Category: Travel

Sunderbans – Of Mangroves, Man-eaters and Man.

Posted in India, Travel, West Bengal2 Comments
#birds #birdsphotography, #sunderbans #india #travel #nature #wildlife #forests #mangroves

The eerie feeling as you step into Sunderbans is that of being watched all the time!  And why not! Unlike in other forests where tigers seldom hunt men and that too only when there is territorial conflict, it is only in the mangrove forests of Sunderbans that one can find over 100 man-eating tigers that kill almost 50-70 men every year.  These tigers are   are difficult to spot in the inhospitable terrain but since they hunt men, the sense of being watched is in a sense a feeling of being preyed upon!

It was certainly a desire to see, but not preyed upon by these elusive tigers that took us to Sunderbans. A short 3 hour drive from Kolkatta, Sunderbans National Park can be entered via the Gadkali point. Sunderbans literally means beautiful forest and oh boy!, what a beauty it was! Sunderbans is a declared UNESCO world heritage site, it being the largest coastal mangrove forest in the world, 40% of which falls in India and the rest in adjoining Bangladesh. The marshy delta is formed because the world’s largest rivers, Ganga & Brahmaputra along with Hooghly, Padma & Meghna rivers drain into the Bay of Bengal. The delta consists of a network of rivers, channels and islands and it undergoes  a daily tidal grind where large parts of the islands and forests submerge and re-emerge from the highly saline water, making it a highly inhospitable terrain. Even so, the tidal saline ecosystem is home to hundreds of species of plants, birds & animals all of whom have adapted to the harsh natural conditions here. Mangrove plants grow aerial & support roots to enable them to breathe & grow in the daily tidal grind. All animals, including tigers, monkeys, deers etc. have learnt swim across water canals and channels as it is the only way they find food distributed across large swathes of the mangrove islands.

We boarded a small motored boat from Gadkali and this was to be our safari vehicle and home for the next 4 days. We spent nearly 13-14 hours on the boat from dawn to dusk and only retreated to a village resort to have dinner and sleep at night. In a sense the safari at Sunderbans is much more enriching as one is on the field all day unlike other forests where one can enjoy a safari for 2-3 hours in the morning or in the evening. Here, we focussed our eyes on the river banks all through the day! We often passed through a large river channels mistaking it for the sea and then entered narrow water channels, passing through the serene and picturesque mangrove forests and on the lookout for the birds, animals and of course the tiger!

Large part of the forest delta is open for safari where as there is a core area where boats are not allowed to enter. There are viewing points and watchtowers on some permitted islands where one can learn more about the forest ecosystem and its fauna at Sajnekali or see the conservation efforts to breed turtles, crocodiles at Sudhanyakhali or walk through a raised forest canopy at Dobanki island to see some animals come to drink freshwater which is a rarity in this world.

Our safaris started at 6 am every morning and as we set out from our village into the forest, the sight of villagers catching fish by throwing nets on the river banks against the rising sun made it a glorious sight to see. We also passed by small fishing boats with men out to catch fish and seafood from the water. Over the years, the population of Sunderbans has expanded and the harsh terrain also causes man and animal to tread into each other territories for food.  To make their ends meet, the villagers increasingly dare to go into prohibited areas to catch bigger crabs, collect honey etc. Difficulty in accessing food, encroaching humans and lack of fear for humans make humans a good target for the Tigers.  Sometimes Tigers enter villages and kill humans and livestock and  as boats enter parts of the forests where they shouldn’t, men become easy targets for the tigers.

Home to more than 85 species animals and 270 species of birds, we were able to spot 35 birds and few animals. (See more pics here: Fauna of Sunderbans). The most common birds were the Drongos, Minivets and Kingfishers and we are able to spot 6 types of kingfishers – Collared, Common, Black Capped, Brown headed, Pied & White Throated. The area was also dotted with some majestic birds of Prey like Osprey, Crested Serpent Eagle, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Shikra, Brahminy Kite and the rare Peregrine Falcons. There were many water birds like Egrets, Cormorant, Eurasian Curlew, Common Sandpiper, Common Redshank, Whimbrels, Black headed gulls, lesser Adjutant, Striated Heron, etc. that feed on the small crabs, insects and fishes by the banks. We were also able to see many spotted deers, River Otters etc. We saw many Estuarian crocodiles lazing on the banks and very shy of human presence for the moment we used to go anywhere near 30 ft of them, they would slink into the water! The sighting of the trip for me was the Red-tailed Bamboo Pit Viper; it looks quite small harmless, but is one of the most venomous snakes in India.

The tiger, sadly, remained elusive!

#birds #birdsphotography, #sunderbans #india #travel #nature #wildlife #forests #mangroves
Red Tailed Bamboo Pit Viper
#birds #birdsphotography, #sunderbans #india #travel #nature #wildlife #forests #mangroves
River otter
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Collared Kingfisher
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Peligrine Falcon

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DSC_7852-2#birds #birdsphotography, #sunderbans #india #travel #nature #wildlife #forests #mangroves

#birds #birdsphotography, #sunderbans #india #travel #nature #wildlife #forests #mangroves
Catching Fish
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Small Fishing boats
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Low tide, small river channel, small boat and easy target for the tiger.

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How to reach there: Nearest airport is in Kolkatta, 2.5 hrs drive to Gadkali which is the ferry point to Sunderbans

Where to stay: Many decent options to stay the night exists in Sunderbans Villages. Sunderbans residency is a good option

What to do: Boat safari with a good government guide.

Birds of Sunderbans

Posted in Birding, Travel, West BengalTagged , , , 1 Comment
#birds #birdsphotography, #sunderbans #india #travel #nature #wildlife #forests #mangroves

Sunderbans literally means beautiful forest and oh boy! what a beauty it was! Sunderbans is a declared UNESCO world heritage site, it being the largest coastal mangrove forest in the world, 40% of which falls in India and the rest in adjoining  Bangladesh. The marshy delta is formed because the world’s largest rivers, Ganga & Brahmaputra along with Hooghly, Padma & Meghna rivers drain into the Bay of Bengal. The tidal saline ecosystem is home to hundreds of species of  plants, birds & animals all of whom have adapted to the harsh natural conditions here. Mangrove plants grow aerial & support roots to enable them to breathe & grow in the daily tidal grind. The narrow water channels through the mangrove forests makes it a serene and picturesque natural beauty.

Home to more than 85 species animals and 270 species of birds, we were able to spot 35 birds and few animals on a recent trip to Sunderbans. For me, the discovery of the trip was that all animals, including tigers, monkeys, deers etc. know how to swim across water canals and channels as it is the only way they find food distributed across large swathes of the mangrove islands. The most common birds were the Drongos, Minivets and Kingfishers and we are able to spot 6 types of kingfishers – Collared, Common, Black Capped, Brown headed, Pied & White Throated. The area was also dotted with some majestic birds of Prey like Osprey, Crested Serpent Eagle, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Shikra, Brahminy Kite and the rare Peregrine Falcons. There were many water birds like Egrets, Cormorant, Eurasian Curlew, Common Sandpiper, Common Redshank, Whimbrels, Black headed gulls, lesser Adjutant, Striated Heron, etc. that feed on the small crabs, insects and fishes by the banks. We were also able to see many spotted deers, River Otters etc. We saw many Estuarian crocodiles lazing on the banks and very shy of human presence for the moment we used to go anywhere near 30 ft of them, they would slink into the water! The sighting of the trip for me was the Red-tailed Bamboo Pit Viper; it looks quite small harmless, but is one of the most venomous snakes in India.

The tiger, sadly, remained elusive!

