Zanskar Valley Tour

Zanskar Tour: a valley of mountains and waterfalls

People have always said that the states of Jammu and Kashmir are nothing but a paradise for the travelers and also the inhabitants. Even the adjoining areas are nothing but beautiful. Words are not enough to express the natural beauty of the Kashmir valley. On this valley lies a picturesque sub district or the tehsil of Zanskar. It has been often known as the Ladakh valley which is a part of the well known Kargil district and lies on the eastern part of the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir. When the Guge used to rule Tibet, Zanskar and a part of the Ladakh had been a part of their kingdom. The entire region is controlled from the city of Padum. With mighty mountains and waterfalls, this region has a lot of places of attraction.

The place also shares a very interesting geographical background with us. The Zanskar range is a huge mountain that parts Ladakh from Zanskar. Being a part of the Tethys Mountains it also has some series of sedimentary deposits which people come to see. The eastern part of the mountains which is called the Rupshu also attracts a lot of tourists due to the detailed landscape. Trekking and camping are some of the famous sports which are conducted here.

This area is rich in copper deposits and thus the name. In the Tibetan language the word Zangs means copper. Historians debate a lot on the issue of how the name into being because there are different opinions regarding the same. Some say the name means copper place, while another school of thought tells that it means copper star. But the most convincing one is that, that the place gets its name from the staple food crops which are grown in abundance here, though rarely found in other regions.

Tourism in Zanskar

It has been seen that now tourism in this place has taken its toll. It has also been referred to as the dominant form of disruption that the place of Zanskar has faced in the recent times. Since this place is the best for treks and camps, the places look like nothing but junkyards. Both the population and also the delicate mountains have to suffer when the tourist season comes to an end.

Since there are some visitors who beg and involve themselves in theft, the people who stay there have lost confidence on the tourists. But since good comes out of every evil, the opening up of tourism at this area has helped in the educational and financial development of the place. Roads and monasteries have been developed and many other modern facilities have also been launched which never existed before.

Zanskar's Flora and Fauna

Different and special kinds of vegetation are found here in this valley. The flowers, fruits and also the animals found here cannot be seen anywhere else in the world.

The vegetation of this region can be seen in the lower part of the valleys which has a lot of tundra varieties and alpine varieties. The green meadows remains stuffed with abundant edelweiss in summers. There are some blue poppies which can be found on the foothills of the Gumburanjon Mountains. People come here and enjoy a great natural beauty and also get a glimpse of the fruits and flowers.

Make sure whenever you are in this region you have dishes cooked with lentils, barleys and potatoes. The farmers grow them and take pride on feeding the guests with their crops. This region is also very famous for the apricot trees.

The yaks, horses and dzo would make sure that you could have a tour of the places comfortably. Many animals are found here which cannot be seen anywhere else. So Zanskar also has a place completely made for the wild animals like the snow leopard, bears, wolves, marmot, bharal, goats and sheep, kiang, alpine ibex and lammergeyer and many more so that the people can come and take a look at them.

The Tourist Attractions of the Zanskar Valley

Some of the famous spots which are to be never missed when one is at this part of the world are mentioned below. Since it is a rugged area covered and surrounded by mountains, this region might not have what a true valley would offer but there are different geographical landscapes which are beautiful and intricate.

Zangla Tour: this is a small chapel which dates back to the time when a titular king had ruled the area for some days before his death. It lies in the northern part of the valley and is at the end of the Padum road. It had been a castle once but now the small chapel has a small hill which overlooks the desert valley below. Near to it is a small nunnery where a small group of nuns stay. This area has been a place of interest for a lot of people who like to see the strict lifestyle of the nuns. There is also a small monastery nearby in the Tsa-Zar village which has some delectable frescos. It lies between the Zangla and the Strongdey. People come here and enjoy the round trip which covers all the cultural areas of the Padum, Zangla, Karsha and Strongdey region. From this point people can also go to many other trekking points to Markha and the Padum valley and have a view of the river, which flows below.

Tour to Zongkhul: this is one of the most famous and most visited cave monastery. When one goes for a trek on the Padum Kishtwar trail, he or she can never miss this thrilling cave. It looks like a swallows nest housed on a rock. It is said that a famous Indian yogi had come here and meditated before giving lectures in the Vikramsila and the Nalanda universities. The people usually cannot miss the old frescos which depict the high achievement of painting even at that point of time.

Panikhar Travel: this place lies on the border of the valley of Suru. The fort of the famous warrior Zorawar Singh is the ultimate tourist spot here. Many people come here just to look at the beauty of the fort which has been still conserved well.

Travel to Panzella Pass: this is not only a camping site but also a place which enables one to have the best view of the mountains and the enchanting countryside. It divides the Suru valley with the Zanskar valley.

Karsha Tour: this is a small town which is inhabited by humans. The people have made some art galleries and monasteries which take care of conserving the rich cultural heritage of the small place. These are a must visit for the tourists of Zanskar are the Gelugpa and the Labrang.

Tour to Stongdey: the attraction here is the monastery which lies in the northern part of the Padum region. It is in fact the second largest area which has monasteries. The monasteries are inhabited by the monks of Gelukpa. There are many temples here which have been decorated well and they have also been the top sites for the tourists to come and have a view of the monasteries. The complex has been white washed and they also act as the store house of the areas rich monastic inheritance. Though it takes a lot of energy to climb up the monasteries, the view one gets when he or she is at the top makes the climb worthwhile. The view of the valley with flowers and meadows makes this place a very popular one.

The splendid Isolation in Zanskar

When one would want to enjoy isolation, then Zanskar would definitely never fail to satisfy that want. One can reach this part only after tiring trekking through the valleys along the river of Suru. The people practice Buddhism here, though people from all other religions and welcome. The valley even has a king though he does not play a major role in the administration.

If one wants to visit the place, then summers are the best option and the only one. From the months of November to May this region is completely cut off from the world. The entire valley gets covered with snow and the mountains have ice all over them. The mountains passes are also blocked. Many people die if they think of staying at the place. The farmers spend the summer months collecting and storing food ad fuel so that they can survive in the winters. Very few trekkers who want to see the frozen river of the Zanskar peaceful and undisturbed can come here and enjoy.

Summers have always been the best months to enjoy the beauty of the place. Light woolens, caps and also windcheaters would do. It is always recommended to be very careful when one goes to trek because of the rugged topography. The place has always been a paradise and is very adventurous for the people and the trekkers.