Adventurous India

How do you describe a cool spring rain on your face? Impossible! That’s how it is when you try to describe what it feels like to be in India. Indian adventure has diverse options for its adventure enthusiasts, from snow-clad mountains to pristine water of blue seas. Adventure freaks have various options ranging from trekking, paragliding, parasailing, surfing, snorkeling, rafting, windsurfing, kayaking, scuba diving, skiing, heli-skiing and lots more.

Starting from the NORTH, there are ample places one can explore and make their adventure the most thrilling experience ever. Ladakh has extremely cold trans-Himalayan desert, very often at altitudes that exceed 5000m, can be a uniquely exhilarating experience. The terrain, as starkly beautiful as any highland setting in the world, has a number of trails. They lead past spectacularly located monasteries and remote passes sometimes staggeringly high, deep river gorges and lush meadows scattered with Mani walls and chortens. Spituk to Hemis is Ladakh’s most popular trek, this 105 km path runs along the Indus river through Markha Valley, past Skiu village and the high pass of Kongmaru, and ends at Hemis Monastery. Likir to Tingmosgang is an easy but beautiful, 22 km path, past a number of villages at 4000m. White-water rafting on the Indus and Zanskar rivers is a popular activity from July-to mid-September. Jeep safaris to the lakes of Tso Kar and Tso Moriri and back, takes three days with tents pitched near Karzok village. Mountain Biking is also very popular here because of the numerous unspoiled areas. Auli is inviting but in the winter it is irresistible with its snowy mountain slopes and skiing facilities. The winter sport activities here are Ice climbing, heli skiing, snow boarding and snow skiing.

Himachal Pradesh has trekking at lower altitudes, trails wind through forests of oak, deodar and pine while steeper climbs lead to flower-strewn alpine meadows above the tree line. Dharamsala to Macchetear is a challenging 47-mile route, crossing rocky terrain to the meadows at Triund. The Pin Valley Trek starts at Manikaran, famous for its hot springs, the 81-mile path goes over the Parvati Pass to the cold desert region of the beautiful Pin Valley. Himachal also has several peaks over 3,000 m suitable for climbing. Skiing is possible at Narkanda, Kufri and at Solang Nala near Manali. Summer is the best season for Rafting and Kayaking on the Beas River at Manali and for Paragliding at Solang and Billing in Kangra. Manali also offers mountain biking near the Rohtang Pass. Trekking in Garhwal and Kumaon (Uttaranchal’s eastern hills) can also be a remarkable experience. A single walk can lead through forests, valleys bursting with wild flowers, and glacial moonscapes of rock and ice.

Looking for some adventure in the EAST, The Dzongri Trail is one of Sikkim’s most popular treks, the trail from Pemayangtse to Dzongri covers 22 miles one way. It leads past Yuksam and Tsokha through forests of rhododendron to Dzongri, with clear views of Kanchendzonga. Mount Kanchendzonga is the third highest peak in the world, 8598 m, dominating the skyline of Sikkim and West Bengal’s Darjeeling district. Rafting and Kayaking is very popular on the Teesta and Rangeet rivers, and is possible between October and November. Kayaks can be hired from the West Bengal Tourism office in Darjeeling. The Singalila Ridge, the 37-mile trail, which begins near Darjeeling and extends to Kanchendzonga, has several trails. The Sandakphu- Phalut route beginning at Maneybhanjan has spectacular views of Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Kanchendzonga with plenty of lodges along the way. Sikkim is another state where, while Mountain Biking one can get in touch with the colorful cultural heritage and monastic lifestyle of the place. Nagaland also being an ideal place for trekking, jungle camping and it also offers boundless discovery zones in its lush and thriving sub-tropical rain forests. Darjeeling also offers hand gliding and ballooning and the topography of this city is just idle for this sport with its high ridges, cliffs and deep down valleys.

Going down SOUTH, Andamans and the neighboring Nicobar Islands are actually the peaks of the submerged mountain range, which extends from Myanmar to Indonesia. Scuba Diving can be done in Port Blair, a south Andaman Island. The island also facilitates Snorkeling, a popular way to explore marine life and the popular venues are Corbyn’s Cove, Wandoor, Chiriya Tapu, Neil and Havelock Islands. Surfing is another activity, which takes place on the outer Islands of the Andaman Archipelago. Lakshadweep Islands are an archipelago of 36 exquisite coral islands, with untouched beaches and verdant coconut groves, scattered off the Kerala coast in the Arabian Sea. Windsurfing, scuba diving and snorkeling are a few favorite water sport activities here. Kerala has various diversified water sport activities by the exquisite Alappuzha beach such as surfing, parasailing, diving or even swimming the pristine blue sea.

In the Southwestern part of India, Goa, this tiny state along the Konkan coast is a perfect celestial home for the wanderlust traveler, an ideal place for adventure lovers. Besides the spectacular beaches, Goa is a major halt for water sports like parasailing, windsurfing, yachting, deep sea diving, surfing, snorkeling, jet skiing, scuba diving and water-skiing.

Adventure in India, is quite a breath-taking experience that one cannot afford to miss!