8 Places to Volunteer Travel in Ladakh.

Compiled by Sifti Dhillon.

Ladakh volunteer, volunteer travel india
Ladakh is majestic, remote and on many bucket lists for its pristine beauty. For centuries, the locals lived in this cold mountain desert in the Trans-Himalayas without contact with the rest of India. Tourism gave people access to roads, education and a booming local economy, but also tempered with traditional cultural and environmental practices. So when you travel to Ladakh next, try to give a little something back to this magnificently beautiful region, and who knows, you might just come back with stories you never imagined you'd hear.

We've made your research easier, with this compilation of organizations and the volunteering opportunities they offer. Please get in touch with them directly through their websites, and if you have more to add from your own personal experiences, leave us a comment so we can keep this list updated.

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1. SECMOL (The Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh)

Ladakh volunteer, Leh Ladakh pictures
Photo by Justine Simon.

Where: Phey, 18 km from Leh.

What can you do: Teaching, special skills (like photography), conversational English, sports coaching (ice skating, figure skating, hockey)

Minimum commitment: 3 weeks

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2. VOLUNTEER LADAKH

Stok village, Ladakh pictures
Photo by Jonathan Choe.

Where: In rural, isolated communities of Ladakh

What can you do: Teacher training, English lessons, environmental projects, cultural exchange, classroom construction

Minimum commitment: 2 weeks for environmental projects; 2 Months for teaching 

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3. 17000FT

volunteer travel india, Ladakh volunteer
Photo by Editor Gol Monitor.

Where: Remote villages in Ladakh

What can you do: Build libraries and classrooms, teach, conduct workshops

Minimum commitment: 1 week

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4. LEDEG (Ladakh Ecological Development Group)

Ledeg, Leh Ladakh pictures
Photo by Jonathan Choe.

 Where: All over Ladakh

What can you do: Skills training, waste management, livelihood initiatives, english lessons, basic computer skills, documentation of cultural practices

Minimum commitment: 4 weeks

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5. DRUK WHITE LOTUS SCHOOL

druk white lotus school, Ladakh volunteer
Photo by Druk Lotus White School.

Where: Shey (30 min from Leh) and Khachey

What can you do: Teacher training, infrastructure building

Minimum commitment: Flexible

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6. DUTCH FOUNDATION FOR LADAKHI NUNS

Ladakh nunnery, Leh Ladakh travel guide
Photo by Shivya Nath.

 Where: Thiksey

What can you do: Help the nuns manage the guesthouse, teach

Minimum commitment: 1 month

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7. PAGIR (The People's Action Group for Inclusions and Rights)

Ladakh volunteer, volunteer travel india
Photo by McKay Savage.

Where: Leh

What can you do: Waste management, writing, photography, leadership and management workshops for disabled people

Minimum commitment: Flexible

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8. SNOW LEOPARD CONSERVANCY

snow leopard conservancy, Ladakh snow leopard
Photo by Tambako The Jaguar.

Where: Villages across Ladakh

What can you do: Community-based projects, photography and videography, population estimation program, predator studies, documentation

Minimum commitment: Flexible

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Tell us about your experiences of volunteer travelling in Ladakh.

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2 comments:

  1. Excellent! I must make a note of it. I just wanted to know if you have to pay to volunteer or they provide accommodation in exchange of voluntary jobs.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great! This is a very nice informative article.

    ReplyDelete

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