• Bhowali Trail Hiking. View near Gagar
    Hikes - Places

    Keep Walking: Walking/Hiking @Bhowali Range

    April 13, 2024 - By 

    (Most often, a good part of our vacations or breaks are spent walking and hiking around the places we stay. Keep Walking is a series of posts about our walks and hikes.) March 2024 was another month in the hills, with two days for remote work (WFH – Work From Hills) and remaining five days for trekking, hiking, and long walks. Himalaica website had some details of nearby trails and the caretakers were also familiar with the area (though they were a little surprised with our appetite for walks). First Day On the day we reached, we had only half…

  • Kuflon Basics, TravelWithaCouple
    Homestays - People - Places

    Beyond Basics @Kuflon Basics

    May 13, 2022 - By 

    Let the name Kuflon Basics not deceive you. It is anything but basic. Its rich. Rich in fresh air. Rich in greens, berries, and wilderness. Rich in spaces for relaxed reading, strolling, or doing nothing. Rich in taste (of the amazing home-cooked food). And above all, rich in the warmth of the consummate hosts—Anil and Shree, and Shifu, their 5 year old daughter. Everything that needs to be said about Kuflon has already been said. Every single soul who has stayed at Kuflon Basics so far has been touched in some way or other. Since 2004! The three large volumes…

  • Jilling Estate TravelWithaCouple Unny Radhakrishnan Bindhu Unny
    Birdwatching - Flora - Hikes - Nature's Wonders - People - Places

    The Renegades of Jilling

    May 21, 2017 - By 

    (Originally published in The Indian Express Sunday Magazine, 21st May 2017) “What if you two drive off a cliff and die? All business is now done through internet and smartphones; and I have hardly learned to send an SMS,” Steve Lall said aloud with wonder. Apparently, he put this question to his daughter and son-in-law, to whom he had handed over the reins of Jilling Estate. A self-described renegade with 72 summers behind him, Lall still laughs like a child and one can’t resist his infectious energy and warmth— never mind that he’s in a wheelchair, just off a three-month…

  • Triund, Dauladhar Ranges, TravelWithaCouple
    Adventure - Hikes - Nature's Wonders - Treks

    Triund Through Snow

    April 19, 2015 - By 

    Rarely do we repeat a trek, because we prefer to cover new places as much as possible. But when it is a place where seasons compete against each other to decorate the landscape uniquely, it is as good as a new destination. Unlike Maharashtra, where post-monsoon, the setting is devoid of all greenery, Himachal Pradesh is never gray or brown. It’s either green or white or sometimes both, as we found out as we trekked up to Triund. A few years back, we did the Triund trek in pouring rains, all drenched, with mist, clouds, streams, and exquisite greenery for…

  • Old Manali, Goshal Village, TravelWithaCouple, Unny Radhakrishnan, Bindhu Unny
    Hikes - Nature's Wonders - People - Places - Treks

    Hike to Goshal – Losing Ways and a Happy Ending

    November 9, 2014 - By 

    The friendly hotel owner suggested we take a rickshaw to Old Manali. We insisted on walking the 3-odd kilometres from new Manali (model town). Most of the route was uphill but we had no specific plans for the day, so we walked leisurely. A small bridge connects Old Manali and new Manali. A left turn from the bridge takes you to a narrow lane that goes up to the Manu temple. Restaurants and cafes flank the lane, offering a range as wide as Israeli to Korean food. We walked up to Manu temple; the last stretch was a stiff climb.…

  • Solang Valley, Hotel Iceland
    Hotels - Nature's Wonders - Places

    Stay: Hotel Iceland @Solang Valley

    November 2, 2014 - By 

    As we got out of the bus in Manali, the October chill enveloped us. It was pleasant. But not for long. We travelled further up to Solang Valley, to our chosen place of stay. The trip was hastily put together. So we didn’t do any research but opted for the hotel a good friend suggested. That it is away from the bustling Manali helped. It did not cross our mind that Hotel Iceland would live up to its name in October as well.   The chill hit us the moment we stepped out of the vehicle. The sun was up…

  • People - Places

    So What if the Water Pipe Leaks

    August 12, 2012 - By 

    At Keylong Mall Street, a kid enjoying playing with the water jet that leaks out of pipe line. On our way from Sarchu to Rohtang, we had a night’s halt at Keylong, the head quarters of Lahul Spiti district. In the evening we decided to take a stroll through the mall street. This was just outside a cloth store.  

