Cold Desert Cultural Landscape of India

Whilst reviewing the Mughal Gardens in Kashmir I noted that the T List “Cold Desert Cultural Landscape of India” was also un-reviewed and, to date, has only 7 recorded visitors among our community – including myself for our trip back in 1983. I wonder why? Possibly because there are no other (T)WHS "ticks" available from this lengthy journey....or because the area is only accessible by road in Summer (when people are less likely to be travelling to India for other reasons) and is extremely cold in winter for those who fly in after touring elsewhere?

Although Indian Kashmir/Srinagar has been closed to normal tourism on and off across the past 35 years, Ladakh has remained relatively easily accessible by air from e.g Delhi or Chandigarh, or by the Manali to Leh highway opened in 1989 which misses out Jammu/Kashmir altogether! I would suggest that those who been to India without visiting Ladakh have been missing a great experience - whether you want the Buddhist culture or the world class trekking and wild life viewing - or all of these! And, even if it never gets that UNESCO inscription, it is well worth seeing.

When it first appeared on India’s T List in 1998 it was as 2 small separate cultural sites (“Hemis Gompa” and “Buddhist Monastery Complex Alchi, Leh”). In 2015 these were replaced by/incorporated into the current entry which covers a much larger area (“around 9,898,000 hectares”) as a …