Need to Know the Facts of Leh
Health & Safety
India Travel Packages - Leh, at 3,500 metres has a very low level of oxygen and travellers, especially those who are flying in, need time to get acclimatised. Altitude sickness is the most common complaint, characterised by headaches, nausea, insomnia and loss of appetite. You should avoid any physical exertion for the first 48 hours and drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids. The water source in Ladakh is also unreliable. Diarrhoea is common, and can be avoided by making sure you drink properly sterilised water and avoiding meat, which is usually transported from Srinagar without proper refrigeration - Travel Packages of India.
Safety
Indin Travel Packages - Though Ladakh is considered to be a relatively safe destination, visitors are advised not to stray too near the border areas - Indian Travel Packages Asia.
Travel Packages to Leh - Cases of mugging, theft and worse aren’t completely unheard of but by and large serious crimes against travellers are few and far between - Leh Travel Packages.
Basic precautions:
Travel Packages of Leh - Keep your money and travel documents close to your body (perhaps in a pouch slung around your neck, tucked out of sight under your shirt) - India Travel Packages.
Travel Packages of India - Keep several photocopies of your passport, insurance, travellers’ cheques etc. scattered through your luggage - Indin Travel Packages.
Do not use a waist pouch, it may as well be a transparent plastic bag: it’s that fragile and that obvious!
Do not put all your money in one place,
Indian Travel Packages Asia - Be extremely alert in the dark. One of the things that protect travellers to India is the vast crowds in any place. The multitudes however, disappear into their homes at night, and you go from having a huge thick safety quilt to a flimsy sheet! Try your best to be in a familiar area when it gets dark. If you are not, at least know how you can get to that area from wherever it is that you happen to be - Travel Packages to Leh.
Leh Travel Packages - Many women travellers wear the long tunic and loose pyjama dress of Indian women called the salwar-kameez and find that it substantially dissuades unwanted male attention - Travel Packages of Leh.
If you are travelling alone, do not advertise it.
If you lose your passport lodge a First Information Report at the local police station and contact your embassy.
Weights and Measures
India uses the metric system where 100cm=1meter; 1000meters=1km, liquids are measured in litres and solids in kilograms.
Electricity
Electricity is supplied at 220 volts, but is scarce in Leh. Power cuts are common, so keep torches with extra batteries handy.
Post & Communications
There is a General Post Office at Leh, Airport Road – open 10:00 am to 04:30 pm, Monday - Saturday
Post Office, Main Bazaar Leh – 10:00 am to 01:00 pm & 02:00 pm to 04:00 pm, Monday – Saturday. The parcel service is unreliable here.
Tipping
Tipping for rented cars and jeep drivers is not expected. However, in hotels and guesthouses it is welcome.
English Language Media
English is widely spoken and understood, especially by those associated with the tourist trade. English newspapers are available.
Recommended Reading
Monastries of Ladakh by Paldang
Zanskar, the Hidden Kingdom by Michael Peissel
