Indian Himalayas cultural holiday
This holiday is operated by a company based in the holiday destination and they will be able to provide expert local knowledge. They will be able to tailor make your holiday to suit your requirements not only concerning the dates of travel but also typically the standard of accommodation, and thus price. It is rare for local operators to be able to help with the booking of your flights.
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
Conservation Fund - We maintain a conservation fund in collaboration with the villagers which is used for various conservation based initiatives in the region. The activities to be undertaken are decided in participatory manner with the villagers. Over the years some of the activities that have been undertaken include garbage cleaning drives in villages, digging of garbage pits, set up of signages to sensitise and inform travellers with relevant information about flora, fauna, treks, demographics, culture, codes of conduct, etc. Restoration of chortens, training of villagers on traditional songs and dance forms. Hiring of shepherds for better livestock management to reduce the human wildlife conflict.
Carbon Neutral & Renewable Energy - All our trips are carbon neutral and we ensure that we reduce all emissions during your travel with us and offset whatever we do generate. These are done through investments in our in-house projects such as solar passive housing, green houses, setting up of solar cookers, solar water heaters, solar lighting, etc. These investments in renewable energy are done with no additional charges from travellers. As mentioned above we utilise the revenue it generates to do the same. We have built over 80 passive solar houses and 50 green houses in Spiti and Lahaul. Each passive solar house reduces 60% of fuel wood consumption which translates into an annual saving of a minimum of INR 5000/- per family and also health benefits due to less smoke generated inside the house. The passive solar houses also reduce 3.5 tons of CO2 emissions per household per annum.
The greenhouses developed in the region have enabled the availability of green vegetables locally throughout the year instead of having to transport them from Manali and Shimla. The vegetables brought form the these cities have a huge carbon footprint and are very expensive. The vegetables grown in the greenhouses not only have a low carbon footprint, they are also organic and less expensive. Some of the greenhouse owners are also selling their excess production thus making it an income generation opportunity. Solar parabolic cookers (SK14), Solar water heating systems (Evacuated Tube Condensers) and solar lanterns are provided at upto 60% subsidised costs which greatly contribute in reducing emissions and keeping the valley green.
Garbage - We work on the principle of the 3 R’s of reduce, reuse and recycle. We have set up a water refilling system at our shop cum office in Kaza to reduce the waste generated from plastic mineral water bottles by enabling travellers to refill their bottles with UV filtered water. Likewise during our trips UV filtered and safe water is provided instead of plastic mineral water bottles that pose a serious garbage threat, especially in fragile ecological zones such as Spiti. This helps us in reducing the plastic bottle waste generated during the trips. Pressure boiled and solar boiled water is also made available in villages and homestays. We use Katadyn water filters on all our treks to ensure that purified drinking water is available to all the guests without having to pollute the fragile environment with plastic mineral water bottles.
All garbage generated during the treks and trips is brought back to Kaza and then properly disposed. Mechanisms for segregations and subsequent recycling are also being established. We also work with villagers in managing garbage at the village level, besides involving volunteers in cleaning drives in villages and wetlands.
In some of the highland villages such as Langza, activities pertaining to garbage management and maintenance of camp sites within the village area have been undertaken. Garbage pits have been dug and specific sites have been designated as camping areas. We also undertake regular awareness generation camps to educate the locals about waste.
Fossil conservation - We have been actively working on devising mechanism to not only showcase the rich geological wealth of this region but also ensure the conservation of the same. Fossil replicas are being developed with local potters and are up for sale for tourists to prevent the sale and depletion of the regions natural heritage. Besides helping in conservation, it is also helping in reviving the mud craft and providing an additional source of income to the locals. A fossil museum is also being set up to help preserve this natural heritage. Visit our office for more details on its exact location. We our collecting fossils from locals and travellers to eventually put them up in the fossil museum. You can do your bit to help us in this initiative by choosing not to buy actual fossils and instead buy the fossil replicas.
