Colorful valley of Ladakh with one house village
Colorful valley of Ladakh with one house village
Hemis National Park – The high altitude protected area on earth and home to vulnerable snow leopards.
Why this experience is unique?
Witness first hand the most majestic creatures of the Himalayan Cold Desert. Winter is the best time to explore the high altitude wildlife and your best chance to check off ‘see a live snow leopard’ from your bucket list! Hemis National Park is India’s largest protected wildlife area and have the highest density of snow leopards anywhere in the world. Passing through the snow-laden mountains, view frozen waterfalls and walk on a frozen river.
We will pick you up from the Leh airport and transfer you to your eco-friendly homestay in Leh (11,500ft). You will be resting today and acclimatizing yourself to the High-Altitude environment amidst the picturesque Himalayan landscape. This day is called the Acclimatization day and is required to adjust your body to the low oxygen levels of this altitude.
Before we step into the villages of Ladakh we would acquaint ourselves with the Ladakhi culture, heritage, and lifestyle. As per your choice, you can pick local places to visit. Hall of Fame, Shanti Stupa, Leh Palace, Central Asian Museum – these are the places we recommend you to visit. Come back after spending a day doing sightseeing and rest in the same homestay.
After having breakfast, start from Leh and drive to the village of Zingchen. Here the road ends and you will start the trek towards Yurutse that is about 4-5 hrs away. The route passes through some of the most enchanting landscapes, entirely through the Hemis National Park. It is time to keep an eye on the wildlife in the surrounding mountains. Reach the village Yurutse and relax in the homestay. A bowl of hot soup and a freshly cooked organic meal would be nothing less than a luxury.
Hemis National Park is the largest protected area in India and there are numerous wild trails to be explored near Yurutse. There is ample opportunity to spot species like the marmots, the Himalayan pika, Tibetan brown fox and if you are lucky, the elusive snow leopard as well. You can explore multiple trails near the village today to spot the wildlife. Patiently stay back in the village to see these rare species. Also, enjoy today the hospitality of Yurutse homestay.
Today you will hike to a nearby village Rumbak and stay at the homestay. The village is very well known for spotting snow leopards. Hear the folklore that locals would share about snow leopards and other animals. You can also buy small woolen toys that the villagers make, resembling the wild animals.
After spending the morning in the village you will hike through the park back till the road. The 3 hrs hike passes through the park till the road point. Drive back to Leh city and come to the homestay in Leh. After freshen-up, you can spend the evening in Leh market. You can also buy Pashmina or other local crafts.
On the last day, the tour ends post breakfast in the homestay. One can fly back or keep exploring Ladakh for next few days.
Guests like to eat our Ladakhi food. They say it is delicious, even when it is prepared by an elderly ama (mother) like me. I always make sure I serve them the cleanest and healthiest food. My husband is a copper artist. When guests leave us, they say ‘Julley’, and hug us. It makes us feel happy.
I became a Mountain Homestay Host in 2018, and I have hosted many travellers since then. Running a homestay has helped me and my family a lot. Not only is the solar set up in our house useful for us, but even travellers prefer to stay in our homestay because of it.
The training we got in astronomy turned out to be a life-changing experience for our village. I felt happy and proud while mapping the position of the planets and sharing the secrets of the universe with the tourists. Tourists told me that even they didn’t know so much about the dark skies!
