the guide - Journeys With...
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SNIGDHA HASAN [email protected] IT’S that time of the year when, if you are not headed to Europe, you are probably planning to tick off Ladakh from your travel bucket list. Turquoise lakes nestled amidst rugged mountains, ancient monas- teries and stupas, rainbow-coloured prayer flags fluttering away in nippy air, water sports, exotic wildlife and the distinction of being home to the highest motorable road in the world — Ladakh makes for an ideal offbeat destination, which is fast catching up with modern amenities for the urban tourist. Sounds perfect? But that is precisely why Ladakh is no longer the pristine Eden it once was. “A cold, arid region, the Ladakhi way of life is woven around the resources available to its people,” explains Vinod Sreedhar, founder of Mumbai-based ourneys with Meaning, whose focus is on taking travellers on responsible trips to Ladakh, Meghalaya, Spiti Valley and other regions, where they live like the locals do, giving environment due respect. “While Ladakh was a backpacker’s paradise mostly visited by foreigners, in the last few years, especially after the release of the film Idiots, it has become a popular tourist destination within India too. This has brought in more revenue, but irresponsible tourism has given rise to a slew of problems that are causing environ- mental damage and disrupting local self-sufficient economies,” he adds. “In these four months [une to September], two lakh tourists de- scend on the capital, Leh, which is no bigger than five sq km. This on- slaught is killing both the city and Ladakhi villages, because while Leh explodes with a huge demand on its resources, the rural areas implode with youths migrating to Leh, leaving behind ageing parents to tend to their farms,” explains innovator-en- gineer Sonam Wangchuk, who founded The Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh and The Himalayan Institute of Alter- natives, Ladakh. In collaboration with the residents of Phyang and Phey villages, he started Farmstays Ladakh, which aims to take the tourist load off Leh, and distribute it uniformly in the pic- turesque Ladakhi countryside. It also promotes travelling in winter, when tourist activities see a slowdown. “Local families play host to trav- ellers, who get a taste of life in Ladakh. They savour regional home-cooked meals, get to participate in farming activities, visit lesser-known places, and spot wildlife, while contributing to the rural economy, which also helps prevent migration,” he says. Both Wangchuk and Sreedhar point out the difference between re- sponsible travelling and mindless tourism. While the former calls for respecting and adapting to local ways, the latter demands the desti- nation to mould itself to tourists, who are set in their ways and wouldn’t consider giving up luxuries even at a huge environmental cost. “People come chasing film stories, and turn villains in the process,” laments Wangchuk. “Ladakh needs real heroes.” mid-day Friday 28.07.2017 24 the guide GO GREEN WITH GANESHA »P weekend LADAKH TRAIL HOP Sustainable escape Sign up for an -day trip to the Himalayas, where you will not only soak in the beautiful land- scape, but also learn the sustain- able practices followed by Ladakhis, and how tourism im- pacts the environment. The trip will include a two-day trek through Sham Valley, rafting on the Zanskar river, cycling from Khardung La to Leh, and more. ON August 22 to September 1 CALL 9819154365 EMAIL [email protected] A village getaway When in Ladakh, stay with a local family in the countryside with this homestay. Not only do the hosts earn income from this, but you also get to learn about the traditional lifestyle. Partici- pate in farming activities, go on hikes, walk along the Indus river, and visit the Ice Stupas, which are natural innovations de- signed to conserve water. CALL 9622224947 EMAIL [email protected] For and by women Sign up for a trip through Ladakhi Women’s Travel Com- pany, which is owned and oper- ated by Ladakhi women. They organise treks through the Sham region and Hemis Na- tional Park, which are led by fe- male guides and porters. The aim is to encourage the women of Ladakh to showcase their skills. You will be accommo- dated at a homestay, which is an eco-friendly way to discover Ladakh as the system puts less pressure on natural resources. CALL 9469158137 EMAIL [email protected] Demand for hotels and guest houses with urban amenities is causing severe pollution The interiors of a Ladakhi mud house Homestays are a win-win for the economy and nature. PICS COURTESY/FARMSTAYS LADAKH Travel with a conscience The Pangong Lake, where the climax of 3 Idiots was shot, is a popular tourist spot