#birds #birdsphotography, #sunderbans #india #travel #nature #wildlife #forests #mangroves
The brown headed Kingfisher
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BlackCapped Kingfisher
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Common Redshank
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Lesser Adjutant
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Striated heron
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Crested Serpent Eagle
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Fulvous breasted Kingfisher Female
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Spotted Dove
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Gull
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Peligrine Falcon
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Shikra
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Intermediate Egret
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Common Kingfisher
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Collared Kingfisher
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White Breasted Waterhen
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Bronze Drongo
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White Throated Kingfisher
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Small Minivet
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Estuarian Crocodile
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River otter
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Mud Slipper
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Green Pit Viper
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Fiddler Crabs
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Monitor Lizard
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Monkey

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How to reach there: Nearest airport is in Kolkatta, 2.5 hrs drive to Gadkali which is the ferry point to Sunderbans

Where to stay: Many decent options to stay the night exists in Sunderbans Villages. Sunderbans residency is a good option

What to do : Boat safari with a good government guide.

A Roman Decapolis – Jerash

Posted in Jordan, TravelTagged , , , , , , Leave a comment

One of the ten megapolis of the Roman empire, Jerash is Jordan’s best kept secret

Jerash or Gerasa of the antiquity is an ancient Roman city dating back 2000 years and was one of the major cities in a group of ten cities called Decapolis on the eastern frontier of the Roman empire. Many tourists skip this wonder, as sadly Jerash loses it’s place under the sun to Petra and perhaps rightfully so. But Jerash is not to be missed. Today, it is one of Jordan’s best antiquities and is one of the most well preserved & restored Roman ruin.

Continue reading “A Roman Decapolis – Jerash” →

Below the top of the world- Mt.Everest

Posted in Tibet, TravelLeave a comment
#tibet, #road, #nature, #mountains, #travel, #photography, #naturephotography, #Majestic, #everest

How can one manage to see Mt.Everest from up close without having to do an arduous trek to the base camp or without flying one of the fancy Everest joy flights from Kathmandu to watch the Everest from a plane’s window or without the will to risk one’s life summiting the Everest? It is simple, cross over to Tibet, drive all the way over to the Everest Base Camp by a great road and soak in the majestic views of the Mt. Everest from up close. It is China after all, they can build anything! Even a smooth road right to the base of Everest!!

Imagine my joys when through course of my travel research about Tibet, I found this possible experience of a lifetime right in my arms’ reach, rather in the road’s reach? The Everest Base Camp on Tibet side is called the North base camp and one can be dropped right there via a smooth road that leads right to the camp. To reach the South Base camp on Nepal side on the other hand is an arduous 2 week trek through the Himalayan range.  From the north base camp, one can view the majestic and mighty Everest (known as Mt. Qomolongma in Tibet) from the closest possible quarters.

The drive and stay at EBC was highlight of my week long exploit in Tibet. After 3 wonderful days in Lhasa, we spent 2 nights in Shigatse. From there we headed to Rongbuk via Tingri. Rongbuk is the closest town to EBC and has one the oldest monasteries in Tibet. The roads to EBC from were smooth and picturesque.On the way there is a Everest view point from where one can see the full Himalayan range with highest peaks – Mt Everest, Cho Oyo, Makalu and Lhotse. From Rongbuk, one can drive for 10 mins or trek for 1.5 hrs to reach EBC. Since the sun was setting upon our arrival in Rongbuk, we quickly headed over by road to EBC to view the glorious Mt. Everest. Two hours and 1000 pics later of sunset over Everest, we returned to our guesthouse in Rongbuk due to the bone chilling cold.  We did return to EBC the next day morning before the dawn of light to bask in the majestic presence of Everest for the one last time. The bone chilling and mind numbing cold were well worth it to not give up the opportunity at all.

It was a rewarding experience to observe Mt. Everest. The sky was clear luckily for us and I could also observe the setting sun causing the tip of the Everest to look ablaze, the clouds adding to the drama. It is here that one can feel the insignificance and fragilities of human life in face of nature that stands tall, come what may. I couldn’t even bear the cold at the base camp, I couldn’t help but wonder what then makes men and women to think about summiting the Everest, risking their life to nature’s plays? What makes them want to surmount the unsurmountable when one in 10 successful climbs to the summit ends in death. George Mallory summed it up in his book, Climbing Everest –  “People ask me, ‘What is the use of climbing Mount Everest?’ and my answer must at once be, ‘It is of no use.’ There is not the slightest prospect of any gain whatsoever….We shall not bring back a single bit of gold or silver, not a gem, nor any coal or iron…If you cannot understand that there is something in man which responds to the challenge of this mountain and goes out to meet it, that the struggle is the struggle of life itself upward and forever upward, then you won’t see why we go. What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy. And joy is, after all, the end of life.”

The joy for me was to observe the Everest, albeit from a distance.

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The Road to Everest. The Himalayan range at the back
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The Road to Everest
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The mighty Everest
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Majestic Everest
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Everest and the other high peaks – Lhotse next to Everest, ChoOyo on far right.
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Mt.Everest/ Mt. Qomolangma
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Road to Everest
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Road to EBC
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Sunset over Everest
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Sunset over Mt.Everest
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Blazing tip with the sunset over Mt.Everest
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Dusklight lit Mt.Everest

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Night over Mt.Everest
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Dawn over Mt.Everest
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Dawn over Mt.Everest
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Sunrise over Mt.Everest
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Sunrise over Mt.Everest

 

The spectacular Beijing – Lhasa train ride

Posted in Tibet, TravelTagged , , , , , , , , , , , 5 Comments

A breathtaking 2 day, 3,750km train journey through the rooftop of the world

“There is no possibility of building a railway which reaches Lhasa as long as Kunlun Mountains stands there.” American traveler Paul Theroux had claimed once. The Chinese proved everyone wrong years later by building the man made wonder – Qinghai Tibet railway.  The Qinghai-Tibet railway begins from Xining, the capital of Qinghai province where the train enters the Tibetan plateau and traverses the rooftop of the world. Did you know that the Qinghai-Tibet railway holds 9 world records  – the highest railway in the world (5072m above sea level), longest plateau railway in the world (1956 m), the highest train station in the world (5068m at Tanggula pass), highest tunnel in the world (4905m), longest plateau tunnel in the world (Fengoshuan tunnel at 1686m) amongst the others. No wonder, the Xining-Lhasa train was on my bucket list and I had researched many times over, but nothing prepared me for journey and the incredible experience that it was.

Often known as the ‘Skyroad’ or ‘Heaven road’, the train journey is incredibly scenic, crawling slowly through the permafrost plateau and the high passes. Without a doubt, the railway is an engineering feat and a man made wonder! It is unimaginable, the conditions which the construction crew must have braved to construct this! The Tibetan plateau has one of the harshest environment in the world (often known as the third pole of earth) with sub zero temperatures, high UV and low oxygen. On top of it most sections on the route are under permafrost which made it a construction challenge to not tamper with the ecological balance. With their environment first policy, the Chinese government left no stone unturned to build with care for the fragile plateau ecosystem, roping in many wildlife experts who oversaw the plan and construction.  The full route to Lhasa was opened up in 2006.

I started the journey from Beijing from where one can go directly to Lhasa via a 45 hour direct journey. There is option to break the journey at Xining and then go onwards to Lhasa. I chose the second option and boarded the Beijing – Xining train at about lunchtime and we arrived in Xining the next morning. A 7 hour break and a delayed train departure later, we boarded the Xining-Lhasa train at around 8 pm at night. The train turned out to be a mini united nations conference as the fellow travellers were from all over the world with a very few locals on the train. Our fellow occupants were from Ukraine, Australia, Britain, Germany etc. The soft sleeper compartments were very comfortable with fresh linens. The dining car serves some non-veg food but as vegetarians, we had to carry our supply of cup noodles, fruits and snacks. A quick dinner later, we retired to bed. The scenic parts of the journey starts after the train crosses Golmud around 2.30 am. Not wanting to miss the beautiful scenery, I kept an alarm and rose along with the first ray of morning light. The next 10 hours passed by the window as I couldn’t peel myself away from the seat to even get up and use the washroom. The announcements over the train speaker system kept educating me on the marvel that the railway is.

