Ladakh

Ladakh stretches across 59,000 square kilometers of the Himalayas, wedged between Pakistan to the west and Tibet to the east. The region splits into two districts: Leh and Kargil, with most travelers sticking to Leh district where the infrastructure is better developed. The landscape here defies logic. You'll drive through the Moonland near Lamayuru – literally called that because it looks like the lunar surface – then twenty minutes later you're staring at the green oasis of Alchi village. The Indus River cuts through the region, creating pockets of fertility in what's otherwise a high-altitude desert. Altitude is no joke here. Leh town sits at 11,500 feet, but popular destinations like Pangong Tso lake reach 14,270 feet. That's higher than most peaks in the continental United States. The thin air hits different – you'll feel winded walking up stairs and need to drink water constantly. The geology tells an incredible story. These mountains were formed when the Indian subcontinent crashed into Asia 50 million years ago. You can actually see marine fossils embedded in rocks at 15,000 feet – proof that this desert was once an ocean floor.