| TAG |
INCREDIBLE NORTH INDIA |
| 1 |
Flight to Delhi. Airport pick-up and transfer to Hotel. |
| 2 |
Express Train to Haridwar and move to Rishikesh. The worlds ashram capital. Explore Risikesh and it´s temples.
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| 3 |
Where the Beatles found spiritual guideance in the 60´s we start our journey trough a potpourri of different landscapes and religions. A first warm up trip round Rishikesh makes us familiar with the particularities of our Enfield „Bullets“ and the traffic in India. |
| 4 |
Going up the mountain! Todays ride get´s us up to the Hill Station of Mussorie. It´s victorian city center and pleasant climate attracts (not just) indian tourists who want to escape the heat of the indian plains.
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| 5 |
We approach the Himalya trough back door that leads us along apple orchards and cedar forests into the Pabbar Valley. Maybe we can get hold of a few rainbow trouts for dinner – thats what the village is famous for anyway.
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| 6 |
We reach the valley of the Sutlej river which originates in Tibet near the holy Kailash mountain and ride up to the medivial village of Sarahan – famous for it´s wooden Hindu temple – deticated to the fierce goddess Kali. |
| 7 |
After winding down and following the Sutlej river valley again we take a sidestep and ride up a wild rode into the beautiful alpine Sangla valley where we will spend two nights in the beautiful settings of the Banjara Camp – beautifully decorated tents with beds and attached bathroom
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| 8 |
A relaxing day leads us further into the valley and up to Chitkul. Only 30km short of the Tibetian border and as far es we are allowed to go. The valley sees its end at the feet of two glaciers and we reach the timberline up here.
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| 9 |
Down and up is our ride today. We head for Recong Peo where we will get the permits that allow for further travel into Lahaul and Spiti. The temples here are dedicated and worshipped by both Hindus and Buddhists. Weather permitted we will be rewarded with spectacular views of the 6.050m high Kinner Kailash, mythic home of Lord Shiva. Night at Kalpa.
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| 10 |
After a short ride we pass the "Inner Boarder Line" Checkpost. Our permits come handy here! We leave the Sutlej valley and ride up into the Spiti gorge. An awe-inspiring road takes us into the silence and solitude of the Greater Himalayas.
We take a detour up to Nako village. |
| 11 |
After a short ride we reach Tabo village and monastery. It has been a spiritual center for Buddhists and is maybe to oldest preserved relic of the tibetian culture.
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| 12 |
On todays ride our Enfields take us up to Kormik Gompa. Hidden in a small valley and little visited we learn breath thin air (pfff ) and enjoy the solitude. |
| 13 |
Further up the valley we visit Dankar monastery. Only a single monk lives up here among a wealth of budddhist literature. Again we have time to savour the scenery and the view´s from up here. Night as Kaza.
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| 14 |
A days trip to the picturesque Ki monastery – still visited by many pilgrims and year-in year-out maintained by it´s monks. An oasis in this rugged environ. We will also visit one of the worlds highest settlements connected by road, Kibber village at 4.205m. |
| 15 |
A sidestep towards south-west leads us into the Pin-valley. Kungri-monastery, placed high up on a naked rock is a center of the school of Tantric Buddhists. Part of the valley has been declared National Park and is on of the last habitats of the snow leopard. |
| 16 |
A long ride leads across Kunzum La pass (4.551m) out of Spiti valley and into Chandra valley to Keylong. |
| 17 |
A first for us … only open for a few years now we take the road across the Saach pass and the first range of the Himalayas to Chamba. From charming Chamba we should have marvelous views of the white giants of the Himalaya. |
| 18 |
Nice back roads take us to Lower Dharamsala up to Mc Leod Ganj, Exile of the Dalai Lama.
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| 19 |
Sightseeing and relaxing in Dharamshala. If we are very lucky (we where once) we might even get the chance for an audience with his Holiness.
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| 20 |
A few last miles in the Himalayas before crossing the plains of the Punjab. We reach it´s capitol Amritsar - noisy, dusty, hoplessly traffic-jammed- but holy for the Sikh people. We say goodby to our Enfields today.
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| 21 |
In stark contrast to the city lays the beauty of the „Golden Temple“ of the Sikh religion. Many a people compared it´s beauty with the one of the Taj Mahal! Choose for yourself and enjoy! The afternoon Shatabti-Express train takes us back to where all began – New Delhi. |
| 22 |
TA day to either explore Old Delhi and it´s basars, the Red Fort and the biant Mosque OR we could arrange a visit of the Taj Mahal in Agra if wanted!
After a last supper our bus takes you to the airport to reach the plane back home... |
| 23 |
arrive home |
