The little villages of Tibet

High on the arid Ladakh plateau in the Himalayas, the Indian city of Leh is known as the "rooftop of the world", says Sarah Barrell in the Independent on Sunday. It boasts a host of superlatives, including Asia's highest commercial airport (at 3,600m) and the world's highest golf course. This once-royal city, in the vast state of Jammu and Kashmir, was a major commercial hub on the Silk Route; now, it's a strategic

base for the Indian army, being close to the contested borders of Pakistan and China. But around here, all is calm and the people have an "easy contentment" - which is entirely appropriate for a region known as "Little Tibet", because it has the largest concentration of Himalayan Buddhist monasteries outside Tibet itself.

Ladakh has only been open to visitors since 1974, and most either trek into the Himalayan wilderness, or stay in the capital. But now it is possible to visit outlying villages, thanks to accommodation newly opened by Shakti Tours. Using local craftsmen, they have renovated the upper floors of a number of family houses to provide "traditional places to stay that don't skimp on comfort".