Pangong

Panoramic and colourful, remote and mystical, Pangong Tso (with Tso Moriri and Tso Kar) is one of the three great high-altitude lakes of Ladakh and offers an unmatched experience of beauty, geography, ecology and culture. It lies within Ladakh’s Changthang Cold Desert Sanctuary, which stretches over some 4,000 sq km, and is the western fringe of the Great Changthang Plateau of Tibet. The area is sparsely populated by nomads, with their herds of yak and goat, living a harsh existence. Pangong Tso is a tough 5-hr drive from Leh and usually done as a day-trip, though there are staying options.