The Nubra Valley | A Precious treasures of Ladakh, India

Nubra is a tri-armed valley located to the northeast of the Ladakh valley. Dhukida, the capital of Nubra, is about 150 km north of Leh town, the capital of Ladakh district, India. The Nubra Valley literally means the valley of flowers. The average altitude of the valley is about 10,000 feet above sea level. The Khardong village, Khalser, and Deskit are the main villages of the Nubra Valley. At first glance, the valley seems parched and dry, but the area is prime farming land by Ladakhi standards.

The Nubra Valley literally means the valley of flowers. The average altitude of the valley is about 10,000 feet above the sea level. The Khardong village, Khalser and Deskit are the main villages of Nubra valley.

Image credit: Sara and Alon Tirosh

Here, the farmers grow apples, apricots, and barley and harvest the orange berries of the Tsetalulu. Dotted around the valley are ancient gompas, and ruined palaces and villages are close enough together to make the area a magnificent walking country. The people of Nubra Valley are friendly and hospitable. The Nubra Valley is indeed a precious treasure of Ladakh, where people still live in complete isolation for most of the year from the rest of the world in the heart of the majestic Himalayas.

Nubra is a high-altitude cold desert with rare precipitation and scant vegetation except along riverbeds. The majority are Buddhists. In the western or lowest-altitude end of Nubra Valley, near the Line of Control (i.e., the Indo-Pak border), along the Shyok River, the inhabitants are Balti from Gilgit-Baltistan, who speak Balti. Siachen Glacier lies to the north of the valley. The Sasser Pass and the famous Karakoram Pass lie to the northwest of the valley and connect Nubra with Uyghur (Mandarin: Xinjiang). Previously, there was much trade passing through the area with western China's Xinjiang and Central Asia.

Diskit town in the valley has become the congregation centre for the people of the region. Diskit is the headquarters of the Nubra Valley and thus has a lot of government offices with basic facilities. The Shayok River flows through Diskit, the main village, which is 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. Between Hundar and Diskit, several kilometres of dunes stretch out, where (two-humped) Bactrian camels graze in the neighbouring 'forests' of seabuckthorn. Non-locals are not allowed below Hundar village into the Balti area, which also includes the beautiful village of Baigdandu. There is a marked presence of people with startling blue eyes, auburn hair, and rosy cheeks, as against the typical mongoloid features of the Ladakhis. Local lore has it that they were a Greek tribe who came in search of Jesus Christ's tomb and eventually settled here. Baigdandu is also known for the goats that give you the famous Pashmina shawls.

Image credit: Vamsi Chennupalli

The main road access to the Nubra Valley is over the Khardung La pass, which is open throughout the year. Most authorities no longer accept its status as the highest motorable road in the world. An alternative route, opened in 2008, crosses the Wari La from Sakti to the east of Khardung La, connecting to the main Nubra road system via Agham and Khalsar along the Shyok River. There are also trekkable passes over the Ladakh Range from the Indus Valley at various points. Routes from Nubra to Baltistan and Yarkand, though historically important, have remained closed since 1947 and 1950, respectively.

The Nubra River is a tributary of the Shyok River, which flows through the Nubra region of Ladakh, into the Indus River to the east of Skardu, Pakistan. The Siachen Glacier melts into this river.

The Nubra River is a tributary of the Shyok River, which flows through the Nubra region of Ladakh and into the Indus River, east of Skardu, Pakistan. The Siachen Glacier melts into this river.

Image credit: Dominic Lüdin

The glacier is part of the Ladakh region in India, close to the border with China and Pakistan.
Image credit: mr_o

Image credit: Karunakar Rayker

The main attraction of the Nubra Valley is Bactrian camels (double-humped camels). You can see these camels around the sand dunes. Other attractions include Deskit, Samstanling monasteries, and Khardung La Pass (18,380 feet) above sea level. For tourists, it's ideal to spend two to three nights here. However, you do need a permit, which only allows travel as far as Hunder and Panamik for a maximum of seven days. You must hand over photocopies of your permit on both sides of the Khardung La and also at the bridge to Sumur.