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They fired me for traveling too much, I booked Everest Base Camp Trek the next thing!

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Sikkim

5 Things to Know About Goecha La Trek

5 Things to Know About Goecha La Trek Goechala La trek is the gateway to several North-Eastern Himalayan ranges, including Mt.Kanchenjunga (28170 ft.), the world’s third highest mountain. Pride of Sikkim (a Northeast Indian state), Goecha La is situated in one of the greenest zones of the world, Kanchenjunga National Park. Once on the View…

May 31, 2018 in Posts, Sikkim, Trekking.

INCREDIBLE INDIA: 10 BUDGET FRIENDLY & FREE THINGS TO DO IN GANGTOK, SIKKIM WITH FAMILY

Recently Mr. Mahesh Semwal, a travel blogger friend asked me about things to see in Gangtok. It reminded me that I have yet not written about my experience of traveling with family to Gangtok. What also makes Gangtok a family destination is the fact that it is cheap to visit Gangtok as most things to…

April 20, 2017 in Posts, Sikkim.

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In November, 2014, I was fired from my corporate job of 7 years for ‘travelling too much’. Never mind, to celebrate , I booked Everest Base Camp Trek the next thing. …. More...

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It was late afternoon when we arrived at Yam Dwar. We circumblated around Yam Dwar and then passed it. We were asked not to look at the Yam Dwar again as it is considered inauspicious. We had still not seen Mount Kailasha even after walking for some hours. And then suddenly it appeared and left us with goosebumps. It was like meeting the God. The trek ended at Deraphuk. It was again end of luxury but zenith of spirituality. I had many amazing experiences at this place which I will write about in detail in another blog. From here we saw the North face of Mount Kailasha which was overwhelming and emotional. The Deraphuk kitchen of Madhuban Foods was the most difficult to work in. Not only was the climate volatile but the lack of resources made it even difficult for the staff. That said, the team worked diligently and succeeded in providing healthy vegetarian food at such altitude. And as I observed, they even catered to the special dietary requirements of some pilgrims. As one of them said, “We love working here. We have the best views and blessing of Lord Shiva.” The North face of majestic Mount Kailasha was right opposite the Deraphuk kitchen. This picture was clicked right there. Can you spot Lord Ganesha, lord Shiva, Aadi Shakti and Vaishno Devi on the this image? ________________________________________________ The view from my #SoulWindow is spiritual! ________________________________________________ With @scoutmytrip Madhuban Foods and Travel Pals ________________________________________________ #GreatIndianFoodTrip #LetsGoSattvic #MansarovarYatra #TravelPals #China #DiscoverIndia #IncredibleIndia #India #Backpacking #Travel #Travelgram #Tourist #IGTravel #Holidays #Travelogue #InstaTravel #TravelBlogger #TravelBlog #Tibet #MansarovaraLake #MountKailasha #Burang #Taklakot #Purang #Tibetan #ContestWithJaunting #KailashMansarovar #KailashMansarovarYatra #KailashMansarovarYatra2018

KYIRONG TO SAGA IN TIBET- A SAGA LIKE NO OTHER. Just when we thought bad roads are over, we drove on some rough patches on this route. Luckily the road construction was going on when we visited and things should improve soon. This was when we entered the high altitude zone for the first time. Navigating the beautiful landscape, we came across many breath taking sights which seemed identical to Ladakh in India. It looked exactly the same. Just as we reached Saga, it was dusk and there was a time when we literally drove over the mighty Brahmaputra river. Yes, you read that right! We arrived late in Saga. It is really a very small town. Ours was one of the big luxury hotels in the town which could be seen in its entirety within few hours. Saga is where AMS aka Acute Mountain Sickness hits most people. Luckily, I was spared. There is really nothing much to see here, still Saga was very interesting to me since it served as a good kaleidoscope of Tibetan and Chinese culture. ________________________________________________ The view from my #SoulWindow is interesting ! ________________________________________________ With @scoutmytrip Madhuban Foods and Travel Pals ________________________________________________ #GreatIndianFoodTrip #LetsGoSattvic #MansarovarYatra #TravelPals #China #DiscoverIndia #IncredibleIndia #India #Backpacking #Travel #Travelgram #Tourist #IGTravel #Traveler #Holidays #Travelogue #InstaTravel #TravelBlogger #TravelBlog #TravelPorn #Tibet #MansarovaraLake #MountKailasha #Burang #Taklakot #Purang #Tibetan #wblikess15 #ContestWithJaunting

