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
