India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (354 page)
Shenam Fort Rd., Leh 194 101.
01982/25-3518
or 94-1917-8468.
www.poplar-ecoresrt.com
. poplar–[email protected]. 20 units. Rs 2,310 double; Rs 921 extra bed. Rates include breakfast. No credit cards.
Amenities:
Dining hall, TV lounge; airport transfers (Rs 150); Wi-Fi (in lobby; free for e-mail checking); yoga (Aug–Sept). In room: No phone.
Shambha-La Hotel
Owned by Ladakh’s former tourism minister, who lives here with his Tibetan wife, Shambha-La offers straightforward but dignified accommodations in a flat-roofed Ladakhi-style lodge with fluttering prayer flags and comfortable hammocks in the neat garden. Public areas—including a colorful Tibetan lounge area—are attractive, and the views from the upstairs terrace are mesmerizing. Standard guest rooms are far from lavish, but they’re cozy and you get a warm bed, and the executive and penthouse rooms are actually quite smart. Power outages can be a serious problem this far from the town center, so have your hot shower early, just in case. A hotel jeep is on hand to drop you in town whenever you require a lift, and the helpful manager is a mine of useful information.
Skara, Leh 194 101.01982/25-1100,
-2607, or -3500. Fax 01982/25-1100.
www.hotelshambhala.com
. [email protected]. Reservations: A-10/5 Ground Floor, DLF Phase I, Gurgaon, Haryana.0124/428-6665,
98-103-5145, or 94-1917-7900. 26 units. Rs 3,000 deluxe double, Rs 4,000 executive double, Rs 5,200 penthouse; Rs 1,300 extra bed. Rates include breakfast; 10% service charge extra. AE, MC, V.
Amenities:
Restaurant, TV lounge; free airport transfers; billiards; small library. In room: TV, central heating.
Village Homestays, Boutique-Style
The smartest way to see Ladakh is with the innovative and stylish Himalayan specialists,
Shakti(
www.shaktihimalaya.com
), which runs all-inclusive personalized airport-to-airport trips (minimum 5 days) that give you a genuine feel for the region. Supported by your very own team of English-speaking guides, porters, a cook, and a driver, you’ll get to overnight in unspoiled villages where you become VIP guests in renovated upstairs rooms in traditional family homes. It’s a novel approach to the homestay experience, where you needn’t forgo basic luxuries such as a decent mattress or comforting linens—Shakti used Ladakhi craftsmen to upgrade parts of traditional family homes, resulting in slick-but-cozy spaces that are infinitely more suitable for travelers unaccustomed to the cold, harsh and basic conditions that are the norm for most Ladakhis. So instead of rough mats and a pile of blankets, you get a plump bed, chic duvets, and your very own wood-burning fireplace—chances are you’ll have a wonderful view through lots of windows, too. Besides getting an inside look at traditional Ladakhi life (increasingly absent from Leh, which has become very much a tourist town jam-packed with guesthouses and hotels and little room left for authentic culture), Shakti relies on guides, chefs, and chauffeured vehicles to get you where you need to be—not to mention amazing treks, rafting experiences, and plenty of interaction in the villages and insights at the monasteries. A week-long package costs $6,092 for two people traveling together (this includes all transport within Ladakh, accommodation, all meals, drinks, personnel, and taxes; children pay approximately half).
If, on the other hand, you don’t mind abstaining from many of your basic home comforts, you could always investigate an entirely authentic experience with
Himalayan Homestays
(
www.himalayan-homestays.com
). Rooms will be basic but clean, and have some lighting (either candle or solar-powered), and meals will be the genuine article, prepared hygienically using mostly local ingredients and served with the family. The organization now has 44 homestays in 11 villages around Leh region and a farther nine homestays in Zanskar. You’ll pay just Rs 800 double with all meals (Rs 450 single) with meals. You can book through Maitreya Tours (DB2, Zangsti, Leh;
-1466, 94-1917-6036, or 96-9738-7083;
www.spiritualhimalaya.com
).
WHERE TO DINE IN LEH
For the best Tibetan dishes in Leh, dinner at
The Tibetan Kitchen
is recommended; for the most relaxing meal, anytime of the day, don’t miss the
Penguin Garden Restaurant
(both are reviewed below). In the Main Street Bazaar, you might be forgiven for not even noticing the reliable
Himalaya Café
(01982/25-0144;
Rs 45–Rs 150; no credit cards), where Tibetan and Chinese dishes are served in the Ladakhi version of a dimly lit bistro—one of the few eating establishments in Leh where you’ll experience some sort of atmosphere. In the Main Street Bazaar,
Cafe Amdo
has brilliant
thupka
—the local staple, a soup noodle mixed with veggies, succulent meat, and a round of hot, delicious sauces that’ll clear your sinuses. And
Dreamland
on Fort Road is another popular all-day restaurant with a varied menu, including Kashmiri dishes.