HEMIS FESTIVAL, LADAKH

One of the most important Buddhist festivals, Hemis marks the birth of Guru Padmasambhava, said to be an incarnation of Buddha, and is a two-day event that is celebrated on the 10th day of the fifth month of the Tibetan calendar, usually in the months of June and July. Be sure to catch a performance of Cham, a dance unique to Tibetan Buddhism, where monks dress up in colourful attire, and don elaborate masks to enact parts of the Guru’s life, and express the ultimate triumph of good over evil, to the rhythm of drums and cymbals at the Hemis Monastery. Intricately painted, embellished thangkas (Buddhist paintings) are laid out for visitors to admire. Stroll through the stalls of Tibetan handicrafts set up by locals, where you can buy souvenirs to take home, while sipping on the traditional Tibetan barley wine, Chang.

GETTING THERE: Fly to the Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport in Leh from the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. Hemis is about an hour’s drive (40 km) from Leh. STAY: The palatial Indus Valley, Ladakh offers opulent rooms, rejuvenating soaks in personal spas, and a terrific view of the Stok range (starts from ` 13,000/USD173; theindusvalleyleh.com).