Just sharing a quick email I had dashed off to a friend who wanted to visit Spiti so that I can simply share it with more friends who are interested (yeah Satya... you inspired this).

Read full article: '5 day tour of Spiti from Manali'

In the high altitudes of Ladakh state in India is the brackish Lake Tsomoriri. The country has given the spot the official name of Tsomoriri Wetland Conservation Reserve. It is the largest brackish and high altitude lake in the country.


Read full article: 'Conservation and Lake Tsomoriri'

There are not many places where visitors are encouraged to have their photo taken with a yak or a rabbit, but in the town of Manali in the Kullu Valley of India travelers are prompted to do just that. The town is an incredibly popular destination for Indians year round, most of who will travel from Delhi, the capital city of India, by bus, taxi, train or air. For visitors traveling to the area from farther locations a great amount of financial savings can be found by booking both airfare and accommodations through HotelsCombined.com.


Read full article: 'Visit Manali in the Kullu Valley'

Among the rocks and barren desert plains of the Tabo Valley in India sits the Tabo Monastery. Founded over a thousand years ago, the monastery has managed to escape the influences and pressures of modern civilization. The monastery has served as a shelter and sanctuary for the cultural and religious traditions of Buddhism and has preserved its many institutions and artifacts throughout the years.


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There is much to see for visitors to Kullu Valley of India. Hikers, mountaineers and trekkers will be just as busy as tourists, artists and natives who leave behind the heat and dust of the valleys and plains below and enjoy the Himalayan air and environment. Kullu is famous for its scenic wonders and for its many handmade goods, including shawls and “kullu caps”.


Read full article: 'Kullu Valley - The Valley of Gods'

The Ki Monastery or Ki Gompa is one of the largest monasteries in the Punjab region of India. It has celebrated over one thousand years of existence, and a good hard look at the structure will quickly reveal some of the physical hardships the Gompa has withstood.


Read full article: 'Ki Monastery Enshrines Learning'

Leh, the capital of the Ladakh region of India is a great starting point for a mild to moderate trek through the Indus Valley. If time permits it is a good idea for hikers and trekkers of all skill levels to acclimate themselves when newly arrived in the country. A tour of the city is a great way to do this.


Read full article: 'Frozen River Trek in Zanskar'

Leh, the capital of the Ladakh region of India is a great starting point for a mild to moderate trek through the Indus Valley. If time permits it is a good idea for hikers and trekkers of all skill levels to acclimate themselves when newly arrived in the country. A tour of the city is a great way to do this.

Read full article: 'Small Trek in the Indus Valley'

The first time I stayed overnight in Ki was also in the year 2000. I was traveling by the local bus, and had stopped for a visit while it went ahead to Kibber, before coming back to Ki and returning to Kaza. As usual, I was lost exploring the dingy passageways and chatting with the monks in the kitchen over endless cups of butter tea, and I lost track of time and the bus.

Read full article: 'An overnight stay in an ancient monastery'

Ki Monastery is a thousand-year-old Buddhist gompa located in the remote region of Spiti in the Indian Himalayas. The formal introduction line done, Ki looks like a pile of boxes stacked haphazardly, threatening to topple over the picturesque village by the same name at its feet. It is o­ne of the five major monasteries of the Spiti valley along with Thangyud Gompa, Dhankar Gompa, Khungri Gompa and Tabo Gompa. Ki Monastery follows the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism.

Read full article: 'Ki Gompa'