Community
Revenue - All revenues (100%) we generate are ploughed back into development and conservation based activities in the region. We are a social enterprise and our mandate is to work on the triple bottomline of economic development, conservation and sustainable development while using tourism as a tool to drive positive change in the valley. Our objective is to develop sustainable livelihoods and link these to nature and culture conservation. We are a community based enterprise and all beneficiaries, employees and service providers including, guides, cooks, porters, pack animal providers, field experts, interpreters, etc are from amongst the local community.
Homestays - Providing economic benefits and ensuring culture conservation – The Himalayan Homestay program was initiated in Spiti by our company in collaboration with UNESCO and the homestays have been developed with the aim of ensuring culture conservation on the one hand and economic returns for locals on the other. Homestays provide travellers with an authentic experience to witness the local lifestyles, cuisine and culture and also to contribute directly towards the local economy. Moreover the locals feel a sense of pride in their culture, tradition and lifestyle which thereby becomes an incentive for its conservation.
These homestays all promote the local construction material and ensure that the architectural integrity of the villages are maintained. The traditional dry-composting toilets that you will use in the homestays ensure that even your waste is converted into manure and ploughed back into the fields. Living in the homestays ensures that you have a very low carbon footprint.
Homestays function on a rotation basis and instead of villagers competing with each other they work in a mutually complimentary and collaborative manner. Families that are not providing homestay accommodation either provide the field experts, guides, chefs, porters, pack animals or other related services, thus ensuring equitable benefits from tourism to the larger section of the village. A village co-ordinator is assigned the task of ensuring the rotation in the homestays and maintaining their standards. He earns a portion of the homestay cost for his services. Our attempt is to ensure that every possible family in a village benefits from tourism and its allied activities and that the villagers understands the significance of complimenting & collaboration rather than competition.
Handicraft promotion and additional incomes - We work with several women groups to promote local handicrafts. These handicrafts are available in homestays and in our shop in Kaza and they contribute greatly towards conserving the locals craft as well as providing the women with an additional source of income. Direct incomes earned by women greatly assist in enhancing their social status in the family as well as in the society. We regularly train the women groups and also helps them with design interventions and market linkages.
Conserving Spiti’s song and dance forms - Musicians form an integral part of Spitian culture and community. However their numbers are dwindling rapidly due to various reasons associated with socio-cultural and socio-economic changes in the valley over the years. The promotion of cultural performances during the trip is a way of ensuring that the tradition of local dances, dresses and musicians flourishes in the region. The additional incomes accrued are a further incentive for its preservation and continuity. Moreover the local musicians feel a great sense of pride in their skill and art through the appreciation received from a different set of audience.
Conserving Spiti’s cultural Heritage - Restoration of the Dhankhar Monastery - One important initiative pertaining to the conservation of cultural heritage is the ‘Dhankhar Initiative’. We are involved in the restoration and conservation of this ancient heritage as part of its larger objective and mandate of linking livelihoods to conservation. We are partnering with the Monastery for not only the restoration of the Dhankhar Monastery but also in utilising their services and establishing systems for the management of the lake and garbage within the village.
Income generation - Pack animals and safari animals are another important source of incomes for the locals. The use of donkeys, yaks and horses is an integral part of our travel experiences and forms an important source of income for the locals. The Yak is an animal with a truly unique character and is indigenous to the high altitude regions of this part of the world. The yak safaris offered help promote the Yaks which are the lifeline of the highland villages and are used primarily for milk, ploughing and threshing. However, in the past few years there has been a rapid decline in the number of Yaks that are being used by the locals, especially in the low lying areas of the Spiti valley due to mechanization of agriculture and the advent of tractors. As a result of this there has been a decline in the sale of the yaks which has deprived the locals from the highland villages a valuable source of income. The Yak safaris provide an opportunity to use this unique animal, thereby providing the locals with an additional source of income and an incentive to preserve the animal and promote its numbers in the region.
Training - We regularly provide training to the locals on various aspects such as english language, nature and culture guiding, first aid, hospitality and guest management for homestay providers, hygiene and sanitation, to name a few. We undertake various other projects as well to ensure the sustainable development of the Spiti region and are working towards developing the entire region as a responsible eco-travel destination.
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