15 Classic Trekking Trails in the World!

Do you go for treks/hikes? 

Do you love to be part of the nature and get a feeling of being on top of the world when you climb a hill?

Are you the kind of person who would like to explore an unknown waterfall or a hill?

We love to trek. We love to hike in the mountains, in the forests, on a railway track! It is an activity which gives us pleasure when we are alone on a hill or in the woods experiencing the pristine beauty of the nature. Walking has been celebrated and written eloquently since Marco Polo to Stevenson to Chatwin to Bryson. 

We are not sure how we got this excellent link from National Geographic. It is a list of 15 Classic trekking trails around the world. From beautiful lakes of New Zealand to deserts of Jordan to the deep jungles of Central africa. They are all here in this list. 

Queen Charlotte Track, New Zealand 

Long Range Traverse, Canada 

Fitz Roy Trek, Patagonia, Argentina

Here are the links

World's Best Hikes - 15 Classic Trails

World's best Hikes - 20 Dream Trails

Some of them are in our bucket list as well. Hope we will be able to do it some time in future.

Here are some posts related to trekking/hiking in this blog which may interest you

Dudhsagar Falls - A Monsoon trek on Railway Track

Triund Trek - A Heavenly Hike in Himalayas!

Valley of Flowers - 14 KMs trek to Ghangaria

Five Lovely Treks in Karnataka

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Five lovely beaches in India to visit before summer !

We all love beaches.

With winter in India still on, why don't we explore some lovely beaches which are still off the regular travel circuit. Skip Goa, Kovalam, Pondy or Alibaug. Head towards these which are quiet and quaint before summer kicks in. Come back with lovely memories.

Of course, this is not for those who are looking for action, night life etc.........

Kushi

We bet you may not have heard of it! The Coromandel coast is still unexplored. It has some amazing beaches. This is what can be called as most beautiful beach in south india. The water is still and clear blue. Sand is golden. The casuarina grove all along the shore add to the beauty.

Getting there - Kushi beach is very close to Rameshwaram which is well connected by train and bus. The nearest airport is Madurai.

Stay Option - Nil. You need to stay in Rameshwaram which has good hotels. 

Please also see the following related posts.

Kushi Beach - Quaint & Lovely

Baindoor - Shirur

Like Coramandel coast, the Karavali or the Coastal Karnataka is home to outstanding beaches which are still unexplored. Tourism has not caught on in these laces. Baindoor - Shirur stretch near Kundapur has lovely sands and safe waters.

Getting there - Baindoor  is well connected by rail and bus. The Konkan railway has a stop at Baindoor. Nearest airport is Mangalore.

Stay options - The only stay option in Baindoor today is Sai Vishram resort which is a vegetarian only and Non alcoholic resort. There are many options in Kundapur which is 30 KMs away.

Added Bonus - You can also plan a visit to famous Kollur Mookambika temple from here.

Please also see following related post on visiting west coast.

Driving Holidays - Karavali and Koffee Combo!

Ashtaranga

The name Ashtaranga defines what this beach is all about. A quiet beach away from the hustle bustle of temple town of Puri, Ashtaranga is famous not only for the beach but for its mesmerizing sunsets.

Getting there - The nearest rail head is Bhubaneshwar/Puri which are well connected. Nearest airport is at Bhubaneshwar.

Stay Options - The best options for stay is in Konark which has good places including Orissa Tourism's Pant Niwas. Konark is 30 KMs from Astaranga.

Mahe

Malabar coast in Kerala is still unexplored unlike the southern part of Kerala. Mahe is a French pie in Malabar curry! A small town with French flavour, it is also famous for beautiful beach. If you are not enjoying sunset on the beach, you can savour prawns with chilled beer on the shore!

Reaching there - Mahe is well connected by rail and bus. The nearest rail head is Mahe. The nearest airport is Calicut.

Stay options - Mahe has a good options for stay.

Pingleshwar

We all have heard or Kutch in Gujarat. You might have also heard of the lovely beach at Mandvi. Move little farther and you reach a quiet stretch of sand. This is Pingleshwar beach for you.

Getting there - The nearest railhead and airport is at Bhuj. Many busses ply from Bhuj.

Stay options - At present there are no stay options in Pingleshwar. The best best is Mandvi.

Go there before they become another Goa or Kovalam. These beaches spell tranquility and solitude.

If you need more information to plan a trip to these places, please write to us. Happy to help.

Photo Courtesies

Mahe - Sumit Bajaj and Kunju Vava

Pingleshwar - Nirdesh Singh

Astaranga - Shakti Nanda

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Skywatch Friday - Kanchenjunga from Tiger Hill!

December 24, 2013.

It was a freezing morning in Darjeeling. We got up at 3.30 AM to reach Tiger Hill well in time to get to the vantage point. 

We had read about sensational experience of seeing India's tallest peak at sun rise from Tiger hill. But we were not sure. The envelope of fog was spreading and raising slowly as the sun was trying to peep out in the horizon. 

