Embark on the same journey the Silk Route traders used to take back in time
Embark on the same journey the Silk Route traders used to take back in time
Wear Silk Route Trader’s hat and take the same journey as they did back in time
Why this experience is unique?
You will fly into Leh. Bounded by two of the world’s mightiest mountain ranges, the Himalayas and the Karakoram, Leh lies at an altitude of 3500m. You will be received at the airport by our team leader and welcomed with the traditional Ladakhi silk scarf “Khatak”. You will then be transferred to your hotel where you will be stationed for the next two days. The remainder of the arrival day is for you to relax and acclimatize. Overnight at a Hotel in Leh
Your day begins with a visit to the Leh City and a cultural experience on the background of the ancient heritage. We will take a tour of Shey Palace (known as the summer capital of Leh) and Thiksey Monastery. Leh has a rich history of trade during silk route times and is located on the bank of Indus river where Indus valley civilization thrived. We will also visit the Shanti Stupa from where you can get a panoramic view of the City of Leh. To relive the time of King Tashi Namgyal we will take a tour of Tsemo
Castle currently maintained by ASI (Archaeological Survey of India). Overnight at Hotel in Leh
Today is the day when we will leave Leh and embark on a journey along the Silk route to Nubra Valley. We will be crossing 17,582 ft Khardung La pass – known to be one of the highest motorable roads in the world. Upon reaching the ‘Orchard of Ladakh’, we will pay our tribute to 33m tall statue of Maitreyi Buddha at the Diskit Monastery. We will visit Hunder ,one of the major towns of the region and known for the Double humped camel safari and unique sand dunes. The place was a part of the ancient silk route which is also.known as the cold desert. Overnight at a Homestay in Sumoor
You will start your day by taking a short Hike to the picturesque hidden lake of Yarab Tso located near Sumoor that marks the first step on the silk trail. It used to be the prime stop for the traders.
Going ahead, we will be visiting the Samstaling Monastery at Sumoor Village. Lunch at Green Valley Homestay which is a live museum in itself. Post Lunch we will travel along the silk route to a village where will collaborate with the locals for an Impact Activity. Overnight at a Homestay in Sumoor.
The second half of the day will be dedicated to the Impact activity and you will be installing Solar water heaters in a village, which is currently the most pressing need of the community as boiling the water in winters is tough affair and the process uses a lot of firewood. The temperature during winters falls well below zero degree Celsius in this region, so the requirement of hot water is very pressing. After the installation, we will be a part of a small traditional prayer at Yarma Monastery performed by the Monks. Overnight at Homestay in Sumoor
Shyok River is a tributary of the Indus River that flows through Northern Ladakh. You will travel along the river, crossing Shyok Village on your way to reach Pangong Tso. Historically, the winter caravan route from Leh to Yarkand (China) passed through Shyok village. It will take around 7 hours to reach the majestic Pangong Tso. In the evening, visit the world’s highest saltwater lake – Pangong and enjoy the changing colours of the Tso (as locals narrate).
Overnight at a Solar powered homestay in Maan village overlooking the pristine Pangong Lake.
Next morning, we begin our journey from Pangong Tso to Leh crossing Changla Pass which is at an elevation of 17,688 ft. It is also the ‘Gateway to Changthang Valley.” From the top, you will get panoramic view of snow covered Ladakh Range. Today will be a leisure day at Leh. After a hot shower you can make a short visit to Leh market to purchase any utility or special needs if any for the trek. Overnight at Hotel in Leh
Today will be our Trekking Day. Early morning, we will drive for 2 hours to the village of Hemis Shukpachun. On reaching the village we will undertake the four hours Trek onto a flat ground alongside the Stupas. After a short while, a steep descent will lead us to the Meb-tak La (3720m) mountain pass. After a short rest and enjoying the view from the top of the pass, we will head down to the village of Tingmosgang which is well famed for its monastery, and is perhaps the most prosperous village in the sham valley for its apricots. Night stay in a local hotel at Tingmosgang
Our vehicle will come to Tingmosgang to pick us up and we will start our day by visiting 1000- years old Alchi Monastery. After visiting the monastery we will stop for a traditional meal at the Award Winning Alchi Kitchen. On our way we will take a little detour to the Likir village where we will experience the pottery session with the last potter family of Ladakh. In the evening, we will visit Leh market and pick up souvenirs, including Pashmina and other local handicrafts. Last night stay at hotel in Leh
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!
