Snow Leopards & Bears of the Himalayas

India

Track the rarest animals in remote Ladakh

£4,495 pp (was £4,695 pp) This is the per person group tour price, based on 2 sharing. The price is subject to change with exchange rate and flight cost fluctuations.
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Intro, Dates & Prices

Intro

Strap on your boots for a truly thrilling chase above the timberline on the trail of two of the world's most elusive and bewitching mammals: the Himalayan Brown Bear and the Snow Leopard.

Join a select group of like-minded wildlife enthusiasts and keen-eyed naturalists on a once-in-a-lifetime expedition through India's mystic rooftop of Ladakh in search of these magnificent - yet reclusive - guardians of a still-pristine environment of lonesome peaks, high, dry valleys, and specialised wildlife.

Traversing the stunning Indus Valley to heights of 4,500m (14,750ft), the tour takes more twists and turns than a Himalayan road to tempt you with not only the kings of the high frontier, such as the Golden Eagle, Ibex, Wolf, Lynx, Pallas Cat, Brown Bear, and near-mythic snow leopard, but also living traces of indigenous Buddhist culture in the form of solitary monasteries and Himalayan village life.

Eat local, wander centuries-old ruins on the world’s most hotly-contested border, and end your day’s discovery in lodge comfort. Best of all, be skillfully guided to what could be the encounter of a lifetime with an ursine giant of the slopes, and a ghost cat that evaded capture on film until 1970.

Note: we can only take a maximum of two single rooms in the accommodation we use in Drass and Ulley.

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Accommodation

Accommodation

All accommodation subject to availability. Final accommodation choices will be confirmed after booking.

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Nimmu House

Nimmu Village (3 nights)

Nimmu House is a charming eco-resort nestled at 10,000 feet in the traditional village of Nimmu. It is situated 45 minutes from Leh, the capital of Ladakh, and is an excellent base to explore some of the local villages and Himalayan landscapes. The property is sustainably run with fresh produce grown on site and sourced from nearby farmers. It has also retained its Buddhist architectural heritage. It is a wonderful place to kick back and relax, whilst you reconnect with nature and recharge your batteries.

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Snow Leopard Lodge

Ulley (5 nights)

The Snow Leopard Lodge is located high in the beautiful village of Ulley in the Sham region of central Ladakh, north of the Indus River, at an altitude of about 13,000 feet. It is 2–3 hours driving distance west from Leh. The lodge consists of 8 en-suite rooms and two rooms sharing one bathroom. Please note: Because of constant freezing temperatures, there is no running water. Hot and cold water is constantly available in buckets. Toilets are western style with ‘bucket flush’. Over the past 10 years this area has gained a reputation not just for its snow leopards, but as one of the best areas to see Ibex, Urial, Wolf, Himalayan Fox, Bearded and Himalayan Griffon Vultures and Golden Eagles.


 

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Hotel The Kargil

Kargil (1 night)

Located next to Hussaini Park and the Suru River, The Kargil offers a comfortable, modern stay. The hotel's 33 rooms and suites feature a stylish decor, en-suite bathrooms, mountain views, and all modern amenities including a free laptop rental service. Guests may enjoy buffet dining in the hotel restaurant, or spend time exploring the town or surrounding landscape, which is as beautiful as it is rugged.

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Drenmo Lodge

Drass Valley (4 nights)

Drenmo Lodge is the first ever exclusive lodge in western Ladakh dedicated to the majestic Himalayan Brown Bear. Located in the remote Holiyal village in Mushkow valley - a prime brown bear country, it is undoubtedly the best location in India for sighting this magnificent mammal. The region of Drass had been facing a serious issue of human-Himalayan brown bear conflict and locals viewed these bears as a burden. The owners' vision was to change this negative perception of the local community towards the mammal by bringing them economic benefits through tourism. 

Drenmo, 'bear' in the local Purigi and Ladakhi dialect, has come a long way, and can proudly call itself the pioneers of brown bear tourism in Western Ladakh. Today, the lodge works hand in hand with a network of local community members who are engaged not only promoting tourism but also in the lodge's conservation and conflict mitigation efforts.

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Kolkata & Darjeeling Snapshot (7 days)

Ideal extension to Bhutan

Himalayan Extension: Ladakh to Kashmir (5 days)

Travel across the spectacular Himalayan Highway

Beaches (1-7 days)

After exploring the busy cities, there's no better place to relax than one of India's paradisiacal beaches

Treks & Walks (1-12 days)

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Escape the city and unwind among some of the most breathtaking mountain and hill scapes the world has to offer.

