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Ladakh ("land of high passes") sandwiched between the Kuen Lun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south is a region in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in Northern India, inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent.
Ladakh is one of the lowest population densities in the world: 2 inhabitants per kilometer, 59,000 square kilometers of rocky desert, apparently inhospitable mountains, a world of bewitching silence, framed in a parallel fashion by two of the most imposing mountain ranges, the Karakoram to the North, the Himalayas to the South.
The only route accessible to Ladakh during the winter is air; Indian Air Lines operates three days in a week. More over in winter months the air services is not frequent as there is too many cancellations of flights due to fog in Delhi and Leh. Life in Ladakh comes to a stand still in winter months and remains cut off rest of the world.
In the centre of South Asia is located the loftiest mountain chain on earth, the Himalayas which have stood as a natural wonder for ages. These mountain ranges have been an important part of our heritage and culture since the birth of our civilization. In the heart of these majestic mountains lies the state of Uttarakhand with the Kumaon hills in its east and the Garhwal hills in the west.
Nature has endowed this region with so much beauty and spiritual bliss that the place is also known as 'Dev Bhoomi' or the Abode of Gods. Blessed with magnificent glaciers, sparkling and joyful rivers, gigantic and ecstatic Himalayan peaks, natural biosphere, valley of flowers, skiing slopes and dense forests, this Abode includes many shrines and places of pilgrimage. The four most sacred and revered Hindu temples, namely Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri are nestled in these Mighty Mountains.
The lofty Himalayas, the rugged terrains, the impenetrable forest covers and the challenging rivers offer endless opportunities for the adventure seekers. Mountaineering can be enjoyed around the Gangotri Glacier and the Nanda Devi Sanctuary. The peaks of varying heights, between 6500-7000 m, offer quite a thrilling adventure. The region has many fascinating treks in the pithoragarh and almora region. It is also blessed with a huge range of flora and fauna. Along with the world-famous Corbett National Park, Uttaranchal has quite a lot of awesome destinations for wildlife tourism. These are the Rajaji National Park, Govind Pashu Vihar, Asan Barrage, Chilla and Saptarishi Ashram, the last four being a delight for bird watchers.
Apart from these the valley of flowers is another destination for nature lovers. In the past few years another adventure activity has been quite popular in the region and that is white water rafting. Uttarakhand though a newly formed state has become a major attraction for adventure seekers because of its geographical location and the plethora of adventure activities that take place in the state.
Rajasthan: Land of people, who are brave and chivalrous, people with warlike lifestyle around whom grew the most amazing legends of romance and heroism. Everything here is breathtakingly beautiful, impressive and fascinating. It is packed with history, arts and culture.
Rajasthan is situated in the north-western part of India. It covers 342,239 square kilometers (132,139 square miles). The Aravali mountain ranges that run from Delhi to Gujarat cut through the State almost vertically. The Aravali ranges divide the State through south-east and north-west. The climate of Rajasthan varies from semi arid to arid. The mercury touches 49 degrees centigrade at some places during summer and drops below freezing point during winter. Most of the rainfall (60-80%) is received with the South west monsoon in the period from July to September. The average number of rainy days varies from 6 to 42 depending on the aridity of the area.
Rajasthan comes alive with exuberant folk dances, melodious music and spectacular festivities. Typically, men still wear twirling moustaches and women adorn themselves in multihued costumes.
Camel Festival
The camel festival is organized by the Department of Tourism of the Rajasthan Government in January every year in Bikaner. The festival begins with a colorful procession of bedecked camels against the red sandstone backdrop of the Junagarh fort.
Summer Festival
The three-day festival is held at Mount Abu in June every year and is a feast of folk and classical music and window to the tribal life and culture of Rajasthan..
Puskhar Fair
Easily the most identifiable of all the fairs of the state, the Puskhar fair is held in November in Puskhar in Ajmer, where an eighth century temple of Brabma, draws the faithful. The place has about 400 shrines and temples around the lake. Legend has it that Lord Brahma, in search of a place to hold his yagna(religious ritual), dropped the lotus from his hand and the three spots touched by the flower were turned into lakes. People gather together to camp in the desert and entertain each other with songs and dances and cook meals over camp fires. The camel, horse and donkey races are also popular and draw huge attendance.
Places to Visit:
- Jaipur
- Jodhpur
- Jaisalmer
- Bikaner
- Mandawa
- Udaipur
- Mount Abu
- Ranthambore
- Puskhar
- Sariska
- Bharatpur
Sikkim the land of the mighty Khangchendzonga, tumbling streams and torrents, mountain monasteries and quaint shopping plazas is arguably the one of the most exotic travel destination in India. Enfolded in mists and clouds this garden state has an incredible variety of orchids, rhododendrons, gladioli and a host of other flowers.