After Golmud, the train slowly ascends the plateau passing through the Kunlun Mountains Pass and Tuotuohe Town which is the origin of  Yangtze River. After crossing the Tanggula Mountain Pass which is the highest mountain pass at 5068m, the train crosses the  Tibetan cities Ando, Nagchu, Damxung, Yangpachen and reaching Lhasa. Along the way,  one can see snow clad mountains, frozen plateau land and dozens of beautiful lakes. If you look carefully, you can spot Yaks, Antelopes  and other wild animals grazing peacefully.  A highway to Lhasa also runs in parallel to the train track and one can spot hundreds of trucks ferrying goods to and fro from Lhasa. What mars the scenery are the electric lines and the telecom towers on an otherwise spectacular landscape.

The impact of the railway is much debated. Though all steps were taken to protect the environment during the construction and with the regular operations, the impact on the permafrost,  the plateau temperature and the migration routes for wildlife is not well established. The railway was built with the intent of helping the most backward region of China i.e. Tibet to benefit from the economic activity that the connectivity and tourism would bring. It has raised standards of living in the Tibetan region for sure, but arguments exists on the rapid erosion of Tibetan culture.

On whatever side of the debate you are on, the only winning argument is that men are only limited by their imagination of what’s possible. Kunlun mountain pass still stands and has gracefully allowed the passage of millions of people to experience the spectacular Tibetan landscape.

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Top tips for planning the journey:

  1. Acclimatisation is important. One can take the Beijing Lhasa direct train which is about 45 hours. It is often advised to break the journey at Xining, rest for a day and then board the Xining Lhasa train to allow for full acclimatisation. Moreover, the scenic parts of the journey are after Xining, so it is better to save time by flying to Xining, spending a day in Qinghai province to see the Qinghai Lake and then enjoying the journey towards Lhasa. Each seat on the Xining-Lhasa train is equipped with oxygen supply in case someone develops altitude sickness.
  2. Board the last train from Xining: Take the last train possible out of Xining as the scenic parts will then start after early morning and you can enjoy the Tibetan plateau in your waking hours. You don’t want to be taking a day train out of Xining only to sleep through the nice parts.
  3. Book early: Trains tend to get costlier nearer to the date of the journey. Book early than two months ideally to get best prices.
  4. Choose soft sleepers for comfort: The sleeper trains are of two types – hard sleeper with 6 berths per compartment and soft sleeper with 4 berths per compartment. There is a steep price difference and if you do mind a cramped compartment, you are better off paying extra to journey comfortably.
  5. Bring your food: There is a pantry that serves food, mostly noodles all day. If you are vegetarian and cannot speak Chinese, it is better to bring your own food supplies as communicating with the attendants is difficult and you can’t make sure you are not eating anything that you don’t want to be eating. There is boiling hot water available through the day to cook noodles or ready to heat and eat packaged food. Bring fruits and snacks from the station as there is pretty much nothing else to do, but eat and look outside the window.
  6. Travel light: The compartments are small and luggage storage is under the seats. There is also a overhead storage compartment. Do bring only small suitcases and backpack luggage else you will struggle with luggage storage.
  7. Grab the alley seats in the morning: Each compartment has a door that can be locked from inside for privacy. There are foldable seats in the alley where one can sit and enjoy the view of the other side of the plateau. In the early morning, the sun rises on the left side of the train and you can sit on the alley seats to enjoy the dawn light bathing the Tibetan plateau.

 #Tibet, #beijinglhasa, #lhasa, #train, #rail, #manmade, #wonder, #beautiful, #trainjourneys, #iconic, #xining, #qinghaitibetrail

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Trucks crawling through the landscape

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A lonely yak
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View from the train corridor
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Yaks and Yaks
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Policeman on Post

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Lhasa Train station
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Lhasa train Station

My first tiger sighting after 40+ safaris

Posted in India, Rajasthan, TravelTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
#tiger, #cubs, #safaris, #wildlife, #india, #nationalpark, #nationalanimal, #ranthambore, #india, #nature, #photography, #travel, #travelphotography, #wildlifephotography

Tiger spotting in Ranthambore National Park, India

Yes, I have very bad tiger karma. Had. Not anymore. With innumerable safaris (I stopped counting after 40) under the belt, beating heat waves and sunstrokes and surviving the disappointment safari after safari, I had the odd-ball luck called the bad tiger karma. No tiger had decided that it was worth its while to give me a fleeting chance to witness the royal highness. Of late, I had become the butt end of jokes of my hardcore tiger enthusiast friends. Then everyone around, tiger enthusiast or not, started digging on my bad tiger karma. To be fair, all that didn’t start with jokes. In the beginning, there was sympathy and  encouragement. ‘Oh, it was the wrong season, I guess!’ or ‘I think the tigers are all poached, no wonder you didn’t see anything.’ or ‘ The forest is dense, it is hard to see a tiger. Better luck next time!‘ Then it moved to incredulous disappointment.  ‘What? 5 Safaris and you still did not see a Tiger even in Tadoba? EVERYONE sees a tiger there, on EVERY safari!’ or ‘What? Not even in Ranthambore? My mother’s neighbour’s uncle saw a tiger last week in Corbett, IN CORBETT!’. Then it moved to the wretched jokes phase. ‘Oh, you are going to Bandipur! The tigers are going to hide. Poor others going on safari this weekend.’ Or sample this: ‘Are you releasing some special tiger pheromones that makes them run and hide?’  Then 40 safaris and more later (I mentioned I stopped counting) when the jokes had dried out and there was no more to be created, was the phase of social shunning, rather safari shunning. ‘We can’t go with you. We wan’t to see a tiger.’  Do you know of anyone who has been as unfortunate as me?

But haha! I think my wildcat jinx was broken with my sighting of the snow leopard last year! Yes, no tiger, but I saw a snow leopard on day 1 of our trek. Read more here: Sighting the Grey Ghost. Armed with confidence that my karma was undone by the generous snow leopard that had decided to grace me with his presence, I was steeled myself to chance it with another 4 safaris in the sweltering summer heat this year. I was a last minute pile-on to my friend’s plan for trip to Ranthambore (I had self invited myself; I also mentioned that my friends had stopped planning any wildlife trips with me). This friend had gifted me a tiger picture he had clicked and insisted that I hang it on my travel wall (adorned only with MY travel pictures) only to serve as a cruel reminder of my befallen fate. Aside his cruelty, he had an excellent track record of tiger sighting and had worked as a volunteer in the park. He knew the best areas, had the right connections etc. So my hopes were high with the promise of the forbidden sight. I had the nervous energy, perhaps bordering on negative outlook of the outcome to keep me from being disappointed yet again, but somewhere deep down I knew that this trip would be fruitful. It would be the end of the cruelty unleashed on me. This was going to be THE trip.

DAY 1: A moving orange patch.
Morning safari in Zone 3

My friends and I boarded the late night train to arrive in Sawai Madhopur in wee hours of the morning. After a quick snooze, we were off on the jeeps to Zone no.3 inhabited by  a Tigress named Arrowhead.  Just in 5 mins after entering the gate, I spotted a Tiger! There was a large lake next to the entrance and our guide was scanning the edges of the lake with a pair of binoculars. The tigress was soaking its body in the cool waters of the lake to beat the heat. Slowly it emerged and started walking along the edge. The tiger was almost 100 mrs away so I couldn’t see it clearly with naked eyes. But heck! My bad luck had just come to an end. I had seen a tiger, albeit at a distance! I hi-fived my friend, jumping in excitement of seeing what was a moving patch of orange. The tiger slowly started walking and the guide made a snap decision to abandon this post and drive back to the gate to catch the tiger possibly crossing the road. But that was it. The tiger never came out from the dense vegetation along the lake side. We spent next 3 hours going up and down 100 mtrs on the road. But no luck!

DAY 1: Hide and seek in a cove.
Noon safari in Zone 6

The safari post lunch was an adventure in itself. We had an enthusiastic guide who strangely promised us to show tigers. As if the tigers were at his beck and call, his royal pets. But he did make good on his promise. After being convinced that there was a tiger  hiding in a shallow ravine below the cliff we were on, we waited and waited for a clear view and finally managed to sight a little male tiger cub of Tigress Ladli which stepped out from the cove to drink some water.

