While Garhwal region of the Himalayas is known for its tremendous beauty at high altitude, Kumaon is known for its beauty at lower altitudes thanks to the lush and unbroken greenery, tall oak and pine trees and dense forests. That makes is a perfect getaway for a weekend or short durations.
Mukteshwar is perfect because it isn’t too remote, yet feels almost like you have the entire landscape to yourself. The apple orchards and in the distance, views of some of the most prominent ranges in the greater Himalayas are a stunner- Mt Trishul, Mt Nanda Devi, Mt Pancha Chuli form a beautiful backdrop.
Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest peak in Africa. It is also the tallest freestanding mountain in the world. rising 15,100 feet (4,600 meters) from base to summit. Kilimanjaro is also the most prominent mountain in Africa.
Kilimanjaro is composed of three distinct volcanic cones: Kibo 19,340 feet (5,895 meters); Mawenzi 16,896 feet (5,149 meters); and Shira 13,000 feet (3,962 meters). Uhuru Peak is the highest summit on Kibo’s crater rim.
The climb to Kilimanjaro is a mix of moderate to strenuous climb and definitely once in a lifetime experience.
Ranthambore National Park is located in Sawai Madhopur, about 130 kms from Jaipur. It is one of the biggest and most renowned national park in northern India where you can see the majestic tigers in their natural habitat, they can be easily spotted even during the daytime over here. The sanctuary is home to variety of flora and fauna, some of the major wild animals which are present in this sanctuary are leopards, nilgais, wild boars, sambars, hyenas, sloth bears, grey langur, rhesus macaque and chital. One of the largest banyan trees in India can be found here.
Meru Parvat – referred to as the centre of the universe in our old scriptures has been one such obsession for mountaineers for decades- doesn’t leave their thought and dreams and haunts them to return and Conrad Anker – one of the best known mountaineers in the world had been obsessed with it for years and attempted to climb it thrice until he finally did in 2012 along with Jimmy Chin and Renan Ozturk.
The Essential Spiti & Kinnaur jeep safari begins at Shimla and takes you through the stunning and graphic valleys of the Sutlej, Baspa, Spiti, Pin and Chandra rivers and up and over the majestic Rohtang and Kunzum passes.
Spiti means “The Middle Land”, i.e. the land between Tibet and India.
The Spiti Valley is a desert mountain valley which is located high in the Himalaya Mountains in the north-eastern part of Himachal Pradesh in India.
Kanamo in Spitian language literally translates into, “The Black Mountain”. The villages from where the peak is visible are located on the south side of this peak, from their location the mountain appears to be black in colour, and that is why it got its name. Kanamo also means mountain that has a lot of snow, if one were to reach the top and view the glacier on the north face, the second interpretation is quite appropriate too. The name doesn’t do entire justice to this friendly and beautiful peak, as it is black only in colour and not in spirit.
The popular backwaters of Kerala is a 900 km. long water world spread across the state. It comprises of 44 rivers, 34 lakes and innumerable canals. From large houseboats to smaller country boats and kayaks, there are a host of options available here. And no visit to Kerala, is complete without a cruise on these famous backwaters.
Around the 13th century, the Chettiars were displaced from their port city on the Bay of Bengal and they moved to a place deep in the south of Tamil Nadu now known as Chettinad. Being an extremely successful and resourceful mercantile community, they soon established themselves and steadily prospered. Over the years they amassed huge fortunes and established themselves in various fields like salt trading, coffee and rubber plantations, fertilizers to films, to big manufacturing companies. The Chettiars are also considered to be among the pioneers of organised banking in the country. Their palatial homes in Chettinad are of astonishing size, scale and examples of rich architecture which are not seen anywhere else.
If you ask any trekker or traveler for his/her bucket list, Everest Base Camp Trek would definitely be in the top five. Why shouldn’t it be? This is the holy grail of trekking. This is as close a one could get to the highest peak in the world, interact with the summiteers, climbers and other trekkers from different corners of the globe, breathe the adventure along with the cold nippy air, feast on the local delicacies and the staple dal-bhat (rice and lentils), discover the Sherpa culture and learn to appreciate their way of life and the hardships they go through. At the end of it, of course, achieve the bragging rights of having trekked so high and come close to Mt. Everest, only a miniscule percentage of the world population has achieved.
All in all, Everest Base Camp Trek is an amazing experience that is bound to leave an indelible impression on your mind.
