Would you like to visit a place that retains its rich cultural and environmental heritages? A place where you can live alongside Tibetan families or wander into the high desert? How about a yak ride through the mountains and visits to ancient Buddhist monasteries? And most importantly, what would it be like to engage in these activities with the knowledge that your stay has a positive impact on the community that you visit?!
Visit the Spiti Valley in the Indian Himalayas and allow Ecosphere to host you. Ecosphere focuses on reestablishing the link between the native custodians of Spiti’s resources and the consumer. Through a product line that includes travel, organics, and health, Ecosphere aims to create sustainable livelihoods that are linked to conservation. For example, one of Ecosphere’s trips called Exploring the Trans-Himalayan Desert initiates visitors through homestays with local Spitian families where you might enjoy tasty local momos while reducing your environmental impact by using traditional dry toilets. A five day trek ensues that might include glimpses of Blue Sheep and the oldest temple in the area as well as lunch at the high mountain Dhankhar Lake. One your final day, you are treated to a chance to wander about this area abounding with Buddhist monasteries and sample the “Wonder Berry” Seabuckthorn products harvested and processed by local women.
To promote its core philosophy of enabling culture and nature conservation, Ecosphere sets aside 5% of all income generated from the travel products for conservation-based activities. With Spiti undergoing a transition phase it is imperative that efforts are made now to preserve the traditional practices and livelihoods. Ecosphere is a small attempt to bridge the gap between the traditional and the modern, to ensure the development of sustainable livelihoods for the inhabitants of this unique cultural and ecological microcosm.
tagged Ecosphere, India, Interesting companies & organisations and Spiti Valley
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