DSC_4753
Male tiger cub of Tigress Ladli
#tiger, #cubs, #safaris, #wildlife, #india, #nationalpark, #nationalanimal, #ranthambore, #india, #nature, #photography, #travel, #travelphotography, #wildlifephotography
Male tiger cub of Tigress Ladli

 

DAY 2: Best sighting of my life.
Morning safari in Zone 4

This was the best safari of two days! This sighting had made good for all the 40+ trips I had done in my life. We got an exclusive sighting of tigress Krishna and her 3 almost adult cubs for almost an hour. We had taken a blind left turn in dense part of the jungle and braked hard to come to a stop a few feet away from the tigress crossing the road. It was a beautiful sight, perfect morning soft light was hitting the tiger’s fur and made it glow. Further commotion ensued in the jeep and I turned left to look at what a fellow occupant of the jeep had spotted. There were 3 cubs strolling on the left and were coming to cross the road. They followed the mother across the road and all 4 of them sat on a patch for a few mins for us enjoy their company. One cub got up and started playing and cuddling with the mother. Awww! A few mins later, they got up and went deeper into the jungle. Our guide took the jeep all the way around the hill to catch the tiger family crossing the road to go down a small ravine next to a stream. All of them immersed themselves in the water for almost 30 mins by which time all the jeeps and canters in the zone had heard about the sighting and had made their way to the spot to create a ruckus. The tigers got up and went deeper into the ravine.

 

#tiger, #cubs, #safaris, #wildlife, #india, #nationalpark, #nationalanimal, #ranthambore, #india, #nature, #photography, #travel, #travelphotography, #wildlifephotography
Tigress Krishna licking her cub
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Tigress Krishna and her 3 cubs
#tiger, #cubs, #safaris, #wildlife, #india, #nationalpark, #nationalanimal, #ranthambore, #india, #nature, #photography, #travel, #travelphotography, #wildlifephotography
Tigress Krishna
#tiger, #cubs, #safaris, #wildlife, #india, #nationalpark, #nationalanimal, #ranthambore, #india, #nature, #photography, #travel, #travelphotography, #wildlifephotography
Tigress Krishna and her 3 cubs
#tiger, #cubs, #safaris, #wildlife, #india, #nationalpark, #nationalanimal, #ranthambore, #india, #nature, #photography, #travel, #travelphotography, #wildlifephotography
Tigress Krishna
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Tigress Krishna’s cubs
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Tigress Krishna’s cub
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Tigress Krishna beating the heat in her tiger pool
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Cub nuzzling and playing with Tigress Krishna
#tiger, #cubs, #safaris, #wildlife, #india, #nationalpark, #nationalanimal, #ranthambore, #india, #nature, #photography, #travel, #travelphotography, #wildlifephotography
Cub playing with Tigress Krishna
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Tigress Krishna and cub beating the summer heat
#tiger, #cubs, #safaris, #wildlife, #india, #nationalpark, #nationalanimal, #ranthambore, #india, #nature, #photography, #travel, #travelphotography, #wildlifephotography
Tigress Krishna’s cub

 

Day 2: A dash and a backside dazzle.
Evening safari in Zone 3

The whole afternoon was dull and unremarkable but for a few birds. There were no signs, no sambar calls. Our guide decided to stakeout at a spot on the road where he thought the tiger would cross. There was just 30 mins left for the safari to end. So our hopes of making it a 100% success rate on this trip was getting crushed by the minute. Suddenly a jeep was zipping past us and the other driver hurriedly relayed to us that a tiger had been spotted by another jeep deep inside jungle. Then ensued a high speed dash to the spot, flying through the jungle. Following the pug marks, our guide took a few minutes to find the tigress Arrowhead walking inside the jungle. He took the jeep on the other side to catch the tigress walking on the road ahead of us.  She wasn’t even bothered to turn around and look at us. We only saw the backside of the tigress and had to reluctantly give up the chase after a few mins as our time had run out and we had to report back to gate.

DSC_0305
Tigress Arrowhead walking ahead of the jeep

 

A fruitful trip and the irony of it all!
We boarded the night train to get back to corporate stoogedom on Monday morning and I happily announced the end of my bad tiger karma to anyone who lent me an ear.

As I reflected back on our weekend adventure, an irony dawned upon me. I had seen tigress Arrowhead two times on this safari, once as a moving orange patch at a distance and its dirty backside on the second time. I had never seen its face! The irony is that the picture of tigress that my friend had given me to hang on my travel wall was that of Arrowhead! Life is indeed cruel.

 

 

How to get to Ranthambore national park:
Easiest option is to board an overnight train from Delhi to Sawai Madhopur.

Where to stay:
Anuraga palace was a decent and affordable option. Rooms were luxurious and the service was excellent.

When to go:
Hotter it is,  better are the chance to see a tiger around the watering holes. Otherwise the park is open from Oct – Jun.

How to Book:
We came across an excellent wildlife guide Nagendra Rajawat who also does wildlife trips and packages to Ranthambore. Connect with him on http://www.indiantourandtravel.net

 

 

Behind the doors of Essaouira

Posted in Morocco, Photologues, TravelLeave a comment
#morocco, #travel, #africa, #essaouira, #doors, #travelphotography, #photography, #culture, #citylife,

Behind every door is a story waiting to be told.

Can a door to a house tell you more about the people living behind it? Can it represent a person? Can it frame the essence of the family living in it? Can it tell you a story? As I walked through the back alleys of Essaouira’s medina, I saw the the most prettiest doors to the houses, some lived in, some abandoned. It begged to me frame these few questions every time I clicked a door and helped me tell story to myself every time I sighted a pretty door.

To create the stories behind the door, one has to understand the origins of Essaouira. The city is a cultural confluence, the seamless co-existence of the old and the new. The fortified ramparts of the port city (Mogador in medieval times) and the blue moored fishing boats impart the old world charm whereas the clean well kept and cobblestoned medina is bustling with art galleries, boutiques and cafes that speaks of the modern essence of the city. The confluence is a heady mix, transporting you to an allure of an European city but pulling you back every moment with the sights and sounds of an Arabic city, be it with delicacies lining the streets or the soothing prayers playing over the loudspeakers of a few mosques’ dotting the medina. The hues of blue and white of the medina makes it an unmistakable fishing/ port town. Be it with the blue fishing boats moored on the port or the blue doors set against white limestone washed walls, the city is all blue and white – calming and relaxing.

As I let my imagination run wild, below are some of the stories that popped in my head when I saw these doors.  Behind every door was a story waiting to be told.

 

#morocco, #travel, #africa, #essaouira, #doors, #travelphotography, #photography, #culture, #citylife,
A rich sailor concerned about uninvited people. The anchor, metal grills and camera security make it very alluring.

#morocco, #travel, #africa, #essaouira, #doors, #travelphotography, #photography, #culture, #citylife,

#morocco, #travel, #africa, #essaouira, #doors, #travelphotography, #photography, #culture, #citylife,
A Family that travels a lot? Cactuses don’t need watering
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A traditional patriarch with a joint family? The intricate carvings and mosaics are very old.
#morocco, #travel, #africa, #essaouira, #doors, #travelphotography, #photography, #culture, #citylife,
A working class family with aspirations? The randomly pieced together mosaics signals it.
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The carved wood and broad doors makes this look like a home of a rich, very inviting, large hearted family.
#morocco, #travel, #africa, #essaouira, #doors, #travelphotography, #photography, #culture, #citylife,
A well kept summer home?
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How would they manage the rains flowing under the low lying door?
#morocco, #travel, #africa, #essaouira, #doors, #travelphotography, #photography, #culture, #citylife,
Looks like a abandoned house. No door bulb and broken handle and grafitti right outside the entrance.

