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Trip	Search for Snow Leopards with Valerie Parkinson by Exodus Travels 5 \| Excellent 16690 Reviews Trip Details Save Trip Reserve	Assam & Nagaland Hornbill Festival by Travel The Unknown 5 \| Excellent 58 Reviews Trip Details Save Trip Customize

Duration	14 days	15 days
Price From	$ 4,500	$ 3,635
Price Per Day	$ 321	$ 242
Highlights	Chance to see the rare, elusive snow leopard Wonderful winter walking in mountainous Ladakh, when it is cut off from the rest of the world Visit ancient monasteries and attend a colourful monastic festival with masked dancers Enjoy a homestay night and traditional meal with a friendly Ladakhi family Look for lynx, blue sheep, wolves, bearded vultures, red foxes, Himalayan griffin vultures and golden eagles	One-horned rhino & wildlife in Kaziranga Satras and village life on Majuli island Ruins of Ahom Dynasty in Sibsagar Song and dance at the Hornbill Festival Tribal culture of Nagaland Visit Imphal's women-run bazaar Observe the unique floating 'phumdis' at Loktak Lake
Trip Style	Small group tour	Small group tour
Lodging Level	Standard	Standard
Physical Level	3- Moderate	3- Moderate
Travel Themes	Nature & Wildlife Hiking & Walking National Parks Festivals & Special Events Trekking & Expeditions	Cultural Nature & Wildlife National Parks Festivals & Special Events
Countries Visited	India	India
Cities and Attractions	Delhi Ladakh Taj Mahal	N/A
Flights & Transport	Ground transport included	Internal airfare and ground transport included
Activities	Festivals & Special Events Hiking Nature Wildlife viewing	Culture Festivals & Special Events Game drive Historic sightseeing Homestays & Cultural Immersion Nature Safari
Meals Included	All breakfasts are included and all food is included in Ladakh. In Leh, the food is a mix of Indian, Tibetan, Chinese and Continental. On trek, we provide a full breakfast including porridge, cereals, eggs and toast and a choice of hot drinks. Lunch is a packed hot lunch consisting of rice and chapattis, vegetables, tuna and cheese, which is carried for us. Dinners are mostly pasta, rice or potato based and a mixture of Indian, Continental and Chinese cuisines. In the afternoon, hot drinks and biscuits are served and, in the daytime, camp staff bring us hot drinks while we are out spotting. Drinking water Staying hydrated is important when undertaking any physical activity. However, we strongly encourage you not to buy bottled water as this contributes to the growing problem of plastic pollution in India On trek, the cooks collect and boil drinking water from the mountain streams and fill up your water bottles for you, but you may need to collect water during the day and may wish to use your own water purification treatment as well. Purification tablets can be an economical way to treat your water, most taking between 30 minutes to one hour to purify one litre of water and are easy to used in water bladders/hydration packs. Purification tablets which contain chlorine dioxide are reported not to leave an obvious taste as other tablets may. We suggest you may like to bring a reusable bottle with a wide opening and use a Steripen to treat any non-boiled water. A Steripen is a handheld UV water purifier – small, lightweight and battery powered, so easy to pack. It’s quick to use, far more effective than purification tablets, and the water is ready immediately. It’s fine to use a Steripen on non-boiled water so long as it isn’t cloudy or full of sediment (which is uncommon in these regions). Steripens are widely stocked on Amazon, outdoor shops and other online retailers; look for the latest models but avoid USB charging ones. Models that take lithium batteries are best as they last longer, especially in cold conditions.	14 Breakfasts, 13 Lunches and 14 Dinners
Description	Snow leopards are one of the most elusive mammals in the world but in winter they descend from the High Himalaya in search of food. As they inhabit some of the most remote and mountainous regions of Central Asia, the mission to see this enigmatic cat is really more of a pilgrimage. Other rare high-altitude wildlife and isolated Himalayan Buddhist communities only add to this quest’s allure. The itinerary varies slightly by departure date to fit in the different festivals. All departures are led by specialist Himalaya trekking guide Valerie Parkinson. Valerie won Best Tour Leader 2021 in the prestigious Wanderlust World Guide Awards. Valerie was born by the seaside in Blackpool, UK, and spent much of her younger days walking with her parents in the Lake District. After finishing her studies, Valerie worked in Germany and Switzerland, until 1984 when she took a break that would change her life forever. She travelled to India for a three-week trek through Kashmir and Ladakh and found her spiritual home in the High Himalaya. She has spent the rest of her life leading treks (and bike trips) in the Himalayan region and her knowledge of the local culture, religion, art and wildlife is second to none. Her enthusiasm for trekking developed into climbing. In 2008, she became the first British woman to summit the 26,781ft (8,163m) tall Mount Manaslu without the use of supplementary oxygen and she attempted Everest in 2009. Over the years, Valerie has been instrumental in setting up and running Himalayan Community Projects, which now operates through the Exodus Travels Foundation.A rare chance to see the elusive snow leopard and attend a monastic festival	Discover one-horned rhinos, elephants and other wildlife in Kaziranga National Park. Take a boat on the Brahmaputra River to Majuli, one of the largest river islands in the world, before finally entering Nagaland. Bordering onto Myanmar, Nagaland is steeped in history and tribal tradition. Wander through tribal villages and soak up the atmosphere at the Hornbill Festival, where Naga culture is brought to life in colourful song and dance. Visit the solemn WWII cemetery in Kohima then cross into Manipur and wander around India's only women-run market in Imphal and experience the tranquility of Loktak lake, known for its rich birdlife and rural culture.

