HOMESTAYS LOCATIONS

What were once the ancient kingdoms of Ladakh and Zanskar are now a part of modern-day Ladakh Autonomous Region in the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir. However, the two areas are considered separately in our web pages due to their relative physical isolation from each other, and the historical, cultural, and economic differences that have evolved due to that isolation.

The areas are separated by the Zanskar Range, and connected by the Zanskar River, which after cutting the wide Zanskar Valley, turns to flow north creating deep and dramatic gorges cutting through the range and entering the into the Ladakh Range, finally converging with the Indus River.

Selected villages along the Markha and Sham trekking routes have been trained for Himalayan Homestays by the Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust (SLC-IT), with support from The Mountain Institute (TMI) and UNESCO. These settlements are situated in prime habitat for the endangered snow leopard and its prey.