The snow capped peaks of the Himalayas play host to some of the most sacred places in India with the holy River Ganges finding it's source here, winding it's way through the pilgrimage centers of Hardwar and Rishikesh, across the sub-continent and to the sea. Rising from the banks of the Ganges at these centers are temples of fantastic shapes and carvings and ashrams (meditation centers) made famous in the 1960's by the various gurus who visited the West
Reaching
a height of 25,643 ft., Nanda Devi is one of the jewels of the Garhwal
Himalayas and at our second center, Sikkim, the famous peak of Kanchenjunga,
(28,216 ft) guards a remote Buddhist kingdom - the Land of Mountains and
Monasteries, orchids and butterflies and dense forests of rhododendrons,
with clear streams bubbling and gurgling their way to the lower slopes.
Sikkim has an incredible range of flora and fauna.Our tour begins in Delhi, the modern capital of India and moves quickly to Rishikesh, with a delightful stay in the Hotel. Explore this easy-going city, with its abundance of temples lining the river banks and ghats, with their steps leading into the holy waters. At both ends of the day, the Triveni Ghat is one of the most picturesque places to be, with semi-naked Sadhus making offerings in the mornings and priests floating lamps on the river waters after sunset. Visit the Lakshman Jhula suspension bridge and see the holy men and fakirs lying and meditating on their nail beds, while the bustling of the bazaar goes on around them. The flower sellers at their stalls make a vibrant an colourful backdrop to the scene.
We drive to our first camping site in the valley, created by the River Mandakini, surrounded by lush green hills, and visit the temple of Augustmuni, who is believed to be the teacher of Ram. Our journey continues through spectacular scenery from Joshimath to Auli - one of the best camping sties on this tour, offering magnificent views of the Nanda Devi peak.
The three-day trek commences from Govind Ghat, following the Bhutar Ganga to Gangaria, offering a dramatic view of Hathi Parbat (Elephant Peak) and on the way we could well be greeted by many Sikhs, making their own pilgrimage to Hamkund Lake. "The Valley of Flowers", situated at almost 12,000 ft. at the foot of the Kamet range is an exceptionally splendid place. Thus funnel shaped valley is about 10 kms long, 2 kms wide, and, as it's name suggests, is bursting with flowers of all shapes and colours (though, sadly, the best displays are during the monsoon). From here we return to Govind Ghat where our waiting coach will take us to Badrinath, with its temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, towering, cone-shaped, 15 metres into the air with a view to the west of Nilkanth Peak, "The Queen of Garhwal", dominating the panorama at 21,500 ft.
From here we drive back to Rishikesh, via Nandprayag, to Delhi, for an overnight stay and the following morning fly to Bagdogra near Sikkim. On arrival we will travel by coach to Darjeeling, the tea plantations for which this area is famous, surrounding us on all sides. Until the 18th century, this whole area belonged to the Raja of Sikkim, the neighbouring Gurkhas invaded and took control in 1780. But the Gurkhas came into conflict with the British East India Company and a number of minor skirmishes and wars followed, ending with the defeat of the Gurkhas when the British restored part of the area to the Raja of Sikkim.
Following a delightful stay at the Hotel, we drive to Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, with a breathtaking view of the world's third highest peak, Kanchenjunga. We spend several days exploring and sightseeing, including a visit to the Tibetan Tantric Buddhist monastery of Rumtek, before we return for our last night in Delhi.
ITINERARY
Day
1 New DellhiDay 2 Sightseeing in Delhi
Day 3 Overland from Delhi to Rishikesh.
Day 4 Exploring Rishikesh
Day 5 Drive to Augustmuni (camp)
Day 6 Drive to Auli (camp)
Day 7 Drive to Joshimath
Day 8-10 Trek (Valley of Flowers
Day 11 Explore Badrinath
Day 12 Drive to Joshimath
Day 13 Drive to Nandprayag and camp overnight
Day 14 Drive to Rishikesh (Hotel)
Day 15 Drive to Delhi (Hotel)
Day 16 Fly to Sikkim (Hotel) (camping for 2 nights)
Day 17 Sightseeing in Darjeeling
Day 18 Drive to Gangtok
Day 19 Sightseeing in Gangtok
Day 20 Return flight to Delhi
Day 21 Fly Delhi to London