FAQs about volunteering or visiting SECMOL

Can I use my own electrical equipment in Ladakh?

At SECMOL Campus as in the rest of India, the electric current is 220 V AC, 50 Hz. All electricty at SECMOL Campus is produced by our solar panels and most rooms are equipped with electrical outlets. If your equipment works in Europe, it should work here.

North American electricity is 110 V AC, but equipment that is meant to be portable and taken travelling, such as mobile phones, cameras, and laptop computers normally accept the full range of voltages. If in doubt, look at the fine type on the bottom or back of the equipment, usually near where the power cord enters the equipment or the adapter. If it says something like 110 - 240 V AC, you'll be fine. North American household equipment that is not normally for travelling, such as desktop computers, printers, kitchen appliances, etc, can not be used on 220V.

If your equipment is from Europe, or is from North America and accepts 22 V AC, all you need is a small physical plug adapter. The prongs of plugs in India are round, and thicker than those in Europe. At SECMOL office we have power strips that accept American and European plugs, but to charge your phone in your room or while travelling you might need a small plug adapter that changes the shape of the prongs.

Can I smoke cigarettes at Campus?

You can smoke on campus, but please keep out of sight, so take the opportunity for a short walk to the hill or the edge of the river. Please do not smoke within buildings, not even in your room.

Does it ever rain Ladakh?

Yes. Even if precipitation is scarce in Ladakh, on rare occasions there can be days of steady rain.

Any special advice for women?

Many women travellers find Ladakh to have less hassles than other parts of India, though of course no place in this world is totally harassment-free. As anywhere, dress so as not to draw extra attention, and carry yourself confidently (and back it up by being prepared so that you know where you are going, etc.)

In Ladakh as in the rest of India, clothing that shows off your body will attract negative attitudes from local people. Long trousers such as jeans or a salwar kameez, are perfect. Skirts can be difficult to be discreet in. Don't even pack skin-tight clothes, little strappy sleeveless tops, or very short tops that show your stomach. A tailored salwar kameez can be purchased or tailored in Leh for less than Rs 500. Revealing clothes attract not only unwated attention from men, but local women frequently make negative comments in Ladakhi about tourists in shorts or showing their bellies.

SECMOL's toilets are composting toilets, so tampons are better than napkins, but please no plastic applicators.

What are health concerns for travelers to Ladakh?

For the high altitude, doctors recommend resting for the first 24-48 hours after arrival, and after that most people are fine. Avoid alcohol, and stay hydrated by drinking water, tea, etc. Most people get no symptoms, while some people get headaches or sleeplessness in the first day or two at Leh's altitude. We've seen a few cases of vomiting, which went away after a day or two. Leh hospital sometimes gets people with more serious altitude problems, but in 15 years of hosting volunteers, we have never had one with anything worse than headache or vomiting.

The most important thing is to avoid exertion for the first two days. SECMOL Campus is a few hundred feet lower than Leh town, so perhaps problems are slightly less common here.

If you have any heart, lung or blood problems, consult your doctor about staying at 11,500 feet/ 3500 metres.

There is no malaria because Ladakh is too high for the particular species of mosquito, and there are no other insect-borne diseases in Ladakh. However, take precautions for all the water borne diseases that are prevalent in India.

Is there an ATM in Leh?

State Bank of India has an ATM in Leh that takes VISA cards, and J&K Bank has one for certain MasterCards. However, these are EXTREMELY unreliable, so bring some cash or travelers cheques too, which you can change at banks in Leh, and/or plan to get money at the ATMs several days before you will need it urgently.

Can I use the internet in Ladakh?

Internet, email and phone are unreliable in Leh -- so tell your friends and family not to expect speedy replies as it can take several days to get a connection.

In Leh there are plenty of internet cafes which charge around 120 Rs / hour. However, the connection is very slow, so don't expect to be able to download heavy files. Bring software, music, etc. that you think you might need with you.

You can receive emergency email messages at SECMOL's email address (on the contact page) (but please do not send pictures or large documents because it can block our email for days).

Can I use the Campus phone for personal calls?

You can receive telephone calls at our campus at the numbers on the contact page.

Your friends or family are welcome to call you occasionally to give special news, but we are forty or more people sharing two phone lines, so please ask them to keep the calls brief, and to avoid frequent chatty calls.

From the Campus you can make local and in-state calls but we do not have long-distance or international service. In Leh you'll find plenty of telephone kiosks called STD, for long distance calls. Or you can get a local SIM card for your mobile phone to make long-distance calls.

Can I use my mobile phone in Ladakh?

Indian mobile phones under BSNL and Airtel work in Leh and at SECMOL Campus, clearer at some locations than others. If your mobile phone works in Europe, you can buy a local SIM card for it.

The number of subscribers has expanded much faster than the service, so the network is often "busy", and people calling you may be told, falsely, that your phone is switched off or out of range. Tell them to try up to ten times, or to try again ten minutes or an hour later.