Ladakh, India: A Compassionate Journey to Regenerate Spirit and Nature

Late evening arrivals in Delhi and transfer to Taj Vivanti Hotel by airport. You will each be greeted at the airport upon arrival and transferred to hotel and assisted with check in process. (will get group airfare quote on Emirates Air)

Accomodations: Taj Vivanta

Namaste & welcome to India, a country steeped in tradition and where spirituality and religion are part of everyday life. 

• Early morning Yoga Practice with invited local Yoga Guru

• After breakfast, we enjoy a morning visit to Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, Delhi’s most prominent Sikh gurdwara (Sikh house of worship), known for its association with the eighth Sikh Guru, Guru Har Krishan viewing Delhi’s sites en route. (Option to volunteer at the Sikh temple to serve food) 

• Welcome Lunch to enjoy the delicious flavors of Indian cuisine

• Next, we will learn about the Art of Healing project at the Planet Health Museum, a state of the art, interactive, multimedia, digital museum focused on traditional healing sciences and well-being (part of the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga.

• Evening meeting and Yoga Nidra practice with Collin & Djazia at the hotel before dinner. 

If time, we make a quick stop at Raj Ghat, Gandhi’s memorial

Accommodations: Taj Vivanta 

Meals: B, L, D

Early in the morning, we will transfer to the domestic airport in Delhi to board our flight to Leh, the capital of Ladakh.

Upon arrival, we will transfer to Stok, a quaint village nestled in the Himalayan foothills. The rest of the day will be spent resting and acclimatizing to the 11,500-foot elevation at the newly-built Golden Retreat Hotel.

This evening, we meet our local guide, Tashi Morup who will give a presentation before dinner about the Churpon system (water sharing system) in Leh and small villages.   

Overnight at Golden Retreat Stok Hotel (B, L, D)
Flight info: TBD (Likely depart Delhi at 8:40 am / 10:00 am arrival)

Today, we explore the beautiful village of Stok, home to the Siddhartha School. 

• Morning yoga and meditation with Collin & Djazia 
• We meet Stok’s local water guardian (Churpon) as we walk through the village, and learn about the local (water guardian) in Stok.  Visits include Stok Gompa (monastery) & Stok Palace .
• Enjoy lunch and a visit to Gyab Thao House and Heritage Museum.
• Return to the hotel to relax and continue to acclimatize.
• Guided mediation at the 70-foot-tall Golden Buddha statue that overlooks the village 
• Enjoy an Official Welcome Dinner with special guests from the Siddhartha School, Ngari Institute and Ladakh Nuns Association.  

Overnight at Golden Retreat Stok Hotel.

Meals: B,L,D

After morning yoga practices and breakfast, we depart for “Leh Town,” which was an important stopover route for the trade of salt, grain, cashmere, indigo, and silk between India and China.  

Today, our guide, Tashi, and his colleagues from the Ladakh Arts and Media Organization (LAMO), will share their work to preserve cultural heritage and present an overview of some of the research they have conducted around the region's water issues. We will also enjoy a brief tour of their museum, followed by a guided walk in Leh Town, with a special stop at a local oracle/astrologer's house, followed by an Artisanal curated lunch at Jade house and shopping at the old Bazaar.  

The flow of our day is as follows:

• Early Morning rooftop yoga practices at the Golden Retreat Hotel 
• After breakfast, we head to Leh and Old Town, and visit Leh Palace and LAMO’s exhibition galleries, old kitchen and Rabsal room, as well as a short film on the agriculture system and rituals in Ladakh.
• Next, we proceed on a heritage walk through the old Leh town with a stop to visit a local oracle/ astrologer’s house for a short session with him and then resume our walk which ends at Leh’s old bazaar.
• Artisanal Alchemy’s Ladakhi Lunch Experience at Jade House
• After enjoying lunch in Leh, we will enjoy free time to explore the bazaar for shopping and getting acquainted with the ‘town plaza with a stop at LENA's Pashmina shop before we meet with them tomorrow for our workshop.
• En route back to Stok, we enjoy a sunset visit to Shanti Stupa.  
• Return to Stok for dinner.   

Accommodations: Golden Retreat Hotel
Meals: B,L,D 

Today we gather with the villagers of Stok to head to the Summer Palace in Choglamsar for a special day to celebrate His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 86th Birthday. 