Sikkim is separated by the Singalila range from Nepal in the west, Chola range from Tibet in the northeast and Bhutan in the southeast. Rangit and Rangpo rivers form the borders with the Indian state of West Bengal in the south.
Sikkim is an adventurer’s paradise as it provides a wide range of activities with trekking, mountaineering, rafting and mountain biking and yak safari being the prominent ones. The Teesta river offer long stretches which are ideal for safe rafting while the Rangit River has more turbulent waters and offers a challenge to more experienced rafters
Goa is often described as 'The Rome of the East'. It has over the past decades, become the dream holiday destination, for many a foreign tourist. More than 40 years after the departure of the Portuguese, Goa is perhaps the most westernized of all the states in Modern India. The people here are easy going in nature, enjoying a typical 'tropical lifestyle'; including the 'siesta', which is usually from 1pm to 4pm, the hottest part of the day. Music, dance, drama, food and feni, are a few of the things most Goans are passionate about.
The main draws of Goa are the beaches, such as Anjuna, which are every bit as cliché-beautiful as they’re supposed to be, but just as much of an attraction is its intriguing fusion of colonial Portugal and modern India. There is almost nowhere else in India where the influence of the former colonial overlords remains as strong as it does in Goa and it’s not at all unusual to find crucifixes hanging on walls next to posters of Shiva and groups of elderly Goan men conversing in Portuguese. Wander the crumbling cathedrals and basilicas of Old Goa, for a fascinating insight into this colonial legacy.
CARNIVAL
February is the month of the CARNIVAL at Goa. For one whole week the streets come alive with color. Held in mid February the weeklong event is a time for lively processions, the strumming of guitars, graceful dances and of non-stop festivity. One of the more famous of the Indian Carnivals the Goa Festival is a complete sell out in terms of tourism capacities.
Among the many and various colorful feasts and festivals that are celebrated in Goa, the Goa Carnival is the most eagerly awaited event. The 'Carnival’ is exclusive and unique to Goa, and was introduced by the Portuguese who ruled over Goa for over five hundred years. Hotel bookings must be done in advance for carnival as the festival attracts thousands of tourists.
Kerala ‘The God’s Own country’ is an enthrallingly beautiful, emerald green land, bordered by the Western Ghats on one side, the Arabian Sea on the other, and strewn with rivers, lagoons, backwaters and rich vegetation. Legends state that Kerala was created by Parshuram (a famous ancient sage). Vasco da Gama discovered the sea route to India from Europe when he landed near Calicut in 1498 AD. Kerala is situated, in the South West corner of Indian peninsula. Kerala is also one of the richest states in India with forests and plantations of rubber, cashew, and coconuts everywhere. It has a particularly rich heritage of dance and drama (Kathalkali, Koothu, Mohiniattam) and people here are among the most industrious and well educated (100% literacy late) in the country. The people of Kerala continue to rank among the healthiest, best educated, and most gender-equitable in India. Basic human development indices are on par with the developed world, and the state is more environmentally sustainable than Europe and North America.
Kerala is renowned all over the world for its backwaters, natural beauty, health resorts and beaches. The Ayurvedic massages at the health resorts have miraculous healing properties and it is known to cure many ailments. For nature and wild life enthusiasts Kerala offers a wide range of options like Periyar wildlife sanctuary, Kottayam wildlife sanctuary, Chinnar wildlife sanctuary, Idukki wildlife sanctuary, kollam wildlife sanctuary and many more.
With 120–140 rainy days per year, Kerala has a wet and maritime tropical climate influenced by the seasonal heavy rains of the southwest summer monsoon. Mean annual temperatures range from 25.0–27.5 °C in the coastal lowlands to 20.0–22.5 °C in the eastern highlands.
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of area. The geography of the region is diverse, encompassing two mountain ranges — the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats and a plateau heartland.
South India is a peninsula in the shape of a vast inverted triangle, bounded on the west by the Arabian Sea, on the east by the Bay of Bengal and on the north by the Vindhya and Satpura ranges. The Narmada flows westwards in the depression between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges. There is a wide diversity of plants and animals in South India, resulting from its varied climates and geography.
The Entire south India has a huge variety in wildlife with numerous national parks/ wild sanctuaries spread all across. The beaches in this region are some of the most beautiful in the country. There a lot of scope for adventure seekers with many water sports available along with parasailing and trekking.
For biking/cycling enthusiasts the region is full of biking routes that takes them through many adventures. |
