Welcome to Drenmo Lodge

Our Story

“dren-mo” (Purigi/Ladakhi) - Bear

Drenmo Lodge is the first ever exclusive lodge in western Ladakh dedicated to the majestic Himalayan Brown Bear. Located in the remote Holiyal village in Mushkow valley - a prime brown bear country, it is undoubtedly the best location in India for sighting this magnificent mammal.

Started back in 2016 as a small operation out of a few homestays owned by local residents, our vision with this project was to introduce wildlife and experiential tourism in Drass, a rather unknown concept in this part of Ladakh at the time. The region of Drass has been facing a serious issue of human-Himalayan brown bear conflict and the locals view these bears as a burden. Our vision is to change this negative perception of the local community towards the mammal by bringing them economic benefits through tourism.

We have come a long way since and can proudly call ourselves the pioneers of brown bear tourism in Western Ladakh. Today, we work with a network of local community members who are engaged with us in not only promoting tourism but also in our conservation and conflict mitigation efforts.

Period of Operation: April to December

Minimum stay at the Lodge: 2 nights (suggested is 4 nights)

Drass - Land of the Dards

Regarded as the “Second coldest inhabited place in the world” - Drass is an alpine terrain at an average elevation of 3000m with winter temperatures plummeting to below 40 degree celsius and an average snowfall of about 4 to 5 feet. As the summer months arrive (between May to September) the mountain slopes bloom into meadows of wildflowers when the temperatures become a pleasant 20-30 degree celsius. This unique microclimate of Drass nurtures over 50 varieties of high altitude plants with a majority of them having medicinal properties, and over 30 varieties of resident and migratory avifauna.

Ethnically, the region is inhabited by the “Shina” tribe. Primarily of the muslim faith they are said to have come from the neighboring region of Gilgit (now in Pakistan) and is one of six different ethnicities settled in the Kargil district of Ladakh. Joyful and full of life, their distinct Indo-Aryan (Dardic) culture is reflected through their language, traditions, attire and food.

Stay & Amenities

Realizing the potential of the region for experiences beyond wildlife, our aim with the lodge was to set up a base not only for wildlife lovers but also for people who love to engage with nature and the outdoors. While one can enjoy watching wildlife here, there are plenty of other activities to experience during different times of the year ranging from nature and village walks, hiking, birding, fishing, local food experiences, to glamping. (Check out our Beyond Bears section for more info.)

Our lodge is established in an existing home owned by a local, refurbished with modern amenities and thoughtful touches of traditional architecture. The warm and cosy rooms are the perfect place to come back to after spending long hours in the outdoors viewing bears and other wildlife.

Rooms

Six Rooms: 2 Mountain view rooms with attached bath, 4 Valley View rooms with attached bathrooms

(Please note that the rooms vary in size. Only Mountain view rooms can accommodate 3 persons with an additional bed)

Dining

A dining area with an outdoor deck overlooking the valley where you can enjoy your morning breakfast, afternoon brunch or your evening beverage.

Lounge

A comfortable lounge space to sit, relax, read and watch some interesting films

Sumptuous Food - Indoor & Outdoor

A Dedicated kitchen team to prepare simple homestyle food with a mix of local, North Indian, Chinese,Tibetan and Continental snacks and dishes. Both Indoors and Outdoors

In-house Naturalist & Host

An in-house naturalist and host will be there to take care of all your needs.

A local team with a decade of field experience will ensure you have the best time while in the outdoors and a comfortable and memorable stay at the lodge.

Facilities at the Lodge

Rooms are heated with electric heaters during April, May, October, November. Running hot / cold water in bathroom in Summer (May to October)
Hot / cold water provided in bucket in April and November
24 hour power supply with generator backup
Food: Mix of Indian / Continental / Ladakhi (set menus)
Dedicated Host with knowledge of the cultural and natural heritage of the region and fluent in Hindi and English
Vehicles at disposal
Spotters at disposal
Binoculars available on request
Tea / coffee & cookies available all day in the dining / lounge area
RO drinking water provided
Packed lunch / tea / coffee provided when in the field
No credit card facility – nearest ATM in Drass / Kargil
Nearest Hospital in Drass / Kargil (approx.15 min / 1 hour drive)

A Typical Day at the Lodge

A regular day at the lodge involves early morning and evening bear sightings on foot or in our vehicles. During the day, we do wildlife excursions to other valleys by vehicles or we also recommend doing hikes and village walks, fishing or cultural sightseeing (based on your fitness level, interest and season) or you can choose to spend your time at leisure at the lodge itself.

Like most wildlife, bears are active during the early morning and evening hours. Each morning our local wildlife spotters brave the cold temperatures and head out to the different locations to scan for bears. In the meantime, guests would wake up, have their morning tea/coffee and be ready for a signal from our spotters. Once the team spots something, we will head out to the location. The plan for the rest of the day will be based on the sightings and interest of the guest. Meals and snacks will be brought to the outdoor location as and when required.

If photographing bears is your primary focus then we would recommend visiting during the months of April-May and October-December. While sightings are possible throughout the summer, the spring and autumn months provide better chances of closer sightings as the wildlife tend to come closer to habitations looking for food sources on account of pre and post hibernation.