A new, modern Ladakhi wing of 30 additional rooms has been added to this hotel.
Nibbling on kiwi while trying to acclimatise at nearly 11,500ft, I heard a thundering sound in the distance. In front of me towered the Stok Kangri massif, rugged and rough, flexing its muscle over the city of Leh. Within seconds, a military jet shot out and zoomed across the sky. Breakfast on the dining terrace of The Grand Dragon Ladakh can be quite a thrilling start to the day. On certain days, it’s like an air show, as Air Force pilots fly practice runs above. The hotel, which provides a front row seat to this aerial drama, has launched a new, modern Ladakhi wing of 30 additional rooms, including three suites. These offer views of Stok Kangri. Whereas rooms in the old wing open onto the Leh Palace and Khardung La Pass.
Ghulam Mustafa, whose father started the family’s first hotel in Leh town, with three rooms in 1974, is the soul behind the hotel’s art and décor. Mustafa, who has been working on Ladakhi heritage and conservation for more than 20 years, has ensured that traditional architectural elements, such as the extended verandahs with pine wood carvings, hand-painted dragon faces and ancient design motifs (as seen in the Leh Palace), are visible across the new wing. His paintings of Ladakhi people and their heritage adorn the lobby and most corridors. The rooms, which are brightened with jewel-toned accents, provide just the right contrast to the barren, striking beauty that’s just outside.
open all-year round, even in the sub-zero temperatures of winter, making it a rarity in this region. Its ample nooks, private balconies and blooming gardens are the perfect spots in which to soak up the summer sun. And in the freezing winter, its warmed floors, central heating and double-glazed windows might mean you never want to leave.
to maintain water in the pipes and have fresh food in the kitchen in winter,” says Mustafa. And there are few other places where the hotel staff has to help guests deal with high- altitude sickness. The remedy? Garlic soup. And spending time in the sauna. Whatever you do, the special Ladakhi meals at the in-house restaurant Tusrabs are essential— timstuk (meat and noodle broth), yak cheese, yoghurt and walnut dip, nang (meat sausage) momos and fresh apricot dusted with cinnamon.You will come away truly having tasted a bit of Ladakh.
Old Road, Sheynam, Leh, Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir (www.thegranddragonladakh. com; doubles from Rs15,500 for a room in the new wing).