Join Global Family Travels and Djazia from the Heart Arts Academy on a 10-day Adventure to Ladakh to nurture the spirit and the environment. Through our Learn, Serve & Immerse travel pillars, we have designed a journey of culturally immersive experiences that dive deep into Ladakhi culture. We will learn human and landscape healing modalities and rituals through cultural-centric workshops and enjoy immersive experiences in sacred and healing spaces with monks, nuns, musicians, artists, Amchi-Tibetan doctors, shamans, yogis, and other important spiritual leaders. With Djazia from Heart Arts Academy, you will enjoy daily retreat activities, including a morning routine to uplift your spirit through intention, movement, and meditation aligned with yoga and qigong principles.
Custodians of their traditions, arts, and land, the people of Ladakh are honored and proud to invite us to immerse in their communal culture by participating in culinary experiences, heritage walks, agricultural rituals, and monastic life.
We will also support compassionate Ladakhi organizations engaged in supporting their communities and the natural environment.
Read our latest blog post about Ladakh : Immerse in Ladakh, India: Top 10 Travel Highlights filled with Culture and Community Experiences.
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS are below, click on ITINERARY to see all the details.
At Global Family Travels we believe that the most powerful way to learn is through the first-hand experience. We let the country and its people be your teachers and supplement your experiences with reading lists, informal discussions, and a pre-trip orientation which to better prepare travelers with the practical information they need to understand the culture, history, and industry of their host destination.
Throughout your time in Ladakh, each new person you meet is your teacher, and each new activity you try is an opportunity to learn!
Unique learning experiences related to this regenerative adventure include:
Ladakhi cultural traditions at centuries-old monasteries, quaint villages, multi-generational homes, while you explore one of the important stops on the Silk Road
Buddhist mindful healing and traditional medical practices culture, philosophy, and history
The impacts of climate change, and the ancient system Ladakh villages use to preserve and distribute water
Immerse in traditional markets and crafts workshops, including a hands-on workshop Pashmina Workshop and the art of textiles from a local, woman-owned shop
Meditate with the Monks at their temples and be introduced to tantric Buddhist practices
Engage with knowledgeable Amchis (Doctors) and get a real insight into the theory of Sowa-Rigpa, i.e. the Science of healing.
Enjoy Ladakhi culinary experiences!
This adventure includes donations to several of our partner organization who will host us and whose communities we will engage with and learn from, including the Siddhartha School Partnership, the Ngari Institute, and Ladakh Nuns Association.
We will also support these compassionate organizations engaged in helping the socio-emotional learning of Ladakhi youth, while being mindful of the toll that the pandemic has had on the region’s educational system and mental health issues among Ladakh's more vulnerable youth, marginalized by socio-economic factors.
The Siddartha School Partnership is committed to ensuring the next generation in Ladakh has access to education that is modern yet emphasizes how vital it is to learn about and preserve culture and heritage. The Ngari Institute supports underprivileged children in Ladakh by providing free education, food, and shelter as well as empowering adult members of the community including monks and laypersons. The Ladakh Nuns Association has been supporting the education of girls, young women, and nuns to revive and rejuvenate the tradition of Buddhism and nuns in Ladakh.
During this journey, you will be given opportunities to volunteer your time, including planting trees, or gardening with Buddhist Nuns, practicing yoga and engaging with students of the Siddhartha School and the Ngari Institute, and serving food at a Sikh temple in New Delhi.
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We have designed a journey of culturally immersive experiences that dive deep into Ladakhi culture at centuries-old monasteries, heritage homes, traditional markets, and crafts workshops. Personal connections with Ladakhis are facilitated by the strong relationships with our community hosts, non-profit partners, and local we engage with. During your time in Ladakh, you will become familiar with the rhythm of daily life in the peaceful village of Stok and with friends from the Siddhartha School community, and gain a deep understanding of the Buddhist culture and traditions of this stunning region.
This unique adventure provides heartfelt immersive experiences in Ladakh, India's ancient traditions and culture. You will connect with locals, exploring their way of life and how they live with intention and in harmony with nature and within their communities, sit with monastic people and learn how they chose their vows to become monks or nuns and what their daily lives look like. You will be able to explore and experience multiple locations rich in culture and history, including New Delhi, Leh, Leh Town, and Stok!
