Our family’s slow journey into the heart of Ladakh began with curiosity, a bit of courage, and a whole lot of hope.
Dreaming of a Journey Before School Begins
In our last blog, we wrote about a dream — a slow, immersive road trip across India with our little ones, before they formally enter school. Or maybe they never will — if we continue to lean towards homeschooling and real-life learning.
When we imagined the start of this journey, something about the northern edge of the country called to us. Maybe it was the poetic phrase we’d all grown up with — “from the Himalayas to the Arabian Sea.” So, Ladakh or Kashmir felt like the right place to begin. Not because it was convenient, but because it felt true.
Volunteering Our Way into the Mountains
We are currently not in a job or have great savings, but our hearts were set. So, we looked for volunteering options in the Himalayan states. I was already part of a Himalayan Volunteer tourism group on Facebook and decided to share our story there — a family dreaming of traveling with their kids, learning, teaching, and growing together.
To our surprise, responses started coming in. A volunteer coordinator from Kargil reached out, sharing that a small school in a village in Suru Valley needed volunteers.
Suru Valley? Even after traveling from Ladakh to Kerala and Gujarat to Assam, I had never heard of it.
I turned to the internet. A few YouTube videos later, I was stunned. Travel influencers were calling it Ladakh’s hidden gem which is yet untouched by bucketlist tourists visiting Ladakh. It seemed perfect for us- Snow-capped peaks, rivers, lush summer fields, all we could ask for.
We had found our starting point.
Is It Safe for Kids?
As excited as we were, we were also concerned. Ladakh is known for its high altitude, and we were traveling with two young kids. We checked everything — altitude, weather, terrain. Suru Valley lies at a lower altitude than Leh and is warmer during the summer, which gave us some relief.
We packed mindfully — warm layers, basic medicines, and a mindset to take it slow. Surprisingly, even while crossing the Zoji La Pass (one of the highest and most feared), a light jacket was enough.
Our First Morning in Suru Valley
It was drizzling when we arrived at Panikhar, the village that would be our home for the next few months. The sky was overcast, and everything looked quiet. But when we woke up the next morning — the view took our breath away.
Towering mountains surrounded us, and in the distance, snow-covered peaks stood proudly. We later learned we were living on the route to Nun and Kun — the highest peaks in Ladakh, both rising over 7,000 meters.
The first few days were cold due to continuous clouds and light rain. But as our host predicted, summer started properly around June 21st. The sun warmed everything. Mornings and evenings remained cool, but days were sunny and perfect.
Living the Slow Life in Panikhar
Suru Valley truly comes alive in summer. It’s farming season — locals grow barley, wheat, peas, and collect grass for the long winters. We walk through wildflower-filled fields every day, crisscrossed by glacial streams used for irrigation.
The Suru River flows steadily through the valley, and small villages — with populations ranging from 100 to 500 — are scattered along its slopes. The houses here are simple but beautiful, with tin roofs and small kitchen gardens.
It’s now been a month since we’ve been living in Panikhar. We go to a government middle school every day and volunteer as teachers. We go on hikes with the kids, play by the rivers, sit with local families, and explore high-altitude meadows.
It’s everything people come to Ladakh for — only slower, more grounded, and deeply immersive.
Things to Do in Suru Valley
- Trek to Nun-Kun Base Camp (Only for experienced trekkers)
- Explore Wildflower Fields in Sankoo and Panikhar
- Visit Local Schools and learn about education in the valley
- Short Hikes to nearby meadows and streams
- Photography & Birdwatching
- Village Life Immersion — Join in farming, cooking, or just sit for hours sipping salt chai
How to Reach Suru Valley
- By Air: Nearest airport is in Leh (250 km) or Srinagar (220 km). From there, hire a taxi or take a shared cab to Kargil.
- By Road: Suru Valley is best accessed via Kargil. From Kargil, Panikhar is about 60 km. Buses, Taxis and shared cars run in the summer months.
What to Pack
- Clothing: Layered clothes (light jackets, sweaters, sun hats)
- Shoes: Good walking or hiking shoes
- Medicines: Especially for altitude, stomach bugs, colds
- Sun Protection: Sunscreen, sunglasses, and moisturizers
- Reusable Water Bottles & Snack Boxes for day hikes
- Toys or Books for Kids — though they’ll mostly be busy with nature!
Exploring Suru—One Day at a Time
Here’s what we and other families have discovered in the valley:
- Short day hikes around Sankoo and Panikhar—quiet paths through barley, apricot groves, and streams perfect for kids to splash in.
- Village immersions—learning Balti words, visiting local kitchen gardens, and tasting apricot jam prepared by women in mud-walled homes.
- River wanderings—Many small water streams around the villages makes for safe water play, skipping stones, and midday picnics.
- Monastery visits at Rangdum and Shargole—a mix of spiritual calm and vibrant local life. That little one even attempted to mimic the monks sweeping the courtyard!
- Real-world school time, volunteering side by side with local teachers: chalking lessons, painting desks, and helping supervise bird-watching bingo breaks.
Everything here is slow, real, and deeply connected—not about touristy rushes, overpriced fares, or insta-perfect glamping.
Final Thoughts
We came to Ladakh looking for a place to begin — to start a story that would teach our children more than books ever could. And in this quiet valley, we found everything we didn’t know we were searching for — silence, space, learning, beauty, and belonging.
Suru Valley isn’t the Ladakh you see in Instagram reels or tourist packages. But if you want your kids to feel Ladakh — its kindness, its mountains, its simplicity — there’s no better place to start.
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