The Nubra Valley (the valley of flowers)

                               The Nubra Valley (the valley of flowers)

The Nubra Valley
Nubra (Tibetan : ལྡུམ་ར; Wylie : ldum ra; English : Nubra) is a tri-armed valley located to the north east of Ladakh valley. Diksit the capital of Nubra is about 150 km north from Leh town, the capital of Ladakh district, India. Nubra Valley Known as Ldumra (the valley of flowers). The Shyok River meets the Nubra or Siachan River to form a large valley that separates the Ladakh and Karakoram Ranges. The Shyok river is a tributary of the Indus river. The average altitude of the valley is about 10,000 ft. i.e. 3048 metres above the sea level. The common way to access this valley is to travel over the Khardung la pass from Leh town. Non-locals require an Inner Line Permit (obtainable in DC office, Leh town) to enter Nubra. Permit is not required anymore for Indian tourists (w.e.f May 1, 2014), though foreign tourists still require the permit.

Until 1994, the lands north of Leh were off-limits to tourists and had been unexplored by outsiders since the nineteenth century. Now, the breathtaking Nubra Valley, unfolding beyond the world’s highest stretch of driveable road as it crosses the Khardung La (5602m), can be visited with a seven-day permit, which gives you enough time to explore the stark terrain and trek out to one or two gompas. The valley’s mountain backbone looks east to the Nubra River and west to the Shyok River, which meet amid silver-grey sand dunes and boulder fields. To the north and east, the mighty Karakoram Range marks the Indian border with China and Pakistan. In the valley it’s relatively mild, though dust storms are common, whipping up sand and light debris in choking clouds above the broad riverbeds.
Before the region passed into the administrative hands of Leh, Nubra’s ancient kings ruled from a palace in Charasa, atop an isolated hillock opposite Sumur, home to the valley’s principal monastery. Further up the Nubra River, the hot springs of Panamik, once welcomed by footsore traders, are blissfully refreshing after a day on a bumpy bus. By the neighbouring Shyok River, Diskit, surveyed by a hillside gompa, lies just 7km from Hundur, known for its peculiar high-altitude double-humped Bactrian camels.

The route north to Nubra, a steep and rough road that forces painful groans from buses and trucks, keeps Leh in sight for three hours before crossing the Khardung La, and ploughing down more gently towards the distant Karakoram Range. Due to its strategic importance as the military road to the battlefields of the Siachen Glacier, the road to Nubra is kept
How to Reach Nubra Valley?
By Road:
The road journey to Nubra valley leads through the world highest motorable road, Khardongla Pass which is at a hight of 18380 ft above sea level and around 50 kms from Leh.
Road Distance:
Srinagar - Leh - 434 Km
Manali - Leh - 473 Km
Srinagar - Kargil - 204 Km
Delhi - Leh - 1047 Kms
Leh - Kargil - 234 Km
Kargil - Padum (Zanskar) - 240 Km
Leh - Deskit (Nubra Valley) - 118 Kms.
By air:
Nearest airport :Leh
Leh is the nearest airport. From Leh, one can hire a taxi or board a bus to reach Nubra Valley. Srinagar is also a good option to reach Diskit. Flights connect Srinagar with Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Jammu, Leh and Dubai.
By Train
Jammu is the nearest railway station. One can either hire a taxi or board a bus to reach Leh and then Diskit in Nubra valley

Best time to visit Nubra valley:  June To August
Accomodation:
Diskit has guesthouses in mid-budget range. The guesthouses also provide tents for camping. Sumur has deluxe camps with all basic facilities. Hunder also has good hotels.
Places to visit in Nubra valley:
Panamik
Hundur
Diskit
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