DSC_1562

#morocco, #travel, #africa, #essaouira, #doors, #travelphotography, #photography, #culture, #citylife,
A middle class welcoming family with coffee on the stove all day long for guests?
#morocco, #travel, #africa, #essaouira, #doors, #travelphotography, #photography, #culture, #citylife,
A wood carpenter’s workshop. Just as I guessed, the bent over man sat up and covered his face.

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#morocco, #travel, #africa, #essaouira, #doors, #travelphotography, #photography, #culture, #citylife,
An old man living alone and craving for some company over coffee and crowd spotting.

#morocco, #travel, #africa, #essaouira, #doors, #travelphotography, #photography, #culture, #citylife,DSC_1590

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A poor man’s workshop?
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A permanently shut workshop now housing cats.
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This was a jewish Synagogue.

DSC_1638#morocco, #travel, #africa, #essaouira, #doors, #travelphotography, #photography, #culture, #citylife,#morocco, #travel, #africa, #essaouira, #doors, #travelphotography, #photography, #culture, #citylife,#morocco, #travel, #africa, #essaouira, #doors, #travelphotography, #photography, #culture, #citylife,#morocco, #travel, #africa, #essaouira, #doors, #travelphotography, #photography, #culture, #citylife,

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This is a hammam.
#morocco, #travel, #africa, #essaouira, #doors, #travelphotography, #photography, #culture, #citylife,
an artist in exile? perhaps he started his gallery from his home with his very alluring door.
#morocco, #travel, #africa, #essaouira, #doors, #travelphotography, #photography, #culture, #citylife,
An artiste’s abandoned home?

 

 

 

Leap of faith – the dying art form of Indian circus

Posted in Delhi, TravelTagged , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
#india, #circus, #behindthescenes, #art, #artistes, #dying, #people, #culture, #delhi,

A note on the plight and future of Circus. Scenes from Asiad Circus, New Delhi.

The photo was featured by National Geographic as part of their daily dozen top shots on 16th Oct – See here.

A few months ago, a photographer friend and I went to get some behind the scenes action at an Indian Circus group – Asiad Circus – who were performing in Delhi. After much cajoling, we eventually ended up talking to the owner and the artistes and were pretty moved and overwhelmed by their plight.

The reluctance towards talking to outsiders is quite palpable. The owners and artistes are very wary of talking to either media or the general public as it is difficult for them to gauge on which side of the debate the other person is coming from. Empathy for their situation is often lacking.

Years ago, under NGO and public pressure, circuses were forced to give up usage of animals in the circus. Lions, Tigers, elephants etc which were the big draws for children to drag their parents to a circus, had to be given up. Along with that went the traffic and many big circuses had to wind up with the falling footfalls. The ones remaining are finding it hard to cope up with high rentals, intense scrutiny of officials (often having to end up paying bribes for nothing) and rising costs of running a circus. The problem of finding artistes is also compounding the problem. Many artistes in yesteryears were homegrown in circus, raised in the circus from their childhood and groomed to be performance artistes. With new laws on child safety and labour, circuses can’t groom young children anymore to be artistes. To keep the footfalls going, many hire foreign artistes from Russia and Kenya to bring in the novelty and wow factor but that also impacts the running costs of the circus. Years of government neglect and support in providing the circus the right technology to upgrade themselves have left them with no means to continue in the business. Artistes are finding themselves jobless, often having spent their entire life in the circus and now finding themselves with no other employable skills and nowhere else to go.

Both sides of the debate on the plight of circus are quite valid. But in these times, the debate has to be constructive towards solving the problem.  The need of the hour is for the government to provide cutting edge technology to these circuses to upgrade themselves, reduce the entertainment tax and rentals that can help the circuses survive. Rehabilitation programs with skill development and deployment should be put in place to help the artistes to settle into a life beyond the what was their home, the circus.

#india, #circus, #behindthescenes, #art, #artistes, #dying, #people, #culture, #delhi,#india, #circus, #behindthescenes, #art, #artistes, #dying, #people, #culture, #delhi,#india, #circus, #behindthescenes, #art, #artistes, #dying, #people, #culture, #delhi,

#india, #circus, #behindthescenes, #art, #artistes, #dying, #people, #culture, #delhi,
The photo was featured by National Geographic as part of their daily dozen top shots on 16th Oct – http://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/photos/11119425/

DSC_9254DSC_9276#india, #circus, #behindthescenes, #art, #artistes, #dying, #people, #culture, #delhi,#india, #circus, #behindthescenes, #art, #artistes, #dying, #people, #culture, #delhi,DSC_9340DSC_9364DSC_9402DSC_9409DSC_9434DSC_9439DSC_9443

Birding in Pangot

Posted in Birding, India, Photologues, Travel, UttaranchalTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 5 Comments
#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation

Birding in Pangot, Uttaranchal

Pangot is one of the best places to do birding and is a birdwatcher’s paradise. The place has almost 250 species of birds, both resident and the migratory birds that come here. The best season for bird watching is from Nov-Mar.

How to get there: Pangot is about 15-20kms from Nainital.

Who to bird with: Hari Lama is one of the renowned birders in the area. http://www.harilama.in.

 

#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation
Himalayan Bluetail male
#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation
Grey backed shrike
DSC_9832 black faced warbler
Black faced Warbler
#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation
Yellow browed Tit
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Yellow breasted Greenfinch (male and female)
#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation
Grey Bushchat male
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Grey Bushchat female
DSC_1029 Blue capped Redstart
Blue capped Redstart
DSC_1036 Scaly breasted Munia
Scaly breasted Munia
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Whiskered Yuhinia
DSC_1085 Green Shrike Babbler
Green Shrike Babbler
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White tailed Nuthatch
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Olive backed pipit
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Common Chifchaff
#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation
Plumbeous Water Redstart
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Slaty Blue Flycatcher
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Grey hooded Warbler
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Whitethroated Laughingthrushes
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Eurasian jay
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Blackheaded Jay
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Golden Bush Robin
#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation
Longtailed Shrike
#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation
Whitebrowed shrike babbler female
#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation
Coal Tit

River, Road & Rail through Golden Myanmar

Posted in Myanmar, TravelTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

“Dear Emily, my only wish would be that you could make a trip over the great ocean. The land is golden and the people are so gracious and they have taught me so many things about kin and kindness. Hope it won’t be long until we see each other soon my dear. Love, Frasier.” ~ A postcard from Burma. 1st Feb, 1948.

Continue reading “River, Road & Rail through Golden Myanmar” →

Postcards from Inle lake, Myanmar

Posted in Myanmar, Photologues, Travel1 Comment

Inle Lake is nestled in the Shan Plateau, surrounded by hills and home to the Intha people, as well as some Shan, Taungyo, Pa-o and Danu ethnicities. One of the most iconic features of Inle lake are the fishermen who have an unusual technique of rowing their boats using their feet. Wearing traditional wide trousers, shirts and conical hats, the fishermen have become an iconic sight at the lake. Carefully balancing themselves on one feet, they row the boats with their other leg wrapped around a paddle oar. They carry a huge conical net which they use to trap the fish and occasionally spear them through the opening on top of these nets. The locals are devout Buddhists who live in simple houses of wood and woven bamboo, raised above the lake water on stilts. Though the primary occupation is fishing, there are farmers as well who grow their produce on floating gardens made of grass and seaweed which is just so amazing to see.