  • Nature's Wonders - Places

    Chill Out at Sarchu

    March 15, 2012 - By 

    A popular camping site, Sarchu lies at the border of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh and belongs to HP. It is also the preferred overnight stopover between Manali and Leh. Lying between the snow-clad mountains and by the side of the Tsarap Chu river, the Mulkila campsite was spectacular, to say the least. We landed in Sarchu very late in the night after a long journey from Tso Moriri via the Moray plains. It was freezing cold and pitch dark as the place is not electrified. After a dinner of hotsoup, rotis and vegetables, we snuggled under the heavy…

  • Nature's Wonders - Places

    Make Your Own Road – More (Moray) Plains

    November 13, 2011 - By 

    Ladakh and the Himalayas never cease to excite and surprise us. Bidding adieu to the Tso Moriri wetlands and its lovely cranes and bar-headed geese, we set out to Sarchu. Before Sarchu enthralls us, we find thrill and awe en route! A plateau at a height of 4,000 m, flanked by mountains. The road is what we make our way through. A driver’s delight and dare! We were at More (Mor-ay) Plains, the world’s highest plateau.  This section stretches more than 50 km. Vehicles at times run parallel, spewing dust all over. A lone biker speeds off to nirvana. The…

  • Nature's Wonders - Places

    If Pangong Is a Dream, Tso Moriri Is Ecstacy

    August 4, 2011 - By 

    Elated after the rafting on the Indus, sad to leave Leh, but with vibrant anticipation of what lies ahead, we set out for further journey travel through the incredible landscape. Dry. Arid. Cold. And no habitation for miles and miles. Tso Moriri was the destination for the day. That meant getting back to Leh from the Sangam (Indus–Zanskar) and covering another 205 km. The drive was pretty hard through mostly non-existent roads. Passing some remote villages, we reached the Mahe check post, here there was security check and verification of permits. Beyond the check post, it was once again trusting…

  • Nature's Wonders - Places

    River Rafting @ Indus

    August 4, 2011 - By 

    We woke up on day five of our Himalayan safari brimming with excitement. Rafting on the Indus was the highlight of the day. Sadly, our last day in Leh, too. We had been following the course of Indus and just got to dip our feet in the river on the way from Srinagar to Kargil. Rafting started at Indus, about a few kilometers outside Leh; the destination being the confluence of Indus and Zanskar, which we had viewed from top on the way to Leh from Uley Topko. We were greeted in the raft by the raft guide by splashing…

  • Places

    Pangong Lake

    July 18, 2011 - By 

    The descent from Chang La reveals a stark landscape that brings awe and fear. Snow-clad mountains again turn dry and arid. The sandy river bed reminds of a desert. The long, winding roads are often breached by the brooks formed by melting snow. Camps of Changpa nomads are seen on the slopes. These nomads rear yak, sheep, goats and horses. Yak milk (rather nak milk, the correct name for the female ones) is used to make cheese and the goats are sheared for the prized cashmere wool. On the way to the Lake, at Darbuk, is a memorial to Indian…

  • Nature's Wonders - Places

    Chang La

    July 17, 2011 - By 

    Though we were on the lap of the mighty Himalayas for four days, snow was beyond our reach. We had longingly watched the glaciers from afar on our way from Srinagar to Leh. Our wish to play in snow was finally granted at Chang La or Chang Pass. At 17,586 ft, Chang La is the third highest motorable road in the world, the first and second being Khardung La, on the Leh–Nubra Valley road, and Tanglang La, on the Leh–Manali road, respectively. En route to Pangong Lake, past the Shey village, Thikse Monastery, take a left turn at the military…

  • Hotels - Places

    Himalayan Safari Tales # 9 – Kaal Hotel & Shanti Stupa

    November 13, 2010 - By 

    Tucked away from the bustling Leh town, Kaal hotel played host to us for two days. Well-appointed rooms with a touch of traditional charm, very friendly staff, and a beautiful garden and lawn saw us relaxing a bit after the hectic journey for three days. Complete with a prayer room and meditation hall, rooms at Kaal offers a fantastic view of the Zanskar ranges. Being in the ground floor rooms, we couldn’t enjoy this view, but compensated for it from the terrace. The shopping spree that had a weak start in Srinagar picked up momentum in Leh, with a visit…

  • Places

    Himalayan Safari Tales # 8 – Alchi Gompa

    November 3, 2010 - By 

    The narrow cemented path and the unremarkable mud houses did not impress us. We were at Alchi Monastery, our first monastery visit, and we expected an awe-inspiring introduction to Tibetan Buddhism. Little did we know about the marvelously adorned walls inside the mud houses! (The road to Alchi) Unlike most other monasteries in Ladakh that are located on hillsides at an elevation, Alchi is situated on the plains. Built in twelfth century, Alchi’s temples are believed to be abandoned around fifteenth century. Maybe, that’s why the magnificent murals are still intact as Alchi escaped the eyes of invaders. (Farming in…

