DAY 1: HOTEL LADAKH GREENS, Leh, Ladakh, India

In a quiet neighborhood, 15-minute walk from the town centre, Hotel Ladakh Greens offered a delightful experience contrary to our routine urban life. We enjoyed sitting at the garden, having a cup of coffee under the morning sun, hearing the songs of birds and seeing the two cats chasing each other around the garden. From the moment we received the white welcoming khata to the last day we waved farewell to the hotel manager, Hotel Ladakh Greens was like our “home” and offered us peace of mind services. We didn’t spend much time on planning before this trip. With the help of the host,we made a few day excursions and did some hiking in the surrounding region.

Entry into the small cabin where the reception lobby was located.

The hotel garden also doubled as the outdoor dining area.

Our room was a corner room at the upper floor ( top-right corner of the main building in this photo.)

Solar panels were used at the hotel to heat up hot water. Hot water service was reliable and was much needed after a long day of activities.

A large part of Leh was located in a river valley where trees could thrive in this desert dry landscape.

This photo was taken from the the roof top of a building with a view to the garden under the shade of a row of tall poplar trees.

The Stok Mountains viewed from the hotel rooftop.

Distant mountains and the moon taken from the rooftop.

We love the poplar trees. We love hearing the sound of leaves dancing in the wind over our heads. When we looked up, the tree felt tall and we felt connected to nature again.

Our first dinner in Leh. We didn’t have much appetite when our body was adjusting to the high altitude. We shared a bowl of vegetable soup and a dish of chicken kabobs with honey mustard sauce; and we had our first honey lemon ginger tea.