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Untold Rajasthan
Dates: 15-23 October
Dates:
Route:
Program Details:
Story Trails designed to explore untold & authentic stories, Impact Photography and Filmmaking mentorship and social/community leadership.
No of participants:
12 Storytellers x Conscious Explorers
Story Trails
by The Impact Society
Impact Expeditions is a stepping stone for conscious and responsible travellers, explorers, aspiring youth leaders to unlearn the art of social & community leadership. A 9 day hands-on journey designed to engage in learning about culture & heritage, social leadership, life in extreme, responsible storytelling, climate and environmental actions and sustainable solutions.
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From snow clad mountain canopies to 1000-year old monasteries, this trans-himalayan region is one of the toughest and extreme habitats to survive and within it lies unheard, untold and unseen stories of change, history and sustainability.
experience snapshot
gorgeous landscapes
cosy homestays
local tales
Impact & Social Leadership
life in extreme
cultural legacy
education
sustainable practices
climate impact
From visiting monastery's & villages to exchanging tales with local communities, this expedition is designed to discover the historical legacy, resilient cultures, climate leadership and sustainable innovations that has led to a positive impact and change in Spiti's eco-tourism model.
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Meet experts & local leaders to unlearn the art of social impact, climate actions, sustainable living and regenerative travel.
The Journey
15th October' 2022
Arrive at Chandigarh - Head to Manali
16th October' 2022
Head to Kaza
17th October' 2022
Orientation & Introductions
18th October' 2022
Understanding Local Life, Climate resilient homes & insights into traditional mud architecture
19th October' 2022
Insights in to Spiti's Traditional Systems of Healing
20th October' 2022
Volunteer Workshop - Artificial Glacier Project
21st October' 2022
Reflections & Gathering
22nd October' 2022
Head back to Manali
23rd October' 2022
Head back to Chandigarh
Book yourself to Chandigarh airport and meet the crew at the airport itself. From here, we join the group to head for Manali. Stay at a beautiful cottage in Manali overlooking the valley.
Traveling to Spiti from Manali to Kaza route is one of a kind of an adventure. And for many people, it can easily become a trip of a lifetime. Post breakfast, you will start by hitting the road from Manali towards Kaza. You will pass through the newly inaugurated Atal Tunnel under the famous Rohtang Pass and then drive into a stunning landscape to approach Chatru and Batal.
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At 14,931 feet, you will be catching your first chill at the Kunzum Pass and then descend into Losar Village, the first village in Spiti valley. Having warmed up with a cup of tea at Losar, you will continue driving through the stunning landscapes and reach Kaza. You will be spending the night at a comfortable hotel in Kaza.
Kickstart your day with introductions of the tribe. Followed by an orientation session by Ishita Khanna - Founder (Spiti Ecosphere) & Arnob Banerjee - Founder (The Impact Society).
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Spend the rest of the day exploring the local market and cafes in Kaza.
Explore the quaint village of Kwang, where we ​unlock the life a Spitian leads. Here we orient ourselves with facets of local history, culture and daily life in a Spiti home. Followed by lunch and discussion over local practices, sustainable futures and social involvement.
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Head back to Kaza and meet the tribe over an evening presentation and dinner.
More than two hundred years old, Demul village is an example of a strong community-based enterprise that supports sustainable tourism and brings sustenance to locals.
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Here we discover the history of traditional Tibetan medicine, while your hosts nourish you with local stories about their lives, culture, and folklore. Stay at a local homestay in Demul and spend the night under the starry night.
Spiti is a sensitive terrain with sometimes harsh weathers making it extremely difficult to survive, with temperatures dipping upto -25 degrees in December.
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Falling snow levels and glacial retreat is resulting in the ground water levels to drop in Spiti. Recent decades have seen a drastic decline in snowfall, with glaciers across the Himalayas losing a total of 8 billion tons of ice every year. With snow being the most important source of moisture for agriculture and drinking water in the Spiti valley, the importance and significance of glaciers becomes even more important both for the locals and the outside world.
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Unlearn the art of building an artificial glacier in the highlands of Spiti. A hands on experience to volunteer for a climate impact project, with learnings from local leaders.
Unpack the learnings in the reflective circle and fill your Impact Book with resonating memories, exchanges and explorations.
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From here we take back a pledge to reshape the future, work on the betterment of the society and explore with a meaning to impact change and diversity.
With heavy heart and a mindful of positive learnings, we depart for the chaos of city-life, where we carry forward the spirit of sustainability and collaboration, and take up the part of creating positive awareness about our pristine ecosystem and flourishing culture of co-existence.
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Stay at Manali and early morning check-out.
Book yourself the last flight in the evening with a buffer to reach Chandigarh airport. It takes 8-10 hrs to reach Chandigarh, so we will be checking out from our hotel early morning.
mentored & hosted by
Ishita Khanna is a dynamic social entrepreneur who is the founder and director of Ecosphere (a social enterprise) - that helps create sustainable livelihoods that are linked to nature and culture conservation.
Her experience of working at the grassroots and passion for the environment and the mountains has been the driving force for Ecosphere which enables her to live her philosophy. Here they address the triple bottom-line of conservation, development and economies, which also forms the very foundation of their genesis.
ARNOB BANERJEE
FOUNDER - THE IMPACT SOCIETY
An avid travel entrepreneur, Arnob has spent the last 4 years curating experiential & immersive travel initiatives that fosters a community of the finest explorers, storytellers, seekers, environmentalists and future leaders.
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Having produced India's only wilderness festival, a travel confluence, storytelling & leadership expeditions and nature connection retreats, he has been instrumental in building cohesive & innovative platforms for driving change in outdoor education and environmental consciousness.
In association with Spiti Ecosphere
Ecosphere is a social enterprise which is a collaborative effort of the local community of Spiti and professionals from diverse backgrounds, with a wide spectrum of skills and experience, effectively spanning the bridge from the general to the niche.
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Their focus is to create sustainable livelihoods that are linked to nature and culture conservation. As a social enterprise it is our mandate to address the triple bottom-line of conservation, development and economies, which also forms the very foundation of their genesis.
Our local partnerships are aimed at fostering community growth, building awareness and providing holistic travel opportunities to an ever-growing community of conservationists, researchers, writers, photographers and filmmakers.
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Once you travel with us, there are myriad opportunities to further your cause of creating local collaborations and stories for sustained growth and awareness of the region.
your experience includes:
A journey of endless possibilities with a conscious and growing tribe of explorers like you.
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Meet a diverse group of people from the backgrounds keen on unlearning
The Art of Impact & Social Leadership
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2 Nights stay with dinner & breakfast at a quaint homestay in Manali (to&fro)
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6 Nights stay with fellow creators on double-sharing basis at Osel Rooms, Kaza, Spiti
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Meal Plan : Breakfast + Lunch + High Tea for 6N/7D with local cuisine in Kaza (Dinner is excluded which you can explore cafe's in Kaza)
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Gala Dinner on the last night
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All workshops & creative sessions
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All transfers from Manali - Kaza - Manali and internal transfers to multiple locations & explorations
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Local Explorations and Village excursions
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Stationery for your hacks & mentor notes
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Mentorship on the move from - Ishita Khanna + The Impact Society & Spiti Ecosphere team to guide you
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Give-aways & gifts
And the best part? It's all priced at an all inclusive cost of >>
INR 55,000​/- (8N/9D) >>
(Chandigarh - Spiti - Chandigarh)
Once you have arrived at the destination,
we have got you covered.
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Last date to book : 30th September
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Meet a diverse group of people from the backgrounds of science, research, writing, photography & filmmaking in this journey to unlearn - The Art of Impact Leadership