Northern India - Ladakh Region & Siddhartha School

Join Paravati Family Travel, in partnership with the Crooked Trails, for an unrivaled volunteer, education and immersion experience in India’s Ladakh region. Highlights include the opportunity to contribute meaningfully in the village of Stok by living, working and learning with a host Ladakhi family and to meet the student you sponsor at the Siddhartha School, as well as the student’s family. Participate in the daily activities of your hosts and watch your children play and become friends with kids their own age. As part of the local community, you and your family will gain a deep understanding of the Buddhist culture and traditions of this stunning region known as Little Tibet.

LIVE
As part of Paravati Family Travel’s home-stay program, you and your family will become immersed in the Ladakhi communal culture, but not before experiencing some of India’s grandest wonders.

• Home-Stays: Experience “3 Days in the Life” of your host family while living in the village of Stok and integrating into the local community at a level inaccessible to the average tourist. Accommodations: Tk.
• Leh: While acclimating to the nearly 11,500-foot elevation, enjoy a stay in Leh, the capital of Ladakh, where families will have the chance to explore Tibetan handicraft markets at the crossroads of ancient trading routes. Other sights include visits to Shey Palace, the former residence of Ladakh’s royal family and tours of the architecturally impressive Thiksey Gompa and thoroughly colorful Stakna Gompa monasteries. Accommodations: Padma Guesthouse
• New Delhi: Our three-day visit to New Delhi will center on guided visits to the Red Fort via rickshaw, passing through the famous Silk Road and Silver Bazaar. As well as a day trip to the nearby town of Agra to see the Taj Mahal. Before leaving India’s capital city, we will also visit the stirring Gandhi Memorial Museum, the site where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated in 1948. Accommodations: Bajaj Indian Homestay

WORK
Working to better the communities we visit, Paravati Family Travel will match you and your family’s skills and interests with the volunteer needs and opportunities available in Ladakh, both before, during and after your trip.

• Volunteer: From working on projects like environmental cleanup and waste management strategizing, you’ll be able to help the Ladakhi people advance their sustainable and cooperative way of life.
• Daily Activities: Through the “3 Days in the Life” program, your host family in Stok will present an unfettered view of what it is like to live in the beautiful, rural landscape, and the rewards and blessings that come as a result.
• Sponsor a Student: Prior to departing for India, we encourage you to sponsor a child from the Siddhartha School for $1 a day. Your donation will not only secure the future of the school, it will create a personal connection for you with one of these beautiful children. The Siddhartha School, the only private school in Ladakh that accepts students regardless of their family’s ability to pay tuition, is vital in creating an educated, modern population in the region that can sustain the unique way of life. Click here to sponsor a child.
• Donations: Paravati Family Travel will also send you a list of items (such as notebooks, pencils and library books) that the Siddhartha School and the Stok community could use in continuance of their daily lives should you wish to bring any.

LEARN
More than just an overview; Paravati Family Travel education programs will give you and your family a deep understanding of the history and traditions of your new friends in Ladakh.

• Siddhartha School: As the only private school in Ladakh that accepts students regardless of their ability to pay tuition, Siddhartha School is one-of-a-kind in its efforts to preserve and enhance the local culture. While more than 70 percent of the students in Ladakh fail the government exam required to move beyond the 10th grade, for the past two years the Siddhartha School’s entire 10th grade class has passed. Your children will be able to participate in activities with the kids from the Siddhartha School (where students are taught to speak English, Hindi, Tibetan and Ladakhi), and form friendships with local students.
• Kids Culture Camp: Educators will present Buddhist culture and Ladakhi customs to your kids through crafts, stories, performances and music.
• Meditation and Yoga Sessions: Whether you are a first time practitioner or practice regularly, we will introduce you and guide you through meditation and yoga sessions throughout your visit.
• Cultural Presentations: Adults can choose to attend lectures and performances by local Ladakhi residents and educators.