Tag: Ladakh

Categories
Culture

Key Ladakhi phrases!!

Ladakhi Phrases

#ghoomophirosisters sharing few key ladakhi phrases that might help you on your next trip to Ladakh as locals are not well verse with Hindi or English.

JULLEY  [dschu-leh]
The most powerful word of the ladakhi language. It is so much more than one word in English. It means: HELLO, BYE, THANK YOU, PLEASE.  A simple, yet strong word to build friendships. 

KHAMSANG-IN-A-LEY? [or short: khamsang-ley?]
How are you? Note: The suffix “ley” at the end of a sentence makes everything sound a bit more polite. You can use it as often as you like! You can not do anything wrong with it!

KHAMSANG-LEY!
I am fine.

DON-LEY!
Please eat/take! Especially when invited by ladakhi families you will hear this term very often. It is part of the ladakhi etiquette to “force” their guests to eat/drink.

MAN-LEY.
No, thanks!

D(r)IK-LEY.
It is enough!

DANGS-LEY.
I am full.

O-LEY.
Yes, please.

TSAPIK-LEY.
A little bit, please.

SHIMPO RAK-LEY!
It is delicious.

NYERANGI-MING CHI IN-LEY?
What is your name?

NGE-MING … IN-LEY.
My name is …

(LADAKH)MAA LDEMO DUK-LEY.
(Ladakh) it is beautiful.

Hope they are useful !! for any queries related to your upcoming Ladakh trip, drop us a note at ghoomophirosisters@gmail.com

Categories
Travel Tips Travel Trends

FAQs relating to Ladakh/Spiti Trip

Are you considering a trip to Ladhakh/Spiti? It is your normal tour, this adventure might involve some health risks and thus you might need some precautions. However, do not let that alarm you. We are here to answer all your questions.

Who can go on a  Ladakh/Spiti Trip?

The high altitude means you run the risk of suffering from Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) no matter how healthy and strong you are. That is a risk you will have to consider  – especially People with blood pressure and heart problems, old people, asthma patients or people with delicate health should probably consult a doctor before taking on this adventure. We won’t advice going with children under the age of 5 and even with children over the age of 5, we recommend traveling only after ensuring you have taken all the desired precautions.

Most important precaution against AMS is to increase the altitude slowly so that your body has time to adapt to conditions.

Carrying an oxygen cylinder and AMS preventive medicine is another important precaution. If one of your co-traveler is suffering from AMS, you should all descend. Make them use medicine and/or oxygen cylinder.

Other precautions to take include:

Keep yourself well hydrated. Under hydration is terrible but people often err on the other side. You must avoid overhydration too.

You must avoid sleeping at high altitudes and especially during the day. When you must sleep, try doing it in an upright position.

You must avoid overexertion at high altitudes

Avoid tobacco, smoking, alcohol, drugs etc. Instead, eat carbohydrate-rich food.

Keep yourselves warm

What are things I should carry on my Leh Ladakh trip?

Besides the usual clothes, ids, toiletries and hygiene products (including things you would normally expect to find in a hotel or locally like soaps and sanitary napkins) and luggage you might need things like basic first aid, Extra spectacles with cover,  small scissors, torchlight or flashlight, multi-plug, plastic ziplock bags, sun cream, safety pins, swiss knife, water bottles, cigar lighter, matchboxes, moisturising cream, cologne talc, lip guard, small mirror etc. Carrying sufficient cash, AMS preventive medicine, and oxygen cylinder is highly recommended.

Laptops that do not have Solid State Drives should not be carried for there is the risk of them crashing or losing data. If you must carry them, you should keep them shutdown especially when you are at an altitude of 10000 meters and in cold conditions. Even in other condition, Keep them outside in the environment for a while before switching them on.

Why should I carry cash? Cant I use ATMs?

We do not recommend depending upon the few local ATMs for your cash requirements. There is a very good chance they might be all down. You should thus try to rearrange the money you will need. In order to avoid carrying too much money, you can go for advance booking options.

What are clothes I should carry on my Leh Ladakh trip?

There are a lot of weather and climatic diversions. We recommend carrying warm clothes that you can wear in layers for sake of flexibility. woolen clothes including a heavy jacket and soaks, caps or hats, sunglasses, insulated and good hiking shoes.

Why should I carry oxygen cans or a cylinder?

mount of oxygen present in the atmosphere decreases with time which might cause AMS to some people.  Thus we recommend carrying medium to large-sized oxygen cylinders. They can buy a person suffering from AMS. Small cylinders might not get you enough time. Also, carry AMS preventive medicine. Hopefully, you won’t need them but it is always better to be prepared

We hope this helps. Have an adventurous and worry-free journey.