City Extensions (1-4 days)

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Himalayan Silk Road & Tak Tok Festival (16 days)

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Glimpse of India & Nepal (16 days)

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Nagaland: Festival of the Headhunters (15 days)

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Living Bridges of Meghalaya (7 days)

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Snow Leopards & Bears of the Himalayas

Track the rarest animals in remote Ladakh

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Reviews

Thanks for organising such a great trip to NE India Rahul - everything went seamlessly! We loved the fact that we could book an individual tour but still have flexibility with our itinerary once we were there, enabling us to take in the Si Donyi Festival at Daporijo and also be the first guests to stay overnight in a local village hut with our hosts in Papi, which was fantastic. Our guide was super. He had a wealth of knowledge and a great sense of humour! It’s hard to pick a highlight as the whole trip was both fascinating and at times, humbling. We’ll never forget the amazing people, scenery & culture we experienced whilst there and are glad we had the opportunity to visit such an intriguing part of the world. We would certainly consider travelling with you again in the future.

Hazel Fairall , Tribes of North East India, India

I`m very pleased with the way the trip was arranged for me, it was well organised and went very well. The itinerary was just the right pace to enjoy everything without rushing too much. It was never going to be cheap for 1 person travelling alone but I thought it was very reasonably priced.

Dewi Evans , Tailormade North East India

This trip was very well put together and ticked all the boxes that we had requested. The accommodation throughout the tour was of a high standard and our experiences in the national parks was wonderful spotting many different animals including tigers, leopards, sloth bears, lions, jungle cat plus countless number of birds. Thank you Rahul for tailoring this trip to our requirements.

Nigel & Margaret Turner , Tailormade India Wildlife & Birding tour

We went on the Spirit of South India Tour and had a great time on our honeymoon. There was a good variety of places visited and the hotels, drivers and guides were all very good. We would definitely recommend this tour.

Rachel , Spirit of South India, India

I would highly recommend Travel the Unknown to anyone visiting India. The service we received both prior to, during and following our travels was always timely and excellent. We were able to customize our trip to our liking and to enjoy a wide variety of activities. The guides in every location were outstanding! Honestly. Having travelled through much of the world I can truly say that we have never been more impressed with the quality of the guides arranged for us in each location, as well as the service we received. Similarly, the hotels were excellent and allowed us to live very comfortably while, at the same time, enjoy an authentic Indian experience. If you haven`t already booked your trip with Travel the Unknown, then either do so now....or at least give them a chance to show you what they can offer.

Tracey & Gary , Tailormade India

This was my first experience of using Travel the Unknown having enjoyed small group adventure holidays for many years. I was attracted to the company because it seeks out the more unusual and lesser known areas of a country and I was not disappointed by my visit to Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. There is a clear contrast between the people and the scenery of these two regions and we saw very few western tourists particularly in Arunachal Pradesh. The tour was well organised with plenty to see and do.

Keith Lewis , Monks, Tribes & Rhinos, India

This was a very varied and interesting trip to a forgotten part of India. If you like off the beaten track travel it is definitely worth the effort but go with an open mind and keep a smile on your face.

Richard Williams , Monks, Tribes & Rhinos, India

Thank you for organising our holiday in Kerala. I certainly wouldn`t have had the time or the knowledge to put together such a trip. Munnar was my favourite and the accommodation throughout was excellent.

Vik , Kerala Calling, India

A really well planned trip. We experienced life in Northeast India in just the way we wanted to. We loved the game reserves and saw a rock python which thrilled our guides as it is even rarer than the tiger! We visited villages and were able to interact with local people and loved the busy markets in Delhi and Calcutta. A special highlight was the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland; shown to us by our very own Naga guide Kezo. Kezo accompanied us for 15 days of our trip and ensured that we had many very special experiences - even taking us to the home of one of his Aunts where we spent a couple of hours sitting by the bonfire chatting.

Ann Holgate , Tailormade India

What an excellent service! Rahul adapted, extended and improved our trip so many times without a qualm and we ended up with the trip of a lifetime. The destinations are unusual and interesting but everything has been checked out by the team and works brilliantly. I can`t wait to do another trip.

Penelope Smith , Assam & Nagaland Hornbill Festival, India

The tour was an amazing experience for our first visit to India. The country, its people and its cuisine were friendly,delightful, colourful and exceeded all our expectations. Travel the Unknown have put together a superb unique package that we have no hesitation in recommending to anyone with an interest in food and culture.

Elaine & Neil Smith , Delicacies of North India, India

I`m sure I could not have found a better operator for the type of complicated Indian tour I wanted to undertake on a limited budget. India is an intimidating country to visit, and I suspect that some operators look down on the first time visitor, or disparage their requirements. Travel the Unknown, by contrast, helped me all the way, and their local guides were superb.

Andrew Martin , Tailormade North East India
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