  • Places

    Himalayan Safari Tales # 7 – Of Religion & Beliefs

    October 24, 2010 - By 

    After Nimu and Magnetic  Hill, a few miles before reaching Leh is the famous Pathar Saheb Gurudwara. Maintained by Indian Army, this Gurudwara is a well-known pilgrim destination for the Sikhs. This was our first ever visit to a Gurudwara. There are two stories about this temple, though the one surrounding Guru Nanak is more prominent. The story is that Guru Nanak arrived here in 1517 after his sermon in the Sumer mountain. A wicked demon who was troubling the local populace, rolled a boulder down from the top of a mountain to kill the meditating Guru. The boulder apparently…

  • Nature's Wonders - Places

    Himalayan Safari Tales # 6 – Defying Gravity or Optical Illusion?

    October 3, 2010 - By 

    Two days into the arid cold desert with clear blue skies, dry mountains with snow-capped peaks, deep valleys and gorges, roaring rivers… Ladakh has got into us. Mesmerizing would be an understatement. There is something about the region that evoked mixed emotions in us—awe, fear, humility, ecstasy… intoxication by the mystic setting. So, when we stopped by Magnetic Hill, a place which defies gravity, the magic simply amazed us. There was no logical questioning….. It was yet another phenomenon of this magical landscape called Ladakh. At about 40 odd kilometers before reaching Leh and ahead of the Zanskar-Indus sangam in…

  • Nature's Wonders - Places

    Himalayan Safari Tales #5 – Uley Ethnic Resort, Uleytokpo

    September 19, 2010 - By 

    Kargil is normally the night halt for most travelers from Srinagar to Leh. We, however, had other plans. Our plan was to travel past Kargil and camp at Uleytokpo, which is just short of 70 kms from Leh. The vehicles that were to pick us up from Kargil didn’t turn up. Telephone lines were down in Kargil for the past 3 days and we had no way to get in touch with the vehicles. So, in the middle of Kargil town, we remained cut-off. However, in less than an hour, Asif managed to get a 12-seater tempo traveler who agreed…

  • Srinagar to Kargil, TravelWithaCouple
    History - Nature's Wonders - Places

    Himalayan Safari Tales #4 – Srinagar to Kargil

    August 22, 2010 - By 

    Most often during our travel experiences, taxi drivers turn good travel companions. Giving the local flavour to the many stories behind the places or simply by joining the conversations with their points of views or sometimes sporty enough to gauge the moods of the travellers and offering to take detours that might match their interest. This time however, we had a tad different experience. We had two vehicles for our group and a third vehicle joined with some other passengers and since the drivers knew each other, they decided to move as a convoy. A tightly packed schedule meant hurrying…

  • Places

    Himalayan Safari Tales #3 – Srinagar: The Bazaar and the Conversations

    August 8, 2010 - By 

    “A few centuries before the Christ, the Athenians developed ‘agora’ as a place of palaver, long parley or conversation, which doubled as a location for exchanging goods and services. With some variation this pattern repeated across the ancient world. From Persia to India, market places came to be known as ‘bazar’, derived from the Pahlavi term ‘vacar’ or ‘baha-char’, meaning the ‘place of prices’. And yet the bazaar was as much a place for social connectedness as for striking a deal and determining the ‘price’” – from Bazaars, conversations and freedom by Rajni Bakshi The Dal lake by itself is…

  • Food - Places

    Himalayan Safari Tales #2 – Srinagar: The Calmness That Belies All

    August 8, 2010 - By 

    For a valley city whose name symbolizes wealth and abundance, peace certainly was in not in abundance. Decades of strife, uncertainty, and violence perhaps has taken its toll. The calm and serene Dal lake perhaps belies all. The quite witness. Taking care of hundreds of families who are dependent on it. Colorful shikaras silently offering rides for the travelers. The shikaras, the house boats and the trade are still the main source of income. Dal lake lies in the catchment area in the Zabarwan mountain valley, which surrounds the lake on three sides and is a part of a natural…

  • Places

    Himalayan Safari Tales #1 – Srinagar: The Day After the Curfew

    August 8, 2010 - By 

    Srinagar was waking up after intermittent curfew days. The roads were so crowded and jammed that it took more than an hour from the airport to the Dal lake. Everyone was in a hurry to get the work done and be back in the safety of their houses, for no one knew when the curfew would return. Buses were packed to the brim that many were even sitting on the roofs and hanging on to the ladders at the back. Army jawans tried helping the local traffic police in managing the traffic. But it was chaos mostly. We began our…