General information

Instead of booking a full package of camping trekking, you can use homestays during trekking from village to village. There are several trekking routes in Ladakh where it is easy to find places to stay in local family houses.

Homestay host family provides a place to sleep in a traditional house, authentic home-cooked dishes (three meals a day: dinner, breakfast and packed lunch), boiled/filtered spring water to drink, traditional composting toilet, refreshing shower with solar-heated water.

Homestays can be found by looking for signs outside village homes and asking whether the family has a room for the night. A fixed homestay price is set every season by a local homestay association. During the 2016 trekking season, the standard homestay rate was 1000 rupees per person. But keep in mind that the homestay price goes up every year.

You will have to carry your luggage (usually, a change of clothes and a bottle of water) yourself during the trek, so make sure your backpack is not overweight.

Alps Adventure can provide a local guide and transportation to and from the start/finish points of the trek.

Benefits

• Homestay trekking gives you the opportunity to experience Ladakhi village lifestyle and culture.

• Homestay trekking provides a valuable income source for the local villagers and helps them to preserve their rich cultural heritage for future generations.

• Homestay trekking motivates the local community to participate in the conservation of wildlife and biodiversity.

• Homestay trekking reduces the harm to the environment caused by camping and packhorse grazing.

Trekking routes

	Sham trek Duration: 3-5 days Difficulty: Easy Start: Basgo or Likir Finish: Temisgam or Khalse or Balu-Khar
	Markha valley trek Duration: 6-8 days Difficulty: Moderate Start: Spituk or Zingchen Finish: Shang Sumdo or Hemis
	Lamayuru-Chilling trek Duration: 5 days Difficulty: Moderate Start: Lamayuru Finish: Chiling