Ladakh

Ladakh is a high desert on the far side of the Himalaya: 3,500 metres at Leh, 5,359 at Khardung La, a sky so blue it looks edited. Monasteries sit on rocks above the Indus, double-humped camels walk the dunes at Hunder, and Pangong changes colour four times before lunch.

Altitude runs the show. Every trip of ours starts with a full rest day in Leh, climbs the passes only on day three, and sleeps low on the way back. Our drivers are Ladakhi, the cars carry oxygen, and we would rather cancel a day than push anyone who is unwell.

Best time: June to September only — the passes are open, the roads clear, the days warm and the nights cold. We do not run Ladakh in the other eight months.