12 Indian Towns That Feel Like Foreign Countries

10. Leh (Ladakh) — Tibetan-Like High-Plateau Culture

Leh’s stone-built houses, gompas (monasteries), and stark high-altitude desert surroundings make it feel closely related to Tibetan plateau towns. Broad sky, wind-sculpted terrain, and Buddhist rituals shape everyday life here, so visitors often experience cultural rhythms and architectural forms that are more Himalayan-Tibetan than typically Indian. Leh’s walled town area, market lanes, and prayer flags create a distinct sense of place; monasteries such as Hemis and Thiksey highlight regional religious life. Travelers should account for altitude acclimatization and focus on the May–September season for most road travel, while flights operate year-round with seasonal limits. Cultural reporting and travel advisories emphasize Leh’s unique high-altitude culture and landscape as reasons it may feel geographically and culturally distinct from other parts of India.