Asian Adventures

This tour encompasses the holy places in the Himalayas, customs & religion, trek to a glacier and yogic excercises.

Day 01: ARRIVE DELHI
You will be met on arrival at Delhi airport and transferred to Hotel Sunstar. Overnight stay.
Meals: on own

Day 02: DELHI
Your guide will meet you at the hotel. After breakfast, guided tour of historic city of Delhi. The city where one can experience the influence of the many rulers who ruled this region, a city built and destroyed and re-built over seven times. The guided tour takes to the monuments that depict the different eras. The tour includes the magnificent Red Fort, the Jama Masjid, Asia's largest mosque, Rajghat - the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi - the "Father of the Nation". Afternoon tour of New Delhi to include Humanyun Tomb, Birla Mandir, Bahai Temple, Qutab Minar, India Gate, President'' House and drive through Connaught Place. Evening, see Son-et-Lumerie at Red Fort (optional). Overnight at Hotel Sunstar.
Meals: breakfast

Day 03: DELHI-DEHRADUN
You will be met at your hotel to drive to Dehradun (6 hours). Arrive at Shaheen Bagh at noon. Evening session of yoga and meditation. Overnight stay at Shaheen Bagh.
Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 04: DEHRADUN
Morning session of yoga and meditation. Day trek and birding in the vicinity. Evening session of yoga and meditation. Overnight stay at Shaheen Bagh.
Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 05: DEHRADUN-RIKISHESH-HARIDWAR
Morning session of yoga and meditation. Drive to Rishikesh (2 hours). Day visit to the Laxman Jhoola, Ashrams, temples and places of interest. One can enjoy trying their hands on rafting on the normal grade of white water rafting in Rishikesh for some soft adventure. Evening witness the fascinating prayer on the Har-ki-Paudi (ghat) in Haridwar on the banks of river Ganga and witness the floating candles in the river at dusk. Visit the market lanes and bylanes etc.
Overnight stay in Hotel Ginger or similar.
Meals: breakfast

Day 06: HARIDWAR-PANGOT
Morning in Haridwar to visit the temples. Drive to Pangot (7 hours). Overnight stay in Jungle Lore Birding Lodge.
Meals: dinner

