Leh and Ladakh meaning "land of high mountain passes" is a mountainous region in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Leh, the main city is situated at 3500m above sea level nestled in the great Himalayan, Karakoram, Zanskar and Ladakh ranges. Ladakh is known for remote mountain beauty, studded with monasteries and stupas. Ladakh is often referred as "Little Tibet" due to its geographical proximity and strong links to Tibetan culture. 

 

The first inhabitants of Ladakh were nomads who came with their yaks during the Neolithic period. Later, Buddhist pilgrims travelling from India to Mount Kailash in Tibet settled permanently in the Indus valley and brought Buddhism which emerged as the main religion in the region. Over the centuries, the kings of Ladakh established a kingdom going from Kashmir to Tibet, guarded by forts and large monasteries.

 

Ladakh was frequently attacked from the west by Muslim armies (16th century) and from the east by Tibetan armies (17th century). The kingdom revived under the Namgyal dynasty who extended the realm as far as Nepal and built a new capital at Leh. During the 19th century, Ladakh was invaded by the Dogra army from Jammu. Since then, Ladakh has been part of Jammu and Kashmir. Leh is at 3500m above sea level so acclimatisation can get difficult because of high altitude.​