 

#travel, #travelphotography, #inlelake, #myanmar, #culture, #nature, #tribes, #fishermen, #explore, #offbeat,
Fishermen on Inle lake
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Fishermen on Inle lake
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Fishermen on Inle lake
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Fishermen on Inle lake
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Fishermen on Inle lake
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Fishermen on Inle lake
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Fishermen on Inle lake
#travel, #travelphotography, #inlelake, #myanmar, #culture, #nature, #tribes, #fishermen, #explore, #offbeat,
Fishermen on Inle Lake

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A road trip through the Middle Land – Spiti Valley

Posted in Himachal Pradesh, India, TravelTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments
#kaza, #photography, #travel, #travelphotography, #himalayas, #himachal, #roadtrip, #spitivalley, #spiti, #india, #nature, #serene, #scenic, #beauty

A one week road trip to Spiti Valley via Manali – Kalpa Kinnaur – Nako – Tabo – Kaza- Key – Kibber – Langza – Hikkim – Dhankar – Lhalung – Chandratal – Manali

The beauty of Lahaul-Spiti valley is overshadowed by the interest in Leh, its flashy famous neighbour. Hence Spiti remains untouched by the millions of tourists who throng to Leh every year. Spiti means the Middle Land – the land between India & Tibet. A melting pot of Indo -Tibetan culture, splendid views of untouched natural beauty, stark barren landscapes dotted by green oasis of villages, picturesque old Buddhist monasteries perched on top of the hills, gorgeous blue lakes and clear skies for stargazing, a trekkers paradise; Spiti has all this to offer and much more to travellers. Continue reading “A road trip through the Middle Land – Spiti Valley” →

The igniter of my wanderlust – Chandratal Lake

Posted in Himachal Pradesh, India, Travel6 Comments
#kaza, #photography, #travel, #travelphotography, #himalayas, #himachal, #roadtrip, #spitivalley, #Chandratal, #lake, #nature

I must have been 13 years old when I first read about Lahaul – Spiti and the picturesque Chandratal lake. There it was on a travel magazine, a double cover spread, capturing the majestic beauty of the semi-frozen lake and the snow-capped mountains in peak winter. Me, the young untraveled soul at that time, couldn’t fathom that such a beautiful place could exist in our country! I believe it subconsciously spurred my innate desire to travel. Although I used to dream of all the places I read about in my history textbooks and desired to see them one day, but if ever there was a turning point or the point Continue reading “The igniter of my wanderlust – Chandratal Lake” →

Birding in Kaza, Spiti Valley

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#birds, #bird, #kaza, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #himalayas, #himachal, #roadtrip, #spitivalley

On a recent road trip to Spiti Valley, had the opportunity to spot a few more Himalayan birds, different from the ones I had spotted a few months ago in Rumbak valley in Ladakh. (See the birds here: Birds of Rumbak )

There were beautiful birds like rock buntings, european goldfinches, common rose finches, red fronted serins, long tailed shrikes etc.

Which one is your favorite?

 

#birds, #bird, #kaza, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #himalayas, #himachal, #roadtrip, #spitivalley
Rock Bunting
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Red Fronted Serin
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European Goldfinch
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Common Rosefinch
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Carrion Crow
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Black Redstart
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LongTailed Shrike
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Oriental Turtledove
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Yellow Billed Chough
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Tibetan Snowfinch

 

How to get to Kaza:

Kaza in Spiti valley, Himachal Pradesh, can be accessed via road from Manali. It is approximately 200kms away.

What is he thinking?.. Mind-games while streetwalking in Yangon.

Posted in Myanmar, Photologues, TravelTagged , , , , , , , 1 Comment
#myanmar, #travel, #travelphotography, #streets, #streetphotography, #guesswhatsonhismind, #culture, #yangon

Thoughts while crowd-watching the evening humdrum of Yangon, Myanmar

There is no other better way to immerse yourself in a new city than something which does not involve spending long hours walking the busiest streets and watching the locals. Streetwalking gives you an inside view of the culture as you watch the locals get on with their daily lives. You are just a mute spectator, with the fortune to witness a part of the lives of people going by. As you feel the drama of the scene presented in front of you, you stop to imagine and concoct stories in your head. As you absorb the culture, sight, sounds and aroma, questions starting forming your head: What must that person selling the fruits be like?  Will he go back to a family to have dinner? When did he come to the city? What are his dreams for his kids? What would be his favourite fruit? You are transported to this exciting world where the lines between reality and imagination begin to blur. You are in the moment, witnessing, assessing, absorbing and judging all the drama in front of you and yet in a parallel world you are curious, imaginative and telling stories to yourself. It is not without a doubt, my favourite pastime when I travel. After all when can  I be a receptive, curious, imaginative storyteller.  More imaginatively, the game I play in my own head is: What is he/ she thinking? Absorb the scene and form a thought bubble of the protagonist. Be curious. Tell stories.

#myanmar, #travel, #travelphotography, #streets, #streetphotography, #guesswhatsonhismind, #culture, #yangon
When will the pink chair be occupied?
#myanmar, #travel, #travelphotography, #streets, #streetphotography, #guesswhatsonhismind, #culture, #yangon
When will I fly to Bangkok?
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Hope it tastes just like the way my mother taught me.
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This coconut is not going to fit in my bag.
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So much more left to fry…
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I have 2 secs to cross this road.
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Shouldn’t he already know what is about to happen?
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Where is Syria?
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Will she like these yellow flowers?

Breaking my Wildcat Jinx: In Search of the Grey Ghost

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#snowleopard, #greyghost, #ghostcat, #animals,#fauna, #ladakh, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #rumbak, #snowleopard, #trek, #himalayas, #wildlife, #wildlifephotography

A trek of a lifetime to spot the Snow Leopard in Rumbak valley, Ladakh

It is the most elusive cat to spot, the snow leopard or the grey ghost or the ghost of the mountains or as the locals call it, the Shan. This very elusivity drew us to undertake an adventure of a lifetime, braving harsh terrains and sub-zero temperatures, to trek all the way upto the Rumbak valley in Hemis National Park in Ladakh in search of the snow leopard. With 30 tiger safaris under my belt without having spotted a single tiger till date, the trek was an attempt to spot the rarest of the wild cats and break my wildcat jinx. And boy! Did my jinx break and how!

There is a reason the snow leopards are called the grey ghosts. Snow leopards live in an extremely difficult terrain, walking along cliffs and slopes and living in sub-zero temperatures in high altitudes upto 6000m. They usually feed on blue sheep for Bharals and in those high altitudes, they need to be agile and have impeccable camouflage and that makes it really hard to spot these cats.

Without any serious trekking experience under any of our belts, my group of friends and I set out to do undertake this moderate to hard 10 day trek in the bone-chilling cold winters of Ladakh. The Rumbak Valley is the mecca for snow leopard spotting. Every winter, the severe cold drives the Blue Sheep, the staple diet of the snow leopards, to lower altitudes in search of vegetation to feed on. This in turn draws the Snow Leopards down the high mountains, enabling the visitors to spot these elusive creatures at lower altitudes.  Between Jan to March, scores of nature lovers descend upon Rumbak Valley to get a chance to spot these elusive creatures. We also arrived in Leh this March in search of this Grey Ghost.

After a 2 day acclimatisation at Leh, we drove to Zinchen, the last point of the motorable road to Rumbak. After that is a 5-6 hour hike to Rumbak Valley passing by the Husing campsite. The hike passes by frozen streams and picturesque mountains and loads of Blue sheep could be spotted on the way.

Upon arrival at the valley, we had a packed lunch and we were welcomed with spotting on a scope set up to track the Lynx. The Lynx is even more rare creature to spot than the snow Leopard in these parts of the world. I was hopeful that with this spotting, my wildcat jinx was broken and was eager to spot the snow leopard.

We progressed to our homestay in Rumbak Village. As the night approached, the temperatures dropped to -15 to -20C. Our only saviour was the Bukhari or the Ladakhi room heaters which burn wood to keep the room warm. After a difficult first few hours contemplating if I had mountain sickness with the body ache and headache, I passed out into a restful sleep.

The bright next day brought hope and we made our way slowly to the spotting point after an hour’s trek. The whole morning passed uneventfully with the no signs of any movement of the wildcats except the spotting of the blue sheep by the dozens! We struggled to keep our hands and toes warm in the severe cold. We were about to give up but with setting sun, we were rewarded with the spotting of out lifetime! A male snow leopard walked on the ridge of a mountain a km away for almost 30 mins! It was a young male and it’s mating call reverberated through the mountains! It was an experience covering sight, sound and motion!

