Diskit is the main town of the Nubra valley, a spread of low buildings along the Shyok river with a monastery perched above on a rock. The valley sits north of Leh, beyond the great hurdle of Khardung La, and its low altitude, around three thousand metres, makes it feel almost lush after the pass. Willows, poplars, wild rose and sea buckthorn line the river, and in the right season the fields turn bright green against the dry, pale mountains that surround them.
The Diskit Gompa is the oldest and largest Buddhist monastery in the valley, belonging to the Gelugpa school, and its whitewashed buildings climb a spur above the town in a stack of rooms, courtyards and prayer halls. It dates back several centuries and is worth the short climb up. On a nearby hill, a large statue of Maitreya, the future Buddha, looks out over the valley, completed in the early 2010s, and the view from its feet sweeps across the river plain toward the Karakoram foothills.
A few kilometres on, the village of Hunder has sand dunes and a small herd of two-humped Bactrian camels, descendants of animals once used on the caravan routes between Ladakh and Central Asia. Nubra was part of those trade routes, which crossed the Karakoram Pass into what is now Xinjiang. Many riders stop in Diskit or Hunder for the night, and there are guesthouses and camps of all kinds, plus small restaurants serving momos, thukpa and strong, sweet tea.
The riding in the valley is easy compared with the descent from Khardung La. The roads are mostly paved, the gradients gentle, and the scenery is open and big, though the wind can pick up in the afternoons and throw sand across the tarmac. Watch for dogs, cattle and the occasional army truck.
Diskit has a petrol pump, which is the main source of fuel for the valley, but supply can run short in peak season, and some visitors have found it empty. It is wise to fill in Leh before going over the pass and treat Diskit as a backup. Evenings are cool, even in summer, and nights can be cold, so pack a warm layer.
If you are lucky with the weather, the morning light on the monastery and the river is one of the best sights in Ladakh.