Thikse Monastery

The city of Leh is in the heart of the Hindu Himalayas. It used to be where yak caravans heading towards Central Asia started their journey, and now it's situated in a small valley just north of the Indus Valley. Today it's one part strategic military center, and one part resort town. One of the most interesting places to visit is the Tikse Buddhist Gompa monastery, which is in a picturesque setting overlooking the Indus River and one of the most important temples in the area as well as one of the least touristy.

If you travel to Ladakh, you can't miss the Thikse Monastery. First of all, it's photogenic as hell and located right on the edge of Leh. It is quite close to the Indus Valley and is on the road to Hemis, Tso Moriri or Manali.