Come April, the frozen rivers start melting, and the rivers turn a turquoise blue; the apricot trees burst into a blossom of pink and white flowers. It is springtime in Ladakh. This is the best time to discover the KARGIL region, where the stories of Aryan settlers, Silk Road traders, the oldest Monastery, cave paintings, and the journey of Buddhism into Ladakh, are each fascinating. In the times of the Silk Road caravans, it is said that “all roads lead to Kargil” as it was equidistant from Kashmir, Baltistan, Zanskar, and Leh. Kargil means a place to stop from all directions. We discover many more stories as we explore the pretty little villages and meet with the many people from the different communities.

This is also the time when the Himalayan Brown bear comes out of its Hibernation to start the New Year. We will spend a day or two in Drass to discover the nature reserve and, if lucky, spot the Himalayan brown bear.

In short, you will be just in time to see this part of Ladakh come out of its winter slumber into the beautiful spring. The landscape is picturesque, and stories are plenty on this Apricot Blossom Trail in Ladakh.