DISKIT MONASTERY
Diskit Monastery 2.7 Kms / 9 Minutes drive from Desert Himalaya Resort, also known as Deskit Gompa is the oldest and largest Buddhist monastery in the Nubra Valley. It belongs to the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It was founded by Changzem Tserab Zangpo, a disciple of Tsong Khapa, founder of Gelugpa, in the 14th century. It is a sub-gompa of the Thikse gompa.The monastery has statue of Maitreya Buddha in the prayer hall, a huge drum and several images of fierce guardian deities. An elevated cupola of the monastery depicts a fresco of the Tashilhunpo Monastery of Tibet.
PANAMIK VILLAGE
Panamik is approximately 55 kms from Desert Himalaya Camp (Diskit). It is quite a scenic village. Road to Panamik is well laid. People are friendly and helpful. The colour of the trees during the months of Sep and Oct turns to yellowish red and is a treat to watch. The gentle Nubra enhance the charm. The mountains just rise from the valley as some child has made them of mud. Snow can be seen on the peaks.
ENSA MONASTERY
61.7 Kms from Desert Himalaya Resort, this is an old monastery, It´s fascinating to see very old, some dark paintings on the walls. The monastery is very old and remote as it is quite a climb to reach its location. It is in urgent need of repair and work has already started on it. The visitor to this ancient monastery is rewarded with a breath taking vista of the valley and the majestic Karakoram peaks.
HUNDER VILLAGE (BACTRIAN CAMEL SAFARI)
Just 11 Kms from Desert Himalaya Resort, beautiful but remote, Hunder village sits like an oasis in the middle of cold desert in Nubra valley of Jammu and Kashmir. Bactrian camels are another attraction. Native to the steppes of central Asia, the Bactrian camel has two humps, in contrast to the single-humped camels found in Rajasthan and other parts of India. The Bactrian camels were the main mode of transport when Ladakh was an important stopover on the ancient trade routes with Central Asia. Joyrides on the Bactrian camel through the sand dunes is a must do for the tourists who visit Hunder. Camel safari takes around two hours.
SKURU VILLAGE
Skuru with around 300 inhabitants at an altitude of 3150 m. Skuru has 52 households. It has a small ancient monastery worth visiting.
YARAB TSO LAKE
Yarab Tso Lake is considered to be holy and is also often referred to as hidden lake. It is situated near Sumur village, around 15 km from Diskit in Nubra Valley. It offers a magnificent serene surrounding that will truly capture heart and mind of any visitor. A 15-20 minutes hike uphill on a hillock will get you to the banks of this holy lake.
SAMSTANLING MONASTERY
33.8 Kms from Desert Himalaya Resort, built in the early 19th century by Tsultims Nima, the Samstanling Monastery is located in Sumur village, which is one of the remote villages in the Nubra Valley. Set in the midst of picturesque ambiance, the monastery and its surrounding dilate the traditional hues of gold, red ochre and white. Further, the intrinsic design of the old and the new assembly halls hold elegant hangings, murals of Lord Buddha and his teachings, of Dharma chakra and other facets of Buddhism. The monastery is also a home to more than 50 monks whose daily needs are taken care of by the governing body of the monastery.