Awaiting the schedule for this special day! 

Accommodations: Golden Retreat Hotel  

Meals: B, Picnic L, D  

Early morning drive to Thiksey monastery for morning prayers with the monks.  Afterward, we enjoy a special visit to the monastery’s library and later have a tour of the monastery itself.  Lunch at an organic farm, followed by a Pashmina workshop with LENA Ladakh. 

• Morning chanting and meditation at Thiksey Monastery, a large gompa in Ladakh belonging to the Gelugpa school (the “yellow hat” sect) of Tibetan Buddhism.     

• Lunch nearby the monastery before we proceed to visit LENA for a Pashmina workshop.   

• Evening practices with Collin and Djazia 

We return to Golden Retreat Hotel in Stok Return for a Farewell Dinner as we depart for Nurala tomorrow.

Accommodations: Golden Retreat Hotel

Meals: B, D (lunch paid for on your own)  

After an early morning rooftop yoga practice, we will visit the Siddhartha School, a school in Stok that is very near and dear to Global Family Travels. We will learn about their mission and enjoy a yoga/ Qi Gong session led by Collin and Djazia for the students from the Siddharta School in their multipurpose Hall. 

After lunch, we head to visit the Nuns of the Ladakh Nuns Association where we learn from Amchis (Doctors) at Ladakh Nuns Association and get a real insight into the theory of Sowa-Rigpa, i.e., the Science of healing.  

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. 

About the Siddhartha School Partnership: The Siddhartha School was founded in 1995 by Khen 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 preserve and enhance the local culture.   

Accommodations: Golden Retreat Hotel  

Meals: B, L, D  

The next two days, we Learn, Serve & Immerse with the Monks and children of the Ngari Institute and spend the night at their guest house.  We will have the opportunity to learn modern scientific knowledge and ancient Buddhist wisdom and support their mission of free education, food, and shelter for 58 children from remote villages of Ladakh.   

Upon arrival, we are given a tour of Ngari’s new temple by Geshe Tsewang Dorje, Director of Ngari Institute, and then have teaching there by him about Buddhist tantric practices and the sutra. 

After lunch, we enjoy and engage the afternoon with the children of Ngari in games and sports once they are home from school.  

Learn more about Ngari Institute in our Trip highlights.  

Schedule TBD – awaiting info from a head monk.

Accommodations: Guest House of Ngari Institute  

Meals: B, L, D  

Day 2 of with the community of Ngari until mid-day. 

Later, we head to Leh for a visit with representatives from the Women’s Alliance of Ladakh and enjoy some last-minute shopping.   

Accommodations: Golden Retreat Hotel  

Meals: B, D  

After breakfast, we visit Hemis Monastery, 45 kilometers from Leh, which is the largest Monastery in Ladakh.  Positioned inside a gorge, the monastery was built in the 17th century under the patronage of King Singey Namgyal and it holds the distinction of being the biggest and wealthiest monastery of Ladakh.  Belonging to the Drukpa Order (sometimes called either Drugpa or "Red Hat sect”), it stands on the western bank of the Indus River. The monastery also boasts of a very rich collection of ancient relics.     

• We return to Golden Retreat Hotel in Stok Return for a Farewell Dinner.  

Meals: B,D  

• We depart after breakfast and are transferred to the airport in Leh, to take a morning flight to Delhi.    

• Over a final lunch together in Delhi, we reflect and share the highlights and personal insights of this remarkable journey.    

• After lunch in Delhi, we return to the hotel for leisure time and to prepare for our trip home.   

• Late evening transfer to Delhi Airport international terminal for early morning flights home.    

• (Ask us about other options for staying longer in Ladakh or India!)   
   

Accommodations: Taj Vivanta   

Meals: B,L  

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 includes information on the culture and history of your host country, helpful words, and phrases, and cultural “do’s and don’ts”.  

Learning themes unique to this tour include:

• Ladakhi cultural traditions
•  Environmental and social issues affecting the Ladakh region
• Tibetan Buddhist culture and history
• Northern Indian culture and history

As part of the commitment to this trip, we encourage a donation to support the Siddhartha School Partnership, to help support the education of  Ladakhi youth while preserving their culture and heritage..  A donation link can be found here.
 

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 the 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.

