Nubra Valley is a subdivision and a tehsil in the union territory of Ladakh, India. Its inhabited areas form a tri-armed valley cut by the Nubra and Shyok rivers. Its Tibetan name Ldumra means “the valley of flowers”. Nubra valley is called India’s only cold desert. The area is known for its orchards, scenic vistas, double hump Bactrian camels and monasteries. Nubra Valley is situated about 150 km from Leh, capital of Ladakh. The average altitude of the valley is about 10,000 ft. above the sea level. Panamik village, known for its’ hot springs, is the last settlement in the northern end of Nubra valley and is open to tourists. The Nubra valley has a unique landscape of snow-clad mountains, wild streams and desert.
The valley, which separates Ladakh and Karakoram ranges, lies just north of Khardung La, the highest motorable pass in the world. The valley has few sparsely populated villages. Almost every village in Nubra valley has accommodation facilities, in the form of guest houses that provide accommodation at affordable prices. Tourist can also stay as paying guest at any of the villages in many homestays operated by villagers. There are many ancient monasteries worth visiting but if tourist are looking for something new and different, then Turtuk is a great place to visit. It is an unparalleled experience of sorts and everything from the drive to the village culture.
However, Turtuk is out of bounds for foreign tourists. Foreign tourists and NRIs need Protected Area Permit (PAP) to gain entry into the valley. Similarly, for Indian Nationals, need Inner Line Permit is required for entry. All these permits are issued from DM or District Magistrate office in Leh. Nubra valley occupies the northeastern portion of Ladakh, bordering Baltistan and Chinese Turkestan in the north, and Aksai Chin and Tibet in the east. Siachen Glacier lies to the north of the valley, Sasser Pass and the famous Karakoram Pass lie to the northwest and connect Nubra valley with Uyghur province. part located at an important junction of silk route, for centuries traders passed through the area to reach Uyghur province, Tibet province and onwards o Central Asia.
The people of Baltistan also used the Nubra valley for passage to Tibet plateau. Most of the trade was done using double hump Bactrian camels, many of whom were left behind. Roaming in the valley in herd, these camels have grown wild making he Nubra valley only place in India where Bactrian camels can be seen roaming wild in the sand dunes between Hundar and Diskit.Diskit town is the headquarters of Nubra valley, and between the Nubra or Siachan River there are many small villages namely, Sumur, Kyagar, Tirith, Panamik, Turtuk and many others. The Nubra valley was open for tourists up to Hunder (the land of sand dunes) until 2010.
The region beyond Hunder gives way to a greener region of Ladakh because of its lower altitude. The village of Turtuk is a virgin destination for Indian tourists, they can interact with local Balti tribal community, but out of bounds for foreign tourists. Turtuk offers serene camping sites with environment friendly infrastructure. There are 2 major monasteries in Nubra valley, which is predominantly Buddhist. The Diskit Monastery built in 1420 AD is the largest. A 32 metre Maitreya Buddha statue is the landmark of Nubra valley and is maintained by the Diskit Monastery. Ganden Sumtseling Monastery lies between Kyagar and Sumur villages.
Across the Nubra or Siachan River at Panamik, is the isolated Ensa Gompa near Warisfistan village. there are several more centuries old gompas in the valley. Hunder sand dunes and monastery and Samstanling monastery also worth visiting. Tourist can also visit Yarab Tso Lake. Tourists can enjoy camel safari in Hunder, and try out quad biking on Hunder sand dunes. Those with adventure streak can try out river rafting in Shyok or Nubra rivers as well as trekking in the mountains. Though a cold desert, the valley is home to lot of flora and fauna. It is famous for its forest of Hippophae shrub, popularly known as Leh Berry and seabuckthorn. A birdwatcher’s paradise, there are numerous common and rare birds that can be seen.
One can spot the white-browed tit-warble, Tibetan lark, Hume’s short-toed lark, and Hume’s whitethroat as well as water birds like ruddy shelduck, garganey, northern pintail, and mallard in water bodies. Besides these, black-tailed godwit, common sandpiper, common greenshank, common redshank, green sandpiper, and ruff can also be spotted in Nubra valley. Known for its extremely cold weather, best time to visit Nuubra valley is from late May to early September and in the months of January to March, Nubra Valley remains shut down in cold snow conditions and cutoff from rest of the world.
Nubra is also the gateway to Siachen glacier, the highest and coldest battlefield in the world. Nubra Valley has hidden advantage of acclimatization as well. There are several hotels and camp sites in various locations across the valley that provide comfortable stay at affordable prices. Due to remoteness tourist visiting the valley need to take of few essential things such as
- There are no major medical facilities, with nearest one in Leh, so carry a first aid kit always.
- Keep documents always handy.
- Due to low levels of oxygen better to keep hydrated always and carry energy foods.
- Carry torch with extra batteries.
- There are no ATMs so best to carry cash.
- There is only 1 petrol pump in the entire valley in Diskit
- Mobile communication is a major issue, with only BSNL available
- Food is difficult and best to arrange from pklace of stay as there are only a few restaurants available.
Visiting Nubra valley allows tourist to see dusty hills, snow-capped peaks, birds, clear blue sky, green patches, white sand dunes, emerald-colored river, colorful monasteries, all in one place. As such Nubra valley is an enchanting experience worth visiting especially for honeymoon couples for a week or extended weekend visit.
