Royal Mountain Travel Magazine Royal Mountain Travel Magazine Issue 2 | Page 14

Homestays - Experience Local Culture and Lifestyle Firsthand

Homestays - Experience Local Culture and Lifestyle Firsthand

Ladakh, India
Similarly, over the other side of the Indian Himalayas
in Ladakh, homestays have perhaps been going
longest. Homes in villages have been successfully
hosting visitors who can trek from one place to the
next, along trekking routes lasting from 2-3 days to
a week or longer.
Originally
started
as
part
of
the Snow Leopard Conservancy
India Trust’s work in protecting
this endangered species, SLC-IT
(www.snowleopardhimalayas.org) has
been working to promote innovative
community conservation measures
and sustainable community based ecotourism. Ten
percent of income generated from the homestays is
deposited into a community fund used for natural
and resource conservation. SLC-IT’s work and the
Himalayan Homestay programme in Ladakh won the
2004 First Choice Responsible Tourism Award at
the World Travel Market in London; in New York in
2005 it was presented the Global Vision Award for
Community Outreach; and the 2008 was finalist at
the National Geographic and Ashoka Changemakers’
International Geotourism Challenge.
Ghalegaon - dancing with the locals. Photo: RMT.