INDIA - Ladakh

In the furthest far flung corner of northern India, in Ladakh near the Indus Valley, lies the town of Leh at 3,505 meters (11,500 feet) above sea level. This remote place has become a popular tourist destination since Ladakh was opened to foreigners in 1974. Bounded by two of the world's largest mountain ranges and surrounded by alpine desert, Leh's dry barren landscape full of historic Buddhist monasteries makes it an incredible sight to behold.