List of Best Treks in Uttarakhand that you must try
Trek to the Enchanted - Valley of Flowers
Valley of flowers, at
a height of 3046 meters above sea level, lies in the Chamoli district of
Uttarakhand state. Challenging trekking route and spectacular beauty of the
mystical valley has always tempted botanists, nature lovers, foreign tourists
and adventure lovers. Valley boast off over 500 species of wild flowers of
unparalleled appearance and fragrances.
Although
the picturesque valley remains open to the world from June to October, but it’s
great to visit the valley around June, July and August, when the flowers are in
abundance. For rest of the year valley remains snow clad.
Journey
to the valley starts from Haridwar, where you can easily hire a cab for
your entire trip. Below is the entire itinerary in brief.
1.
Haridwar to Govindghat - Around 300 Kms
2.
Start from Haridwar - Cab is recommended. Very less frequency of buses.
3.
Route: Haridwar – Rishikesh – Devprayag – Jayalgarh – Srinagar – Rudaprayag –
Karnaprayag – Nandaprayag – Chamoli – Pipalkoti – Joshimath – Vishnuprayag -
Govindghat
4.
Govindghat – (Motorable-4Km) – Poolna (Trek 10 km) – Ghangaria – Total 14 Kms
5.
Split routes from Ghangaria for Valley of Flowers Trek and Hemkund Sahib Trek
Drive to Govindghat around 300 Kms, which would take 10 – 12 hours of time to reach depending on the road conditions, please expect land sliding at various points throughout the drive.
Forbidden Republic of Malana
When
it is 21st century, it is very difficult to believe about places which are
still lying disconnected from the mainland. Malana is such a spot which is 45
km. from much popular tourist destination of Kullu and has been lying
isolated from the outside civilization for thousands of years.
That much mention of such a solitary village was enough to stir the
exploring soul of this vagabond. In line to my philosophy that Good travelers never plan in advance, I was on the way to Parvati Valley, situated to the
north east of Kullu valley to see the sights of Malana.
Dudhsagar Falls - THE MILKY WAY
Dudhsagar
Falls aka Sea of Milk- a beautiful tie-red waterfall located on the Mandovi River in the Indian state of Goa on Goa's border with Karnataka state is the place I have been
wanting to embark in my travel list since a long time.
Dudhsagar derives its name from the clouds of foam
that form at the waterfalls.
According to the legend, a
powerful king who ruled the Western Ghats had his palace in the forest. The
king's daughter used to bath in the picturesque lake. She would have a jug full
of sugared milk after the bath.
Once while she was just having her milk after a bath, a handsome prince saw
her. Embarrassed, the princess poured milk in front of her so that it could
form a curtain while one of the maids rushed to get her the dress. Since then,
the sugared milk (Dudh) poured by the princess is believed to be flowing in
torrents as a tribute to the modesty of the princess.
All you need is a weekend to cover this lovely place if you stay in Bangalore. One fine day, all of a sudden, we booked train tickets from Bangalore to Londa Junction in Rani Chenamma Express for next day travel. Around 8 AM, we reached Londa Junction and indeed that small station surprised us with its beautiful and breath freshening view.
Manali to Rohtang Pass...
Though Manali is a small place, but it is base for onward travel to Rohtang
and further to Leh, as widely acclaimed Leh-Manali highway starts from here
only. First thing while in Manali is to set off to Rohtang Pass. Start as early as possible, so that
you get ample time to enjoy the journey and can get back
to Manali before it gets too dark in the evening.
In the morning as the sun was spreading its rays from behind
the mountains and the city was about to come to life, the moment seemed like
the whole world to us. It was an amazing Way to Go...
Start with adequate winter gear to counter any onslaught of the chilling winds at Rohtang pass. There are lot of shops at the exit of the city which rent out adequate winter gears and drivers insist a lot on taking those clothes from local shops. Time taken to cover 52 km. depends on how frequent you stop to enjoy the ambience. Road is in good condition, however occasional landslides.
Limits of vision were the
mountains only and nothing else. As it is said Human will to triumph is above
all, we stopped at a place full of eateries. We wondered how much efforts
must have been done by these shopkeepers to open such shops at this
height. This place is "Marhi" and like
everywhere else view from this point was staggering brilliant, barren mountains
were incomparable.
We
had to stop for 15-20 minutes due to some blasting work being carried out by
Border Roads organization. Landslides are frequent here, may be due to lose
mountains:
As our feet are always the best option, we decided to chart the course by
walking on for the summit. However now you only must walk and
trek, as gone are the days when one could have enjoyed a horse
ride to scale the Rohtang peak.
Braving the winds and walking on the frozen rivers, one will constantly hear the noise of water gushing underneath the frozen layer of ice. Need not worry keep on moving. There is a small stupa at Rohtang.
Snow at the top was calling us and Step by step we kept on moving and it did not took long to reach the summit, with snow everywhere around. Rightly said "View from the top is what makes the journey of 1000 steps so exhilarating". A sense of Deja Vu ---
Return journey was as usual devoid of any thrill, except the fascinating
memories gathered during the day. Fast changing landscapes from hills covered
with trees to barren mountains, what a diverse panorama on display here.
Or slide/ glide in the romantic slopes...
Just before the Solang Valley is the entrance for the trek to Anjani Mahadev. Around 30 minutes of trek will take you to the place where waterfall is dripping over the Lord Shiva.
During the winters Shivling rises upto 5ft. in height due to dripping water. People from far off places come here to witness this marvel and offer prayers.
