This is a travel experience for those looking for a meaningful way of spending vacations, brought to you by the good folks at Little Local!

A Little Local travel experience is not just about gorgeous scenery and breathtaking nature, but getting involved with the community and giving back to them. You can look forward to workshops, learning traditional customs and handicraft, hands-on farming and cooking, and developing measurable community impact activities. Not to mention, experiencing local and authentic festivities, food and culture - in a manner that you can't experience anywhere else, no matter how fancy the resort! All the while, surrounded by gorgeous nature, truly off the regular tourist map.

About This Trip: Zbalung – The Invisible Village

On this trip, you will be heading to Henasku, a remote village along the Kargil-Leh national highway. If you haven't heard of it, you're not alone. Once a thriving stop along the Silk Route, today it lies nearly abandoned with very few locals still living here. Known as 'Zbalung' which means 'the invisible village' in the local language, the name was coined because of how the mountains protect and hide it from plain view. Today the name also assumes a deeper significance as a reference to a past of importance and glory, which somehow over time has been reduced to near oblivion.

Little Local first visited Henasku in 2017, interacting with the locals: Living in their home, dining together and exchanging stories of a long gone past. The team learnt about the community's unique history, spending with the royal family and documenting some the oral folklore. This summer, Little Local goes back to go deeper into the documentation and also work with the community on a long-term livelihood plan. In addition, the team will be surveying an old building for possible restoration, and will have mentors to help us structure the entire exercise.

The trip package

The cost of the workshop is Rs 29,999/- and includes your stay, meals, internal travel, workshop and mentor costs. Travel to and from Leh is additional, as are personal expenses of any kind.

Who is this for? All artists, photographers, film-makers, writers and especially architects looking to combine travel, learning and impact!