Stay at the Edge of the Wild!
Stay at the Edge of the Wild!
A secluded hilltop homestay in Kurambik, neighbouring the elusive snow leopards!
Kurambik, a small remote village in Domkhar, Ladakh with just 20 households, sits near a glacier and preserves its traditional way of life in close harmony with nature. In winter, the surrounding mountains turn into a wildlife haven, home to the elusive snow leopard, blue sheep, ibex and Himalayan foxes. Agriculture is the community’s lifeline, with grains and the prized sweet peas, exported beyond Ladakh, supporting livelihoods despite the harsh climate. Life here reflects resilience and simplicity, sustained by land, livestock, glacier-fed streams and strong communal bonds, making Kurambik a rare example of Ladakhi traditions thriving in the high-altitude wilderness.
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!
