom in the 17th century, and is home to the Chamba Gompa. The beautiful village of Baigdandu is also located in this area. Baigdandu is also known for the goats that give you the famous Pashmina shawls.
There are number of beautiful villages situated near Nubra Valley like Sumur, Kyagar, Tirith, Panamik, Turtuk and many others. "Samstanling monastery" is between Kyagar and Sumur villages, and Panamik is celebrated for its hot springs. People can also take rides on the Bactrian camels. Bactrian camel has two humps, rather than the single-bumped camels found in Rajasthan and different parts of India. One of the extremely popular prayer festivals of the Nubra Valley is Dosmoche or Desmochhey festival. It is also known as the `Festival of the Scapegoat` which is celebrated at the Diksit Monastery. This festival is also celebrated in Likir, Leh, in the month of February when Khardon peak is covered with snow. The locals gather at the Diksit Monastery for the celebration. There are several ancient Gompas and palaces which are famous tourist attractions.
Visiting Information of Nubra Valley
The best season to explore the valley is in the months of July to September. There is no direct air link to Nubra Valley. Tourists need to fly till Leh and then drive to Nubra Valley which is about five-hour drive away. In order to reach Nubra valley, tourists have to pass through the Khardung La pass. Another route crosses Wari La from Sakti, towards the east of Khardung La, which connects to the main Nubra road system through Agham and Khalsar along the Shyok River.
