Introduction – When Sustainability Climbs High and Dives Deep From Nordic Roots to Himalayan Heights There are moments when the silence of a place speaks louder than any word. I remember one such moment vividly: floating in the steaming waters of an Icelandic geothermal spring, my eyes tracing the horizon where volcanic rocks met dancing northern lights. And months later, a different silence greeted me—thin, crisp, reverent—as I stepped onto the sunburnt plateau of Ladakh for the first time. The contrasts were stark. The connection, however, was immediate. This column was born from that contrast. Iceland, a land sculpted by ice and fire, has become a poster child for sustainable […]
Introduction – From Andes to Himalayas: Searching for the Soul of Road Travel Car Tours as Windows to Landscape and Culture The concept of a car tour may seem mundane at first glance—four wheels, a road, and a destination. Yet in my years as a regenerative tourism consultant, I’ve come to understand that a road trip is more than transit—it’s a transformative lens. Through it, we watch the land breathe, cultures unfold, and histories reveal themselves with every curve, ascent, and sudden pause. Whether you’re driving through the sunburnt plains of Andalucía or navigating the fjord-lined highways of Norway, the rhythm of the road has a peculiar way of reshaping […]
Essential Ladakhi Phrases and Cultural Etiquette for Respectful Travelers Visiting Ladakh is more than a high-altitude adventure—it’s a journey into a deeply rooted culture where kindness, tradition, and hospitality define daily life. Whether you’re trekking through remote Himalayan villages or sipping butter tea in a traditional kitchen, even just a few words in Ladakhi can transform you from a tourist into a welcomed guest. This guide introduces essential Ladakhi phrases and cultural etiquette that will help you engage respectfully and meaningfully with the people of Ladakh. From the all-purpose greeting “julley” to the polite art of refusing tea (yes, that’s a thing!), you’ll find that small linguistic and cultural efforts […]
Why Thiksey Monastery is Worth Waking Up For As the sky over Ladakh begins to blush with the first light of day, a hush falls over the Indus Valley. The mountains, silent and ancient, witness a ritual that has been repeated for centuries. Thiksey Monastery, perched on a hilltop like a whitewashed sentinel, comes alive with the soft murmur of morning chants. There is no rush here. Just rhythm. And a sense of timelessness that clings to the cold air like incense. Thiksey Monastery is not just a place to see — it is a place to *feel*. A place where time slows, where every breath of mountain air carries […]
Are you ready to stand on one of the highest non-technical trekking peaks in the Indian Himalayas? We are excited to announce the Kang Yatse II Expedition, scheduled from July 18 to July 28, 2025 — a breathtaking 11-day journey into the heart of Ladakh, combining high-altitude trekking, glacier travel, and an unforgettable summit push at 6,250 meters (20,505 ft). Kang Yatse II is known as a perfect introductory peak for those dreaming of Himalayan climbing, offering stunning panoramic views of the Markha Valley, Zanskar range, and beyond — without requiring technical mountaineering experience. Several adventure-seekers from around the world have already confirmed their participation. Now, we are looking for […]
Introduction — Stones That Tell Stories The first time I saw Basgo Fort, it didn’t look like a fort at all. There were no polished courtyards, no sweeping staircases, no fairy-tale towers like the ones I’ve walked through in France or Austria. Instead, it clung to the cliffs like a weathered prayer—mud-brick walls etched by time, a landscape more silence than structure. And yet, I knew instantly: this was not emptiness. This was memory pressed into stone. Coming from the Netherlands, where castles stand as proud reminders of royal dynasties and European might, I had always seen them as symbols of control—built to assert, to defend, and to dazzle. In […]
Why Ladakh Is the Ideal Destination for Group Travel A Landscape That Demands Shared Awe There are places that humble the soul before they humble the body. Ladakh is one of them. Perched high in the Indian Himalayas, this wind-chiseled region evokes a sense of awe that demands to be witnessed in the company of others. The vastness is staggering — mountain ranges like frozen waves, sunlit ridges folding into shadow, and skies so blue they seem painted on. This is not a place for isolation; it is a landscape that begs to be shared. The silence here is not empty — it’s immense. In such an overwhelming environment, traveling […]
Introduction – A Tale of Two Landscapes From the Wind of the Andes to the Silence of the Himalayas The first breath I took in Ladakh felt thinner than the air I remembered from Patagonia—but richer somehow, not in oxygen, but in meaning. I arrived in Leh on a sharp blue morning, the kind where the sky feels so close it’s like pressing your forehead against a quiet windowpane. The Himalayas did not roar the way the Andes do. They whispered. Their silence was not emptiness; it was presence. In Patagonia, the wind shouts. Here, in Ladakh, the stillness listens. As a regenerative tourism consultant, I’ve spent years chasing landscapes […]
A New Altitude, A New Perspective Landing in Leh — Where Air is Thin and Light is Sacred When I stepped off the plane in Leh, I was not met with chaos, noise, or humidity—the usual welcome committee in many parts of Asia. Instead, silence. And light. The kind of high-altitude light that makes even shadows seem elevated, as if gravity has loosened its grip. At 3,500 meters above sea level, Leh is the entryway to Ladakh’s untamed trekking routes—some of the most striking and least trodden paths in the world. For someone who has spent weeks traversing the green tunnels of the Appalachian Trail, arriving in this cold desert […]
Walking with Intention — Why We Seek Sacred Trails From Gross National Happiness to Sacred Footsteps In Bhutan, success is measured not in GDP but in Gross National Happiness. That concept—both idealistic and deeply pragmatic—reminded me of a question I couldn’t shake as I stood in the early light of a Ladakhi morning: What if Ladakh measured its tourism in silence preserved per visitor? Pilgrimage has never just been about distance. It’s not the miles that change us, but the rhythm—the conscious placing of one foot in front of the other while something invisible shifts inside. Whether it’s a Camino in Spain or a Kora around Mount Kailash, each step […]