Categories
Group Travel Himalayas North India Travel Tips

5 reasons to start early and sleep early while in Ladakh

It is as Benjamin Franklin said, “Early to bed, early to rise; makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” Well, normally, we would return with “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man an unhappy wife” but if you are traveling Ladhakh the Benjy advice is very important due to a number of factors. Here we bring you a list of 5 reasons to start early and sleep early while in Ladakh:

1. Beautiful Scenarios

For you don’t come this far to visit Ladhakh if you do not love its natural beauty. The breathtaking views nature has to offer are at their best in time for sunrise and sunsets. And so the first of 5 reasons to start early and sleep early while in Ladakh is to have time to go click-happy and ornament your Instagram account.

2. Avoiding delays

There are plenty of construction projects forever in motion in Ladhakh sometimes blocking roads for hours, in fact, there are many scheduled road closures. The later you start, the more chances of being stuck in a road closure. So next in our list of 5 reasons to start early and sleep early while in Ladakh is that it is your best option if you wish to avoid delays or waiting for long hours in traffic. You may as well stay in your urban city if that is what you were going to do. Right? Besides the fact that delays will eat into your precious time (a traveler can never have enough time), they are just annoying and mood killers.

3. Avoiding snow slides and landslides

Another reason in our list of 5 reasons to start early and sleep early while in Ladakh is that it is your best option if you wish to avoid snow slides and landslides. With an increase in temperature during the day, the snow starts melting causing problems on roads and even closing roads especially during the latter half of the day.

4. Avoiding shooting rocks

Yes you heard it, there is such a thing as shooting rocks and it is not a very pleasant thing.  The strong wind can carry stones at the speed of bullets which won’t be good for your cars’ glass windows. The later in the day, the more the speed of the wind. It is thus fourth in our list of 5 reasons to start early and sleep early while in Ladakh. Like with watersides, your car might have to suffer from shooting stars because of your laziness. Show mercy on the poor thing!

5. A contingency plan

With so many factors working against you, it is always good to have a contingency plan. For it is not a very good thing if you end up at nowhere place in Ladhakh in the middle of the night. The cold climate, if nothing else, would bug you. Thus the last of 5 reasons to start early and sleep early while in Ladakh is to make sure to reach your destination well in time before darkness.

Conclusion

So this is all from our list of 5 reasons to start early and sleep early while in Ladakh. We hope this blog helps in planning your trip. In fact, some of these reasons hold good for traveling in rough mountain regions at high altitudes in particular and all kind of travels in general. If you are lazy or a night animal like us, it is easier said than done but we do hope this blog will give even the laziest among you reason to get up early. ☺

Categories
Inspiration Travel Tips

Responsible travel in Ladakh

The trans-Himalayan feel that grips you as you travel across this remote mountain desert is somehow halted when you see the ecosystem being damaged by irresponsible tourists who give more importance to their own comfort and luxury than to the fragile place and the locals.

Though Ladakh is now connected by flights, it is still hard to find internet, running water here. It is a desert area of extremely hot or cold temperatures and as such, one needs to take certain measure while traveling in Ladakh.

Eco-footprint

Instead of choosing to travel in your private car, choose to ride in public transport or taxi, sharing stories with fellow travellers. Yes, it is the easy option to have your private car, and if you do choose that option, be nice enough to help locals or hitchhikers. After all, the journey is the most important part of travel, as if drive amidst the snow-hooded mountains and beautiful roads. Ladakh is one of the safe places in India, where you can hitchhike without worrying about your safety.

Water

People seem to forget that Ladakh is, in fact, a desert and most of its drinkable water come from melted glaciers. Water conservation is one of Ladakh’s higher priorities and travellers who expect fresh running water all the time and flash-style western toilets would be disappointed. Learn to settle for buckets of water for bathing. And take fewer baths if you can. The idea of dry composting toilets may seem unusual to a first-time visitor but it is hygienic.

With the increase in tourism in Ladakh and higher demand for water, the glaciers are melting away fast, making it more troublesome for the place to keep up with its water needs.