Eco-friendly in Ladakh £ Consider the age of your co- travellers. The harsh climate of Ladakh may not be ideal for a child £ Look at places other than Leh when planning your itinerary £ Travel in smaller groups of no more than 15 people £ Carry your own water instead of stocking up on mineral water bottles. Filtered water at one-third the cost of bottled water is readily available. Ladakh produced negligible plastic waste until recently, Today, beautiful valleys are turning into landfills £ Try to cover feasible distances on foot, instead of travelling in SUVs throughout £ Avoid air- conditioned vehicles and hotels — Ladakh has a pleasant climate in peak summer £ Stick to designated trails, instead of venturing with your vehicle into shallow lakes that teem with precious flora and fauna £ Avoid feeding marmots and other animals £ Consider living in homestays — they the support local economy. The structures are made of mud and do not require external heating or cooling. Cement and other construction material have to be brought in from far off areas, which adds to pollution £ Eat local fare as far as possible; everything else is procured from outside, adding to the food miles £ Use dry toilets; they are ideal for the region and perfectly functional. With no need for sewage treatment until the tourist industry boom, there is barely any system to cope with Western sanitation, which means all waste ends up in the very streams and rivers that attract tourists Inputs courtesy journalist and mountaineer Anusha Subramanian, Sonam Wangchuk and Vinod Sreedhar A typical Ladakhi mud house Do you travel responsibly, in harmony with your destination? Experts weigh in on how your choices can help conserve Ladakh, which stands under threat from a steady tourist influx TRAVEL RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
Transcript of the guide - Journeys With...
SNIGDHA [email protected]
IT’S that time of the year when, if youare not headed to Europe, you areprobably planning to tick off Ladakhfrom your travel bucket list.Turquoise lakes nestled amidstrugged mountains, ancient monas-teries and stupas, rainbow-colouredprayer flags fluttering away in nippyair, water sports, exotic wildlife andthe distinction of being home to thehighest motorable road in the world— Ladakh makes for an ideal offbeatdestination, which is fast catching upwith modern amenities for the urbantourist. Sounds perfect?But that is precisely why Ladakh is
no longer the pristine Eden it once was.“A cold, arid region, the Ladakhi way oflife is woven around the resourcesavailable to its people,” explains VinodSreedhar, founder of Mumbai-basedJourneys with Meaning, whose focusis on taking travellers on responsibletrips to Ladakh, Meghalaya, Spiti Valleyand other regions, where they live likethe locals do, giving environment duerespect.
“While Ladakh was a backpacker’sparadise mostly visited by foreigners,in the last few years, especially afterthe release of the film 3 Idiots, it hasbecome a popular tourist destinationwithin India too. This has brought inmore revenue, but irresponsibletourism has given rise to a slew ofproblems that are causing environ-mental damage and disrupting localself-sufficient economies,” he adds. “In these four months [June to
September], two lakh tourists de-scend on the capital, Leh, which is nobigger than five sq km. This on-slaught is killing both the city andLadakhi villages, because while Lehexplodes with a huge demand on itsresources, the rural areas implodewith youths migrating to Leh, leavingbehind ageing parents to tend totheir farms,” explains innovator-en-gineer Sonam Wangchuk, whofounded The Students’ Educationaland Cultural Movement of Ladakhand The Himalayan Institute of Alter-natives, Ladakh. In collaboration with the residents
of Phyang and Phey villages, hestarted Farmstays Ladakh, whichaims to take the tourist load off Leh,and distribute it uniformly in the pic-turesque Ladakhi countryside. It alsopromotes travelling in winter, whentourist activities see a slowdown.“Local families play host to trav-
ellers, who get a taste of life in Ladakh.They savour regional home-cookedmeals, get to participate in farmingactivities, visit lesser-known places,and spot wildlife, while contributingto the rural economy, which alsohelps prevent migration,” he says.Both Wangchuk and Sreedhar
point out the difference between re-sponsible travelling and mindlesstourism. While the former calls forrespecting and adapting to localways, the latter demands the desti-nation to mould itself to tourists,who are set in their ways andwouldn’t consider giving up luxurieseven at a huge environmental cost.“People come chasing film stories,
and turn villains in the process,”laments Wangchuk. “Ladakh needsreal heroes.”
