Hidden Buddhist heritage of Ladakh & experience the grandeur of the Ladakhi homestays hospitality
Hidden Buddhist heritage of Ladakh & experience the grandeur of the Ladakhi homestays hospitality
Hidden Buddhist heritage of Ladakh and experience the grandeur of the Ladakhi homestays hospitality
Why this experience is unique?
Get ready for an experiential tour of one of the Ladakh’s Hidden ancient heritage as we take you to the ancient monasteries of Ladakh and make you experience homestays of two beautiful villages located along the Zanskar river. Rinchen Zangpo (957 – 1055 AD), also called Mahaguru, was an 11th-century ruler and scholar in western Tibet. During his era, he initiated 108 temples inviting artisans from Kashmir who brought with them their unique style of art and painting. Thus, came into existence the most celebrated, and undoubtedly the most beautiful monasteries of Ladakh; The Alchi monastery, Mangyu monastery, and Sumda-Chun monastery. According to the locals, all these three monasteries were built in one night.
On this tour, you’ll also witness the astounding landscapes as you trek to the pristine village in the Indus valley where you’ll experience the authentic hospitality and culture of this region.
We will pick you up from the Leh airport and transfer you to your hotel 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.
After breakfast, head out to tour the monasteries here. Take a visit to the largest monastery in Ladakh, the Hemis Monastery. Visit the Thiksey Monastery, to admire the stunning statue of Buddha Maitreya and its traditional Tibetan architecture. In the evening, spend some peaceful moments at the Shanti Stupa watching the beautiful sun going behind the ghostly mountains.
Today we’ll drive to the beautiful village of Tsogsty. Poised beautifully along the Zanskar River, this small village offers an immersive experience of local life and Buddhist culture. Here you can see the endangered copper art, stroll through apple and apricot farms. Stay in the cozy homestay and relax observing locals doing their daily chores. Enjoy local cuisine and butter tea.
A short drive from Tsogsty takes you to village Sumda-Chun. The monastery at Sumda-Chun dates back to 11th century and has a unique architecture and also many legends associated to it. The main hall has a beautiful Vairocana statue made by Kashmiri artisans who came here a millennium ago. The village is amid beautiful mountains, a river spring flows and lush farms.
After having your breakfast in a homestay with a beautiful view, you will drive towards another monastery. Alchi is another significant monastery of Ladakh dating back to the 11th century, with beautiful paintings and statues. Post visit, drive towards Wanla, where you can see a natural hot water spring. Stay at the homestay in Wanla village.
After spending days in beautiful Ladakhi villages, head back to the comfort of Leh town. Post breakfast, drive to Leh, and check-in to a hotel. Head out in the evening to spend a relaxed evening in one of the cozy cafes of Leh market.
On the last day, the tour ends post breakfast in the hotel. 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!
