August 2018 – If you can’t make it in June or July, join us in August while we set up camp at Dzukou Valley.  The festival will be a ten-day long affair with music and dance, food and rice beer set under the clear skies of the valley.

We have short photography tours of the region along with nature walks to explore every inch of the valley.

Never been to Dzukou Valley? See this short clip. 

Join us for a night, two nights or more while we set up shop up in Dzukou Valley.
Click here to know more

When it comes to snakes, Romulus Whitaker is the last word for the passion and commitment he brings to his life's mission. At the Express Adda in Delhi he responded to all the questions, fears and reservations the common man has when it comes to facing snakes.

He emphasized on the role of parents and teachers in shaping a child's attitude toward snakes.  So this was a conversation with an adult audience, which included many nature lovers and a section of the general public.

 Quote "Especially in a country where we have 50,000 people dying of snake bites every year and many more getting permanently injured by snakes; it’s avoidable. But getting these messages out there, especially to rural India, is not easy. We are a country steeped in misbeliefs, so it gets a little awkward to say that what your grandfather told you is a lie. One has to do it in a much more diplomatic way and get it across to people that snakes are not after us. Snakes are, in fact, very frightened of us."  Romulus Whitaker

Read the detailed report at

https://tinyurl.com/yavtcfv3 

The Session will also be telecast on CNBC TV18 on Sunday, June 3, 1.30 pm.

Government of India should look at replicating this model in the country – World Animal Protection

30 May 2018: Happy Elephant Care Valley, in Chiang Mai, Thailand is about to embark on a landmark agreement to transition to become a truly elephant-friendly venue. This move will end all contact between tourists and elephants at the camp, to meet the growing demand for responsible elephant experiences.

The transformation of the venue is pioneered by World Animal Protection as part of a coalition of leaders in the travel industry, including TUI Group, The Travel Corporation, Intrepid Group, G Adventures, EXO Travel, Thomas Cook Group, and others.

Elephants in many venues across Thailand still offer rides that are the result of elephants suffering a cruel and intensive training process.  A 2017 KANTAR global study showed the number of people who find elephant riding acceptable has dropped by 9% (from 53% to 44%) in just three years. The research also showed that eight out of ten (80%) of tourists would prefer to see elephants in their natural environment, proving elephant-friendly tourism is on the rise.

In India there are around 3000 elephants in captivity and are being used for entertainment purposes such as rides at Amer Fort in Jaipur. Elephants are wild animals and not for our entertainment.

“Happy Elephant Care Valley is a ground breaking development for both elephants and tourists. It will be a very real example of an attraction where tourists can see elephants behaving naturally and freely as part of a herd. It will demonstrate that elephant-friendly experiences are possible, without forcing cruel interactions with people. We hope it paves the way for creation of similar facilities in India and brings about a change in the attitude of tour operators and tourist demand for elephant rides. This is replicable and doable in our country and we urge the Indian government to engage other stakeholders to come up with a sustainable solution like this and help protect elephants from abuse,” said Gajender K Sharma, India Country Director at World Animal Protection.

The elephants at Happy Elephant Care Valley were previously from farms and riding camps, and until recently it was possible for close interaction between tourists and the elephants, being able to ride, bathe and feed elephants at the venue. This stopped when the travel industry coalition presented a business case demonstrating the rise of elephant-friendly tourism. The transition will see the elephants free to behave as they would in the wild; free to roam the valley, bathing in mud, dust, water or grazing as tourists experience the wonder, standing at a safe distance.

Steve McIvor, CEO at World Animal Protection, said:

“With the support of the world’s leading travel companies, this agreement is a significant milestone for World Animal Protection. It will show that high welfare venues for elephants can be commercially viable for elephant camp owners - encouraging them to value and care for their animals.”

A Leh Ladakh Trip, India's chilled desert is indeed an once-in-a-lifetime experience. By booking best Leh Ladakh tour packages, you will witness a remarkable natural beauty which is a visual treat for both your eyes & cameras.

Burrowed at an altitude of 3,500 meters beyond the sea level, between the Kunlun Mountain Range in the north and the mighty Himalayas to the south, is a tiny, yet lively town of Leh. Being the major city of Ladakh, Leh enjoys the highest tourism. The reason why Ladakh tour packages are famous is because it not links one of the quiet hamlets and gorges of the district, but is also one of the few residual “Buddhist” destinations in South Asia. All you need to do is book one of the finest hotels in Leh and enjoy your memorable stay in the glorious heaven.

Best Time To Visit Leh Ladakh:

The best time to visit leh ladakh is summer from April till July. The temperature during this season varies from 15 degrees to 30 degrees Celsius. When you book Ladakh packages from Mumbai during this time, you can witness clear sky that offers a splendid panorama. Further, it is one of the most favorable seasons for booking Leh ladakh bike tour packages and wander through the hidden gems.

Another best season to book cheapest Leh Ladakh tour packages is monsoon that spans from July till September. The temperature during this season lies between 3 degrees to 17 degrees Celsius.

Being a chilled desert, Leh Ladakh experiences severe weather changes. The temperatures are so extreme that in winter, one may experiences temperatures range between 0 degrees to -28 degrees.
Since the temperatures are varied and the height only gets higher, travellers are recommended to have precautionary medication for altitude sickness prior to booking embarking on Leh Ladakh road trip.

Best Places to Visit in Leh ladakh:

When you book Leh Ladakh Package Tour Packages From Pune, ensure that you do not skip the visit to Leh Palace.  This place is situated behind the main market has 8 floors and is alike the Potala Palace of Lhasa and continues to belongs to the regal family of Ladakh.

