India

Plan to arrive in Leh, India at any time. All flights will connect through New Delhi which offers a good opportunity to arrive early and spend a few days sightseeing before heading into the mountains. The Ladakh flight to Leh is one of the most beautiful as it goes over the western Himalaya range over the majestic peaks and lends into the heart of Himalayan Snow kingdom of Ladakh.

Once you arrive in Leh, we will arrange an airport pickup and transfer to our hotel. For those who arrive in the morning we will walk through town and spend a few hours photographing and shopping in the town’s traditional market. Before dinner we will meet our local wildlife biologist and talk about snow leopard ecology and our forthcoming days searching for the elusive ghost cat. Largely, today will be uneventful to allow ample time to recover from the long journey and to adjust to Leh’s 11,000 foot elevation.

The region of Ladakh is considered to have the best preserved traditional Tibetan Buddhist culture in the world. It is home to hundreds of ancient monasteries that have retained a relatively unchanged way of life for centuries. After breakfast, we will spend our first full day in India visiting and photographing three of the area’s most prominent Buddhist monasteries- the Shev Palace, Thiksey, and Hemis. Our visits will offer a great introduction to the people of Ladakh, and offer a truly special opportunity to experience and photograph several monastic rituals. In the evening we will return to our hotel in Leh for dinner and relaxing.

After breakfast we will drive southeast along the Indus River towards the Gya Meru conservation area.  Passing through stunning valleys and steep canyons we will keep an eye out for ibex, urial, and possibly snow leopards! After spending a day photographing landscapes and wildlife we will return to Leh for a guided tour of the old market before dinner.

The next four days will be entirely devoted to wildlife. After early breakfasts, we will leave with our team in search of snow leopards and other wildlife including Lynx, Pallas’ Cat, Wolf, Red Fox, dhole (Tibetan wild –dog), Blue Sheep, Asiatic Ibex, Tibetan Argali and many other species of mammals. We will be in constant communication with local villagers and guides who can direct us towards leopard sightings. Like all exciting animals, whether we see the cats up close or far away will depend on our luck. Either way, our days will be spent surrounded by the mighty Himalaya with infinite vistas and a variety of animal species to photograph. Depending on our wildlife sightings and the groups’ interest, we could spend a day visiting the Alchi Monastery which dates to the 10^th century and is one of the oldest in Ladakh.

After breakfast and one more outing to search for leopards, we will bid farewell to Ulley and drive towards Kargil. The drive will take us through beautiful river valleys and over spectacular mountain passes along the border of India and Pakistan. En route we will visit one of the largest stone buddhas carved into a hillside near the city. Once in Kargil we will visit the Munshi Aziz Bhat Museum, a private collection of over 1000 artifacts from that Silk Route trade heritage of Kargil. The evening will be spent relaxing at our hotel in the city and perhaps exploring the nearby market

After breakfast we will transfer to a new vehicle and drive to Drass, a mountain town known as the gateway to the Indian Himalaya, and the second coldest inhabited place on Earth (luckily we will be there in the spring when it is warmer!). In the evening we will meet with our wildlife guide to learn about Himalayan Brown Bears and enjoy a tasty dinner at our lodge.

While Snow Leopards are perhaps the most famous large carnivore of the Himalaya, India’s Himalayan Brown Bears are just as rare and a spectacular subject that very few people have ever photographed. After hibernating all winter, the bears (often with babies) will emerge from their dens in late April offering a heart-warming and once in a lifetime opportunity to watch the parents introduce their young to the world.

Our first two days of brown bear tracking will begin with a very early wakeup and a short drive to the Mushkow Valley. During a splendid walk along the Mushkow River or short hike to the top of a nearby ridge, we will keep our eye out for bears in addition to over 25 species of migratory birds who will be passing through. In the afternoon we will return to our lodge for lunch and visit the nearby Shina Villages which offer great opportunities to photograph local culture in addition to wildlife including Ibex, Foxes, and Wolves. In the evening we will return to Drass for relaxation and dinner.

After another early morning of bear tracking, we will drive to the abandoned 300 year old settlement of Hundurman. Located along the Line of Control between India and Pakistan, the village has been turned into a historic museum and interpretive center that offers a glimpse into the region’s past, and offers an opportunity to learn about the hardships that the local people experienced during conflict between India and Pakistan some thirty years ago. We will meet the local host of Hundurman and after a tour of the settlement and museum will join his family for a traditional lunch in their home. In the late afternoon we will return to Drass for dinner, tea, and relaxation.

After breakfast we will bid farewell to Drass and return along the highway to Leh. Following a slightly different route from our approach we will stop at several mountain passes to enjoy stunning views and stop for tea at a massive buddha carved out of a cliff face.

Depart Leh at any time, return home connecting through New Delhi