Day 07, 08: PANGOT
Day treks from Pangot to Cheena Peak & Ratighat. Overnight stay in Jungle Lore Birding Lodge.
Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 09: PANGOT-JAGESHWAR
Drive to Jageshwar (5 hours) to visit the ancient temples.
Jageshwar: Counted among the 12 Jyotirlingas in the country, Jageshwar lies in a beautiful narrow valley hedged by monarch-sized, ancient deodars. Of the over 100 small and large shrines of this complex, the three outstanding ones in terms of sculpture are dedicated to Jageshwar, Mrityunjaya and Pushtidevi. There is a small museum where statues of artistic value, removed from the various shrines, have been preserved by the archaeological department. A 3 km trek from Jageshwar leads to Vriddha Jageshwar. This is regarded as the abode of Lord Shiva prior to his manifesting himself as Jageshwar. This site commands a magnificent view of the Himalayas. The lofty-tower type isolated shrine of Dandeshwar is 1Km short of the actual temple complex.
Overnight stay in a tented camp.
Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 10: PATAL BHUBANESHWAR EXCURSION-ABBOTT MOUNT
Day excursion to Patal Bhubaneshwar.
Patal Bhubaneshwar: Discovered more than one thousand years ago, the caves of Patal Bhubaneshwar are known for their remarkable stalactite forms and shapes representing different Gods and Goddesses of the Hindu Pantheon.
Overnight stay in Abbott Mount Cottage.
This historic hamlet of Abbott Mount is situated at an altitude of about 7,000 ft above sea level in the eastern part of the Kumaon Hills near the small town of Lohaghat in Champavat District. Abbott Mount was founded by and named after Mr. John Harold Abbott of Jhansi. An English businessman who wanted to start a hill station for the European community at the turn of the 20th century. Unlike many Indian hill stations Abbott Mount has changed little since its inception. There are only thirteen secluded cottages spread over this private hill. There is a picturesque church set amidst the forest and a ancient cricket pitch with an unsurpassed view of the mountains.
Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 11: ABBOTT MOUNT-PITHORAGARH-DHARCHULA-SOBLA (6 HR.)
Panch Chulli peaks lie in Eastern Kumaon Himalaya and form the watershed between the Gori Ganga and Darma Valleys. The eastern approaches are through Sona and Meola Glaciers. The Uttari and Dakshini Balati glaciers guard the western approaches. Nestling snugly in the lap of the snow capped peaks of Panch Chulli, the Darma Valley in remote Pithoragarh district, bordering Nepal and Tibet, is endowed with extraordinary scenic beauty.
Drive to Sobla. At Jauljibi there is the confluence of river Gori with Kali that crosses into India from Nepal at Dharchula. The route now travels northwards past Dharchula and Tawa Ghat and divests westward into a gorge following the Dhauli Ganga river up to Sobla. Sobla (1670m) is the entry point to the Darma Valley and is the starting point of our trek. Our destination is Dar Village (2134m) which is 5 kms. from Sobla. We pitch up here for the night.
Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 12: Dar to Sela (2438 mts./12 km / 5 to 6 hr.): Today's walk is long but easy. The mule track from Dar to Sela goes through hill sides of green pastoral land. The campsite is on the outskirts of Sela.
Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 13: Sela to Baaling (2743 mts./11 km / 5 to 6 hr.): It is another relatively trouble free day. The trail to Baaling goes up and down hill sides but the altitude gained is moderate. The views of the distant glaciers is exciting and the temptation to push ahead is high. Nevertheless we camp here for the night, because we have a long march ahead of us the next day.
Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 14: Baaling to Duktu (3048 mts./6 km 3 hr.): Duktu and Dantu are two adjacent villages which are the last centres of human habitation in this part of Darma valley. The view of the Panch Chulli peaks from here is just magnificent. On the outskirts of Duktu is a huge meadow that provides a perfect setting for viewing the Panch Chulli glacier with the backdrop of the Panch Chulli peaks. This particular spot is almost picture perfect. We pitch up here for the night.
Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 15: Duktu to Panch Chulli (4 km each way; 5 hr.): Today is a momentous day when we set out to explore the Panch Chulli glacier from our base camp at Duktu. The glacier projects outwards from the East face of Panch Chulli and a 4 kms. trek from the campsite along the Yuli river leads to the massive glacier itself. The place itself provides an incredible scenery of a sprawling meadow bordered by tall oak and birch trees with the Panch Chulli (6904 mts./22652 ft.) looming in the background.
Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 16: Duktu to Nagling (2743 mts /11 km): We start on return trek today. The trail from Duktu to Nagling is a gradual descent and the days' walk takes around 5 hours.
Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 17: Nagling to Bungling (12 km): This is the last day of our walking. We arrive at Bungling by noon. From here after a brief rest we get on to a waiting jeep that drives us back to Munsyari.
Drive to Munsyari via Madkot. A steep ascent to the quaint little township of Munsyari perched on a mountain face. Munsyari commands fantastic views of the Panchchuli peaks and the Milam and Ralam valleys.
Surrounded by the mighty Panch-Chulli range, this Kumaon outpost is the closest you can get to the real
Himalayas. Munsyari is the gateway to the well-known Milam and Ralam glaciers and the Nanda Devi range.

Munsyari is hidden away amongst the mountains in India's border district of Pithoragarh at a height of 7000 feet this Himalayan settlement is probably the closest you can get to experiencing the Greater Himalayas from hand shaking distance. At Munsyari you have the majestic Panch Chulli peak towering all of 22600 feet right in front of you.
The Munsiyari valley is dotted by several beautifully laidout hamlets with a cultural lifestyle steeped in traditional Hinduism. Almost every village, populated by a cross section of Indo-Tibetan tribals called Bhotias, is rich with handicrafts: hand woven woollen carpets, pashmina shawls and sheep wool blankets. Traditional folk dances like the Jhora, Cholia and Chhapeili are great to watch.

