However, Tashi had given him one warning: “August is crowded. Everyone comes for the Hemis Festival. The roads become parking lots. You will see Ladakh, but you will also see Delhi traffic.”
Aryan took the advice. He visited the Hemis Festival in early August. The masked Cham dances were hypnotic, but getting back to Leh took six hours instead of two. He decided: festivals are wonderful once. The landscape is wonderful every day. By mid-September, the crowds thinned. Aryan had extended his trip by a week, and that’s when he fell in love a second time. best season to visit leh ladakh
That was the difference. In June, Ladakh is awake. People often ask: Does it rain in Ladakh? It does, but not like in Mumbai or Kerala. Aryan experienced a “cloudburst” near Hemis National Park in late July. For twenty minutes, the sky turned gunmetal grey, and hail the size of marbles bounced off his helmet. Then, as suddenly as it started, the sun returned. However, Tashi had given him one warning: “August
“This is the best time,” a French photographer told him, adjusting a tripod. “June is raw. July is lush. August is loud. September is perfect . The light is soft. The passes are still open. And the snow hasn’t returned yet.” You will see Ladakh, but you will also see Delhi traffic
He visited Tso Moriri, the sister lake to Pangong, which fewer tourists attempt. The silence was absolute. He could hear his own heartbeat. A wild kiang (Tibetan wild ass) watched him from a ridge.
But the real magic of July and August?