Now that we had seen what we had come looking for, the next 4 days were spent trekking to different directions from the village in the hope of spotting more wild animals. Though we didn’t see any more snow leopards, we saw much more fauna of Ladakh. On one day, we trekked west from the village and saw a Red Fox at quite a distance, basking itself in the sun. On the way back, we saw a dead red fox, which was being fed by the Black-billed Magpies. The remains of this red fox were the object of the fight between a Lammergeier and the Magpies which kept us enthralled all afternoon. One  another day we trekked up to Yurutse Village, a one household village on the Markha Valley trek route, for an up-close encounter with the Lynx. We ended up sighting many other animals like a Yak, Wooly hare etc and some of us had some fun skidding down the frozen river on their bums.  We also spent time birding and capturing many birds of prey like the Griffon Vulture, Golden Eagle, Lammergeier etc. After 5 days at Rumbak, we trekked back to Zinchen and drove to Ulley where we were rewarded with spotting of Himalayan Wolf & the Ibex. With so much that we saw, I couldn’t have asked for more, especially since my wildcat jinx was now finally broken!

#snowleopard, #greyghost, #ghostcat, #animals,#fauna, #ladakh, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #rumbak, #snowleopard, #trek, #himalayas, #wildlife, #wildlifephotography
Snow Leopard or the Ghost of the Mountains or the Grey Ghost
#snowleopard, #greyghost, #ghostcat, #animals,#fauna, #ladakh, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #rumbak, #snowleopard, #trek, #himalayas, #wildlife, #wildlifephotography
Snow Leopard
#snowleopard, #greyghost, #ghostcat, #animals,#fauna, #ladakh, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #rumbak, #snowleopard, #trek, #himalayas, #wildlife, #wildlifephotography
Snow Leopard
#snowleopard, #greyghost, #ghostcat, #animals,#fauna, #ladakh, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #rumbak, #snowleopard, #trek, #himalayas, #wildlife, #wildlifephotography
Snow Leopard

———————————–

How to get there & where to stay:

Leh is connected by flights and can also be accessed by road from Srinagar or Manali. Rumbak Valley is in the Ladakh region. The motorable road ends at Zinchen from where one needs to trek to Husing Camp. Further up after a couple of hours trek is Rumbak village.  Rumbak Valley is famous for snow leopard sightings. Either stay at Husing campsite or in one of the many government regulated homestays in the Rumbak village.

Animals of Ladakh

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Animal Spotting at Rumbak Valley, Ladakh

The Rumbak Valley in the Hemis National Park in Ladakh is known for the elusive Snow Leopard spotting. Besides the snow leopard, which of course we were fortunate enough to spot, the area is dotted with many other animal species. Even more elusive to spot is the Lynx, which we could sight only through a scope as the distances were large and our 600mm as rendered completely useless! Even the Red Fox and the Himalayan Wolf could be seen through a scope. Most common amongst the animals is the Blue Sheep or Bharal which is the snow leopard’s staple diet. From the same family, one can also spot the Ibex, Argali and the Urial. Smaller animals like the Wooly Hare and the Pika can also be spotted aplenty.

#animals,#fauna, #ladakh, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #rumbak, #snowleopard, #trek, #himalayas, #wildlife, #wildlifephotography
The Snow Leopard
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Blue Sheep or Bharal
DSC_7742
Blue Sheep Or Bharal
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Yak
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Ibex
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Wooly Hare

Birding in Rumbak Valley, Ladakh

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Birding in Rumbak Valley, Hemis National Park, Jammu & Kashmir, India

On a recent Snow Leopard trek to Rumbak Village in Hemis national park, Ladakh region, I got an opportunity to spot some beautiful birds including some Tibetan species uncommon in other parts of the country. The area is home to many birds of prey like Golden eagle, Lammergeier and Himalayan Griffon vulture which rule the Rumbak valley. Many other local species like Chukar, Tibetan Partridge, Tibetan Snowcock, Tibetan Snowfinch, Streaked Rosefinch, Robin Accentor dot the valley.

Water Birds: Mallard Ducks, Storks, Common Coots etc.

Mallard Duck Male
Mallard Duck Male
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Mallard Duck Female

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DSC_7184

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A pair of male & female Gadwall ducks
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Female Gadwall duck
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Great Egret
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Common Coot

 

Birds of Prey: Griffon Vulture, Lammergeier, Golden Eagle

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Golden Eagle
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Lammergeier
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Griffon Vulture

Native Birds: Tibetan Snowcock, Chukar, Tibetan Snowfinch, Rose Snowfinch, Tibetan Partridge etc.

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Chukar
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Tibetan Partridge
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Tibetan Snowfinch

Common Birds: Black Billed Magpie, Robin Accentor, Brown Accentor, Grey Tit, Grey Wagtail, Red Billed Chough etc.

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Black Billed magpie
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Grey Tit

DSC_7904

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Grey Wagtail
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Robin Accentor

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How to get there & where to stay:

Leh is connected by flights and can also be accessed by road from Srinagar or Manali. Rumbak Valley is in the Ladakh region. The motorable road ends at Zingchan from where one needs to trek to Husing Camp. Further up after a couple of hours trek is Rumbak village.  Rumbak Valley is famous for snow leopard sightings. Either stay at Husing campsite or at the Rumbak village homestays.

Birding in Sattal

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#birdphotography, #birds, #himalayas, #hills, #sattal, #nature, #travel, #india,

A bird-watching trek to the town of Sattal, located in Uttaranchal, India

The lower Himalayas is home to a hundreds of indigenous birds of India. Adding to the local avian fauna are the migratory birds who make the lower himalayas their home every winter. An opportunity to see such a vast range of birds took me to Sattal. Sattal, the land of seven lakes, is in the lower Himalayan region in the state of Uttaranchal and is home to a vast variety of indigenous & migratory birds, approximately over 230 in number. Over one weekend, I got to see and click over 50 beautiful birds that one can never ever see over the metro skyline.

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Khaleej Pheasant (male)
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Rufous-bellied Niltava
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Himalayan Bulbul
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Mountain Bulbul
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Red-Billed Blue Magpie
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Greater Yellownape ( Male & Female)
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Oriental Turtle Dove
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Red-Billed Leiothrix
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Grey-headed Woodpecker
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Brown-fronted Woodpecker (male)
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Himalayan Bluetail
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Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher
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Great Barbet
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Dusky Eagle Owl
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Blue Whistling Thrush
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Rufous Sibia
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Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch (Male)
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Oriental White Eye
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Blue-fronted Redstart

Where to go: Sattal & Pangot are popular locations for bird watching. Both are at app 300 kms from Delhi and can be accessed by road or rail that goes till Haldwani & Kathgodam.

When to Go: Nov-Feb is best time; the  weather is good and the avian population comes to life in the North Indian winter.

A Week in Meghalaya – Top things to see & do.

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#shillong, #meghalaya, #india, #travel, #travelphotography, #one week, #itinerary, #top things to do, #top things to see, #northeast,

Meghalaya is undoubtedly one of the jewels amongst the 7 sisters of Northeast India with its mountainous terrain and year round rainfall that gives it a dense green forest cover, numerous waterfalls that cut deep into the valley and miles of limestone caves. It is not without a reason Meghalaya is called the Abode of Clouds. One can walk though the clouds as almost all the time, there is thick cloud cover, not in the sky, but on the land! Meghalaya is one of the better explored states of northeast due to its accessibility from Assam which enjoys best connectivity with the rest of India. A week in Meghalaya is good enough to get a sampler of the riches the state has to offer.

Day 1 & 2: Shillong

Shillong is a 2 hr. drive from Guwahati. It is the capital city of Meghalaya and was known as ‘Scotland of the East’ by the Britishers due its good weather and mountainous terrain.

What to do:

Umiam Lake is right on the outskirts of Shillong. Nestled amongst the thick pine forest on the hilly terrains surrounding this huge man-made lake, is a getaway like no other – Ri Kynjai resort. Faraway from maddening city crowd and with spectacular views of the lake, peace and tranquillity welcomes you with open arms. Made in beautiful traditional wood, furnished with wood and cane furniture and decorated with stunning artefacts from northeast, the resort has a colonial feel to it and is truly a cosy home away from home. Stunning sunrise from the hills right across the lake will jostle you awake very early in the morning and ensnare you to follow the natural trekking path down the hill to the edge of the lake, the way this landscape is best enjoyed.

