Links

NGOs

IN INDIA
LADAKH, ZANSKAR AND THE WORLD
HOPE (Humanity Organisation for People & Education) (founded by Danielle Pons-Föllmi & Olivier Föllmi) supports short-term projects focused on education and health. HOPE aims at giving a helping hand to villagers wishing to develop a project themselves.
www.hope-organisation.com

IN LADAKH, ZANSKAR
The “Enfants d’Himalaya” (Himalayan Children) association supports education and sponsors children in Ladakh in close cooperation with the Lamdon School in Leh. Olivier Föllmi is the honorary president of the Association.
www.enfantsdhimalaya.com

IN TAMIL NADU
RIDE, Mr and Mrs Jeyaraj, the founders, and their team of volunteers in Kanchipuram protect children to ensure they are not sent to work in the weaving workshops, create schools to educate them, teach mothers to manage the results of their work, and negotiate for them zero-rate loans with banks.
www.rideindia.org

IN VARANASI
GANGA SEVA NIDHI and Shree Satyendra Mishra fight for the environment and the protection of the river Ganges, as well as help feed and educate underprivileged children in Varanasi.
www.gangasevanidhi.org

IN CAMBODIA
AVEC (Voluntary aid to children in Cambodia)
A Swiss-Cambodian association providing abused children with safety and trust in its “Refuge”, and following up children’s development by providing them with links between their parents and teachers.
www.info-avec.org

IN LATIN AMERICA
”Traditions pour Demain” (Traditions for Tomorrow) guides the cultural assertion initiatives of dozens of peoples and minorities, in other words hundreds of Amerindian communities in Central and South America.
www.tradi.info

IN ECUADOR
THE SARAYAKU COMMUNITY in Amazonia seeks to defend the primeval forest surrounding it, and to ensure recognition of its rights against oil investors and the devastation that their arrival generates both in human terms and for the natural environment. The example of Sarayaku has become the symbol of the Amazonian Indians’ struggle.
www.sarayaku.com
 

TRAVEL AGENCIES

IN PERU / BOLIVIA
Turismo Noal in Arequipa
Nora, who was my assistant in Latin America for 6 months, has developed a travel agency specialising in the Indian culture in which she was brought up. She organises cultural trips, and treks throughout Peru and Bolivia. Nora speaks Quetchua, Spanish and English.
www.turismonoal.com

IN CHINA (Yuanyang County, Yunnan)
Jacky WEN YUTAO was my assistant for 3 years in Asia, North Africa and Europe. He is an extraordinary guide for photographers, helping them discover the world’s most spectacular rice paddies as well as isolated villages. He has set up his own Guest House in the village of Duoyishu, allowing his guests to stay in the heart of the most beautiful paddies of Yuanyang County.
Jacky Guest House
www.hostelworld.com
www.tripadvisor.fr

IN TIBET
Khampa Caravan, in Zhongdian (Yunnan, China)
Dhakpa and his team draw on their excellent skills to organise the most extraordinary trips in Tibet and the Himalayas of Yunnan. Originally from Zhongdian, Dhakpa uses his income to support educational projects in his country. He speaks English, Chinese and Tibetan.
www.khampacaravan.com

IN LADAKH AND ZANSKAR
WHITE COPPER TRAVEL to Leh in Ladakh
Born in Zanskar, Tenzin Motup studied in Tibetan and Indian schools including the prestigious Welham Boys High School in Dehradun, then at University in Delhi. He has traveled four times the frozen river of Zanskar in winter and climbed the Stok Kangri (6,153 m) in Ladakh. He has developed a travel agency specializing in Himalayan treks, Ladakh and Zanskar. To have traveled extensively around the world, particularly in France, Switzerland and Italy, Motup has the understanding of many cultures which is a good value to adjut to treckers to discover the Zanskar and the Himalayas in depth. Motup speaks English, French, Hindi, Zanskari, Ladakhi and Tibetan.
whitecoppertravel@yahoo.in
www.whitecoppertravel.com

DHARMA VOYAGES to Leh in Ladakh
Born in Zanskar, Diskit studied in Tibetan and Indian schools including the prestigious Welham Girls High School in Dehradun, then she studied french at Grenoble University in France. Living in Leh, she has developed a travel agency specialized in receiving groups in Leh, planning and organizing their cultural trips in Ladakh. To have traveled extensively around the world, particularly in France, Switzerland and Italy, Diskit has the understanding of different cultures and can perfectly adapt herself to individual needs. Diskit is also specialized in the organization of seminars in Leh, both international and Indian alike, throughout the year. Diskit speaks English, French, Hindi, Zanskari, Ladakhi and Tibetan.
dharma_voyages@yahoo.com

IN MYANMAR
KINNARI TRAVEL, in Yangon
An extraordinary agency ensuring you an unforgettable stay in Myanmar, the country that has had the greatest impact on me, thanks to an exceptional team and guides, speaking both English and French.
www.kinnaritravels.com

IN INDIA
ARTOU VOYAGES, in New Delhi
Thanks to the know-how of Rajiv and Indra Kaul and to their many years’ experience, Artou Voyages is one of the most competent travel agencies in India for the organisation of trips throughout the country, from the Rajasthan desert to the south of India, from the peaks of Sikkim to the valleys of Ladakh, with English and French speaking guides
www.artouvoyages.com

RANN RIDERS in Gujarat
Appreciated by all the village people, Muzahid Malik shares with his guests his love for the Kutch and his knowledge of the region through custom-made travel based from his ranch. Muzahid speaks English, Hindi and Gujarati.

Artist Hotel at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan
Helmut and Roje Khan have built, stone by stone, this hotel-restaurant in Jaisalmer, to help cover expenses for the educational and medical needs of the desert musicians who live on the hill, at the foot of the hotel, and who come and play in the evening. A haven of peace with enriching encounters.

IN BHUTAN
Etho Metho Travels, in Thimphu
For the past thirty years, Dago Beda is the absolute reference in Bhutan for the organisation of every imaginable trip in the country, from meeting with the monks in the Dzongs to the virgin peaks of Bhutan, with English and French speaking guides.
www.bhutanethometho.com

IN CHAD AND NIGER
Spazi d’avventura, in Milan
A mountain guide specialising in the African deserts, Rocco Rava was born in Africa and has lived with the desert herdspeople. His teams on site are the most competent you can find to guarantee exceptional off-piste travel. Rocco, who speaks Italian, French and English, also develops trips and treks in the Himalayas.
www.spazidavventura.com

IN MALI
Nouh Toumoute, in the Dogon country
Nouh is the guide par excellence in his Dogon country, sharing with you his culture and putting you in contact with the village people with whom he is helping to develop schools. He speaks English and French.
Contact : djigibombo@yahoo.fr

IN SWITZERLAND
Le Vent des Routes, in Geneva
A treasure trove filled with dreams, le Vent des Routes is an absolute must for travellers looking for rare maps and books, chosen with talent by Alain Rodari and Philippe Chabloz, two great specialists of the world.
www.vdr.ch

Le Tigre Vanillé, in Geneva
Always on the look-out for the new and original, Le Tigre Vanillé is a specialised travel agency offering high quality individual tailor-made trips for curious and demanding travellers, thanks to its remarkable travel talent scout Pierre Jaccard.
www.vanillatiger.ch