Chiktan village is located in the Kargil district of Leh Ladakh in northern India. Kargil district is bordered by Jammu and Kashmir to the west, the Leh district to the east, the Pakistan-administered region of Gilgit–Baltistan to the north and Himachal Pradesh to the south and offers breathtaking scenery.
The beautiful village of Chiktan is not far from the popular Zanskar Valley but is often overlooked.
Chiktan is Muslim-majority village and the residents speak Ladakh, Balti and Purki.
Chiktan remains a secret place, not yet found by large numbers of tourists. For those wanting to explore spots off the beaten track in Ladakh, then Chiktan is just the place.
Visitors can reach Chiktan by public transport or by hiring a car or bicycle. The road to the village is beautiful but poorly maintained compared with other roads in Kargil district.
There are regular buses to Chiktan from Leh and Kargil a couple of times a week, but it is better to drive as there some breathtaking stops along the way.
Where to stay in Chiktan
The best option would be the tourist bungalow run by the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corp. It is located a little away from the village in beautiful natural surroundings.
The bungalow has nine rooms and to book you must contact kargil.nic.in. Online booking is not available.
A few guest houses and homestays are coming up to cater for tourists, as well as hotels.
Things to do in Ladakh Chiktan
The village is nestled in colourful mountain country and the access road has willow trees on both sides. A river called Kanji Nala follows the road.
The village houses the ruins of a fort, Razi Khar or Chiktan Khar, with an interesting history.
It has been abandoned for years and is believed to be haunted. The villagers never visit it after dark. An episode of the popular Indian series Ekaant describes the fort and its history.
It is very easy to ditch the crowd in this little-known place. It is not at all touristy, so you might have the entire village to yourself.
Amit and Anindita are Indian Travel bloggers who blog at Travel Like We Do. They talk about affordable travel in India and abroad. They are still travelling and capturing their moments.