Itinerary: Search for Snow Leopards with Valerie Parkinson

Day 1 Start Delhi

The adventure begins in Delhi. You are free today to explore this buzzing city or rest after your flight; rooms may not be available until noon but it is often earlier than this. There is usually a welcome briefing in the hotel lobby this evening. Accommodation: Hotel Regent Grand (or similar)

Day 2 Fly across the Himalaya to Leh

Usually, we have an early start for the flight to Leh. We may have to leave the hotel around 3am and drive to the airport for the very early morning (but highly spectacular) flight over the snow-capped peaks of the Himalaya, which are incredibly beautiful in winter. Landing in Leh, the temperature drops dramatically and we need our down jackets at the airport. If the weather is good and the flight goes on time, we should be in Leh for breakfast. The rest of the day is free to relax and acclimatise to the altitude (11,485ft/3,500m). In the morning, we rest and catch up on sleep. In the afternoon, we have a gentle orientation walk around Leh and its bazaars. Accommodation: Mahey Retreat (or similar)

Day 3 Full day at a monastic festival or visit Shey, Thikse and Stakna monasteries

The activities for this day depend on your departure date. Each year, the timing of the monastic festivals change and so the itinerary is flexible to ensure you can attend this time-honoured tradition. You either attend the festival or visit the monasteries on Day 3. Please note, the arrangements below are for 2024 departures. Once a year, every monastery in Ladakh has a festival where the monks dress in elaborate brocade and silk costumes and re-enact century-old stories of the Tibetan Buddhist religion. People come from all over Ladakh to the festivals and these are a great social as well as religious occasion. The whole day is spent at the festival and, in the evening, we return to our hotel in Leh. If not attending a festival on this day, we visit the most important monasteries in the Indus Valley. First, we drive just over 30 minutes to Shey, once the residence of the Ladakhi royal family. Below the old palace ruins is a small temple containing a two-storey gilded statue of Buddha. From Shey, we walk across the fields to Tikse, spotting birds en route. Set on a hill, it is one of the most impressive gompas in Ladakh. It has several temples, one of which contains a superb statue of the Future Buddha. We then drive to Stakna, a small but friendly monastery perched atop a huge rock. In the late afternoon, we return to Leh. Festival attendance – land only start dates 19-20 February 2024: Stok Festival on Day 3 Accommodation: Mahey Retreat (or similar)

