After a demanding workweek, there’s that sensation you get when you return home. You know there is nothing important to do for the next two days as the weekend extends leisurely ahead of you. No emails or calls, no chores or errands to run. This similar sentiment was the inspiration behind the creation of Leh’s peaceful guesthouse, Slow Garden.
About the homestay
Though the property is more than 40 years old, Slow Garden welcomed visitors earlier this year. The location was intended to be the ideal getaway, according to host Tsewang Gyatso, one that offers you the comforts of contemporary facilities and privacy, much like home. Gyatso always found creativity and serenity in the little diversion from everyday life, and he aims to provide that for his guests.
There are three clusters of guestrooms at the homestay, totaling ten beds. The annexe, which is attached to the main villa, has three rooms and a shared living area with a garden view. The main home has six rooms. The newest structure on the property is the Duplex, which has a separate entrance, a living
The main gates are reached through an unremarkable alley and lead to a verdant fruit orchard that blossoms with apples and apricots from July to October. Additionally, there is a cozy community area with a library available to anyone looking to spend some peaceful time reading. In addition, the room is used for daily yoga sessions and workshops in writing and art.
About the host
You may be sure that you’re in good hands at Slow Garden because Gyatso has 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry. He began his career as a guide in Ladakh and has since launched his own local travel agency and Lehchen bar. Gyatso teaches spoken English to locals in the winter and is usually extremely active in the community. He has contributed his own local viewpoint to film sets as an art director and line producer for movies filmed in Ladakh.
The homestay allows pets, and Gyatso shares a room in the annexe with his dog Dzee, who gets along well with visitors. He loves to cook, therefore he spends his time in the kitchen and managing his other enterprises. As you will be lodging with a former local guide, don’t forget to ask Gyatso about his favorite local restaurants and activities. Additionally, Gyatso collaborates closely with Aishwarya Phadke, the creator of the neighborhood travel agency Travel Dirty. Phadke was Slow Garden’s site manager before taking on marketing and outreach duties for the establishment. Phadke participates heavily in homestay activities and lives nearby.
The food
Slow Garden’s cuisine emphasizes flavors and ingredients from the area. Gyatso prepares delectable dishes for the homestay in collaboration with two Ladakhi natives. Along with staples like bread and eggs, a typical breakfast spread includes barley soup, sautéed potatoes and vegetables, butter tea, fresh fruits, and khambir with apricot jam. Ladakhi thukpa, tsampa (a barley flour shake), chhutagi (a type of bowtie pasta), sky (a noodle shape shaped like a thumbprint), and other dishes are served during meals. Additionally, visitors are allowed to purchase their own food from nearby markets and prepare meals for themselves.
How to spend 48 hours at Slow Garden
Gyatso advises staying longer than two days because the first day in Ladakh is spent getting used to the altitude and recovering. About 500m distant are the old town and local market, where Gyatso and Phadke frequently take visitors on heritage hikes. The nearest monasteries include the 500-meter-distance Sankar Monastery, which is stunning even in the absence of many tourists, and the short climb to the Namgyal Tsemo Monastery. Another building that explores Leh’s role in the Silk Road trade is the four-story stone Central Asian Museum.
Take a yoga session to start your day at the homestay. After breakfast, choose a book from the library and pick veggies from the garden for your next dinner. The group behind the Ladakh Chapter of Local Futures, an international non-governmental organization started by filmmaker Helena Norberg-Hodge, who first visited Ladakh in 1975, just as the area was opening up to tourists, is also friendly with Gyatso and Phadke. Visitors are welcome to see documentaries about Ladakh’s past and potential futures with responsible tourism that the NGO often screens at Slow Garden. You are free to select and determine your own tempo; Gyatso will advise you that slow and steady is ideal.
Getting there: The homestay is a 15-minute drive from Kushok Bakula Airport (your host can help you with a pick-up and drop); Slow Garden, Spang Chenmo, near Nirila Guest House, Chubi, Leh, Ladakh, 194101. Doubles from Rs3,200; book on airbnb