Plastic Land

There is nothing worse than going to a beautiful lakeside and seeing plastic bottles or Chips wrappers spread around the place tarnishing its beauty. The litter that takes away the beauty of the hillsides is turning this hill station into a garbage dumpster like so many others as well. It is better to practice recycling and taking the non-biodegradable trash back with you. Use a single plastic bottle that you can refill instead of buying new ones and laying waste to the previous one. The easiest thing you can do is carry a small trash bag with you. Don’t ruin the natural beauty of the place with your garbage. The usual thinking is that one little wrapper wouldn’t hurt much but the truth is that the single wrapper by countless other tourists is what in the end ruins a good spot.

Run havoc

We had been warned by the locals about the obnoxious tourists who play loud music by the lakeside and run havoc after getting drunk. We were shocked to hear of such an instance. So instead of being a nuisance to the locals and other travellers, try peacefully enjoying the scenery and let others enjoy it as well. Try the local food and flavours and befriend the people instead of shoving your camera everywhere and being choosy about your meals.

In the end, if you are using a travel company for your trip to Ladakh, research on how much they care about Ladakh’s ecosystem. What methods they have of recycling waste and water conservation, how much they support the traditional way of living.

Prefer the home-bred organizations for stay or eco-camps that use solar cells and leave a lesser carbon footprint. Try to let go of your luxurious urban lifestyle and go all organic and traditional. It will be a memorable experience and you will feel good about yourself afterwards.

Categories
Inspiration

The Nomadic Residential School in Puga, abode for nomadic children

The name Nomadic comes from a tribe based with Tibetan origins. The tribe has been ignored by the government for a very long time due to its reach with urban facilities but yet, they have found their way to get educated. A residential school was established in the year 2007 by the government of Himachal Pradesh and has been in talk for quite some time now.

The early days of Tribal School

The Nomadic residential school is located in a remote village called Puga. The school has been initiated with an intention of facilitating formal education to children who come from Kharnakpa and Changpa tribe. Both the tribes got Tibetan origins and lead a normal life with basic facilities. The tribes were not a great believer of formal education initially because of its imbalance, but life changed when the rules of poaching and hunting became strict and getting urbanized was the only option for survival. They simultaneously started understanding the value of formal education, which provides multiple ways of survival than depending on the traditional way of life.

Until a permanent school was established, the teachers used to travel with the tribe to conduct classes. The staff moved and set up camps in different locations to ensure enhanced schooling facilities for the nomads. As the days passed, the Nomadic residential school managed to have a decent infrastructure for villagers. Currently, the school provides food, clothes, boarding for free of cost for students who are between four and sixteen old. The Nomadic School provides boarding facilities, food and classes for students and most importantly in a warm and safe environment.

The school is an abode for 160 nomadic children who are ever-smiling and incredibly charming. As you pass them by in the school corridors, they will never fail to greet you and their gestures can almost melt your heart. The etiquettes can be credited to the excellent and dedicated staff who has not just helped in imparting them rudimentary education but also continue to lend a helping hand.

Education to both foreign and Indian tribes

The Changthang tribes are located on the border of India and Tibet. These tribes have a combination of 2 countries’ culture. They are located at a high altitude of 4500 meters bordering Tibet on one side and India on the other side. Officially, Changthang belongs to India and makes its living by raising yaks and goats. There has not been much formal education given to them for a long time and the tribes follow barter system still. The Nomadic residential school in Puga is trying to change the system by providing basic necessities with education.

Moving towards urbanization

Currently, The Nomadic school is a can be considered as a safe shelter for more than 100 children combining. Most of the children are from Kharnakpa Tribe and Champa tribe. Most of the children have seen their parents surviving in a traditional method by using natural resources for all kinds of activities. Children in the school get to see a combination of technology and the usage of natural resources, most of the children are adapting pretty quickly than the teacher’s expectation because of their experience on the field.

School still survives with its terrific weather conditions

It has been difficult for staff to manage the school under such weather conditions, the school has been effectively functionally because of the dedication from the staffs. The school does not conduct classes like any other educational institution in the country, it has its own way of teaching the academics and quantity of classes for every individual.

A span 5 to 6 months will not be suitable for traveling in and around Changthang due its heavy snow falls. The Nomadic school does take these things into consideration and does not conduct classes depending on the situation.

Categories
Adventure Rejoice Travel Tips Travel Trends Treks

The most beautiful Night Skies in India

Our world is full of so many natural marvels that there is not enough time for anyone on the planet to witness them all. It may take them an entire lifetime and they won’t even be able to cover half of the natural miracles that we are talking about. In India, there are many different places where one can enjoy the star gazing. This is turning out to be a great way of feeling closer to nature in the purest form. The craze is so high that people are ready to travel thousands of miles in order to get the glimpse the starry sky in all its glory.

