Northern India Nestled in the northern reaches of the sub-continent, at an altitude exceeding 3,500 meters (11,500 feet) on a high plateau, Ladakh is frequently likened to 'little Tibet'. This remote terrain shielded Ladakh from the upheavals of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, preserving one of the world's most intact Tantric Buddhist societies. Here, a high-altitude desert landscape unfolds, ruled by formidable snow-capped peaks and crystalline turquoise lakes, making Ladakh Himalayas an unrivaled gem of picturesque beauty on our planet.