The beauty of Leh and Ladakh cannot be measured. Located at a distance of 474 km from Manali and 434 km from Srinagar, its location has never been a point of concern for travellers wanting to visit this beautiful site. Ladakh is home to various different terrains, cultures, and natural phenomena. But did you know that there is a village in Ladakh where you can spot rare snow leopards? Head to this snow leopard village known as ‘Uley’ in Ladakh and stay in a monastery.
Leh’s Snow Leopard Village
Uley village is located west of Leh which is recently being developed for snow leopard watching. Situated at the centre of three interlocking valleys, it is home to approximately 12 leopards. Uley is comparatively free of tourism, and the village’s location is quite remote. The path to reach the village is off-track and not well-maintained. There are only six houses in the entire village. The locals are friendly and will offer you a homestay. Uley itself is a hamlet of just about six houses beyond which are the high summer pastures of Yak and Dzo. Many wildlife photographers from around the world visit Uley to capture a glimpse of this rare snow leopard.
Creatures That Call Uley Their Home
This region was just recently developed for snow leopard tracking. It has also established a reputation as one of the best places to watch rare wildlife animals like ibex, urial, wolf, Himalayan fox, bearded and Himalayan griffon vultures, and golden eagles. Situated on the high mountains that give you a magnificent view of Ladakh’s hard terrain. You are likely to observe the clear milky way from Uley. If you’re lucky, you can also see a lot of other species, such as wolves, Himalayan foxes, and possibly rare snow leopards.
How To Reach Uley?
Road to Uley is completely offbeat and hard for mass travellers. To reach Uley, you need to keep driving west along the Indus River on the way to Kargil and Srinagar. It takes about three hours on primarily on a well-maintained road. The landscape here is big, expansive, and open until you turn to a dirt road winding up a narrow valley, following a stream called the Uley Chhu.
