Nubra Valley is among the sub-districts in Ladakh, located in North East side having Diskit Village, Hunder Village, Sumur , Panamik , Turtuk as the its main attractions. Its main district is Diskit and is situated about 120 odd KMs from Leh town which is the main capital of Ladakh district. The Shyok river, a tributary of Indus River, meets the Nubra or Siachen river to form a large valley that separates the Ladakh and Karakorum Ranges. The ultra-wide landscapes, humongous mountain faces, lovely trails. The major attraction of Nubra Valley is going over highest motorable road, Khardung La Pass. Nubra Valley being at lower altitude than Leh at an average altitude of 10000 Feet or 3048 Mtrs.
Main attraction in Nubra Valley is Double Hump Camel Safari at Hunder Village. Hunder is the best place to stay and famous for its sand dunes and beautiful landscape. Other places to visit in Nubra valley is Panamik hot water springs and another sacred Yarab Tso lake. Another place is Sumoor Village which has 150 year old Samstanling Gompa and apart from that the village itself is an oasis in the middle of desert.
Another new attraction is Turtuk Village which is 80 kms from Hunder is the last outpost in India after which the Pakistan-controlled Gilgit-Baltistan begins Turtuk is one of the gateways to the Siachen Glacier. Turtuk was opened to tourists in 2009. The village offers views of Beautiful Valley, part of the Shyok Valley. Though a Muslim village, there are a few gompas located on the plateau above the Shyok River and there is an old royal house to see in the village. Turtuk is one of the few places in India where one can witness Balti culture, a different life style of people. Stone houses, Natural refrigerators, stone pressure cooker and many more things.
You can see apricot trees, Apple Trees, Flowers, berries around the entire village with closer views to Karakorum Range. Nubra Valley is a must see place, if you miss this part, then you are almost missing the heart of the Ladakh.
Best Time to Visit Nubra Valley
In January to March, Nubra Valley remains mostly in cold conditions with very few options to stay open to welcome guests. In April some guest houses starts to open up but food does remain an issue at many places. You can see apricot flowers blooming all over Nubra Valley in April. Then comes May, June, July and August which is the peak tourist season and you can find mostly all accommodation options open with full staff and support. During September and early October, the tourists starts to reside as cold starts to set in and accommodation starts to pack up too.
Nubra Valley Weather
The summers in Nubra Valley are hot. The month of April marks the start of summer season and it lasts till July. Temperature ranges between 8°C to 20°C during these months.
Nubra Valley experiences winters in the months of October to May. Temperature ranges between a freezing -10°C to 15°C. Winters last till February in Nubra Valley. Snowfall is a common sight during these months.
Attractions in Nubra Valley
- Khardung – La Pass-The doorway to Shyok and Nubra valleys and the world’s topmost motor able pass according to BRO (Border Road Organization), ‘Khardung La’ is located on the Ladakh range which is 40 km from Leh. It is positioned at an altitude of 18,379 ft. and is also known as the ‘Pass of Lower Castle’. Chamba Buddha. (Mytriya Buddha) Close to the oldest monastery of Diskit monastery, lies the impressive statue of Champa Buddha. This mighty Buddha statue surmounted on top of a monastery, is one of the prime and is deeply appreciated for its architecture. Facing the Shyok River, the statue sits tall with a height of 32 meters and was constructed with the help of the natives of the valley. Gold to be used in the construction of the statue was donated by the heads of other major monasteries around. The idea behind the construction of Maitreya Buddha is to promote peace and protection in the region.
- Deskit Gompa Diskit-Diskit has a monastery which is largest and oldest Buddhist monastery in Nubra Valley and houses a 106 feet tall Maitreya Buddha statue. There is Lachung Temple as well which is quite close to monastery.
- Hunder-Located 150 kilometers North of Leh, Hunder, sitting at an average altitude of 10, 000 feet, is a small village where the Shyok River meets Nubra River. Hunder lies on the ancient silk route, once an important international trade route. Bactrian Double-humped Camels which are reminder the bygone era of Silk Route trade. The vast stretch of sand dunes between Hunder Village and Diskit is where you will see the Bactrian Camels grazing in the sea-buckthorn forests. It is also where most of the safari rides are offered.
