‘There is no bus on the Chamba – Bhaderwah road after Langera. How will you go after that?’; remarked the HRTC guy on the phone. Even the daily bus from Pathankot to Langera had come as a pleasant surprise, and had made me feel confident about travelling on this hitherto forbidden route! While I knew it…
Category: Jammu & Kashmir
A Day in Patnitop : Memories & Photographs
Keeping the long weekend in mind, we had pre-booked our train from Jammu to Delhi. I was travelling with a friend and hence Patnitop seemed like a convenient option to spend a day. Even though I wondered with the availability of accommodation options, we still took a chance and randomly arrived in Patnitop around 1…
Srinagar – Leh Highway, in Pictures
Sometimes words don’t type themselves out. Maybe there is a problem of plenty. Which experience should I start with? When one has traversed on a particular road many times, the memories become a veritable assortment of many crazy experiences. Even more so, when the road in question is the Srinagar – Leh highway or NH1D;…
Amarnath Yatra from Baltal – A Travelogue
While I’ve always held a fascination with natural beauty on my journeys, religious sites proved to be a necessary accompaniment. A visit to them also provides important insight into our history and the perceived thought process of India – at large. It was the difficult time of July’s curfew in Kashmir and I had somehow…
Kashmir Great Lakes Trek, in Pictures
At first I set about writing a travelogue; but then quickly realised I could do that later and instead share the photographs which had created quite a storm on social media, particularly instagram. All the captions are heartfelt memories 🙂 When I went on this trek, in July-August 2016 I was a bit skeptical especially…
Walking around the Famed Meadows of Sonamarg & Thajiwas Glacier
The heart was finally calm after the locals had given fate a twist by deciding to make me stay in their home. I was in Sitkari village (pronounced Sitkadi) and an entire gamut of emotions was going through my head. Kids were running around causing much needed happiness while my brain was still in shock…
The Goodness of Strangers : Curfew in Kashmir (Part 2)
Continuing the (seemingly) action hero type narration travelling in Kashmir in the Burhani Wani curfew, I had been lucky to reach the highway village of Saura from the Srinagar airport. Already pleasantly surprised with the kindness of strangers, I couldn’t afford to relax or take it easy. The danger was real and I wasn’t in…
The Goodness of Strangers : Curfew in Kashmir
I see no network on my phone and immediately alarm bells start ringing. There were hardly 50 people on the aircraft and none of them seemed to be tourists. I am greeted with curious looks after I alight with a backpack at the Srinagar airport. It was the early hour of 7 in the morning and the Tourist office was…
Waltzing to Happiness on a Houseboat in Srinagar
I had spent the night gazing at the framed views of Nun-Kun peaks from a little village in Suru Valley called Parkachik. While hitchhiking in a truck from Padum to Rangdum, the lunch break had enabled me to speak to a lady from New Zealand who promptly offered me a seat in the cab that she was…
Tarsar Marsar Trek in Kashmir, in Pictures – Part II
While Tarsar Marsar Trek in Kashmir, in Pictures – Part I focused on the grasslands and valleys in remote Kashmir; Part II will focus mainly on the pristine lakes and high altitude landscapes carpeted with wildflowers. Photographs in this post are from reaching Tarsar Lake and continue to Marsar Lake till the end of the trek. The…
Tarsar Marsar Trek in Kashmir, in pictures – Part I
While spending time in Srinagar I am always jittery. My idea of a holiday doesn’t mean being worried all day with the military presence. Therefore escaping to the countryside in relatively unexplored Kashmir is my perfect idea of connecting with nature without spotting any tourists and knowing the local way of life. And thats perfectly where…
Trekking from Purne to Phugtal Monastery, in Pictures
Read : Stunning experiences from the most remote monastery in the world Read : Leh-Ladakh : Amalgamation of Cultures Read : Wanderings in Lahaul – Tayul Monastery Read : Wanderings in Lahaul : Kardang Monastery Read : Lamas at Phuktal Monastery Chortens, monks, a monastery guesthouse and the greatest…