Once at the crossroads of vital trade routes between China and the Middle East, Ladakh is located in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir and became a new Union territory state of India in 2019. Ladakh, also known as the "Land of High Passes," is famous for its unrivaled splendor and infinite exploration points, filled with high mountains, valleys, and plateaus offering plenty of cultural sightseeing and outdoor adventure opportunities.
The Ladakh region is ecologically and culturally unique and has a topography that is very different from the rest of India, and is home to enormous mineral reserves. The population of Ladakh is approximately 300,000 people and is spread sparsely over an area of about 60 thousand square kilometers. Buddhism and Islam are the two main religions of Ladakh. There is also a small population of Sunni Muslims in addition to Hindus, Sikhs and Ladakhi Christians.
A cultural anthropologist at heart, Jennifer Spatz is the Founder and CEO of Seattle-area Global Family Travels, a global travel company with the mission to “Learn, Serve and Immerse,” offering community-based travel experiences as a means to foster cross-cultural understanding. Since she launched Global Family Travels in 2010, Jennifer’s vision has been to unite humanity and inspire travelers to take responsibility for the challenges and opportunities facing our increasingly interconnected planet through sustainable tourism experiences that support destination stewardship and local communities.
Since 2010, Jennifer has led several group trips to Ladakh and has helped facilitate cross-cultural school exchanges for SSP and Seattle area schools. She serves on the advisory council of the SSP board, and she and her family have been long-time supporters of the Siddhartha School Partnership, sponsoring the education of several SSP students.
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Carbon Removal: According to the State of Global Carbon Dioxide Removal Report by University of Oxford, natural methods of removing carbon from the atmosphere are not enough by themselves due to the amount of pollution currently in the atmosphere. Innovations in removing and permanently storing carbon emissions are needed to conserve nature and reverse the course toward further climate change.
Tomorrow’s Air: Global Family Travels is passionate about encouraging tourism that is not only sustainable but regenerative. To help with our mission, we seek to partner with like-minded brands such as Tomorrow’s Air, which operates within the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA).
Tomorrow’s Air is a collective of carbon removal innovators that work to permanently remove and store carbon from the atmosphere. Travel is a large contributor to global emissions, and we feel it is important to educate and empower travelers to support efforts that combat climate change! Therefore, as of January 2024, Global Family Travels will include a $25 contribution to Tomorrow’s Air into every trip. Clients may opt out of the $25 donation by emailing us to request its removal from your invoice.
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Tashi Morup is the Project Director of the Ladakh Arts & Media Organization (LAMO) and is a published author, journalist, editor, and heritage guide in Leh. After graduating from Punjab University, Chandigarh, with a post-graduate degree in Mass Communication, Tashi joined The Pioneer National Newspaper in New Delhi as a staff reporter. Later he became the managing editor of Ladags Melong (Mirror of Ladakh) news magazine before starting a weekly newspaper called the Magpie, running it from 2005 to 2007. Now he works as a journalist writing for various national and state newspapers and journals.
As a heritage-walking guide, Tashi has been taking tourist groups and students to different historical sites within Leh, on which he has also written books. Passionate about the environment, culture, music, and folklore, Tashi has been writing research papers and making films on these topics, presenting both at national and international forums.
Tenzin Dasel has vast experience traveling throughout Ladakh, from Leh, to Nubra Valley and the remote region of Zanskar. She has visited, studied, taught and volunteered extensively since 2005 as a trip leader, guest lecturer, environmental project leader and Buddhist teacher. Over the past six years, she has been primarily based in India since 2016 and has travelled extensively though out the country, having deep knowledge of its culture and rich heritage. Tenzin Dasel has spent the most of this time in Ladakh, and is well versed in the people and cultures there.
As an ordained Buddhist monastic, she has unique knowledge and of the Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhist practices, artistic iconography and monastery systems. It is her pleasure to introduce and share this extraordinary land, culture, spiritual traditions, and the essence of “Jullay” with visitors and locals alike!