Just ahead of the palace is the well-known Chamba Temple, which is a one-roomed shrine that has a gigantic icon of Maitreya, the Buddha-to-come. Also in the market, at the top of the street, one can witness the beautiful Jama Masjid. Another best place to visit in Leh Ladakh is the Sankar Gompa, which is situated within the city and is one of the oldest structures.

What you need to know before booking Ladakh tour packages?

When you head on Leh lLdakh road trip, the cheapest manner to travel within the area is by the state buses, which ply on fixed routes agreeing to regular time schedules. The most convenient though costly mode of travel, though, is taxi, which is available for rental from any of the hotels in Leh on fixed point-to-point tariff basis.

For visits to the freshly opened areas of Nubra, Dah-Hanu, Tsomoriri, Tsokar and Pangong Lake, it is compulsory to appoint the services of registered and recognized Ladakh travel agents that make the required arrangements including internal transport.

How to reach Leh Ladakh?

By road:
The overland approach to Leh-Ladakh from Kashmir Valley via Kargil is almost 434 kms, which remains open for traffic from early June till Mid-November.

If you are booking leh ladakh bike tour packages, there is a motorable route between Manali and Leh which is around 473 kms long. Open for traffic from round mid-June to early October, this high road traverses the upland chilled desert plateau of Rupsho, where altitude varries from 3,660m to 4,570m. When you book one of the ladakh packages from Mumbai, you will witness a number of high passes falling on the way.  The world's second highest motorable pass is Taklang-La at an altitude of 17,469 feet/5,235 m.

By air:
You can book best Leh Ladakh Tour Packages by air. Leh Ladakh is well connected by air with New Delhi and Jammu and Srinagar.

• 100% of venues with captive elephants, tigers, dolphins or civet cats didn’t meet basic needs of animals in captivity
• 80% of venues with primates didn’t meet the basic needs of captive wild animals

• All dolphins were kept in severely inadequate conditions – one pool estimated to be 10X20 metres and three metres deep housed four bottlenose dolphins
• Dolphins at one venue have had their teeth filed down or removed entirely to ensure they are unable to injure swimmers
• All of the elephant venues offered elephant rides - elephants suffer a cruel and intensive training process that involves severe restraint. Severe pain is also often inflicted to speed up the process and quickly establish dominance. This highly traumatic experience will stay with the elephant forever
• Nearly 15% of elephants displayed stereotypies – abnormal repetitive behaviours – including swaying and foot shuffling – which indicate distress and suffering
• All venues with orangutans offered selfie experiences. Forced to entertain queues of tourists, many of these animals lacked freedom of movement, opportunities for social interaction and any stimulating activities.

Network18, India’s most diversified media conglomerate will host the Wildlife India Forum lead by India's premiere photography magazine, Better Photography, in Bengaluru on 19^th May,2018. Others collaborating this this initiative include Toehold, the country's most specialised travel and Photography Company, Sigma and HP. The event will see some of the world’s leading photographers take the stage to showcase award-winning images and to speak on conservation efforts.

The day-long event is packed with a gallery viewing of some exceptional images from around the world, a strong line-up of talks by esteemed professionals and a panel discussion on subjects like conservation efforts that must be adopted in India, essential ethics to abide by in wildlife photography, and steps enthusiasts can take to venture into the field. The panel which will be chaired by Co-founder & CEO of Toehold,Wildlife Photographer, Jayanth Sharma, will comprise of distinguished individuals like Sudhir Shivaram (Wildlife Photographer & Enterpreneur), and H Sathish (President, Youth Photographic Society).

Emphasising the purpose of the symposium, Editor in Chief of Better Photography magazine, K Madhavan Pillai says, “Unless we make a commitment to change, the incredible images brought to us by wildlife photographers will be the memories of a bygone past, with subsequent generations viewing them,perhaps, just as dispassionately, as we do our own relics. It’s time we took a serious view on what we as individuals can do to conserve in our own small ways. It would be vital for the generations ahead.”

The main speakers this time are Vijay Mohan Raj, Joshua Barton, and Roy Mangersnes, who will be imparting their knowledge at the symposium. Vijay Mohan Raj, the IFS chief conservator of Forests, will be delivering the keynote speech. Joshua Barton, an underwater photographer and one of the most well-known expedition leaders in the world, will be talking about his personal perspectives on underwater photography. Roy Mangersnes, who is a multiple award-winning wildlife photographer from Norway, and Toehold mentor, will be talking about the artistic aspects of wildlife photography. Kalyan Varma, an international jurist, award-winning wildlife photographer and filmmaker, will be speaking on the intricacies of wildlife film making.  

Jayanth Sharma, wildlife photographer,Co-founder & CEO of Toehold, who will also be speaking on-stage, shared some of his thoughts about the upcoming event. “As a company that’s focused on photography and travel, our responsibility to align with the needs and demands of conservationists and environment warriors has never been more important than what it is now. We are happy to partner with Better Photography to create a purpose and goal behind all the amazing adventures we are having around the world. The very wildlife we love, needs to be showcased to the common man in a way that will inspire more and more people to fall in love with the natural world, which is the only way to think of conserving them.”

As with the previous edition, this year toowill see the unveiling of an exclusive photobook, comprising of numerouscaptivating images. Once it is up for purchase, proceeds from the sales of thebook will be used to further wildlife conservation efforts.