mid-dayFriday28.07.2017
24 the guide GO GREEN WITHGANESHA »P26
weekend
LADAKHTRAIL HOP
Sustainable escapeSign up for an 11-day trip to theHimalayas, where you will notonly soak in the beautiful land-scape, but also learn the sustain-able practices followed byLadakhis, and how tourism im-pacts the environment. The tripwill include a two-day trekthrough Sham Valley, rafting onthe Zanskar river, cycling fromKhardung La to Leh, and more.ON August 22 to September 1CALL 9819154365 [email protected]
A village getawayWhen in Ladakh, stay with alocal family in the countrysidewith this homestay. Not only dothe hosts earn income from this,but you also get to learn aboutthe traditional lifestyle. Partici-pate in farming activities, go onhikes, walk along the Indus river,and visit the Ice Stupas, whichare natural innovations de-signed to conserve water. CALL 9622224947 [email protected]
For and by womenSign up for a trip throughLadakhi Women’s Travel Com-pany, which is owned and oper-ated by Ladakhi women. Theyorganise treks through theSham region and Hemis Na-tional Park, which are led by fe-male guides and porters. Theaim is to encourage the womenof Ladakh to showcase theirskills. You will be accommo-dated at a homestay, which isan eco-friendly way to discoverLadakh as the system puts lesspressure on natural resources.CALL 9469158137 [email protected]
Demand forhotels and guesthouses with urban
amenities is causing severe
pollution
The interiors of a Ladakhi mud house
Homestays are a win-win for the economy and nature. PICS COURTESY/FARMSTAYS LADAKH
Travel with a conscience
The Pangong Lake, where the climax of 3 Idiots was shot, is a popular tourist spot
Eco-friendly in Ladakh£ Consider the age of your co-travellers. The harsh climate ofLadakh may not be ideal for a child£ Look at places other than Lehwhen planning your itinerary£ Travel in smaller groups of nomore than 15 people£ Carry your own water instead of stocking up on mineral waterbottles. Filtered water at one-thirdthe cost of bottled water is readilyavailable. Ladakh producednegligible plastic waste untilrecently, Today, beautiful valleysare turning into landfills£ Try to cover feasible distanceson foot, instead of travelling inSUVs throughout£ Avoid air- conditioned vehiclesand hotels — Ladakh has apleasant climate in peak summer £ Stick to designated trails,instead of venturing with yourvehicle into shallow lakes thatteem with precious flora and fauna£ Avoid feeding marmots andother animals£ Consider living in homestays —they the support local economy.
The structures are made of mudand do not require externalheating or cooling. Cement andother construction material haveto be brought in from far off areas,which adds to pollution£ Eat local fare as far as possible;everything else is procured fromoutside, adding to the food miles£ Use dry toilets; they are idealfor the region and perfectlyfunctional. With no need forsewage treatment until the touristindustry boom, there is barely anysystem to cope with Westernsanitation, which means all wasteends up in the very streams andrivers that attract touristsInputs courtesy journalist andmountaineer Anusha Subramanian,Sonam Wangchuk and Vinod Sreedhar
A typical Ladakhi mud house
Do you travel responsibly, in harmony with your destination? Experts weigh in on how yourchoices can help conserve Ladakh, which stands under threat from a steady tourist influx
TRAVELRESPONSIBLE TOURISM
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