Lady Hydari Park is a small delightful park with a mini zoo. Many species of birds like owls, eagles and animals like panthers, monkeys, deer can be found here. Wards lake is a remnant of the colonial-era Shillong. Surrounded by dense green trees, this man made lake has a small bridge and boating facilities. Shillong Golf Course is one the largest golf courses in Asia and is known as the Gleneagles of the East. Surrounded by thick pine forest, the golf course is a beautiful and scenic natural wonder. To know more about north east & its culture, one can visit the Don Bosco Centre for Indigenous Cultures which is knowledge repository for the region. Butterfly Museum is one of its kind museum devoted to the study & preservation of moths & butterflies. Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians is one of the main and beautiful churches in Shillong. Shillong Peak is the highest point in Meghalaya from where one can get a breath-taking view of the entire Shillong city. Nearby is the Elephant falls or the 3 tier waterfalls. The walking path descends behind the entrance and gentle paved stairs leads one   down to each of the 3 waterfalls in succession.  Café Shillong is one of the best cafes with good food & great live music every evening.

Shillong is small hill station that needs to be explored languidly. Stroll around the city and watch a slow pace of life go past.

Where to Stay:

Ri Kynjai resort is the best option but is a 45 min drive away from the city. Other economical options are available in the city.

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View from the Ri Kynjai room; Umiam Lake, Shillong
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Elephant Falls; Shillong
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View of Shillong from Shillong peak
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Shillong
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Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians; Shillong
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Wards Lake; Shillong
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Wards Lake; Shillong
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Lady Hydari Park & Zoo; Shillong

Day 3: Sohra/ Cherrapunjee

Sohra / Cherrapunjee is a 2 hr. drive from Shillong. Sohra or Cherrapunjee as it is popularly called, was once the rainiest place on this earth. The title has now been overtaken by another town called Mawsynram in Meghalaya. The the heavy rainfall has created many natural rock formations and waterfalls throughout the area, which cut deep into the lush, green valley.

What to do:

Many waterfalls dot the surrounding area. The Nohkalikhai falls is about 7 kms from Sohra and is the tallest plunge waterfall in India. The Nohsngithiang waterfalls or the 7 Sisters’ waterfalls is app 4kms from Sohra and is one of the tallest waterfalls in India. Wakaba & Kynrem falls are other beautiful falls around Sohra. Mawsmai caves are the located about 4kms away from Sohra and is one of the beautiful limestone caves in the region that can be explored by a beginner. From the Cherrapunjee valley view point, one can see the deep gorges and valleys of the region. The view point also offers a zip lining adventure overlooking the valley, covering 2400ft at a dizzying height of 500 ft.

Carry an umbrella and walk through this small, pretty town.

 Where to Stay:

The Cherrapunjee Holiday Resort or La Kupar are both economical options.

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Corn on the cob vendor; Cherrapunjee
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Ziplining at Cherrapunjee Viewpoint
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Cherrapunjee View point
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Mawsmai Caves; Cherrapunjee

Day 4 & 5:  Nongriat

 Tyrna village, the starting point of the trek is ½ hr. drive away from Cherrapunjee.

The Living Root Bridges of Nongriat village are one of the manmade wonders, dating back many centuries. The aerial roots of Banyan tree on opposite sides of the river are continuously twisted, given direction and woven together, till it can be shaped and strengthened into a sturdy bridge. This is the only means for the villagers to cross the raging water streams to reach the other side. There are two living root bridges in Nongriat, a single bridge and a double decker bridge.

What to do:

From Tyrna village, trek upto the Nongriat village to the see the Double Decker Living Root Bridge. It is 7000 stair trek to the village & back and will take upto 5 hrs. to complete this. But it will be totally worth the pain to take off your clothes and swim in the river stream by the bridge. Far away from the maddening crowd, you can walk around other trails to nearby villages and take a dip in many waterfalls along the way. It is highly recommended to stay in the village overnight and do another short 2 hr. trek next morning to the Rainbow falls and back. It is supposedly very scenic and highly recommended by all trekkers and locals alike. Chances of spotting an actual rainbow over the waterfalls are very high. If you plan to stay 2 days, carry only bare essentials, leaving rest of your luggage in Sohra as there are no porters and you will have to carry your stuff on your own, up and down the trek.

Where to stay:

If you want to do a day trek, stay in one of the Hotels in Cherrapunjee. To stay in Nongriat, check Serene Homestay as it is a good option. Expect nothing fancy.

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View of Nongriat village (Mid of the mountain on the left)
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The Double decker Living Root Bridge of Nongriat
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Long winding stairs; Nongriat
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The schoolchildren do this walk up & down the stairs everyday; Nongriat

Day 6: Mawlynnong

It is a 2 hr drive from Sohra / Cherrapunjee and about a 2 hrs. drive from Shillong. Being credited as Asia’s cleanest village is no mean feat. Mawlynnong is one of the finest examples of sustainable, eco-friendly community living, one that is obsessed with cleanliness & recycling.

What to do:

Walk through the fields of the villagers which are on the hillsides surrounding the village, where they grow betel nut trees & broom-stick plant apart from other smaller crops. Walking through the fields via a paved path, leads one to edge of the hill from where one can see the plains of Bangladesh. The same spectacular view of the Bangladesh plains can be seen in from a tall 80 ft sky view treehouse made within the village itself. A short drive away is the living root bridge, where bamboo tree roots are intertwined and shaped over decades to make a bridge to cross the river. A quaint church plays an important role in the life of the villagers who are all Christians. Small tea shops lining the road made with bamboo & creepers are the perfect places to sit back, relax and feel the nature consuming you in this quaint beatific village. The village doesn’t thrive amongst nature; every effort is made to make nature thrive in this village. Where else will one come across such a village with its winding paved roads, lush greenery, small springs & waterfalls that swell up during monsoons, charming bamboo houses and a notorious obsession for cleanliness & recycling. It is a village to get lost and get consumed by nature. No wonder the board welcoming tourists to the village, proudly proclaims Mawlynnong as ‘God’s Own Garden’. It is indeed a picture of what heaven could look like, on Earth.

Where to stay:

Homestays are available aplenty. Expect basic accommodation & food, nothing fancy.

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Dos & Dont’s for Tourists; Mawlynnong, Meghalaya
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Cobbled road leading to the view of Bangladesh Plains; Mawlynnong, Meghalaya
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Bamboo huts; Mawlynnong, Meghalaya
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Tree house; Mawlynnong, Meghalaya
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Bamboo Dustbins on roadsides; Mawlynnong, Meghalaya

Day 7: Dawki & back to Shillong

It is a 1.5 hr. drive from Mawlynnong and about a 2 hrs. drive back to Shillong.

Dawki is the last village in Meghalaya, bang on the India – Bangladesh border. India ends where the mountains end and Bangladesh begins where the plains begin. The picture of crystal clear blue river bed & the boats seeming like floating in air, set me on the track to explore Meghalaya.

What to do:

The views of the flat lands of Bangladesh are astonishing beautiful. One can walk up to the Indo- Bangladesh border crossing area and witness a border setting which is very calm & peaceful unlike the energy and emotion charged Wagah border of Indo-Pak. One can see line of trucks ferrying stones to Bangladesh, stretching upto many kilometres. Since it had rained cats & dogs the night before, I couldn’t see the blue waters. Nonetheless it is a sight to behold. Walk down to the riverbed & ask a boat for a boat ride along the river.

Where to stay:

Stay is not required. A comfortable day trip to Dawki can be planned.

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Boat on the Umngot river; Dawki
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View of Bangladesh Plains
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View of Bangladesh Plains
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Betel nut market; Dawki
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Umngot River; Dawki
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Indo Bangladesh border; Dawki
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Boats on the Umngot river; Dawki

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