The Deskit Villa was always filled with an international group of travelers who shared experiences and woes while traveling to, from and through Ladakh. Their stories and ours confirm an important fact. Do not expect a trip to Ladakh to run smoothly. Flight delays. Altitude sickness. Illness. Lack of physical ability. Who knows what else… [...]
“Travel Tips & Advice on India”
Anticipate Problems When Traveling To, From and Through Ladakh
September 21st, 2011 
Sheila Simkin 
Posted in Featured, Ladakh 
Tags: adventure, altitude sickness, culture, destination, event, india, Ladakh, Leh, log, nature, sightseeing, travel, travel problems 
2 Comments »
What is most stressful? Leaving home? Or flying home from Ladakh…
September 20th, 2011 Sheila Simkin There was no way in hell that the very long trip from India back home to Chicago would be easy. ex-Marine and I had to rise before the crack of dawn for the short ride to Leh’s airport. There are three flights to Delhi from Leh and ours, the 7:30 a.m. Jet Airways one, was [...]
Posted in Featured, Ladakh Tags: adventure, culture, destination, event, india, log, nature, sightseeing, travel 1 Comment »
A Mish-Mosh of Ladakh Information
September 19th, 2011 Sheila Simkin There are times when a second visit to a country can be more enjoyable than the first. Travels With Sheila thinks that most of us try to see and do everything on that important first visit, not knowing if you’ll ever return. If you are lucky enough to return to the same locale, you’ll have [...]
Posted in Featured, Ladakh Tags: adventure, culture, destination, event, how to get around, india, Ladakh, Leh, log, nature, sightseeing, travel 2 Comments »
Snake Charmers in Leh? Ladakh Tourist Season Begins in July
September 18th, 2011 Sheila Simkin Leh is both lively and fun to walk around. ex-Marine and I were thrilled to have one last day in Leh despite car traffic, dust and pollution. Who knows? Perhaps there will be something amusing taking place while walking the streets and browsing the stores. Breakfast and lots of chit-chat with a family from Belgium [...]
Posted in Featured, Ladakh Tags: adventure, culture, destination, event, india, Ladakh, Leh, log, nature, shops, sightseeing, snake charmers, tourism, town, travel No Comments »
The Short and Scary Drive From Lamayuru Back to Leh
September 17th, 2011 Sheila Simkin The Moonland Hotel had been completely empty with the exception of us until last night when a large Indian tour group checked in. Too bad for me. The walls, when not crumbling on your head, are paper thin and the man next door snored like a champ. One last banana pancake for the road. Hugs, [...]
Posted in Featured, Ladakh Tags: adventure, culture, Deskit Villa, destination, event, india, Ladakh, Lamayuru, Leh, log, monastery, nature, roads, sightseeing, Skywalker Adventure Tours, transportation, travel No Comments »
A Day Hike from Lamayuru to Wanla, Ladakh
September 16th, 2011 Sheila Simkin We arose, brushed off all the bits of plaster that fell during the night (as long as the entire wall doesn’t come down on us), and went for breakfast. A truly wonderful banana pancake. It really resembled a large crepe more than a pancake, filled with bananas and heaps of honey on top. Yum, yum… [...]
Posted in Featured, Ladakh Tags: adventure, buddhism, culture, destination, event, india, log, nature, sightseeing, travel No Comments »
A Kora Around The 10th Century Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh
September 15th, 2011 Sheila Simkin Filled with the new information about Naropa’s meditation cave and visions of the antique Buddhist replicas we had had just seen, the three of us headed outside Lamayuru Monastery to walk a kora. ex-Marine (husband, Steve) and I enjoy taking part in the Buddhist rituals outside of monasteries of which making a kora is an [...]
Posted in Featured, Ladakh Tags: adventure, buddhism, culture, destination, event, india, kora, Ladakh, Lamayuru Monastery, log, nature, rituals, sightseeing, travel No Comments »
Inside The 10th Century Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh
September 14th, 2011 Sheila Simkin Even though five years had passed since our visit to Lamayuru Monastery, the first sight caused us to gasp. Lamayuru Monastery sits perched on an eroded crag that makes me wonder, “How did they do it?” The work that went into building anything in (and on) these stark mountains, and then the fact that people [...]
Posted in Featured, Ladakh Tags: adventure, buddhism, culture, destination, event, india, Ladakh, Lamayuru Monastery, log, nature, sightseeing, tantric, travel No Comments »
The Moonland Hotel, Lamayuru, Ladakh
September 13th, 2011 Sheila Simkin Annoying how it was next to impossible to get information while in Ladakh. Guesthouses and hotels usually didn’t have business cards or websites. And forget ever seeing printed information from the local tourist bureaus that were rarely open. Ladakh tour operators must contact these places using e.s.p. or osmosis. Regardless, the Moonland Hotel is considered [...]
Posted in Featured, Ladakh Tags: adventure, culture, destination, event, hotels, india, Ladakh, Lamayuru, log, Moonland Hotel, nature, review, sightseeing, travel No Comments »
The One and Only Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh
September 12th, 2011 Sheila Simkin I fell in love with Lamayuru Gompa/Monastery on our last visit and couldn’t wait to see if it still lived up to my expectations. Three extremely interesting weeks in Ladakh was winding down in Lamayuru, the final destination, before returning to Leh. We left our Temisgam home stay after a breakfast of chapatis, scrambled eggs [...]
Posted in Featured, Ladakh Tags: adventure, buddhism, culture, destination, event, india, Ladakh, Lamayuru Monastery, log, nature, sightseeing, travel No Comments »