Djazia Belle originates from the Amazigh indigenous tribe of North Africa, and is a natural intuitive guide through various healing modalities with certifications in Life Coaching, Yoga, Reiki, Hypnosis, Tai Chi, and Master Esthetics. Djazia had an adverse upbringing in the middle east and believes that the challenges we all encounter are our greatest gifts. It is our mission to embrace it, do the inner work, and transmute it into our greatest power. She is fluent in English, French, and Arabic, and has worked internationally with royal families, ambassadors, celebrities, and corporate executives.
She has held positions as a spa owner, business development manager, and account executive manager, but her true calling is being of service. For the past 20 years of coaching internationally, Djazia has specialized in getting to the root of the problem and sharing authentically how to live fully from our heart space. Her passion is to light the path for self-discovery that activates creativity, authentic connection, healing, and full life expression. She previously worked with the Heart Arts Academy where she provided life coaching, sound healing, and yoga classes.
Much more than a traditional travel company, Bellevue-based Global Family Travels’ mission is to Learn, Serve and Immerse, using travel as a means to build cultural bridges and to foster global citizens. Using tourism to address community and environmental challenges, we organize sustainable travel opportunities in partnership with local and global non-profit organizations and support many communities.
Global Family Travels family-friendly global trips and local day tours in the Greater Seattle area support many important United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), such as quality education, conservation, gender equality and access to clean water. Each trip features a unique mix of cultural and educational activities, as well as community engagement projects aimed at directly improving the lives of people in the destinations we visit. Our travelers return with a renewed sense of themselves, and our global community, and are often inspired to take action to help achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.
Our family roots are in Ladakh, and our inaugural trip in 2010, we did a village clean-up with the Siddhartha School Project. Expect to expand your family circle when you embark on a Global Family Travels trip! Visit our website for more information: Global Family Travels
The Ngari Institute is a youth hostel in a quaint Himalayan village called Saboo and was started in 2012 by 5 devout monks from the Ngari Institute of Buddhist Dialectics, and under His Holiness the Dalai Lama's auspices, with His blessings. The Ngari Institute’s mission is to empower and enrich the poor and needy students in this remote region, by imparting a combined learning of both modern scientific knowledge and ancient Buddhist wisdom.
The Ngari Institute has about 25 youth without family nearby living there full time, ages 5-14, boys and girls, and the monks working there take care their daily needs, giving them room, board, tuition fees, book and clothing allowances, and access to medical care. Students follow the standard government educational curriculum during the day at schools such as Siddhartha, Tibetan Children’s Village, and the Saboo Government Schools and will learn about Himalayan Buddhist culture and spirituality during the after-school hours.
Ngari is building a new meditation hall which our group will be one of the first to use!
The Ladakh Nuns Association was founded in 1996 by Venerable Dr. Tsering Palmo, a Ladakhi nun and traditional Tibetan Medical (AMCHI) with, the aim of reviving and rejuvenating the tradition of nuns in Ladakh. The organization aims to raise the education level of the nuns and to give them a way to study and practice the Dharma. Since it was founded, LNA has been providing opportunities for young girls, whose families may have experienced difficulties, to have secular and monastic education and live in a nunnery with spiritual nurturing and care of older nuns. In order to promote the role of nuns, LNA has given them the opportunity to obtain higher education in Buddhist philosophy and in Traditional Tibetan Medical studies with Ladakh.
The Siddhartha School Project was founded in 1995 by Khensur Rinpoche Lobzang Tsetan, a Ladakhi Buddhist monk and educator, in his remote home village of Stok, Ladakh. What started in a one-room shed is now an exemplary private school with over 400 students from nursery age through Grade 10 and the school is one-of-a-kind in its efforts to honor, celebrate and enhance the local culture and traditions.
The Ladakh Arts and Media Organisation (LAMO) is a public charitable trust established to articulate an alternative vision for the arts and media in Ladakh. The organization set up the LAMO Centre in Leh, the main town of the region, to provide a space for the understanding and development of the arts. If you would like to know more about LAMO, please see www.lamo.org.in or visit their Facebook page.
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