Day 4 Drive to Jinchen; trek to Rumbak Sumdo

Today we leave Leh and drive across the Indus towards Jinchen. We follow the road past Phe to the entrance of the impressive Rumbak Gorge. We leave the cars near a bridge and our trail takes us up into the narrow gorge and we start our search for evidence of snow leopards and blue sheep. We camp tonight at our base camp at Rumbak Sumdo (12,470ft/3,800m). Accommodation: Full-service camping

Day 5 - 9 Five days of wildlife spotting in Hemis National Park

The next five days are dedicated to searching for snow leopards. The itineraries are flexible and set by our expert wildlife guides. They are in touch with other local spotters, who share recent sightings and maximise our chances of seeing a snow leopard. We usually spend most of the time at our base camp at Rumbak Sumdo, while walks take us into the Rumbak Valley and further towards Yurutse and the Ganda La. We can also explore the Husing and Tarbuns valleys, all well-known haunts of the snow leopard. In 2023, we had six good snow leopard sightings in this area, plus fox, wolf and blue sheep sightings. In 2024, we saw six snow leopards, two wolf packs, foxes and blue sheep. Bring a good pair of binoculars to scan the slopes, though we also have wildlife spotters (one per five group members), who carry spotting scopes, which they set up at camp and on ridges on the walks. They also go out in the early mornings and late evenings to search for evidence of any animal movement. We also have a full trekking crew with us, including guides, assistant guides, cook, kitchen assistants and porters. Lunch and hot drinks are brought to us by our camp crew. If you have a heavy camera bag, it is possible to hire a private porter to carry this for you. We camp every night, except for one, which is spent in a traditional Ladakhi homestay. Food at the homestay is traditional local fare and you get the chance to interact with the villagers. Accommodation: Full-service camping and one night in a homestay

Day 10 Return to Leh

Today we trek back to Jinchen, where we meet our transport and drive back to the relative comforts of our hotel in Leh. Accommodation: Mahey Retreat (or similar)

Day 11 Full day at a monastic festival or visit Shey, Thikse and Stakna monasteries

See Day 3 for full details of activities and festival dates. This information includes which day your departure attends the monastic festival. Accommodation: Standard hotel

Day 12 Fly to Delhi

We have an early start for the flight back to Delhi. The rest of the day is free in Delhi for individual shopping or sightseeing. Accommodation: Hotel Regent Grand (or similar)

Day 13 Free day in Delhi for individual sightseeing

We have a free day in Delhi in case of any delays in the flight from Leh. If we fly to Delhi on schedule, today is free for individual sightseeing. You may want to visit Old Delhi with the magnificent Red Fort and Jami Masjid. Humayun’s Tomb (a forerunner to the Taj Mahal) is worth a visit. In New Delhi, there is India Gate and Parliament House. Delhi also has a wealth of interesting shops and markets. An optional day trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal can be arranged by your leader who will provide details and prices (not available on Fridays, as the Taj Mahal is closed). Accommodation: Hotel Regent Grand (or similar)

Day 14 End Delhi

The tour ends after breakfast today and we begin our return journeys home. Alternatively, if you’d like a little more adventure, consider joining our five-day Golden Triangle extension. Encompassing Delhi, Jaipur and Agra, the trip is a whirlwind of culture, taking in the Taj Mahal, Red Fort of Akbar and much more.

Itinerary: Assam & Nagaland Hornbill Festival

Day 1: Jorhat - Kaziranga

Meal: Dinner

On arrival in Jorhat your guide and driver will escort you to Kaziranga National Park. Check into the lodge and rest of the day free to relax. Overnight in Kaziranga.

Overnight in Wild Grass Lodge, Kaziranga National Park

Day 2: Kaziranga