Learn why the Ladakh Desert is famously known as the Cold Desert. Its freezing weather, high elevation, very low rainfall, thin air, unique wildlife, and dramatic Himalayan scenery make it one of the most unusual and remarkable deserts in the world.

Some deserts are extremely hot, but some remain cold throughout the year. These cold deserts receive very little rain, have dry air, and are surrounded by high mountains. Their climate is harsh, with freezing winds and long winters that shape the land, wildlife, and lifestyle of the people living there. Understanding such deserts helps us learn how nature works in difficult environments.

Which Desert is known as the Cold Desert?

The Ladakh Desert in northern India is called the Cold Desert. It is located in the Himalayan region and remains cold even during the summer months. The high altitude and dry air make this desert very different from hot deserts like the Thar.

Why is Ladakh known as the Cold Desert?

Ladakh is known as the Cold Desert for several reasons. Temperatures in winter can fall below –20°C, and even in summer, the air stays cool. The Himalayan mountain ranges stop moisture-filled winds from entering the region, which means Ladakh receives almost no rain. The height of the place also keeps the climate extremely cold.

Location of the Cold Desert in India

The Cold Desert lies in the Ladakh Union Territory. Important areas in this region include:

• Leh
• Nubra Valley
• Diskit
• Hunder
• Pangong Lake region

These places have a mix of high sand dunes, rocky landscapes, and dry open valleys.

Climate and Weather of the Cold Desert

The Ladakh Cold Desert has:

• Very cold winters
• Cool to mild summers
• Strong, dry winds
• Very little rainfall

Snowfall in winter is the main source of moisture. The air is thin, which makes the sunlight appear bright, but the ground stays cold.

Why does the Cold Desert Stay Cold Throughout the Year?

The Cold Desert stays cold because it is located at a very high altitude. The air pressure is low, so heat cannot stay trapped in the atmosphere. After sunset, the temperature drops quickly, making nights extremely cold. The thin air also cannot hold warmth, which keeps the region cold day and night.

Famous Places in the Cold Desert Region

Some well-known tourist places in the Cold Desert include:

• Nubra Valley
• Pangong Lake
• Turtuk village
• Hunder sand dunes
• Diskit Monastery
• High-altitude passes like Khardung La

These spots show the beauty of Ladakh with its blue lakes, wide valleys, and snowy mountains.

Interesting Facts About the Cold Desert

• High-Altitude Sand Dunes: The Ladakh Desert has sand dunes at very high heights. These dunes are found among cold mountains, which is uncommon in most deserts.
• Glaciers Provide Water: Glaciers melt to form rivers such as the Indus, Shyok, and Zanskar. These rivers give water to villages, crops, and wildlife.
• Lies in a Rain-Shadow Zone: The Himalayas block rain clouds from reaching Ladakh. Therefore, the area gets extremely low rainfall—sometimes less than 10 cm a year.
• Home to Double-Humped Camels: The region is famous for Bactrian camels, which have two humps and thick fur. They can survive the cold weather and are used for travel in Nubra Valley.
• One of the Highest Deserts in the World: Much of Ladakh is above 3,000 metres, and some parts are even higher than 5,000 metres, making it one of the highest cold deserts on Earth.

A therapist offers her tips on limiting electronics and work stress in order to have a more peaceful, fun vacation. Try these ideas before you go away on your next trip.

In our work-obsessed world, it can be difficult to unplug and stay present when we travel, but it’s essential in order to give our nervous system a well-earned break. Brianna Paruolo, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Clinical Director and Founder of On Par Therapy, based in New York offers these tips for living in the moment when you go on vacation.

Setting Yourself Up for Success

Be realistic about the time you can actually step away and disconnect from work and technology. “I often find that wanting to go cold-turkey with a habit can have a rebound effect of engaging in the habit you’re looking to kick even more intensely when you return,” says Paruolo. What are the structures and dynamics set up at work that make it easy or difficult to truly disconnect during travel? Will there be real repercussions from going offline, or is it more perfectionism and control-driven anxiety? Start small if complete disconnection feels overwhelming. Maybe it’s checking emails only once in the morning and evening, or designating certain hours as completely offline. The goal isn’t to prove something to yourself or others, but to genuinely recharge and be present for your travel experience.

