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Ladakh Residency HOTEL $$$ (%254111; www.ladakhresidency.com; Changspa Rd; s/d/ste ₹3850/4950/6600; W) This brand-
new layered collage of wooden balconies and marble floors is one of the few wheelchair-friendly buildings in Ladakh, though it feels disproportionately large for Changspa and a carpark fills most of what should be the garden.
Hotel Namgyal Palace HOTEL $$ (%256356; namgyalpalace.com; Fort Rd; s/d/ste ₹1570/2180/3630; W) The facade’s clashing
JAMMU & K ASHMIR (INCLUDING L ADAKH) L A DA K H
mix of silvered windows and Tibetan woodwork is eye-catching if discordant. Rooms have well-appointed bathrooms (including toiletries) and seats in the bay windows from which to contemplate mountain panoramas (upper floor rooms). Better than most in this price range but there are some minor housekeeping niggles.
SPoplar Eco-Resort
ECORESORT $$
(%253518; poplar_ecoresort@yahoo.com; Shenam Rd; s/d ₹1600/2200, full board ₹2450/3300) Lost
in the birdsong of an overgrown apricot orchard are a series of two-room cottages, each pair sharing a veranda with wicker chairs. Rooms have good tiled bathrooms with all-day hot water, though beds are soft and decor is mostly lacking. Most food and juice served is sourced from the organic garden.
Lardakh Guest House HOMESTAY $ (%250480; s/d/view without bathroom ₹150/200/300) From the wobbly old pillars
to the rooftop shrine, this is the absolute archetype of a classic Ladakhi house but it makes few concessions to Western comfort and the bathroom is in the big, attractive garden.
Hotel Grand Willow HOTEL $$ (%251835; www.hotelgrandwillow.net; Fort Rd; s/d ₹1600/2200) Three floors of carved balco-
nies fold around a small, neat garden area. Recently re-painted rooms have ceiling mouldings and silky bedcovers and although a little dark, come with good new bathrooms. Discounts possible. SOUTH OF CENTRE
Noisy Old Road has several lacklustre midrange options and package tour places, of which only a couple are recommended. Hotel Grand Dragon HOTEL $$$ (Map p246; %250786; www.thegranddragonladakh. com; Old Rd, Shenam; s/d/ste ₹6050/7150/11,000;
W) Leh’s only really international-standard hotel, the Grand Dragon is professionally appointed with functioning lift, fitting carpets and rooms approximating to business standards (safe and fridge in suites). However, it’s away from shops down a busy road and there’s an ugly foreground to the mountain views. Open year-round. Wi-fi ₹300/1600 per hour/day.
Lha-Ri-Sa Resort HOTEL $$ (%252423; www.ladakh-lharisa.com; s/d/ste ₹2800/3380/6000) Strikingly designed, the
soaring atrium is held aloft on temple-like pillars. Raised walkways between apple trees link large, high-ceilinged rooms with 1940s-retro walnut furniture. This is arguably Leh’s best hotel but it’s 3km south of town via unpleasantly busy major roads so you’ll need wheels to go almost anywhere of interest. Ample parking.
5 Eating Traveller cafes abound, Israeli and Chinese options supplementing curries, banana pancakes, tandoori pizzas and Tibetan favourites but curiously few restaurants offer true Ladakhi food (try Chopsticks or request it at family guesthouses). Many eateries, including Changspa’s numerous garden-restaurants, close from mid-September to July, their owners often decamping to Goa. CENTRAL LEH
You won’t need a guide to find the numerous rooftop and Tibetan/Chinese restaurants dotted all along Main Bazaar but while there are a few decent options, food tends to be better and gardens more inviting if you head out along Fort Rd or into Changspa. Self caterers can buy fresh produce from the vegetable market (Old Fort Rd) or from colourfully dressed women along Main Bazaar. Fresh-baked bread rounds (₹3) are sold hot from traditional wood-fired tandoori bakeries behind Jama Masjid. The following eateries feature on Map p249. Chopsticks ASIAN $$ (Fort Rd; mains ₹60-180, rice ₹55) This 3rd-floor
pan-Asian restaurant is one of Leh’s most stylish eateries. Their ‘Wonderwok’ stir-fries and Thai green curry are excellent and prices are very fair, given the high quality of service. Norlakh TIBETAN $ (Main Bazaar; mains ₹40-100, momos ₹50-95, rice ₹30) The best of several town-centre options