Ladakh photography tour in India

Planet

In Ladakh we use a local tour operator who is a second-generation professional in his field, is familar with the sensitivities of the local culture, and always travels with the group. Additionally we always have a local guide who speaks the language to help us navigate often intricate customs.

Hotels

We use locally-owned and run accommodations. In all cases, we use hotels made from local materials that blend comfort with eco-friendly sensitivity. Many of our hotels rely at least partly on solar energy, and we encourage our participants to dress appropriately for temperature changes rather than depending on a/c or heating. We also encourage single-source clean water use in the hotel rather than small individual plastic bottles.

Restaurants

We always eat in local restaurants that incorporate locally sourced produce to cut down on unnecessary transportation.

Waste

Waste is potentially a huge issue in the Himalayas, where it is not always easy to dispose of rubbish in an environmentally friendly way. Luckily, Ladakh was the first place we toured that had a complete ban on plastic bags. Non-bio-degradable rubbish items are kept in the cars or on the person until they can be disposed of effectively.

People

Because this tour specialises in photographing local (mostly Tibetan) culture and specifically the people who embody it, we think it critically important to treat the culture and people we meet with the utmost respect.

Photograph with respect.

On this tour, we visit many religious sites, and we often visit the main monasteries or temples in each district. We know from experience that the central temple in any town is often the architectural highlight and also the kingpin of the local culture. In this regard, we also see it as the fulcrum of cultural preservation. Hence, in an attempt to help this culture's legacy, we pledge a $100 donation per photographer to be shared across the main temples we visit. On this tour, we promise to donate to the main Buddhist monasteries in Alchi, Lamayuru, Leh, Diskit and Thicksey, as well as at the Korzok Gustor festival.

We keep our tour sizes small, never more than eight photographers plus the leader, so we do not overwhelm those we photograph.

All tour guides have an in-depth knowledge of local culture. We talk to our clients at length about customs and practices and how to respect them. We encourage learning a few basic phrases of the local language and some specific to photography, as we believe these few words go a long way in communicating and breaking down barriers. As we run the tour annually, we bring photos of the local people back to local communities the following year.

We support the community.

We encourage our clients to buy appropriate small gifts (books, pens, paper, food) locally and give back locally as we believe this supports the economy and the community. We think it is generally better to give these via donation boxes or religious/village leaders as we do not want people, especially children, to see our clients as merely a source of 'goodies'.

We also advise on when it is appropriate to tip people who have given us good service as, for many, this is a significant addition to their income. We encourage clients to act responsibly and with an insight and understanding of the host destination.

Travel with respect.

We instruct on etiquette and dress, especially in the local monasteries or people's homes. monasteries. We also advise that bargaining can be expected, but it should be respected that this is how it is done, and the aim is to end up paying a reasonable price for something that often entails much labour and skill to produce.