All posts filed under: Jammu & Kashmir

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Ladakh Travel Tips: How to Discover Ladakh Responsibly.

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Attention! Mass tourism is destroying Ladakh. Please consider these Ladakh travel tips to discover Ladakh more responsibly. I vividly remember the dramatic, barren, snow-capped Himalayas of Ladakh. I acclimatized myself to the high altitude at an eco-luxury camp on the shores of the mighty Indus. Hitch-hiked along remote villages in western Ladakh. Introspected at a nunnery. Witnessed a grand traditional welcome for His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Hiked through surreal landscapes. Met a tight work deadline on the steps of a monastery (the only place I could find 2G internet!). Rode in rickety buses. And partook in the wisdom of Buddhist monks. So much has happened since – from discovering the secret lives of chocolate farmers in Costa Rica to hitch-hiking through soulful villages in northern Romania – that I almost forgot why traveling in Ladakh broke my heart. Every time I browse Instagram and see a picture of Ladakh, I can suddenly hear the call of the Trans-Himalayas. I feel myself gripped by a desire to revisit this remote mountain desert. But then I remember, …

Ladakh nuns, Ladakh people

Heartwarming & Heartbreaking: Living With The Nuns of Ladakh.

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On a sunny afternoon, I sit on the steps outside my room, gazing at the bare, brown mountains and their snow-clad peaks. I’m lost in thought when four kids, wearing maroon sweaters and warm stockings, their heads shaved off, come and sit next to me. Word has gotten around that I speak Hindi, and the curious ones have come to check for themselves. On first glance they look like young boys from the village, so I ask Aap sab bhai hain? (Are you brothers?). They solemnly nod no, point towards the nunnery, and tell me they are nuns. Shivya NathWelcome to my blog, The Shooting Star. I’ve been called a storyteller, writer, photographer, digital nomad, “sustainability influencer,” social entrepreneur, solo traveller, vegan, sustainable tourism consultant and environmentalist. But in my heart, I’m just a girl who believes that travel – if done right – has the power to change us and the world we live in.

The World From the Lens of Ladakhi Nuns.

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When I went to live at a nunnery in the high Himalayas of Ladakh, I didn’t imagine that I would be interacting with nuns as young as six years! Living with these Ladakhi nuns for a fortnight was beautiful, insightful, heartbreaking and introspective, in that order. But that’s a story for another post. Today, I want to show you the world from their lens, in photos taken by them with my Sony Cybershot camera. Shivya NathWelcome to my blog, The Shooting Star. I’ve been called a storyteller, writer, photographer, digital nomad, “sustainability influencer,” social entrepreneur, solo traveller, vegan, sustainable tourism consultant and environmentalist. But in my heart, I’m just a girl who believes that travel – if done right – has the power to change us and the world we live in.

Jullay from Leh!

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I groggily board the flight to Leh at an unearthly hour. Waking up irritably to the flight attendant’s announcement, the view outside my window quickly changes my mood. We are flying precariously close to the snow-covered Himalayas, and would soon land in the cold mountain desert of Ladakh. Three years after my first solo trip to Spiti, I am back in the trans-Himalayas, still dreamy and wide-eyed, a little nervous, and hoping to find solitude in the mountains. It feels like life has come a full circle. At first glimpse, Ladakh feels majestic and harsh, and immediately introspective. Mighty snow-capped peaks and stark, barren mountain slopes stand in striking contrast against a surprising amount of greenery. I’ll later find out that cultivating this dry desert in the strong sun and harsh winters has taken centuries of careful water management by the locals – something that has been heavily compromised for tourism needs in the last two decades. The shy but friendly locals, their cheeks reddened by the strong sun, make me feel right at home …