Ambience and surroundings are mesmerizing and you may feel like becoming a monk and stay here forever. Trek is also equally enriching, as one has to actually cross over a stream of water. There is a small cable trolley to cross this stream.
Adventure never stops in Manali. Keep travelling Guys...
The best plans should be kept early during the trip as one snowfall or
landslide, the Leh Manali highway, which is the road to Rohtang gets closed. So,
when in Manali first thing to do is to head straight to Rohtang.
Someone rightly
told that you have to be lucky also to experience Rohtang.
Permit is required to visit Rohtang and beyond, please use the link for applying and getting the permit http://admis.hp.nic.in/ngtkullu. 400 Diesel vehicles and 600 Petrol vehicles are allowed during the day. To return to Delhi, book a Volvo or take any state roadways bus. Prior booking is advised for both options.
Rejuvenate in JAYALGARH

After this adventure, we thanked to GOD in a temple on the clif. Also chatted with local children, the joy we missed staying in cities. Now we felt to replenish our energies. After the lunch in our resort, the moment we sat down to rest, we fall unconscious for next 3-4 hours.
As said by Al Pacino in movie Scent of Woman: "Some people live a lifetime in a minute" We lived a lot more than in those 2 days...But we both realize that a trip again to this place is due, lets hope when it materializes...
The Magical Manali...
Far from the Maddening crowd, in the realms of Nature, surrounded by
mountains lies an incredible holiday spot, we call it as "Manali". It is an excellent place for a holiday, a
favourite resort for trekkers to Lahaul, Spiti, Kinnaur, Leh and Zanskar
regions in Kashmir valley.
Amazing Landscapes, flowing river, green mountains are a few to keep you enthralled during your road trip to Manali...also known as the "SWITZERLAND OF INDIA".
We started from Shimla at 9:00 AM in a taxi, which the best way to explore the beauty all the way till Manali. Every mile was asking us to stop and see...but we had to reach Manali - -so we kept on moving, though with occasional stops. Each turn was unfolding stunning panorama of nature, and landscapes were getting better every time. Pandoh dam for hydroelectric power generation is one of such stops during the way. Photography of the dam is strictly prohibited, unless you risk forfeiting of your camera by security agencies:
Whether it was the green waters of the
rivers, eye catching hills or the 3 km. long tunnel, all of them kept us glued
on our windows. We kept on moving and enjoying...
Once you reach Kullu, stay for 2 days and cherish the amazing
spots in the Valley of Gods. In the way, around 45 km. from Kullu is a
place which is still disconnected from the mainland. While going to Manali or
while returning, take some time to explore
Malana...
280 Km. distance took around 9 hours including a few stops to relish in the
majestic beauty of the Himalayas. In Manali, select a room with a
captivating view of the opposite mountain ranges the land where the music of
the mountains was reigning supreme.
Manali is a
small place with some amazing sightseeing options here, notable among
them Hadimba temple, Maharishi Vashisht Temple, Anjani
Mahadev, Solang Valley, Mall Road and Old Manali. It is the
experience and AURA of this place that sets it apart from other destinations in
this region. Manali is also the base for going to Rohtang
Pass and further to Leh.
There are some things which you always desire, and Snowfall is one of them. It was November, but we got up to witness Snowfall. We were in for a heavenly experience.
First in the list was Maharishi Vashisht Temple, it was a small but impressive temple. We were in for another surprise, as there was snow all around the floor and we were supposed to cross it barefooted. Isn't it Enticing Guys...?
We saw a few tourists praying from outside and returning back. The snow had
a terrifying effect on them. However, we went inside without our shoes. Brains
and feet were fighting out for moving fast or maintain a balance to
avoid slipping. By the time they would have reached to a conclusion, we had
performed the rituals and were out of the temple.
Vashihst temple, without snow:

Also adjacent to Vashisht temple is the Ram temple:
Some distance from Vashishth temple is Jogini Waterfalls (4 km. from Mall Road). A gentle trek of around 30 minutes from the main road (Manali to Rohtang) will take you to this stream of waterfall which is on its way to join river Beas. People of Vashishth village worship Jogini falls with a belief that Goddess Jogini reside inside the rushing waters of this waterfall.
The way fighter pilots prepare before every flight, same way with our spirits rejuvenated, we started for Hadimba Temple.
Adventure does not end here. Manali is also acclaimed for adventure sports
activities. One can indulge in River rafting, Paragliding, Trekking, camping
and can learn mountaineering. For budding mountaineers there is a
mountaineering institute too.
I do not have many words to describe the Aura of this place. To be honest you must come here to feel yourself. In short, a special place and a must visit for all. Situated at a height of 6,398 ft and distance of 550 Km. from Delhi, Manali is a very popular hill station in Beas River valley. Going further ahead on Delhi-Manali Road, one can drive till Leh, which is world's one of the best motoring roads on account of natural beauty. Isn’t it enticing:
For me this is the best time to be in Manali
(October- November), as you can go to Rohtang Pass. So guys, ready 1,2,
3.......Vroom, coz one snowfall and road to Rohtang will be
closed. Would you like to miss the lovely drive on the above road?
Permit is required to visit Rohtang and beyond, please use the link for applying and getting the permit http://admis.hp.nic.in/ngtkullu. 400 Diesel vehicles and 600 Petrol vehicles are allowed during the day. To return to Delhi, book a Volvo or take any state roadways bus. Prior booking is advised for both options.
