South Asia

Home of the coming Asian Century

By Mariellen Ward , Lakshmi Sharath , Rachel Bracken-Singh , Vidya Balachander & Stuart Butler

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The vast peninsula separated from the Eurasian landmass by the Himalayas, is the size of Europe and home to some 1.89 billion people in six countries: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan (some add the Maldives).

Over centuries, the Mughal emperors, the Rajputs, the Muslim sultanates, the Sikh empire, the British colonialists, all left their imprints on the land and the people. The result is that modern South Asia can be a bewildering patchwork to the outsider. The variety of religions and cultures in the region is staggering. More than 450 languages are spoken in India; the mountain kingdom of Bhutan, with a population of less than a million, has some two dozen languages of its own.

If it can be bewildering, it’s also exciting. The history, the geography, the arts, the cuisine and, it must be said, the rivalries, make the region endlessly fascinating.

And it’s not all about the past. The burgeoning economies of the region fuel talk of the coming Asian Century. Bangladesh now has one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. India’s pharma and telecoms industries are world-class and it has a highly developed space programme.

Yes, there is still much poverty, and some political uncertainties, but there’s also huge optimism for the future. It’s the future that makes South Asia so exciting today.

Hidden gems in South Asia

Sikkim

Goecha La

Shikha Tripathi

Experience

Difficulty: Strenuous Max Elevation:Duration: 10 daysStart/end point: Yuksom village, 5 hours from the Bagdogra airportAccommodation: Camping For those who want a taste of the Himalaya away from the crowds, Goecha La is your answer. This is also the best trek to get up close with India’s highest peak that it shares with its neighbour Nepal, Kangchenjunga, also the third highest mountain in the world. I wouldn’t call the Goecha La trek offbeat anymore, but it is still a surprisingly underrated trek, filled with surprises ranging from glacial lakes that reflect peaks around, rhododendron forests, captivating sunrises, monasteries, and views of several other mountains. It’s not for beginners since it involves a summit at the end (for that is where you get the closest view of the mighty Kangchenjunga), and there are several routes to get here but the one via Yuksom village is my favourite one. Need to know If you are pressed for time and want to get a taste of the Eastern Himalaya, the Sandakphu trail is a great pick. The five-day trek takes you to West Bengal’s highest point, and while it may not be very high at 3,637 metres, it shows you a stunning view of four of the world’s highest peaks, strung in the horizon across the border in Nepal. This mini trek can also serve as an add-on to Goecha La, a warm up to your big adventure, since it has the same base airport as the starting point. The Sandakphu viewpoint is also accessible via a 4x4 drive, with basic accommodation available.

Ladakh

Chadar Frozen River trek

Shikha Tripathi

Experience

Difficulty: StrenuousMax Elevation: 3,500 metresDuration: Nine daysStart/end point: Chilling Accommodation: Camping The Chadar frozen river trek is one of India’s most sought-after winter adventures. Every year for a couple of months, the Zanskar River becomes a ‘chadar’ or sheet of ice flanked by stark mountains and waterfalls that turn into sparkling chandeliers of ice. It is an incomparable landscape straight out of a Disney film, and is both thrilling and challenging. The chadar was once a lifeline for resilient Zanskaris to maintain communications and trading routes with the outside world. Today its unique beauty draws hefty crowds to an environment that is already grappling with climate change and the construction of a new road parallel to the river. I was fortunate to do this trek over a decade ago before it had exploded across countless Instagram feeds. These days I’m not sure I’d go back, simply due to the unsustainable pressure it’s under. You can make your own decision. Need to know This bucket list winter trek comes with a long list of preparations, starting with being mentally prepared for camping on ice in below freezing temperatures. There are no charging points along the way, so plenty of additional batteries, fleece lined bags to keep electronics and items like sunscreens and toothpastes in a liquid state, are required. Now that the ice is thinner due to warmer temperatures, be prepared to also fall through a few times. A sad reminder of our changing climate.

Ladakh

Markha Valley trek

Shikha Tripathi

Experience

Difficulty: Mild to moderateMax Elevation: 5,260 metres Duration: Seven days Start/end point: Chilling/ Sham Sumdo Accommodation: Homestays or camping A great – and very popular – introduction to the Ladakh trekking scene, the Markha Valley packs plenty into a one-week window. It makes the cut with a little bit of everything; iridescent rivers that meander through gentle green valleys, climbs over stark mountainous terrain, and views of the imposing Kang Yatse among other peaks in the Ladakh Himalaya. The trek switches between being relatively easy to moderately tough and takes you through the Hemis National Park, and again sees near perfect weather in the July-September season. This trek is also dotted with village homestays and is ideal for those who don’t wish to set up camp at the end of a long day, and appreciate local food and cultural interaction. Need to know The Markha Valley trek route is fairly easy-going but plenty of visitors still get caught out by the altitude and end up abandoning the trek with Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Spend that extra day in Leh to avoid the regret! The trek to Markha valley has different routes but my preferred route starts at Chilling, barely over an hour’s drive from Leh.