Overnight in Wayfarer Mountain Resort.
Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 18: MUNSYARI
Day at leisure.
By mid-September the weather settles down, the views are excellent. This is a splendid time to get to Munsyari.
Activities that one can undertake:

I) Nature Walks and Short Treks

Half day treks to nearby destinations
o Maheshwari Kund: A natural lake at a mountain top and 1.5 km. from the Wayfarer Resort.
o Munsyari Bugyal: Just 4 km. from Wayfarer Resort Munsyari Bugyal is a picturesque meadow covered with alpine grass. From this place one gets to see the entire Munsyari valley and much beyond.
o Local Tea Nursery: Located on the top of the hill and 3.5 km. from the Wayfarer Resort this is a nice place to relax and indulge in photography. Also ideal to enjoy a picnic lunch.
Daylong treks to select destinations
o Balati Farm: Located approximately 6 kms. from Wayfarer Resort at a height of 9000 ft. this farm grows high yielding potatoes. Surrounded by lush green forests the farm presents a magnificent view of Panch Chulli Peaks. An ideal one-day trek for all nature lovers.
o Thambri Kund: Located approximately 8 kms. from Wayfarer Resort at a height of 8000 ft. this is a natural lake in the forest Occasional wildlife can be sighted.

II) Village Visits

The Munsyari valley is dotted by several tiny hamlets with a cultural life style steeped in Hinduism. Guided treks through nearby villages like Darkot (4 kms), Daranti (7 kms.) and many other let you capture a canvas of several forms of human life. Alpana designs executed in rice paste on the floor, the Jyoti Patta (a picture of life giving female spirits) and Ganesh (the remover of all obstacles) painted on house walls or on cloth are a familiar sight. Almost every village is rich in handicrafts: hand woven woolen carpets, pashmina shawls and thulmas can turn out to be lovable purchases!Wayfarer Mountain Resort.
Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 19: MUNSYARI-ABBOTT MOUNT
Drive back to Abbott Mount for a night stay. Abbott Mount Cottage.
Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 20: ABBOTT MOUNT-KATHGODAM
Drive to Kathgodam to connect overnight train to Delhi at 2040 hours.
Meals: breakfast, packed lunch

Day 21: Arrive Delhi at 0445 hours. You will be met and transferred to Hotel Sunstar in Delhi. Day at leisure. You will be transferred to the airport to connect flight to return destination.
Meals: breakfast

Please let us know the number of people travelling on this tour and we will send you the total cost. We also specialize in customizing the tour. Should you need any changes we would be happy to modify the itinerary.

The tour may include arrangements such as accommodation, travel, meals, permit, guides, activities etc. or services as required by the client.

How to book

The booking of this itinerary is with Asian Adventures, F-313, Lado Sarai, New Delhi - 110030. India
Te1: (+91 11) 44128785. Email: wildindiatours@vsnl.com

To confirm your booking please send a 25% deposit by wire transfer to Standard Chartered Bank, Account No 52805001839 which is in the name of "Asian Adventures", using Swift Code "SCBLINBBDEL". Branch address: M-1 NDSE Part I, New Delhi-110049. India. Or you can send a cheque payable to Asian Adventures at F-313, Lado Sarai, New Delhi - 110030. India Cancellation charges are 30 days before arrival date 25%, 21 days before arrival date 50%, 15 days before arrival date 90%, 7 days before arrival date 100% of the total itinerary cost.

Remaining balance to reach Asian Adventures at least 30 days before tour commencement by wire transfer (to bank account statedabove) or by sending a cheque made payable to Asian Adventures to the above address. Alternatively you can pay the balance in cash upon arrival.