Likir Monastery

Among the fascinating Buddhist monasteries in Ladakh, the Gompa de Likir is a hidden gem. The rarely visited Gompa, which is inhabited by several monks and has a Buddhist school for children, struck me because of the beauty of its murals, the color, and because of the immaculate decoration of its prayer rooms. The monastery was built by Tibetan monks in the 11th century and is the oldest in Ladakh. Perched on the side of a low mountain, this monastery has a spectacular outdoor patio with windows that overlook the valley.