They say , the sun rise at the worlds tallest mountains is mesmerising and when in the company of monks it is a whole new experience.

Our first agenda for the day is to partake in the morning prayer session ( 6 AM - 8 AM) at the Thiksey Monastrey. Incense smoke rising up as the subtle rays of the sun grace the inner walls of the monastery, with hundreds of diyas (oil lamps) among harmonious chants of Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō by the monks- a scene to be seen to be believed. After seeking blessings from the monks we head back to Leh for breakfast and then head to the Village of Stok for a day hike in the stok gorge , a lunch and hot butter tea with a local family at Stok Village. We will also visit the Stok Palace and Monastery before we head back to Leh.

Riding down the worlds highest motorable road at 17,390ft with the wind in your hair and a song in your heart on a mountain bike !- this moment as priceless as it's exhilarating. You will cross beautiful valley and witness tall mountains zip by as you descend from Khardungla (17,390 ft) to Leh (11, 562 ft). The total distance you will cover is 40km downhill. Fear not for the support van will be in pursuit , should you require any assistance. Folks who do not want to ride can enjoy the scenery from the comfort of four wheels.

We stay at Khardungla top for a maximum of 20 minutes, walk around the roof top of the world, enjoy the picture post card views and witness a birds eye view of some of the tallest peaks in the world.

Its a exciting day today. A personal favourite kind of day. Two birds in one shot kind of day ! Enough talk , lets get to it

We start the day with rafting in the great Zanskar river and camp under the stars at a village south east of Leh called Phey.

Rafting through the deep gorges of Zanskar one can witness time - hundreds of years of past in the present ,in the form of water cut mountains as they grace us with their presence , still strong and sturdy and etched in time. We pass through spectacular views of quaint villages, green stepped farms, monasteries, dense forests as we navigate through the Zanskar.

We hike to the village of Phey , south west of Leh. Phey lies beside the green flood plains of the indus valley. Passing white painted houses and children playing in the narrow stone streets we arrive at the camp site. Our local guide will fill you in about the village, its elders, their culture and traditions enroute.

We lunch at the campsite and return to the village to meet and greet the local villagers. At sunset we return to the campsite for a born fire dinner beneath the star studded night sky counting stars and constellations. As the born fire fades into the night so do we retire to our tents to a dreamy sleep in the Himalayas. Refreshed the next morning we have breakfast at the campsite , wrap our tents before heading back to Leh.

Its a relatively easy morning.

Relax sit back and enjoy the drive to Pangong Tso. Enroute Pangong Tso we will stop by Diskit monastery and play in the sand dunes before driving again to Pangong Tso .

Once at Pangong Tso talk a walk down to the Spangmik village which is closest to Pangong and houses around 100 families. As the sun sets and the chill sets in, return to the lake to find a warm bed waiting for you beside the lake. Dinner time with bornfire beside the lake is mesmerising and if it is a full moon - you are in for a once in a life time treat as the celestial bodies grace their presence in the clear waters once more to entral. Its a fascinating scene. Like someone put it so beautifully - " Floyd's diamonds have never seemed closer as the stars shine on in the clear night sky. "

Once a traveller , always a traveller ! Most folks go back after a night of camping at the Pangong Tso. At Ecohunters we strive to give you the complete picture , the long and short of it, so shall we!

To truly discover the landscape , its ethereal beauty and the sheer vastness we hike the shore of the Pangong Tso for about 11 kms until we reach the village of Merak . Enroute we pass through stone walls, solitary trees , sometimes in a group until we reach Merak. After a sumptous local lunch at Merak we drive back to our campsite at Pangong for yet another dreamy, starry night and stories around bornfire.

After breaking fast at the banks of Pangong , we bid our good bye's to this magnificent landscape before heading to back to Leh. Sit back and relax we have a long ride ahead of us.

To sign off the trip our last stop will be at the 11th century Hemis Monastery en-route Leh. The Hemis speaks volumes of time immemorial through its wall paintings, stupas, thangka paintings and numerous other artefacts. Being in the presence of this sacred space one can travel back in time to the and feel the spirit of the place and those who inhabited it.

Enroute Leh we stop for lunch while returning from Hemis. The route is rugged and the experience is worth the while. On return to Leh we will find hot dinner waiting for us. Its been a long day in the Himalayas, stretch those limbs and fall in to a deep sleep with head full of beautiful memories.

A head full of memories , heavier bags, tanned faces, bright eyes and a sigh that you are leaving this serenity behind to catch your flight back home, but also the promise that you will be back ! Won't you ?