Ladakh trekking holiday & homestay
| country: | India |
| location: | Ladakh |
| trip type: | Introductory walking holidays |
| departures: | 2010: 3 Jul, 24 Jul, 14 Aug |
| price: | From £995 (16 days) excluding flights |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
A trip to Ladakh is a journey back in time. The Ladakhi people have a great hospitable nature and here you will see first hand the landscapes and culture of “Little Tibet”. If you want to really get to know your destination then what better way than incorporate a family home stay into your trip? This fun packed itinerary includes 5 days working on a volunteer project and staying n a local Ladakhi home.
We start with a tour of the Red Fort in Delhi before taking the incredible flight over the Himalaya to Leh. Here we explore the area around Leh, then visit Thikse Monastery and Shey Palace – the ancient residence of the Kings of Ladakh.
In the Sham region we do an introductory trek for four days on the old ‘Silk Route’ camping under the Ladakhi night sky enjoying the beautiful Ladakhi villages with wild flowers, apricot orchards and fabulous mountain scenery. At the end of the trek we reach Lamayuru, with one of the most remarkable monasteries perched on a cliff above the village. We shall spend the day enjoying the activities of the annual festival with splendid mask dances performed. A great finale to a wonderful trip providing insight to this remote region. It is a serious “Must Do” for all explorers with a cultural interest.
We start with a tour of the Red Fort in Delhi before taking the incredible flight over the Himalaya to Leh. Here we explore the area around Leh, then visit Thikse Monastery and Shey Palace – the ancient residence of the Kings of Ladakh.
In the Sham region we do an introductory trek for four days on the old ‘Silk Route’ camping under the Ladakhi night sky enjoying the beautiful Ladakhi villages with wild flowers, apricot orchards and fabulous mountain scenery. At the end of the trek we reach Lamayuru, with one of the most remarkable monasteries perched on a cliff above the village. We shall spend the day enjoying the activities of the annual festival with splendid mask dances performed. A great finale to a wonderful trip providing insight to this remote region. It is a serious “Must Do” for all explorers with a cultural interest.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrival In Delhi and tour of Red Fort. Accommodation: City Hotel B&B |
| Day 2: | Today we take our internal flight to Leh. A remarkable flight over the Himalaya, Stok and Ladakh mountain ranges. Accommodation: Leh Hotel B&B |
| Day 3: | Today we visit two of the great sites in Leh. Firstly we will go to Shey Palace, a beautiful building sitting majestically on a spur looking out on the plains of the Indus valley. This is the old palace of the Kings of Ladakh. We then visit the picturesque Tikse Monastery, a 15th century monastery complex. Accommodation: Leh Hotel B&B |
| Day 4-8: | For the next five days and four nights we shall be working on the community project. This is a great chance to experience the development work and see first hand the every day life in a Ladakhi home. Memories of these days will be cherished for long to come. You will then return to Leh for the evening on day 8. Accommodation Day 4-7: Family Home stay. Accommodation Day 8: Leh Hotel B&B |
| Day 9: | Today is a free day in Leh to enjoy the Tibetan Bazaars and restaurants in the town. You may also wish to walk up Namgyal Hill to Leh Palace and on to Tsermo Monastery for a magnificent vista across of the Leh Valley and snowcapped mountains. For those interested you also have the option to take a jeep ride to Kardung La – the highest motorable road in the world at 5602m altitude! Accommodation: Leh Hotel B&B |
| Day 10: | Today we drive to the start of our trek at Likir with time to visit the ancient Basgo Fort (UNESCO Site) en route. After lunch at our camp in Likir we have an afternoon trek to the very picturesque monastery to enjoy views looking south to the Zanskar mountains. Accommodation: fully catered tented camp |
| Day 11: | Today we trek to Yangtang along a trail dotted with Buddhist chortens. Tonight we camp in an apricot orchard by the Wuleh Tokpo. Accommodation: fully catered tented camp |
| Day 12: | Today our trek passes over the Sermanchen La from where we can see beautiful colours glowing from the mountains. The wild flowers and mani walls then guide us down to Hemis Supachen. In the afternoon you can visit the nunnery and watch the farmers working the fabulous irrigation system in the fields. Accommodation: fully catered tented camp |
| Day 13: | Today we reach the highest point of our trek and those feeling energetic can climb a small hill to gain superb views of the surrounding landscape. Again the wild flowers and apricot orchards are a feast for our eyes until we reach camp at the end of our trek at Temisgam. Accommodation: fully catered tented camp |
| Day 14: | Lamayuru Festival. Our transport meets us this morning and drives to Lamayuru for the festival. A superb display of mask dancing and monastic festivities will be quite captivating. Accommodation: fully catered tented camp |
| Day 15: | Today we return to Leh via Alchi to visit the 11th century monastery built in a unique Kashmiri style. We also visit Saspol Caves where you can see well preserved wall paintings. Accommodation: Leh Hotel B&B |
| Day 16: | This morning we transfer to the airport at Leh for a domestic flight to Dehli and then connect on to the international flight home. |
a taste of volunteering trip - what's it all about?
This type of trip is ideal for people who are unable to take very long periods off work but who are interested in volunteering to work with communities in need, or in wildlife conservation. These shorter trips combine volunteering with an opportunity to see the main sights in destinations. Find out more about 'taste of volunteering'how this holiday makes a difference
|
When you travel with us you benefit and so does the local community. Here are five good reasons to travel with us:
Superior value & lower cost with no extra fees or land charges: Our pricing policy rewards customers for choosing to take their holiday with us. People can visit the HQ of several NGOs in Leh such as SEMol, Women’s Alliance and Ecological Development Group Campus. Local economic development is at the heart of our operation – with almost 95% of revenue going into the local economy. We use Ladakhi Guides and support staff. All staff are trained by our company. Leaders give a full trip briefing which includes topics: We only use locally run accommodation and furthermore support heritage buildings and authentic building materials, avoiding patronisation of buildings that contrast to local architecture and are against the culture and authenticity. All facilities and services are locally provided. In Ladakh only Ladakhi’s can run businesses. Our hotel is a run by a Ladakhi family and has it’s own vegetable garden. Maximum group size is 12 to minimise impact and maximise the benefit to the members – avoiding the feeling of herding of large groups and enables good contact with local staff and facility providers to interact and exchange. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |