North India is home to perhaps some of the most spectacular and awe-inspiring landscapes known to man. It is something straight out of a traveller's fairytale with high altitude barren deserts, snow capped mountain ranges, fluorescent blue lakes, ancient Buddhist monasteries, epic road trips, remote villages and friendly people. There's nothing more you could possibly want for an adventure. Here's my experience and guide to exploring the regions of Ladakh and Spiti.
Category: India
Zanskar Valley: one of the last frontier’s for true adventure
It seemed that every stunning photograph I happened to see in Leh in the windows of travel agencies or on the screen inside the Tourist Information Office belonged to a place called Zanskar Valley. So it was a place that became etched into my brain, and I knew I needed to get there myself somehow. … Continue reading Zanskar Valley: one of the last frontier’s for true adventure
Trek report: Markha Valley
Known as one of the most popular and beautiful treks in Ladakh, I decided to hike the Markha Valley during my time in Leh. Popular because it's easily accessible, the trail is not difficult to navigate and it's one of the few multiday treks in the region that can be done entirely with homestays, rather … Continue reading Trek report: Markha Valley
Aru Valley: Kashmir’s hidden mountain gem
Srinagar left me feeling like I needed to explore Kashmir a bit more instead of going straight to Ladakh, and so I headed to Aru Valley, a place not even mentioned in my guidebook. I’d hardly seen anywhere so green in my life, and it appeared like a landscape that belonged more in Switzerland than anywhere near India.
Srinagar: the contested jewel in Kashmir’s crown
The city had been exactly what I had imagined it to be and more; it was completely different to anything else I had seen on the subcontinent, the people were full of colourful and passionate conversation and the lake was truly beautiful with the background of the Himalayas faded under haze. Yet, I'd felt much safer than I perhaps thought I would, the media always driving a particular fear of certain places, and in fact, after I left I found myself telling people, "Go to Srinagar and spend time there," because only then can you truly understand it... Read about my time in Srinagar, Kashmir.
Crossing the India-Nepal border at Panitanki-Kakarbhitta
My experience and guide to crossing the India-Nepal border at Panitanki-Kakarbhitta or the eastern side near Darjeeling.
Majuli Island: Northeast India’s island escape
Locals of India's Northeast all spoke of Majuli Island as if it was some incredible paradise that I needed to visit before leaving the region. After leaving Longwa village behind, I decided it was the perfect time for a scenery change and some much needed R&R. And Majuli Island wasn't too far away, or at … Continue reading Majuli Island: Northeast India’s island escape
A photo story of an epic road trip to the world’s second-largest monastery
There aren’t many places left in the world where you can truly feel like you’ve stumbled upon a hidden gem off the well-traveled path. Places where, for a split second, it seems as if you’re an early explorer, discovering something new for the first time. Arunachal Pradesh in India’s wild northeastern region may just be as close as you can get to such a place... Written for Passion Passport + a travel guide
Nagaland: the land of fierce warriors, bumpy roads and opium addiction
Nagaland may just wear the crown for the worst roads I've ever travelled on and I've travelled on a lot of bad roads. But for all the bruises and inhaled dust, travelling in the state was truly rewarding as I got to spend time living in a Konyak village and meeting old headhunters. Read on for my story and travel guide of Nagaland.
Manipur: India’s jewelled land
I knew two things about Manipur before crossing the border from Myanmar to India: the first was that it is known as the “jewelled land” and the second is that Lonely Planet calls it the Northeast’s most dangerous state. Two contradicting pieces of information. I soon discovered it was much closer to the first thing, thanks to the beauty of Loktak Lake, the world's only floating lake.
Exploring Mizoram and Tripura: a travel guide
Mizoram and Tripura are often clumped together, not because they’re much alike, in fact they’re actually very different. However, they are both the least accessible and therefore, least explored states in the Northeast region and both get very few visitors, rarely any foreigners. So here's a travel guide to exploring the two states and all the information you need to see them for yourself.
Crossing the Myanmar-India border
How to cross the Myanmar-India border at Tamu/Moreh border crossing.