Half abandoned royal palace
Only fifteen kilometers from Leh is situated the former summer royal palace Shey. Today there are more or less ruins, but the views of the Indus valley and the mountains of Stok are very nice. So it is worth to stop here – maybe on the way to more famous and interesting Thiksey monastery.
Beautiful chorten
From the car park you rise along the long line of prayer wheels to the center of Shey monastery, which is just a small gompa and pretty great chorten. There is also an interesting view of Stok Kangri from here – and from a slightly different angle than from Leh.
Lush and green Indus valley
Shey monastery is built on a long snow-white rocky arm that is wrapped by the main road as a snake. Indus valley is unexpectedly wide at these places. The green oasis is more than three kilometers wide.
Ruins of Castle
The ruins of the castle at the very top of the hill offers a beautiful view of the surroundings – either to ladhak arid deserts or into green oases along the Indus river.
Deserts in the Ladakh mountains
Deserts in the Ladhak mountains are sometimes depressing.
Wide valley of Indus
From the ruins there is a beautiful view of the wide valley of Indus up to the village of Stok.
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