Tangtse Gompa Ladakh

The vast majority of tourists zipping between Leh and Pangong Tso drive straight past this small but charming monastery, home to the venerated 'talking statue' of Kyoba Rimpoche (Skoba Jigstan). Built into a rock-cleft beneath a fortress ruin, the site is just 300m off the main road, but essentially invisible as you pass. To reach the gompa, there's a well-signed access lane around 2km beyond the police checkpoint in Tangtse. For a good view of the monastery from below, drive through Tangtse rather than simply following the bypass.