Shivering in the early morning cold of 5 degree celsius and standing in the open ground, we were all waiting for the first glimpse of the mountain.

The mountain known as Kanchenjunga. The tallest peak in India. Third tallest in the world.

There was excitement in the air. The fog continued to raise and we prayed. 

Finally our prayers were answered. There was a loud shout from everyone. Then the "wow" feeling......the numbness and unbelievable sight of the peak simmering gold in the rays of morning sun!

It was worth every wollen we wore on that day!

Road trip Vignettes - A Bridge on Musi River

Road trips are always like this. 

You suddenly notice some lovely spot and get down. It can be anything. A lovely landscape or a small water fall or early morning life in rural india. We call these as "memorable moments" on the road.

When we were driving on the world class highway between Hyderabad and Vijayawada on the way to Sikkim during Christmas holidays, a lovely bridge on Musi river caught our eye. It must have been built during British or Nizam times, the lovely arches made of bricks was aesthetically very pleasing. There was not much of water in the river.

We had to get get down and click a picture of it!

Cricket Club Cafe - Eat Cricket, Drink Cricket, Watch Cricket!

Where can you munch a "Dickie Bird Burger" while sipping "Miandad Mango Magic" and finish off with "Bishan Bedi Brownie" for dessert!?

Yes, you need to head to the Cricket Club Cafe in Colombo for this amazing experience. Located in a colonial British bungalow with lovely verandahs and lawns, the cafe is a must visit for a Cricket lover. Even if you aren't one, it is an interesting place to hang out in Colombo and have pint of draught on a sunny afternoon!

This was one of the "Things to do" for us when we visited Sri Lanka during last Christmas. It was a lazy afternoon when we headed to this iconic place. As we entered through the large gate, we were greeted by signs with directions to all major cricket stadiums in the world!

Entering inside, we were pleasantly surprised at the display of Cricket memorabilia. Lovingly done by the Australian couple James and Gabrielle who have ensured that every visitor to the cafe go back with fond memories. The English pub named Bradman bar has many memorabilia of Sir Don. Each corner of the large house is dedicated to a Cricket playing nation and memorabilia of some of the legends of cricket is on display here.

Let us not now take you through a pictorial tour of the place.

Entrance to the Cafe 

Daily specials on display at the entrance

Signboard with distances to all major stadiums in the world!

Interesting menu on offer!

In Bradman Bar 

Brinda in Bradman Corner.......notice the bat signed by Sir Don 

India Corner with Sunny's hat, Sachin's bat and Kapil's ball! 

Sir Vivian Richard's famous jersey in West Indies Corner

Aussie corner

Bats with signature of players from teams which took part in ICC Champions trophy in Sri Lanka

Bats signed by different teams including the World cup winning Sri Lankan Team of 1996

Bats signed by Indian team led by Nawab Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi

This place is not just about eating and drinking. It is all about celebrating Cricket. The food is tasty and good. The staff is friendly. It is the ambience which allows you to enjoy an English afternoon sipping a pint while watching a Cricket match on the screen. One also have an option of sitting in the lovely lawn under the canopy of big trees. 

Pick up some mementoes from this iconic place when you leave satisfied!

When you visit Colombo next time, don't miss this place.

Getting there

CCC as it is popularly known in Colombo is located on Queens road, a prominent landmark in the city known for boutique restaurants. CCC is located very close to another iconic restaurant of Colombo, "The Gallery Cafe" which used be a the studio of famous Sri Lankan Architect Geoffrey Bawa.

Website of the place - Cricket Club Cafe, Colombo

If you are a Cricket lover, you may be interested to see the following post in this blog

Cricket bats from Kashmir

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Skywatch Friday - Nathu La, Sikkim

Nathu La is at 14,140 feet on India - China border. Imagine someone staying at this height and guarding our borders so that we are safe in our cities?

Travelling in Himalayas at altitudes above 10,000 feet is a difficult task. The rarefied atmosphere, the cold, the wind chill makes it a very tough task indeed.

Having served in the Indian Army, i know how tough it is to be there. The fact that our soldiers does this job cheerfully is an example of amazing spirit and character.

We had the fine experience of it when we visited Nathu La, the highest pass in the Eastern Sector on India - China border. The wind chill was numbing though the sky was clear. The sunshine was blinding. There was snow all around.

Bunkers atop rocky cliff

The road ends @ Nathu La. Notice the snow.

National Emblem of India @ Nathu La. Notice the snow all around.

We clicked these bunkers manned by soldiers 24/7@ Nathu La during our visit there last week.

Hats off to these sentinels of our borders and may their tribe increase!

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Wish you all a very Happy 2014!

As the Sun rises in the horizon and brighten the sky at Dawn......

Let the road ahead in 2014 be without any hurdles ......

May you have a smooth ride and travel more in 2014.......

Let the sun shine brighter and bring joy and happiness in your life in 2014.......

Wishing you all a very Happy, Successful and Peaceful 2014!

( This picture was taken on foggy Grand Trunk Road - NH 2 - at Dawn yesterday as we left Bodh Gaya to Bhubaneshwar)