Jammu & Kashmir

Tosa Maidan trek

Shikha Tripathi

Experience

Difficulty: ModerateMax Elevation: 3,700 metres Duration: Seven daysStart/end point: Tosa Maidan / Yusmarg Accommodation: Camping A good alternative to Kashmir’s stunning (but increasingly popular) Great Lakes trek, this is a hidden gem of alpine meadows, coniferous forests and lakes. Close to Gulmarg, a place that draws the winter skiing crowd, Tosa Maidan in the Pir Panjal range is your quiet gateway to the still untouched beauty of Kashmir that I was privy to when I first went there a decade ago. It is also away from the Amaranth pilgrim trail that attracts crowds of domestic pilgrims in the summer. Another major advantage is that you still get to see some gorgeous glacial lakes, but without toiling across high passes. Need to know Kashmir is a special place for its unmatched natural beauty, but it comes with plenty of political baggage. Check your insurance covers travel here, and get an update on its latest situation to find a peaceful window for your travel to the region. For this trek, you can fly to Srinagar and then drive two hours to the trailhead.

Ladakh

Parang La trek

Shikha Tripathi

Experience

Difficulty: StrenuousMax Elevation: 5,580 metres Duration: Seven days Start/end point: Chicham village in Spiti, and Korzok in Ladakh at the exit. Accommodation: Camping with home stays available at entry and exit points. I’d call this one more of a mini expedition than a trek, as it involves crossing a 6,000 metre snowbound pass that saddles the Spiti and Ladakh valleys. The ancient trading route that connected the erstwhile Tibet section, which is a part of Ladakh today, and Spiti in Himachal Pradesh, Parang La is the pass that bridges the two valleys. While it can be done from either end, it’s wiser to start from the Spiti side and cross the pass early on, after which you hit the Changthang plateau laid out like a boundless desert. The vast plateau has occasional pockets of wildflowers that pop up in a surprising riot of colours in the monochromatic canvas, and herds of kiang or the Tibetan wild ass galloping through hundreds of miles of their long and wide playground. Need to know Getting to the trailhead itself is a long journey (a minimum of three days from New Delhi) by road, and a couple of days are recommended for acclimatisation in Tabo or Kaza once you reach the high-altitude Spiti valley. It’s best to do this if you have additional time so you can turn it into a Spiti exploration trip as well; a couple of days in Leh are also great once you finish (or more, to explore Ladakh better), and the added bonus is that you can fly back from Leh to New Delhi.

Himachal Pradesh

Pin Valley

Shikha Tripathi

Experience

Difficulty: MildMax Elevation: 3,810 metres (Mud) and 4,400 metres (Pin base camp)Duration: Five daysStart/end point: Mudh village, Spiti valley Accommodation: Homestays & camping A hike through the Pin Valley National Park in Himachal’s Spiti Valley is my recommended alternative to the crowded and over-popular Valley of Flowers hike. Pin Valley is perfect for those who want a remote but quiet and beautiful landscape, with a sprinkling of local Buddhist culture. Easy day hikes can be done from Mudh, a quaint village that I love for its whitewashed, traditional houses in the midst of pea and barley fields surrounded by windswept valleys and intriguing rock formations. Alternatively, you can make longer forays into the Pin National Park to places like Gechang, Ka, and Thango. You could go to the Pin base camp via Tia and Shia on a three-day camping trek. The Pin-Parvati traverse is suitable for more ambitious hikers. Need to know While the hikes here are fairly easy, getting to Pin Valley is a challenge. The full day drive from Manali (comfortable overnight buses from New Delhi get you here, or a 14-hour taxi/self drive) to Spiti is best ended in the valley’s capital Kaza, from where you can continue to Mudh the next day via shared taxis. Factor in additional days for roadblocks due to minor landslides, a common occurrence in the region.

