Ladakh

Ladakh is not like anywhere else on earth. At 3,500m above sea level, the landscape is barren and impossibly beautiful — lunar valleys, turquoise lakes, ancient monasteries perched on impossibly steep ridge-lines. For Indians, it holds a special mystique: this is where the sky seems closest.

The crowds have grown in the last decade, but Ladakh's vastness absorbs them. Go in June–September when the roads are open and Pangong Tso shimmers under clear skies. The best part? No passport, no visa — just a flight to Leh and you're in one of the most spectacular landscapes on the planet.