24 Treks for 12 months of 2017 - Part 1

2016 was a life changing year for me. I quit my job and changed the stream all together, started this blog, traveled to and explored around 10 new places and moreover I did my first trek in May 2016 and that has changed me completely.

Having started my trekking journey with Deoria Tal - Chandrashila in May followed by Kheerganga in August and now Triund and Jalori Pass - Serlosar Lake in December, I thought of compiling a list of 24 trekking destinations for the 12 months of 2017,  in India which one should definitely think of doing as suggested by travelers and trekkers themselves.

January

Chadar Trek

By Amrita & Agni ( Tale of 2 backpackers )

 A trek in January definitely involves extreme cold temperatures and hiking in the snow. But Chadar Trek is unique in itself as here you are walking over ice. The Zanskar River that flows with such aplomb during the summers calms down and freezes during this time of the year. A blanket of ice or 'chadar' forms over the river, and you have a trek route that can be an experience of your lifetime. Surviving temperatures as low as -10 degrees in the morning and -35 degrees at night is no mean feat. 

Triund, McLeodganj - A Must Do Trek for beginners

Triund a small hill station in the Kangra district in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India is definitely a must go to place for everyone who visits McLeodganj. It is at a height of 2,828 m and is a part of Dharamkot. Unlike McLeodganj where one can reach via Bus, one has to trek a minimum of 6 KM to reach Triund.

A walk to Gallu Devi temple through the forests

8 things to do in Rishikesh, India - The Yoga Capital of the World

Rishikesh is a city, municipal council and a tehsil in Dehradun district of the Indian state, Uttarakhand. Located in the foothills of the Himalayas in northern India. Rishikesh is surrounded by three districts: Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal and Haridwar. It is approximately 25 km north of the city Haridwar and 43 km southeast of the state capital Dehradun. It is known as the pilgrimage town and regarded as one of the holiest places to Hindus. Hindu sages and saints have visited Rishikesh since ancient times to meditate in search of higher knowledge.

Rishikesh also known as the ‘Yoga capital of the World’ and the ‘Gateway to the Garhwal Himalayas’ has it all, from Temples to Adventure sports.

Here is my list of 8 things to do in Rishikesh.

A week in the Andamans - India's best kept secret

With the rapid growth of the travel and tourism industry and the airlines offering competitive and affordable fares for foreign locations like Thailand, Dubai, Maldives etc., Indian citizens often ignore destinations in India and rather go and holiday abroad.

One such destination which shouldn't be ignored by any traveller or tourist is the Andamans and as Carlo Goldoni has rightly said “A wise traveller never despises his own country."

Andamans has got a variety of attractions suitable for all; be it a solo traveller or a family
.

Port Blair being the capital city is connected to major cities like Chennai, Kolkata via flights and even by sea. It is also the starting point of other major attractions like Havelock Islands and Baratang Islands.

Port Blair

Port Blair itself has a lot of places to visit like Cellular Jail, Chattam Saw Mill, Anthropogical Museum, Naval Museum, Mt Harriet, and Ross Island and not to forget the snorkelling destination Jolly Buoy and Red Skin Islands.

A scenic High Altitude Trek to the Moon Rock (Chandrashila)

"Once a year, go somewhere you've never been before." - Dalai Lama

But as luck would have it, Deoriatal Chandrashila Trek is my 5th such outing (somewhere I've never been before) since Jan 2016 starting from Nainital in Jan, Corbett in March, Mussorie and Rishikesh in April.

Initially it was my brothers wish that we both to go on a trek in the vacations, but ultimately the whole family ended up going for the trek.It was indeed a pleasant change and a different sort of vacation together considering that last time we had gone on a long family vacation was to Andamans long back in 2010.

As this was going to be our first trek we did a lot of research on different websites regarding the different treks in Himanchal and Uttarakhand and ultimately decided on Deoriatal Chandrashila Trek considering that its a easy - moderate trek, considered ideal and best suited for first timers and also a bird watchers paradise.

Now that we had decided the location, we researched further as to which hiking company to choose from.We narrowed it down to Trek the Himalayas and India Hikes and ultimately chose India Hikes, and I must say, it was indeed a good decision.