| NUBRA
VALLEY TREK
Day 01 Arrive Delhi late
night and transfer to domestic airport for early morning flight
to Leh. Transfer to your hotel, rest day after a long flight
and time to get acclimatize. Late afternoon walking tour of
Leh bazaar. O/N in hotel.
Leh : the main town of the
region, is dominated by Sengge Namgyal's 9-story Palace, a
building in the grand tradition of Tibetan architecture, said
to have inspired the famous Potola in Lhasa. Down in the bazaar,
the main sites to visit are the Jo-Khang, a modern ecumenical
Buddhist temple, and the
imposing Mosque dating from the late 17th century. For locals
and visitors alike a stroll along the main bazaar observing
the varied crowd and peering into the curio shops is an entrancing
experience.
Day 02 After breakfast morning
tour with guide of Spituk and Phyang monastries. Late afternoon
tour of Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa & Samkar monastry. O/N
in hotel.
Phyang : looks like a huge
Palace from afar, built by Tashi Namgyal in the later half
of the 16th century AD., it belongs to the Red Cap sect of
Buddhists. Hundreds of icons of Buddha and other Gods are
kept on wooden shelves.
Spituk : Stands prominently
on the top of a hillock commanding a panoramic view of the
Indus valley for miles. Many icons of Buddha and fine thankas
are to be found in this 15th century Gompa. The Gompa also
houses a collection of ancient masks, antique arms and an
awe inspiring image of
mahakal. The face of the Kali image is kept covered and is
revealed only at the annual function in January.
Samkar Gompa : the seat
of the yellow Hat Sect and one of the few Gompa built in the
valley bottom, is a 3 km. Pleasant walk through fields. It
houses the chief lama of Spituk and 20 others. The newer monks
quarters are on three sides of the courtyard with steps leading
up to the Du-Khang ( Assembly Hall ). There are a number of
gold statues, numerous wall paintings and sculptures including
a large one of the 11 headed, 1000-armed Avalokitesvara.
Shanti Stupa : There are
good views from the top where a tea room is a welcoming sight
after the climb. There is also a jeep able road.
Day 03 Fullday trip with
guide to Alchi and Likir Monastries. O/N in hotel in Leh.
Alchi : On the banks of
the Indus is the Alchi Gompa, dating a thousand years back.
One of its walls features thousands of miniature-sized pictures
of the Buddha. Three large sized images made of clay and painted
brightly are its focal attraction. No longer an active religious
center, it is looked after by monks from the Likir monastery.
Likir : Founded in the 11th
century and rededicated to a different monastic order in the
15th century, its earlier Gompa was destroyed in a fire. The
present Gompa dates back to the 18th century. Skilled craftsmen
producing excellent thankas, earthen pots and carved folding
wooden tables. A magnificent giant juniper tree, one of the
few survivors of its species stands in the courtyard.
Day 04 LEH - SABOO - LARTSA
Leave Leh for Saboo by jeeps. You will be met by the staff
and ponies at the end of the village. Trek time 6 hours. Camp
at Lartsa.
Day 05 LARTSE - DIGGER Today
you cross Digger-la pass 5240 Mts. and descend to Digger village.
Camp at Digger village. Trek time 7 hours.
Day 06 DIGGER - KHUNGRU
Mostly descending and walking slong riverside. Camp at Khungru
village. Trek time : 6 hours.
Day 07 Free at Khungru to
rest and explore the surroundings.
Day 08 KHUNGRU - RONGTHIL
An easy but long trek alongside the Shyok river. Camp at Rongthil.
Trek time 7-8 hours.
Day 09 RONGTHIL - KHALSAR
It is a easy trek through very picturesque locations. Pass
through and army area which is prohibited for photography.
Camp at Khalsar.
Day 10 Drive 3 hours to
Disket the headquarter of Nubra valley. Day to explore. O/N
camp.
Day 11 Drive 4 hours to
Panamik, famous for its sulphure springs. O/N camp.
Day 12 Drive back to Leh
over the Khardung-la pass at 5545 mts. World highest motorable
road. O/N in hotel at Leh.
Day 13 Free day in Leh,
after the trek or as a security day. O/N in hotel
bEarly morning flight Leh
to Delhi, after arrival drive straight to Agra 200 km. 4 hours.
O/N in hotel at Agra.
AGRA : At the time of the
Moguls, in the 16th and 17th centuries, Agra was the capital
of India, and its superb monuments date from that era. Agra
has a magnificent fort and the building which many people
come to India solely to see-the Taj Mahal.
Agra became the capital of Sikandar Lodi
in 1501, but was soon passed on to the Moguls, and both Babur
and Humayun made some early Moghul constructions here. It
was under Akbar that Agra first aspired to its height of magnificence.
Day 15 Sightseeing of Taj
Mahal, Red fort and Sikendra. Evening drive to International
airport in delhi to catch your flight back home. Tour ends.
TAJ MAHAL : If there's a building which represent a country
- like the Eiffel Tower for France, the Sydney Opera House
for Australia - then it has to be the Taj Mahal for India.
This most famous Moghul monument was constructed
by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal,
the `lady of the Taj'. It has been described as the most extravagant
monument ever built for love, for the emperor was heartbroken
when Mumtaz, to whom he had been married for 17
years, died in 1629 in childbirth, after producing 14 children.
Construction of the Taj began in 1631 and
was not completed until 1653. Workers were recruited not only
from all over India but also from central Asia, and in total
20,000 people worked on the building. Experts were even brought
from as far away as Europe - the Frenchman Austin of Bordeaux
and the Italian Veroneo of Venice had a hand in its decoration.
The main architect was Isa Khan, who came from Shiraz in Iran.
The Taj is definitely worth more than a single
visit as its character change with the differing lights during
the day.
SIKENDRA : The tomb of Akbar
lies in the center of a large peaceful garden. The building
has three-story minarets at each corner and is built of red
sandstone inlaid with white marble polygonal pattern. It is
an interesting place to study the gradual evolution in design
that culminated in the Taj
Mahal.
AGRA FORT : Construction
of the massive Agra Fort was begun by Emperor Akbar in 1565,
and additions were made up until the time of his grandson,
Shah Jahan. While in Akbar's time the fort was principally
a military structure by Shah Jahan's time it had become partially
a palace. There are many fascinating buildings inside the
massive walls which stretch for 2.30 km, surrounded by a moat
over 10 meters wide. The fort is on the banks of the Yamuna
River.
Some of the importance buildings within the
fort include:- |