Built by the rulers of the Namgyal Dynasty, this palace, which still belongs to the Namgyal family, reflects a royal lifestyle. It has numerous intriguing features including spatial planning with access passages, royal apartments, a prayer chamber arranged around multi-level interlinked courtyards, decorative balconies at the upper levels of the five storied main building, support and service space, an entry courtyard, yabkhor (veranda) and a lhakchung (temple) on the upper floor. The stupas and main walls also attest to the palace’s cultural significance. Experience one of the palace’s six heritage rooms situated on different levels. There are four Standard Suite Rooms, The Royal Suite and The Queen’s Room available from 15 May to 15 October. Otherwise, enjoy one of the three villas located in the apricot orchard, a five minute walk from the palace that are open from 15 February to 30 November.
Mr. Jigmed Wangchuk Namgyal
Your Host and The Team
“My idea was to sustain the palace and create awareness amongst the community to show them that it can be preserved. I had the urge to protect the very tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Ladakh, which is important since it is nestled in heart of the Trans Himalayas. So, in 2007 I began to convert my property into a Heritage Hotel. It was a very humble beginning with just one room to begin with. Now, we have six well-appointed rooms, which blend in with the palace’s architecture.”
Rooms
The Royal Suite (1 unit)
The Queen’s Room (1 unit)
The Suites (4 units)
Chulli Bagh Villas (3 units)
Zimshag Villa
Facilities and Highlights
Concierge/Tour Desk
Gay Friendly
Historic House
Eco Friendly
Nature
Garden
Bar/Lounge
Restaurant
Cooking Class
Art/Antiques
Traditional Arts
Minority Tribes
Wildlife
Leopards
Cycling
Trekking
Golf
PoloShow/hide facilities
Facilities and Highlights
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Concierge/Tour DeskGay FriendlyHistoric HouseEco FriendlyNatureGardenBar/LoungeRestaurantCooking ClassArt/Antiques
- Traditional ArtsMinority TribesWildlifeLeopardsCyclingTrekkingGolfPolo
- Rural Ladakh: Visit some villages scattered all over the high landscapes. Some are well-connected, yet others are isolated from the rest of the world, tucked away into the folds of the Himalayan terrain. Each village is a thriving hub of activity and life.
- Wildlife: Snow leopard expeditions to the Hemis National Park and expeditions to the Changthang wildlife sanctuary can be arranged. Look out for Tibetan wolves, the endangered Eurasian Brown Bears, Red Foxes, Argali (Tibetan Sheep), Bharal (Blue Sheep), Golden Eagles, Lammergeier Vultures, Himalayan Griffon Vultures, and Himalayan Snowcocks.
- The Palace Museum: he Stok Palace Museum houses an intriguing collection of precious artefacts and relics related to Ladakh's old monarchy: the royal family’s collection of thangkas (some over 400 years old) ancient coins, royal seals, regal costumes, precious jewelry, photographs, swords, shields, bows, arrows, quivers and guns. The highlight of the collection is probably the Queen’s ancient yub-jhur (a head piece encrusted with 401 lumps of uncut turquoise, coral, gold nuggets)
- The Lhakchung: The upper-most floor of the palace houses a Buddhist temple where the resident monk performs daily prayers and rituals: morning and evening prayers have an enchanting effect on the audience. The monk also makes sacred amulets, usually containing a hand written prayer on a piece of cloth or paper folded and either sewn into a piece of hand-woven tapestry or bound by different colored sacred threads that bind the paper in a pattern as per the amulet’s purpose.
Useful Information
GENERAL
Total number of rooms: 10 roomsChulli Bagh Villas are closed from 1 December to 14 February
Time zone: (GMT+05:30) New Delhi
Currency accepted: INR
Credit cards accepted: Visa, Mastercard, Diners
Electricity voltage: 220V
Electricity plug type:
CONCIERGE
Your concierge is ready to assist you with planning and completing your reservation, contact them on dream@secret-retreats.comACCESS
Taxi can be arranged from the airport.Airport: Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport (IXL) - 20 km
CONTACT
Villa Stok, Po Leh – Ladakh, Jammu& Kashmir 194101 , IndiaCONTACT HERE
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