Discover a new side to Ladakh this summer with local food, heritage, and fashion

Dolkhar, a boutique hotel in Ladakh is now on Time magazine’s recently-released World’s Greatest Places Of 2023 list. We discover how the Union Territory has more to it than just tourist hotspots

When Rigzin Wangmo Lachic returned to her hometown Leh in 2017 — after corporate stints in Japan and New Delhi — she spent the first year trekking across the region. This experience, says Rigzin, was instrumental in understanding Leh’s many communities. Learnings that she put into practice when she founded plant-based restaurant Tsas, and boutique resort, Dolkhar, in June 2022, which is now on Time magazine’s recently-released World’s Greatest Places Of 2023 list. 

My grandmother’s biggest fear was that her children/grandchildren would never settle here. It was her sudden passing that triggered me to return,” says Rigzig, 31, adding that since Ladakh’s economy is driven by tourism, it was an obvious choice to explore a venture in the field. “More than hospitality, it was about learning about Ladakh. I spent a lot of time on foot exploring villages across Sham Valley, Stok Kangri, Nubra Valley, Turtuk, etc and it taught me a lot about how every region had its own craft, culture, and food habits.” More so, it gave her much-needed inspirationwhile constructing Dolkhar.

While the Union Territory (UT) and Leh have long been associated as a buzzing tourist hub, courtesy the Khardung La (one of the highest motorable passes in the world), Pangong Tso, Nubra Valley, and the recently-proposed Dark Sky Reserve, the last few years have seen a noticeable change in the region. Think artist residencies, museums, culinary archiving, couture houses, and travel start-ups — all spearheaded by locals.

The authentic Ladakhi experience      

Dolkhar, the seven-villa property named after Rigzin’s grandmother Dolkar (khar means palace in Ladakhi), stands where her grandmother’s orchard and small house once were. “It was not structurally possible to restore the house so we rebuilt it using traditional architectural practices and principles of adaptive reuse,” says the entrepreneur who tied up with 40 local artisans for the project that took four-and-a-half years to complete. Later, Rigzig went on to set up Hatti, a crafts co-operative. “The villas are semi-passive solar buildings made using mud, wood, and stone, and remain warm in winter and cool in the summer, just like our traditional Ladakhi buildings. If Dolkhar had to be dismantled, there would be no waste and everything can be reused or will go back to the earth,” says Rigzig, aiming to change the mindset of the “fast traveller”. “We hope to host people who are visiting Ladakh to appreciate it for what it truly is and not expect the experience of a modern world here.”  

Kunzes Angmo moved back to Leh in 2019 from Nubra and started curating the Artisanal Alchemy lunch experiences at the Jade House, Ladakh, and Stok Palace, Stok. “I take my guests on a gastronomic journey specially curated in accordance with their food/diet preferences that is a microcosm of the food of our fathers, and reflects our resilient and sustainable food traditions,” says Kunzes, who has also been retailing handmade apricot conserves since 2021. “I host the lunches for about 10 days a month, five-six months a year in Leh. It’s a highly filtered guest list, and we usually recommend other places to people who seem interested in just an Instagram-worthy picture. The idea behind the interactive experiences (no two lunches are the same) is to start conversations,” says Kunzes, who will host the lunches this year between mid-April and October.  

At Jade House, the theme of their lunch is Culture and Commensality wherein a mixed group of eight-12 diners shares a table over a five-course interactive Ladakhi meal, and at Stok Palace, the experience is available for private dining wherein the diners enjoy the same experience within the premises of the 200-year-old-heritage property’s private dining area Zabskhang (for a smaller group upto 12 diners) or Chulli Bagh, the Palace’s apricot orchard (for a larger group of up to 35 diners).