Setting Boundaries

Set thoughtful out-of-office email responses that include when you’ll be back and who to contact for urgent matters. Communicate to your direct team your true availability – not what you think they want to hear, but what you can realistically maintain while still enjoying your time away. Get clear with yourself about your “why” around the desire to disconnect. Is it burnout? FOMO? The need to prove your dedication? Understanding your motivation helps you stay committed to the boundary. “Remember that a boundary is a conversation, not a demand, and certainly not something someone else has to automatically respect,” says Paruolo. “The only person in charge of respecting a boundary is yourself, so be clear about how you’d like to implement it and what sticking to it actually looks like in practice.” This might mean turning off work notifications entirely, using a separate device for personal use, or scheduling specific check-in times rather than being reactive all day.

Calming Down Our Nervous System

Constant connectivity keeps our nervous systems in a state of low-level activation – we’re always waiting for the next notification, email, or crisis to respond to. This chronic state of alertness prevents us from truly resting and processing our experiences. When we unplug, we allow our minds to wander, make connections, and actually integrate what we’re seeing and learning during travel. “Unplugging also helps us reconnect with our own internal rhythm rather than being driven by external demands,” says Paruolo. Many people discover they’ve lost touch with what they actually enjoy or find interesting when they’re not constantly consuming other people’s content and responding to others’ priorities.

Setting Up a Plan

Sometimes the best unplug is a forced unplug – when there’s no WiFi or cell service to connect to, the decision is made for you. If it feels safe and doable, try sticking to airplane mode and only connecting to WiFi when it’s available and free, rather than actively seeking out connectivity. Consider unplugging during the activities or experiences that drew you to travel in the first place. “If you’re hiking, exploring a new city, or having dinner with travel companions, that’s not the time to be documenting everything for social media or checking work emails,” says Paruolo. The most meaningful moments of travel often happen when we’re fully present rather than thinking about how to capture or share them.

Preventing Anxiety

Preparation is key to making unplugging feel sustainable rather than anxiety-provoking. Download offline maps, entertainment, and any essential information before you leave. Let people know your communication plan ahead of time so you’re not fielding questions about your availability while you’re away. Create systems that make reconnection easier when you return. Maybe that’s scheduling focused work time for your first day back to catch up, or asking a colleague to sort through emails and flag only the truly urgent ones. “The fear of returning to chaos often keeps us tethered to work during vacation, so addressing that proactively helps you actually disconnect,” says Paruolo.

Overcoming Challenges

Fears around structures at work falling apart, no one else being capable of getting the job done, or receiving pushback from co-workers if you step away. These fears are often rooted in control issues and the belief that our worth is tied to our indispensability. Says Paruolo: “There’s also FOMO, both professionally and personally. What if something important happens and you miss it? What if everyone else is documenting their travels perfectly and you’re not keeping up? The irony is that the constant documenting and checking in often prevents us from having the experiences worth sharing in the first place.”

Another challenge is the physical habit of reaching for our phones. We’ve trained ourselves to fill any moment of quiet or transition with scrolling. Being in new environments can actually trigger more phone-checking as we seek familiar comfort, so having alternative coping strategies ready, like bringing a book, journal, or simply practicing sitting with unfamiliar feelings, can be helpful.

Longest road in the world: Roads are crucial for modern transport, trade, and connecting regions globally. Many nations have developed extensive road networks to improve travel and connectivity. Check out the top 5 longest roads in the world.

Longest roads in the world: Roads are one of the most important parts of modern transport. They help people travel from one place to another, support trade, and connect cities, countries, and even entire continents. Over the years, different nations have built long road networks to make travel easier and improve connectivity. Some of these roads stretch for thousands of kilometres, passing through deserts, forests, mountains, coastal regions, and busy cities.

These long highways do much more than carry vehicles; they support economic growth, link remote areas to major towns, and give travelers a chance to explore different cultures and landscapes.

Understanding these long and significant roads helps us learn how countries stay connected and how transport systems play a major role in development.