Ladakh– In north,  Leh Ladakh is the most favourite tourist destination not just for the younger lot, but the older ones as well. One great thing about the place that there are so many places for stargazing that one can spend all nights moving from one place to another just to look at the beautiful constellations in the sky.

Andaman– This little island located in the south most part of the country is known for its beaches in the daytime and for the star gazing in the night. Lets us not just even try to compare the experience of lying under the sky at night on the beach and staring at the clear sky with stars glimmering all over with anything else. The cosmic magic is in its full glory at night and it’s a sight worth having at least once in your lifetime.

Coorg– Coorg is one of ideal places for holidays in the summers. The daytime can be spent trekking on the Nilgiri hills while the nights can be waited all day just to have the look at the sky when the stars shine.  However, the place is yet to be recognized as one good tourist spot in the area but the star gazing alone has managed to increase the flow of the tourists to a great extent.

Spiti Valley-The famous Kibber village in the Spiti valley may very well be notorious for the drugs trade but at night, it turns into a magical place. Known as the highest motorable village in the whole world, Kibber is located at about a height of 14000 feet from the sea level.

There are many other places in the beautiful country where one can experience the magic of stargazing. One of the greatest mysteries of life and the most beautiful night skies in India are here..

  • The Milky Way in Nubra Valley, Leh
  • Sonmarg, Jammu & Kashmir
  • Shahapur, Maharashtra
  • Pangong Tso, Ladakh
  • Shanti Stupa, Ladakh
  • Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh

Gaze at the stars, stare into the open space and absorb everything beautiful at these places in India. And do let us know about your tete-a-tete with the stars!!

Categories
Himalayas North India Rejoice Travel Trends

5 To Do’s at Pangong Lake

Remember the last scene from 3 Idiots movie, when Kareena approaches Aamir in bridal dress and confesses her love to him. That epic shot is from Pangong Lake. The famous lake is 160 km from Leh, and is 14,256 feet above sea level. Nearest airport to reach to the place is Leh airport, from where either you can drive or bike ride to this beautiful lake which makes you speechless and gives you timeless experience. The ride to the lake in itself is scenic as one gets to pass through famous Changla Pass and other small villages. The countryside makes you feel nostalgic and reminds you of childhood paintings. Apparently, it is just the 40% of the lake that lies in India and rest lies in China. The crystal clear blue lake sprawls over an area of 100 kilometers across the borders of two countries in India and China. This is the reason; you may also see the patrolling by the defense personals. It is opened for tourists from May to September, as it is frozen during winters and routes to the lakes are usually closed. During the trip to Leh-Ladakh, one should keep at least 1 night/2 days for the place. Penning down few must to-do’s that one should plan while at Pangong.
Bird Watching at lake
Pangong is bird watcher’s paradise. Though due to salty water, you may not spot much aquatic flora and fauna, but surely you may find migratory birds as the lake is breeding ground for many. Bar-headed goose and Brahmini ducks are the most common, though.

Stroll at the lake
The serenity and tranquility at the lake will let you spend time with yourself. Evening and mornings are the best times when you can go for a quick stroll around the lake or maybe sitting on the banks to soak yourself in the sun. The clear and crystal water will try to lure you, but you are not allowed to take a dip in the lake, so resist yourself and enjoy just being at the bank.

One night stay with Locals in Home Stays
There are several homestays near the lake. You can pick and choose any of them and enjoy their lifestyle by spending one night with them. Panoramic view from them is usually beautiful, as most of them are near the banks. Cooking rice, chopping vegetables, talking to them in sign language, enjoying with their pets and trying to accommodate with locals is super fun. These homestays are budgeted accommodations and are almost close to Ladakh traditions. Usual price range from 3000 to 3500 inclusive of all meals. It gets really cold in the night, but fortunately good homestays like the camp watermark and eco huts provide you with warm water and other amenities to make the life easy.

Capturing Pangong with your lens
You can never get over capturing Pangong’s beauty with your lens. The place is beautiful especially when the sun shines at its peak. One can identify the three different shades of blue in the water. The landscape is beautiful. The place is indeed picturesque.

Eating Momos at 3-Idiots Point
Momos and Chowmein are famous at these small joints that have come up post 3 Idiots movie. Their Momos are different from what usually eat. You may find spinach momos, which are exceptionally good, and it is advised to have your food at these places, as once it gets dark and you enter homestays, you are left with very less options to eat.

Pangong Lake is the must visit place, on your trip to Leh-Ladakh.

Are you ready to book your tickets to the land of gods this vacation?

Exit mobile version