The Indus Valley

In five days, we didn’t run into a single glitch at the Indus Valley’s. The service staff were warm and friendly, and Chef Pawan made good food while chatting with guests, remembering their preferences, and giving special treatment. Try the chef’s paratha with pickle and the chicken gravies with tawa roti. I’d definitely recommend adding the Indus Valley to a Leh trip.

We had a really comfortable winter stay in January, even in the freezing weather, thanks to the central heating and proper hot water. The facilities were all good, but it was the staff’s hospitality that made the visit memorable. Special mention to chef Pawan for the delicious meals, and also to Balbeet and Tani.

During my September stay for the Ladakh Marathon, Hotel Indus Valley took care of me from the moment I arrived. Mr. Mang, Jigmet, Vivek, and Ms. Tani welcomed me with a traditional white scarf (Khata) and fragrant Kahwa, then showed me to a spacious, modern mountain-view room with stunning sunrises. The food was excellent, and every meal from Chef Vikas Kumawat was delicious. Raj Hela, Rahul Das, Pratap, and the rest of the support team made everything pleasant with their top-notch hospitality. The location is right in the heart of Leh, a short walk from Downtown and Leh Market. This is my favourite hotel stay ever. I wish I could have stayed longer and would return in a heartbeat. A special thank you again to Mr. Mang, Jigmet, Vivek, Ms. Tani, Chef Vikas Kumawat, Raj Hela, Rahul Das, Pratap, and everyone at Hotel Indus Valley for making me feel at home and giving me such a beautiful, memorable experience.

It was a mixed stay, and the price felt high for what we got. We stayed at both indus valley and grand dragon for about the same amount, with valley a couple of hundred more, but valley felt surprisingly short on services and facilities. Maybe winter staffing was part of it. A few things were frustrating. The internet stopped working in the evenings, and the desk said they couldn’t do anything. We knew there wouldn’t be a buffet because occupancy was low, but nobody told us until we reached the restaurant. Then our a la carte order took 25 minutes. A heads-up would’ve let us plan. For small requests, the first answer was often that it couldn’t be done, though some were later partly resolved. That may have been down to what was possible at the time, but after staying at grand dragon, you won’t want to stay at valley. If dragon costs even 60% more, I’d still suggest choosing it in the off season.