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Snow Leopard Expedition in Ladakh, March 6-18 2018 Group Trip

Optional Add-on: Tigers Only, 4 nights in Ranthambhore, 18 – 22 March 2018

Escorted by: Cindi LaRaia

ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrive Delhi

Upon your arrival in bustling Delhi, you will be warmly welcomed by our representative who will assist you through the customs / immigration and baggage collection process. Afterwards, you will be chauffeured to your hotel, the JW Marriott.

Luxury and convenience converge at the JW Marriott Hotel. Located adjacent to the International Airport, in New Delhi, India, this hotel offers accessibility without sacrificing style.

Spend overnight at the JW Marriott. Accommodation is in a Deluxe Room. Your stay is on bed and breakfast basis.

Day 2: Delhi /Leh

Upon arrival at Leh Airport you are met and transferred to your hotel. Rest of the day is at leisure to acclimatize to the high altitude and rarefied air. Leh is at 11400 feet and the flight up from the plains means that you have to acclimatize gently without pushing yourself. The 2 ½ days scheduled here is the minimum required as you will be going to a higher altitude and will be doing a fair amount of walking. At some point over the next few days in Leh, meet with staff from the Snow Leopard Conservancy for a briefing on the history of snow leopard conservation in Ladakh with insight given into the current threats to snow leopards and the strategy’s adopted to combat these threats.

Overnight at Chulli Bagh.

Set within the Palace estate, amidst old apricot, walnut and willow tree gardens, travellers at Heritage Chulli Bagh Villas can enjoy apricot blossoms in the month of April, mesmerising autumn colours in October, a quaint dinner setting with wood-fire under a star studded sky, or experiencing the ethereal moon light lying on the hammocks - nature at it best! Exclusivity is the main offering as the property houses only 3 cottages for a discerning traveller's privacy.All rooms are individually heated and well insulated with natural materials and look out into this ancient garden escape where one could read, enjoy tea, catch a nap or just gaze at the willow trees and magpies!!!

Spend Three overnights at Chulli Bagh. Accommodation is in a Standard Roomwith ensuite facilities. Your stay includes meals.

Day 3: Leh – Introductory Tour

Leh is a fascinating labyrinth of winding streets and quaint bazaars retaining much of its atmosphere of a Central Asian trading town. The main street is open and airy, with rows of shops on either side. Leh is very Tibetan; the national dress, 'stove-pipe' hats and felt boots with turned-up toes are much in evidence. The Royal Palace, which dominates the town, is very reminiscent of the Potala in Lhasa and Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, large chortens, prayer flags and mud brick houses with flat roofs are a dramatic culture change from the hot, teeming frenetic rush of Delhi. This morning you will visit the Snow Leopard Conservancy; here you will see the efforts made by the authority with the help of the local community to conserve the endanger snow leopard.

In the afternoon we visit the Thiksey monastery. Thiksey Gompa is the most picturesquely situated monastery in Ladakh, perched high on a hill above the Indus. Its buildings are arranged at various levels, leading up to the private apartments of the incarnate lamas on the summit. From here one commands a magnificent view of the valley. The gompa possesses a rich and beautiful collection of hundreds of hand-written or painted prayer books. A new temple contains a 15-meter tall Buddha statue, constructed in 1970 to commemorate a visit to Thiksey by the Dalai Lama. The statue, made of clay and covered with gold paint, is the largest Buddha figure in Ladakh and took four years to construct. Inside, the statue is filled with the Kandshur and the Tandshur - volumes of Buddhist canonical texts. The statue was made entirely by local craftsmen and represents Maitreya, ("compassion" in Sanskrit) the Buddha of the Future. The prophecy made of the Future Buddha is that the world will be undergoing such chaos that He will teach compassion to the people.

Day 4: Leh – Introductory Tour

Today you set out for an extraordinary drive East heading towards Taglang La and the villages of Gya, Lhato and Meru. It’s a fantastic drive taking you away from the valley of the Indus up a subsidiary valley to an extraordinary area even by Ladakhi’s standards that marks the line where the Indian mainland collided with and drove under Asian land mass. There is some dramatic scenery here and you have a chance of sighting wildlife including Blue sheep, Golden eagles and Bearded vultures. Rafts of Red-billed Choughs perform synchronized aerobatics and in the fallow fields you have the chance of seeing the very beautiful Tibetan Partridge and the more common Chukor partridge.

Day 5/11: Drive To Ulley / Ulley

Drive west today on the road to Kargil and Srinagar, generally following the Indus River. You pass through the small town of Nimmu – one of the most important in Ladakh, where the Zanskar river meets the Indus. After a little over an hour you head north on a road marked to Likir– one of Ladakh’s famous Buddhist monasteries. This is all snow leopard country. The landscape here is even bigger, more expansive and open, until you turn off onto a dirt road, winding up a narrow valley, following a stream called the Ulley Chhu. Smaller valleys intersect and the guides have their heads craned all the time, scanning the hill sides and the skyline for any silhouette. This is excellent Ibex country and there are few more evocative sights than a magnificently horned male Ibex standing vigil on some impossibly narrow outcropping, a few thousand feet over a plunging cliff.

