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Written by SuperHypersonic
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Thursday, 03 July 2008 19:11 |
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How does one begin to describe :
a land of endless contrasts,
a land of bewitching beauty,
a land of tough terrain & majestic mountains ….. and more? I could exhaust all superlatives, all adjectives so I’ll simply describe LADAKH as the place which you fall in love with the minute u set your eyes on it. Ladakh itself means a land of thousand passes. It is at an average altitude of 10000 feet & is a high-altitude, cold desert. It’s bounded by the world's two mightiest mountain ranges - the great Himalayan and the Karakoram. It lies athwart two others: The Ladakh and the Zanskar range.
And that is the most enchanting aspect of Ladakh that the mountains are ubitiquitous.
You can turn in any direction & the majestic mountains are there!!
This also implies that the region has a harsh weather plummeting to as low as minus 40 degrees in winter & only as high as 25-26 degrees in summer.
The Great Himalayas also act as a barrier for rain-bearing clouds, hence Ladakh gets little or no rainfall. A first-time traveler also has to combat the extremely low levels of oxygen in this terrain. But once you surmount the weather, you can’t help being smitten by the topography of Ladakh- because Ladakh is a land like no other. From Challenging glaciers, snow-clad peaks, mountain river gorges, brilliantly colored rocks to splendidly beautiful lakes like Tso-Moriri, Pangong-Tso, Tsokar etc., Ladakh has it all. It’s also home to the world’s highest motorable road “Khardungla” or “K-Top” as called by locals. Its at an altitude of a mind-boggling 18380ft !!! And stepping on this road is bound to fill you with a sense of awe as well as pride! Ladakh’s largest town is Leh & most tourists base themselves here as it provides varied accommodation options. Most cultural events are also organized in Leh. Leh is is dominated by the nine-storey Namgyal Palace & the Stok Palace , both of which are major tourist attractions. Leh also has multicuisine restaurants that are also reasonably priced. There are number of tour operators around the town, which look after travelers requirements. Ladakh also has some of the world’s most beautiful & celebrated monasteries & most are also frequented by visitors to the region.
And for the adventurous Ladakh offers exciting options of trekking, river-rafting.
One of the most difficult but exciting option for white-water rafting is on the Zanskar along its spectacular course through the gorge in the Zanskar Mountains.
Trekking though very challenging at such high altitudes, can be a very rewarding experience as one would be greeted by spectacular views at every step.
And though the altitude & low oxygen levels in Ladakh may make some tourists dizzy, what is guaranteed is that Ladakh is an experience of a lifetime. Unforgettable, enchanting & captivating, as I said before, words are not enough to describe this magical land. So, everyone who sets foot here remains eternally enamored by Ladakh.
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Adventure Travel
WHITE WATER RAFTING
River rafting in the dazzling white waters of the Himalayan Rivers is the best in the world, with great rapids that challenge the body, invigorate the mind and the spirit. There are many river-rafting regions here which suit both professionals as well as amateur rafters.
The magic behind white water rafting is the extreme and never-ending thrills in the untamed rivers.
It’s that inexplicable feeling of incredible peace found in the act of flowing with the astounding current of the river.
One of the most magnificent white water rafting experiences one can have
would be on River Beas.
The Beas River, one of the four major Himachal Rivers, rises from Rohtang Pass and flows through the Kully valley. Beas has, right from Manali till Jhiri, close to Bajaura in Kullu district, become a favorite among the river rafting lovers. On this 20 kms stretch, there... Adventure Travel Read More... |
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Faces
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAfZb5-s8LwPhil Soltanoff is the director of 'Mad Dog' theatre company. He is also executive director and co-founder (along with performing artist Hanne Tierney) of Five Myles, the OBIE-award winning alternative performance/exhibition space in Brooklyn, NY. In 1996 Phil Soltanoff premiered "TO Whom it may concern" which was featured in The Belgrade International Theatre Festival 1997.He was nominated for a 2007 Moliere Award for his creation and direction of "More or less infinity".His other directing credits include "Hybrid #17", "Suite for... Read More... |
{smoothgallery folder=images/chhau}"To the beat of Mridang and Drums,With magnificient masks,they twist,they turn.Through graceful moves and elegant prance,They invoke the Lord's cosmic dance."Duniya Gol Hai is very happy to present the "India For Duniya"(India for the World) series.Through these articles,we'll introduce you to various art forms, places, traditions and cultures of India that aren't widely known but deserve to be known.There is so much in the vast diversity of India that one can talk about and since I love this beautiful... Read More... |
She is a fantastic actor. She has a degree in mathematics and she is an ex-Miss India. She is tech-savvy and an avid reader. But there is so much more to Gul Panag then that .Like did you know Gul is just two flights away from acquiring a Solo License for Paragliding? Read on to discover more about this well-informed, avid traveller. Aditi (SuperHypersonic) met Gul Panag in Mumbai and the two talked about travelling and more in this hour... Read More... |
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Mind travel
 CatchLight, A look into the eyes of North India, is a delightful collection of photographs from Northern India notable, Delhi, Agra and Kashmir.The photographs are by Matt Brandon. Matt Brandon has been shooting pictures since he was 10 years old with his father's Cannonet QL Rangefinder. He and his dad processed his first images in a darkroom built under the basement stairs. Captured by a basic photography course in High School, he went on to pursue Photography in depth at university.... Mind Travel Read More... |
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Places
Milan was made for slow Saturdays and Sundays. Despite its reputation as an aesthetically banal backwater to showy sister Roma, it can be transcendentally beautiful. Behind groaning wooden doors, up worn stairs, your eyes are drawn to the dark stone beauty of the Duomo (cathedral), to Baroque palazzos and to Da Vinci frescoes.
And for all its lightning-speed lunches and northern European work ethic, Milan is a red-blooded Italian at... Places Read More... |
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Soul Travel
{smoothgallery folder=images/marine} The cool sea breeze,spectacular Marine Drive(Mumbai,India) and a display of pictures underlining a deep concern for our planet earth.... doesn't that sound perfect?
An exhibition titled "Earth from Above" has been put up on Marine Drive that has fantastic aerial photographs of Yann Arthus-Bertrand's travels had been put up in that perfect scenario.The photo exhibit is a part of the Bonjour India Festival.Born 1946 in France,Yann has become globally famous as a nature photographer.During his career he... Soul Travel Read More... |
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One day I hope I get to visit this magical place!