Once an independent Buddhist kingdom at the crossroads of vital trade routes between China and the Middle East, Ladakh, often called “Little Tibet” or “Land of the Broken Moon,” is one of the last places in the world where the Buddhist way of life is unrepressed.  Its unique geographical location in one of the northernmost regions in India makes Ladakh rich with extraordinary trekking trails for all expertise levels. Ladakh became a new territory state of India in 2019. 

A cultural anthropologist at heart, Jennifer Spatz is Founder and CEO of  Seattle-area Global Family Travels, a global tour operator whose mission is 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 inter-connected planet through sustainable tourism experiences that support destination stewardship and local communities.   

Since 20210, 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. 

The main goal of the Ngari Institute is to empower and enrich monks and lay persons, especially the youth, by providing a balanced learning experience of both modern scientific knowledge and ancient Buddhist wisdom, thus helping them to become efficient and productive citizens.  

Under the leadership of its current President, Geshe Tsewang Dorje, an eminent Buddhist scholar, and practitioner, the Institute has experienced fast-paced growth in the enrollment of underprivileged children from the surrounding Ladakh region. 

The Institute currently provides free education, food, and shelter for 58 children, with the promise to keep educating them until graduation from the high school level. In addition to providing education and shelter to underprivileged children of Ladakh, the Institute also sponsors programs in Buddhist philosophy for university-level students, who visit Ladakh for summer vacation. Looking toward the future, the Institute is planning on providing higher Buddhist philosophical studies to monks and lay practitioners comprised of both local and foreign students. 

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!

About 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. The complex on which the Centre is located comprises two historical houses below the 17th century Lechen Pelkhar (Leh Palace). The houses were restored by LAMO and converted to an arts space with galleries, offices, a library and reading room, screening room, conference room, and open-air performance site. The Centre is designed to conduct outreach programs, lectures, film screenings, research and documentation projects, workshops and exhibitions that showcase Ladakh’s material and visual culture, performing arts and literature.

ChöD Healing is the sacred Buddhist chant and drum healing Mystical healing that cuts through problems, hopelessness, and barriers between you and your True Self by connecting to the feminine wisdom energy. The sacred Buddhist chanting and the ritualistic beating of the drum purify the five elements of the body and mind, harmonizing matter with soul. The healing transforms by taking you beyond identification with the egoic self, bringing you in touch with your clear light. Come and experience this extraordinary power of the time-honored Tibetan Buddhist Healing and flow with the rhythm of divinity in and out of you. 

Chöd (gcod), “severance” or “cutting,” is a Tibetan term referring to a cycle of Tibetan Buddhist practice and to the lineage initiated by the Tibetan woman Machik Lapdrön sometime in the 11th or 12th century. It is primarily based on the teachings of the perfection of wisdom (prajñāpāramitā) that represent the second phase of Buddhist texts that developed in India. 

More about Chod: on Wiklipedia 

Listen to Chod on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4eBpfX1ILeg03H8tPjfscs 

Encounter some of the most knowledgeable Amchis (Doctors) at Ladakh Nuns Association and get a real insight into the theory of Sowa-Rigpa, i.e., the Science of healing. 

Sowa Rigpa is the Tibetan language word for the traditional medical system of Tibet, with roots dating back more than 2000 years. One of the oldest healing traditions in the world, it remains fully alive and intact today, having preserved its authenticity through the pure lineage of transmission. 

A centuries-old Traditional system of Medicine, based on the teachings of Buddha. While western medicine treats only symptoms with drugs and works on solitary parts of the body, traditional Tibetan Medicine takes on a holistic approach by focusing on the whole, harmonizing the body, energy and mind through balancing the five elements.  

Connect with a spiritual guide Get divine guidance for your life through the ancient practice of shamanic healing.  
 
SHAMANIC Healing Connect with a spiritual guide Get divine guidance for your life through the ancient practice of shamanic healing. Allow this timeless wisdom to heal your body, mind, and spirit. The session might help you find an answer to your questions or problems, using divination to clear your doubts through communication with the higher powers. After entering into an altered state of consciousness or trance, the spirit guide speaks prophetically through the Shaman as a medium, giving personal insight and healing energy (or blessings), leaving us to feel protected in the warmth and compassion of the beings of higher dimensions through communication with the higher powers.