Ulley village, west of Leh is an area that is only recently being developed for Snow Leopard watching.

You will have 07 nights here.

You will be staying in a lodge – The home stay consists of 4 bedrooms, built separately from the main house with a dining room and kitchen – all in the same low stone built building. Add to this the interest of living with a Ladakhi family in the depths of winter and understanding their life-style and you have a very special experience in store - especially sharing the large and warm kitchens that are the heart of a Ladkahi home in winter and resplendent with brass, copper and silver ornaments.

From the house and its terraced fields, you command a superb view across the valley and good chance to see Ibex from here and if you are lucky much other wildlife including wolf, Himalayan fox and perhaps even snow leopard.

Settle in on arrival and acclimatize to the higher altitude of Ulley. You will be based here over 7 nights. You will explore 3 valleys, which, apart from snow leopards, are great for finding urial, Ibex, wolf and Himalayan fox. Norbu is an exceptional tracker and spotter whose entire being seems to be narrowed down to the field of vision of his binoculars.

Over the next few days you explore the area on foot and SUV’s with your expert guide. You will be amazed at the sheer dedication and commitment he brings to his trade and the effort he makes to ensure that his guests leave happy. Your guide will interact closely with the local people and use the network of local intelligence to narrow down the likely sites. In the process there will also be plenty of opportunity for you to get insights into local folklore, as well as learn about local customs and traditions.

Overnight stay at Snow Leopard lodge.

Day 12 : Ulley – Leh

This morning, after breakfast, we say our goodbyes to our host and drive back to Leh town. En-route we visit the Alchi monastery. Alchi Gompa is located near the small village of Saspol. It is one of the earliest monasteries built in Ladakh, dating from the 11th century. Because it was built before the invading wars began in the 15th century, Alchi was built on lowlands, rather than on a hilltop as others were, in order to protect them from marauding armies.

After the visit we carry on our journey to Leh.

Spend One overnight at Chulli Bagh. Accommodation is in a Standard Room with ensuite facilities. Your stay includes meals.

Day 13: Depart Leh /Delhi

Today connect for your flight to Delhi. Upon arrival, you will be driven to the JW Marriott Hotel (close to the airport), where you can freshen up before your homeward flight later this evening.

*** End of Services ***

Information for Download [pdf]

• Itinerary
• Why our itinerary is different
• Snow Leopard Lodge
• Equipment for Snow Leopard Tour
• Health Hazards of High Altitude

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COST: Quote per person in USD on twin share
2 pax - $12,155.00 per person
4 pax - $9,607.00 per person
6 pax - $8,385.00 per person
*** single supplement: $3,190.00

INCLUDES:

• All meals as mentioned
• Internal flights in economy
• Day 1 in Delhi hotel on Bed and Breakfast
• All Activities in Ladakh
• Entrance fee of monasteries
• Transportation for snow leopard sightings
• Donation fee for snow leopard conservation
• Services of a Tour leader from Day 2-12 in Ladakh

EXCLUDES:

• Any expenses of personal nature including alcohol, laundry, gratuities etc.
• International Airfares
• Medical /Travel Insurances
• Any expenses arising due to unavoidable circumstances beyond our control.
• Any change in tax structure

IMPORTANT REMARKS

• Rates include only those items specified in your itinerary.
• Please note, the names of hotels mentioned above only indicate that our rates have been based on usage of these hotels. It is not to be construed that accommodation is confirmed at these hotels until and unless we convey the confirmations to you on receipt of your acceptance. However in the event of any of the above mentioned hotels not becoming available at the time of initiating the reservations, we shall book alternate accommodation at a similar or next best available hotel and shall pass on the difference of rates (supplement/reduction whatever applicable) to you.
• In case on any currency fluctuations or amendment in local Government taxes, or any fuel hike, we reserve the right to adjust the tour price accordingly. The due increase or decrease will be communicated accordingly.

ENTRY / VISA REQUIREMENTS

• As for all international travel, the visitor to India is required to be in possession of a valid passport and visa. Travellers from all countries need a visa. Enquire about this from the Indian diplomatic Representatives abroad OR apply online at https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html

• Boarding or immigration can be denied if there is a mismatch of passport details mentioned on the visa letter issued by the Government of India and the passport presented at these checks.

• The passport has to be valid for a minimum of 6 months AFTER the departure date from India and atleast 2 (two) clear pages available in the passport for immigration stamping.

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Optional Add-on: Tigers Only, 4 nights in Ranthambhore, 18 – 22 March 2018

Highlights of the Itinerary:

• Lake city – Udaipur
• Great place to stay and explore the countryside – Shahpura Bagh
• Tigers in Ranthambore

View Detailed Itinerary

COST: Quote per person in USD on twin share
4 pax - $3,010.00 per person
*** single supplement: $680.00

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