Prelude:
I have always dreamed of travelling all over India, to see every remote village, river and mountain in this vast country. To meet people everywhere and experience their diverse cultures, gods, languages and food.
In 2003, I was already 55 years old. When am I going to fulfill my dreams? I knew, I had to do this soon while I was still able to travel and use my legs to trek in the mountains. So, in September 2003, I decided to retire from work and take up travel, more or less full time! It took 6 months, to handover all my work responsibilities .... and finally, I "retired" on 31st March 2004!
I bought a copy of Lonely Planet's "India Guide" and started reading that State by State. Later (after a few trips) I realised how practical and accurate this Guide really was! Though the LP Guide is written for foreigners visiting India, I found it perfect for my purpose. Anyplace LP said was worth visiting and seeing ... was really so! In fact, Even Better!!
The links below lead to pages that describe my various travels and treks . . . in a sort of "diary" format . . . the narratives are brief, as I have relied more on pictures (from my digicam) to tell the whole story. If you have comment or feedback, you will find my email-Id at the bottom of this page. Some feedback emails.
PS (May-09): This blog is just a diary of my personal experiences. It is not a travel-trek guide. I don't have the expertise to advise anyone on such treks or tours. At most I can provide tips and words of encouragement. Anybody with determination and normal fitness can do these tours. However, if you are trekking to higher altitudes (above 3000M or 10,000 ft) do read the 'general trekking advise' chapters in any Trekking Guide. I found the first few chapters of Lonely Planet's "Trekking in the Indian Himalaya" extremely useful. On a trek it is best to have a local guide-porter, to show you the way and carry your bag so you can enjoy the walk without a load on your back. I have often taken Debu as a Guide for my treks in Uttaranchal -- KS
The Tours till date:
34. TREK TOUR July-2009 Monsoon Trek in Dharma Valley, Eastern Kumaon PLAN
33. SUV TOUR April-2009 GHiRT-1: Himalayan Tour - Sikkim, Bhutan, Arunachal NEW
32. TREK TOUR December 2008 Kumaon High-Villages Trek (Loharkhet to Birthi Falls) NEW
31. TREK TOUR September 2008 Pabbar Valley Chandranathan Trek in Kinnaur, HP NEW
30. TREK TOUR June-2008 The Roopkund Trek in Garhwal, Uttarakhand
29. BUS-JEEP TOUR May-2008 The Botanical & Rose Garden of Ooty in Tamilnadu
28. BUS-JEEP TOUR April 2008 Kemmangundi Hill, Belur and Halebid in Karnataka
27. TREK TOUR April 2008 Sandakphu Trek on Singalila Ridge in Nepal/West Bengal
26. CAR TOUR February 2008 Kumbalgarh Fort & Ranakpur Jain Temple - Rajasthan
25. CAR TOUR Dec-07 to Jan-08 Grand India Road Trip (GIRT) 33-day 9388-Km Drive
24. TREK TOUR October 2007 Everest Base Camp (EBC) & Kala Pathar Trek - Nepal
23. TREK TOUR September 2007 Jiri to Namche Bazar - Classic Everest Trek of Nepal
22. TREK TOUR July 2007 Har-Ki-Dun, Yamunotri, Gangotri-Gaumukh & Valley-of-Flower
21. BUS-JEEP TOUR May 2007 Corbett Tiger Park - Uttaranchal
20. TREK TOUR May 2007 Milam Glacier Trek from Munsiary in Kumaon, Uttaranchal
19. TREK TOUR May 2007 Gwaldam to Deal Trek in Garhwal, Uttaranchal
18. CAR TOUR December 2006 Hampi - The Vijayanagar Ruins in central Karnataka
17. CAR TOUR December 2006 Konkan and Goa beaches & coastal scenery
16. TREK TOUR October 2006 A 200+ Km Annapurna Circuit Trek, in Nepal
15. BUS-JEEP TOUR May 2006 Srinagar, Kargil, Zanskar, Leh, Nubra, Pangong-Tso, Keylang
14. BUS-JEEP TOUR February 2006 Bomdilla & Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh
13. BUS-JEEP TOUR February 2006 Namdapha, Brahmaputra, Pasighat, Along :Arunachal Pradesh
12. BUS-JEEP TOUR January 2006 Kaziranga National Park (Rhinos) - Assam
11. CAR TOUR December 2005 MP > Mandir, Ujjain, Sanchi, Kanha, Khajuraho, Orchha
10. BUS -JEEP TOUR October 2005 Joshimath, Auli, Badrinath, Mana, Ranikhet
9. TREK TOUR October 2005 Sundardunga Trek in Kumaon Region of Uttaranchal
8. CAR TOUR Aug-Sep 2005 Saurashtra Coastal Drive - Bhavnagar to Dwaraka
7. TREK TOUR April 2005 Triund Trek in Dhauladhar Range in Himachal Pradesh
6. BUS-JEEP TOUR April 2005 Dharamsala, McLeod-Ganj, Khajjiar, Chamba, Kalatope in HP
5. BUS-JEEP TOUR April 2005 Kinnaur & Spiti Valleys in Eastern Himachal Pradesh
4. TREK TOUR November 2004 Yuksom to Dzongri-La - Kanchenjunga Trek in W. Sikkim
3. BUS-JEEP TOUR November 2004 Gangtok & Yuksom (Sikkim) and Darjeeling (West Bengal)
2. BUS-JEEP TOUR October 2004 Kausani, Choukhori, Munsiayri - Hill Stations of Kumaon
1. TREK TOUR September 2004 The Pindari Glacier Trek in Kumaon, Uttaranchal
My Top-10 pictures of:
Mountains Lakes Flowers Gardens Mt.Everest Island-Homes
Suhana Safar ......... aur yeh mausam haseen!