Top 5 Longest Roads in the World

Below is a list of the top 5 longest roads in the world:

1. Pan-American Highway

The Pan-American Highway is the longest road network in the world. It stretches from Prudhoe Bay in Alaska (USA) to Ushuaia in Argentina. Covering around 30,000 miles (48,000 km), it passes through several countries in North, Central, and South America. This road crosses different climates and terrains and plays a vital role in connecting the Americas.

2. Highway 1, Australia

Australia’s National Highway 1 circles the entire continent. It connects major cities and small towns, covering 14,500 km (9,000 miles). The highway passes through coastlines, deserts, forests, and rural areas, making it one of the longest and most important road routes in the world.

3. Trans-Siberian Highway, Russia

The Trans-Siberian Highway runs across Russia from St. Petersburg in the west to Vladivostok in the east. It spans over 11,000 km, crossing multiple time zones and showcasing Russia’s diverse geography and cultural regions.

4. Trans-Canada Highway

The Trans-Canada Highway spans from the west coast to the east coast of Canada. It spans 7,821 km (4,860 miles) and traverses all 10 provinces. It connects major cities such as Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal, offering scenic views of mountains, lakes, and forests.

5. Highway 10 (G10 Expressway), China

The Beijing–Shanghai Motorway, also known as G10, is one of China’s major road routes. It stretches for about 4,100 km (2,550 miles) and connects the two major cities, Beijing and Shanghai. The motorway supports heavy trade and travel across several Chinese provinces.

Paris, Bali, New York or any popular destination is considered when international travel is planned. But a different kind of adventure awaits where crowds are scarce and untouched landscapes still reign. For those who are curious, and want to explore places that are less crowded, this list can be their reference point. As per the data from the CEOWORLD magazine, these are the places where silence, solitude and discovery defined the travel experience, if you’re willing to seek them out.

Tuvalu

Tuvalu tops many lists as the least visited country in the world. The country is disappearing fast due to climate change, prompting residents to leave their homes. This tiny Pacific nation is threatened by rising sea levels, so if you can make it fast, you might still be able to visit this destination before it’s gone already.

Marshall Islands

The Marshall Islands recorded around 6100 international visitors, and is scattered across the central Pacific. Despite offering world-class diving opportunities, and showcases remnants of World War II history, it usually remains less touristy, and less crowded too.

Niue Island

Niue’s dramatic limestone coastline and crystal-clear waters are perfect for snorkelling and exploring caves. Limited flights and its remote location keep tourist numbers low, making it a quiet retreat for nature lovers.

Kiribati

Another Pacific gem, Kiribati encompasses dozens of low-lying atolls, including the huge Kiritimati (Christmas Island). Its marine biodiversity and untouched reefs remain virtually undiscovered by the mainstream travel crowd.

Micronesia

Made up of hundreds of islands across the western Pacific, Micronesia continues to see only a small number of tourists. The region’s historic shipwreck dives and vibrant local culture offer unique experiences for adventurous travellers.

Montserrat

Montserrat, a British territory in the Caribbean, remains little visited largely because volcanic eruptions in the 1990s displaced many residents and structures. Today, its lush green hills and dramatic volcanic terrain provide an adventurous, peaceful escape.

Solomon Islands

With little infrastructure in place for tourists, this archipelago of some 1,000 islands has magnificent jungles and genuine cultural experiences to boast of. For travellers seeking genuine seclusion, the Solomon Islands are still off the usual route.

São Tomé and Príncipe

A hidden paradise of rainforests, volcanic peaks, and pristine beaches, São Tomé and Príncipe is Africa’s second-smallest country by land area. Visitor numbers are kept low by its relaxed pace and few aircraft connections.

Comoros

The Comoros is an archipelagic nation comprising three islands in southeastern Africa. Nestled in the Indian Ocean, with coral reefs, aromatic spice plantations, in terms of offerings has remained mostly under the radar. But, political challenges, and limited flights make this place relatively unexplored by tourists.

Guinea-Bissau

It borders Senegal to the north and Guinea to the south, while its Atlantic Ocean coast features the Bijagós archipelago, with 88 islands. Guinea-Bissau is a place that beautifully blends the natural beauty of the Bijagós Archipelago, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, along with the rich indigenous culture and Portuguese colonial past. Visitor numbers are usually low due to political unrest and slow tourism growth.