Seeking a holiday in the lap of nature? Consider the kaleidoscopic Kargil. The trade and transit center of the Pan-Asian trade network is situated at an altitude as high as 2,704 m. The wonderful valley with its amazing apricots is a dream destination. Though today Kargil is the second largest urban center of Ladakh it was the gateway for caravans of silk, brocade, carpets, felts, tea, poppy, ivory et al to China, Tibet, Yarkand and Kashmir in the past.

Kargil is indeed a heaven for the adventure seekers. In fact the entire Himalayan region offers excellent opportunities for adventure activities. Kargil itself acts as a base for the trekking tours. You may take up trekking, mountaineering, camping, river rafting et al. The kaleidoscopic Kargil is the entry point to the wondrous Zanskar Valley. At a distance of 204 kms from the capital city of Srinagar and 234-km from Leh Kargil is the perfect night stop for the tourists traveling between Srinagar and Leh. Kargil hosts the popular archery contest in the month of May every year. The less adventurous of you may take resting walks along the riverbank and up the hillside.

The local market of Kargil offers a variety of products ranging from raw sugar, to exotic spices and other trinkets. Though for souvenirs the best bet is the easily available dry apricot. As it is the apricot jam is a delicacy. Pashmina shawls, local carpets and woolen handicrafts also make good bargains. The fine quality and the abundance of the woolens available at Kargil can be attributed to the long fleeced mountain goats in the area.

Besides the other regular household items the shops in the market of Kargil also offer the trekking equipments since it happens to be the base for several adventure activities.

At a distance of 45 kms is Mulbek. On the banks of the Wakha river the area is worth visiting for its Buddhist monuments. On the highway Mulbek Chamba an ancient 9 m high rock sculpture of the future Buddha Maitreya is a major tourist attraction.

The Buddhist monastery of Mulbek Gompa is one place that will surely sweep you off your feet with its fabulous frescoes and splendid statues. Situated on a rocky cliff the monastery that overlooks the valley earlier acted as a guard of the caravan route.

Then there is Wakha Rgyal in the Wakha Valley ahead of Mulbek where the Drass and Wakha tributaries of the Suru River meet. Here the terrace gardening of barley, wheat, peas, a variety of vegetables and other cereals add beauty to the landscape. The month of May sees the entire Kargil turn white with the blooming apricots. By August the apricots ripen and turn orange on the trees that grow on the intensively cultivated fields.

Then there is the spectacular village of Shergol in the Wakha River valley. The cave monastery happens to be a major tourist attraction at Shergol. Close by is another Buddhist nunnery. For all the adventure seekers Shergol acts as a base camp for trekking across the mountain range into the Suru valley. You may even take to Urgyan Dzong from Shergol.

A little higher in the Zanskar range is the meditation retreat of Urgyan Dzong. The nature is at its best at Urgyan Dzong. The neighboring hillside is dotted with caves that were the seat of meditation of several Buddhist saints. The cave of Padmasambhava, the patron saint of Tibetan Buddhism is amongst the most renowned caves.

There are two imambaras in Kargil namely, Trespone and Sankhoo. Both happen to be places of tourist attraction. The buildings follow the Turkish style of architecture and are home to the Muslim 'Aghas'. Besides the imambaras the Muslims of Kargil flock to the Jama Masjid.

The various classes of hotels available in Kargil suit the budget of all the tourists. Besides the hotels tourist bungalows and circuit house also make excellent accommodation options. Basic medical, communicational and banking facilities are available.

Traveling to and from Kargil is easy. Regular buses of the state road transport of Jammu and Kashmir ply between Srinagar and Kargil. You may even hire cars or jeeps for road transportation. Local buses like the mini coaches make the other options for travel. It is the capital city of Srinagar that connects the major cities of India with Kargil through air.