Kargil Ladakh as Tourist Destination

Kargil...
Kargil, the second town of Ladakh, is situated on the Suru River which flows at around 10,000 feet high, just short of its confluence with the Dras-Shingo. Kargil, is around 204 Kms. to the east of Srinagar and 234 Kms. to the west of Leh. It was a transit point of caravans on their way to and from China, Tibet, Yarken and Kashmir till 1949, but since 1974 tourism has replaced as centre for tourism related activities . Torurists travelling between Zangskar, Leh and Srinagar have to make a night halt here, before starting for the second day of their journey.
About Kargil...
Kargil is nestled in the Himalayas, giving it a cool, temperate climate. Summers are warm with cool nights, while winters are long and cold with temperatures often dropping to -40 °C with recorded temperatures of -60 °C in Drass, especially in the tiny town of Drass which is situated 56 km from the Kargil town.
The Zanskar plateau is even colder, thus making it a near-uninhabitable place for humans to stay, except for the hardy Khampas. The entire Kargil district is spread over 14,086 km².
Suru Valley...
The landscape of the Suru valley is wonderful, especially when it gets dotted by flowers in the summer. It expands from Kargil town upto the Penzi La watershed, from where the Suru river rises.
The Suru valley has a large population, mainly of Tibetan-Dard Muslims, who converted to Islam in the 15th century. The beauty of the region is enhanced by the peaks of Nun (7,135m) and Kun (7,035m) Massif.
Kartse Khar...
The Kartse Khar an ancient village with a 7m tall rock carved statue of Maitriya Buddha. All this is evidence of the presence of Buddhist community in the valley in the past.
There are other rocks carved statues and stupas are to be seen in Suru valley, if any one wishes to explore.
Panikhar...
Panikhar is the best station for undertaking mountaineering expeditions to the various Peaks surrounded the valley. Tanyol, the approach base for climbing Mt. Nun, is just 6 Kms. further up the valley along the road.
A short walk up the hill slopes from here takes one across the Sentik Ridge to the base camp on the rim of the ice plateau. Another very interesting hike is to the Nun- Kun view saddle (3810m) in the Parkachik ridge. This requires 3 hours of walking along verdant slopes overlooking the fertile valley below.
Drass...
The Drass valley starts from the base of the Zojila pass, the Himalayan gateway to Ladakh. For centuries its inhabitants are known to have negotiated this formidable pass even during the most risky period in the late autumn or early spring, when the whole sector remains snow-bound and is subject to frequent snow storms, to transport trader's merchandise across and to help stranded travellers to traverse it.
By virtue of their mastery over the pass they had established a monopoly over the carrying trade during the heydays of the Pan-Asian trade. A hardly people enduring with fortitude and harshness of the valley's winter, the inhabitants of drass can well be described as the guardian's of Ladakh's gateway.