The Ladakh tourist season ends in October. Many tourist activities, hotels, resorts, temples and even toilets have been closed. The remaining operating hotel offering continuous heating, hot water and electricity is the only star hotel in town, The Grand Dragon, charging minimum US$ 150 per day.

For our flight to Ladakh, we arrived Delhi at 1:00 am, checked into hotel at 2:00 am, and then left again at 4:00 am for the morning flight to Leh (capital city of Ladakh) 3500 meters above sea level. We thought we might get some rest after checking into the Omasila hotel for seven nights. Alas this hotel offered limited heating, and electricity, no hot water. The room was very cold. Although this is our sixth 3500 plus meters tour, we caught cold the next day idling in the frigid room. Fully aware that such ailment at high altitudes is no trivial matter; we woke up our Leh agent at four am demanding immediate switching hotel or buy air tickets returning to New Delhi. By six am, we checked into the hotel mentioned above, only after paying an additional US$350 for the remaining five nights. At US$3600 per person, we expect out travel agency should at least secure lodging with adequate heating, hot water and electricity for extended stay at high altitudes at sub-zero temperatures.