Uttarakhand

Bedni Bugyal & Bagwawasa

Shikha Tripathi

Experience

Difficulty: Moderate Max Elevation: 3,354 metres (Bedni) Duration: Five daysStart/end point: Wan village Accommodation: Camping The Bedni Bugyal, an alpine meadow in eastern Uttarakhand, is part of a triple trek that starts here. The first is the hike to Roopkund, the ‘skeleton lake,’ where ancient human remains spark mystery and eerie stories. Bedni Bugyal itself is an easier trail, a wildflower studded high-altitude meadow that has often rewarded me with dreamy settings and photographers with enchanting shots of alpine horses grazing in the wild. A little after the meadow, the trail branches off to the third offshoot, Bedni Bagwawasa, another alpine meadow sought especially by those in search of the elusive Brahma Kamal. The state flower of Uttarakhand that blooms at high-altitudes and usually after dark (also called Queen of the Night), is found in abundance here but in the monsoon season, when trekking conditions are difficult. The flower features in folklore and mythological stories from the region and is considered a reward by devotees who literally go the extra mile for it. Need to know Too much littering at Bedni Bugyal led to a ban on camping there a few years back, which is for the better; you can now expect sweeping vistas with the place restored to its original picture-postcard look. One must retreat to Gairoli Pathar, three kilometres away, to camp, or the village of Wan, 13 kilometres before it, to stay overnight at a homestay. The Roopkund trek can be thrown in as an add-on, but is for seasoned hikers as it involves crossing a high-altitude pass. Wan village is an 8.5 hour drive (250 kms) from the closest train station at Kathgodam, another six hours from the capital New Delhi.

Uttarakhand

Nanda Devi East & Milam glacier

Shikha Tripathi

Experience

Difficulty: Moderate to strenuousMax Elevation: 3,430 metres & 3,870 metres respectively Duration: Seven days Start/end point: Lilam village near Munsyari, Uttarakhand Accommodation: Camping with homestays in the last village Nanda Devi, the highest mountain that is entirely within India and one worshipped here as the people’s goddess, is the stuff legends are made of. A smorgasbord of mystery and mythology, this is the mountain I grew up fascinated by, attending festivals in the goddess’ honour and reading about the mad mountaineers she attracted. The mountain itself is closed off to visitors for conservation reasons, but this five-day trail in Kumaon takes you as close as possible to the base camp of its lesser peak. It can be done as a loop together with Milam glacier, whose reputation and allure has been tarnished with the arrival of a road. The distance to the trail head is a killer, but well worth the effort for the trail branching off towards Nanda Devi. Need to know Munsyari is a whopping 600 kms from New Delhi and the closest route by air is via a helicopter service, though it is erratic and also limits your luggage. A road journey is ideal (or train to Kathgodam), best done over two days with an overnight stop mid-way. Munsyari is the last outpost for this trek, and also has an uphill but beautiful day hike to the Khalia top meadow which has stunning views of the Panchahuli range.

Sikkim

Shikha Tripathi

Place

Sikkim is an accessible and relaxed introduction to India’s enigmatic northeast. Here you can ease into the complexity of this region where the Indian Himalaya merges into the Nepal mountains. I find this the most diverse part of India, unmatched for its unique culture and food, with some incredible but quiet treks. Sikkim is politically one of the more stable states in this region, so easier to obtain permits for and travel in.

Himachal Pradesh

Shikha Tripathi

Place

Loved by backpackers for its laidback mountain towns and cafe culture, this is where I found the right mix of easy going trails in my newbie hiker days, and tougher climbs as I grew more ambitious. This province bridges the gap to Ladakh and is the gateway to the trans-himalaya, its road route (Manali-Leh) is one of the most scenic driving trips in India, and increasingly popular as a mountain biking route as well. Himachal Pradesh is home to the stunning Tirthan Valley, where the Tirthan river flows through a lush valley criss-crossed with easy hikes, juxtaposed with the stark Spiti Valley guarded by mountains that can be traversed only via some truly imposing passes.

Uttarakhand

Shikha Tripathi

Place

Known as the ‘abode of gods’ for being home to four spiritual hotspots of Hinduism and India’s holiest (and longest) river, Uttarakhand also hosts Nanda Devi, the country’s highest peak that is completely in India (and second only to Kangchenjunga that is shared with Nepal). While this is a ‘pilgrim state’ for many Indians and a yoga mecca for many global travellers, to me it is home. There’s more to trekking here, too: it’s India’s unofficial rafting capital, plus the offbeat climber’s dream with a plethora of lesser known peaks interspersed with bucket list hikes.

Jammu & Kashmir

Shikha Tripathi

Place

Crossing over from Ladakh into Jammu & Kashmir, the landscape transforms slowly but dramatically. Leave the browns of Ladakh’s cold desert to enter a postcard of alpine forests overwritten with glacial streams, a land that was famously deemed ‘paradise’ in Sufi poet Khusro’s immortal lines. And paradise it is indeed, for there is something about the landscape, its people, and culture, that I have not experienced in other parts of the Indian Himalaya. If it weren’t for its politically volatile situation, Kashmir would be a world-leading trekking destination.