Leh is the only sizeable town in Ladakh. It is an hour and a half by flight from New Delhi. At 12 thousand plus feet, the air is noticeably thinner. Leh was hot during the daytime (~30 deg Celsius) but would get pretty cool at night. The wind adds to the chill once the sun goes down.
There are plenty of options to stay at Leh – hotels, guest houses. And the options suit every type of budget. Our guest house was very reasonably priced. There’s lots of eating joints all over the place too – with all types of cuisines available. All kinds of amenities (ATM’s, banks, medical shops, electronics etc) are in Leh.
Souvenir shopping is pretty expensive in Leh – but you don’t have a choice.
Altitude sickness is for real and I would strongly advise against ignoring it. If you travel to Leh by road from Manali, you’d have got adjusted, but if you fly in, a good day’s rest is advised. No strenuous activity like climbing on the first day. Do pack in sunscreen, moisturisers and lip balms.
Getting around is pretty easy too. You don’t have to have booked transport in advance. You can just drop in at any of the hazaar tours and travels and see if any “share rides” are available to wherever you are going. Getting permits to the popular places is also pretty easy at these tours and travels.