Another picture from Taklakot aka Burang aka Purang. This was opposite our hotel which was the only luxury hotel in the small barren border town. It's an under construction city. We stopped here for many days before embarking upon our next destination. There is not much to see here except amazing views of mountains, some of it snow capped. ________________________________________________ The view from my #SoulWindow is interesting ! ________________________________________________ With @scoutmytrip Madhuban Foods and Travel Pals ________________________________________________ #GreatIndianFoodTrip #LetsGoSattvic #MansarovarYatra #TravelPals #China #DiscoverIndia #IncredibleIndia #India #Backpacking #Travel #Travelgram #Tourist #IGTravel #Traveler #Holidays #Traveling #Travelingram #Travelogue #InstaTravel #TravelBlogger #TravelBlog #TravelPorn #Tibet #MansarovaraLake #MountKailasha #Burang #Taklakot #Purang #ContestWithJaunting

The journey from Manasarovara to Taklakot aka Purang was the shortest. We stopped at the infamous Rakshasa taal. (meaning devil’s lake). It is considered inauspicious by Hindus but was equally breathtaking and a visual stunner. Taklakot or Purang is another border town close to Simikot Nepal. We were happy to find luxury again after roughing it out in Manasarovara for days. It is a proper town with all basic modern facilities and mysterious monasteries. It is an army area so photography and general buffoonery is not allowed in many areas. I self monitored mostly on buffoonery. Though it is very small but Taklakot also has many shops and restaurants. You can even buy SD cards here. You will also see many Nepalese on the road owing to its proximity to Nepal. I shot this portrait of a Tibetan kid at Taklakot aka Purang aka Burang ________________________________________________ The view from my #SoulWindow is alien to me! ________________________________________________ With @scoutmytrip Madhuban Foods and Travel Pals ________________________________________________ #GreatIndianFoodTrip #LetsGoSattvic #MansarovarYatra #TravelPals #China #DiscoverIndia #IncredibleIndia #India #Backpacking #Travel #Travelgram #Tourist #IGTravel #Traveler #Holidays #Traveling #Travelling #Travelingram #Travelogue #InstaTravel #TravelBlogger #TravelBlog #TravelPorn #Tibet #MansarovaraLake #MountKailasha #manialyks #ContestWithJaunting

The road trip from Saga to Manasarovara didn’t really start on a perfect note. We waited for an hour on the road for a fresh landslide to get cleared. I personally was OK with it because the views were amazing. A snow capped mountain range beyond the lush meadows kept us mesmerized. Our Tibetan driver Tashi regaled us by singing Hindi songs (Jaadu teri najar-Dar, Chahun main ya na- Aashiqui 2). Manasarovar was end of luxury and beginning of spirituality. The Manasarovar lake is visually stunning. This is also where I got my first darshan (view) of Mount Kailasha wrapped in mist. I chickened out when Mr. Sumit, founder of Madhuban Foods asked me into taking a holy dip in the Manasarovar lake. I finally took the plunge and took the dip. It was a surreal experience. I will write in detail about it in another blog. I also hiked upto the ancient Chiu Gompa Monastery on a hillock. The views of Manasarovara lake from here were jaw dropping. So were the sunsets. I shot this on the way to Chiu Gompa Monastery. It is in the Tibet autonomous region of China ________________________________________________ The view from my #SoulWindow is breathtaking! ________________________________________________ With @scoutmytrip Madhuban Foods and Travel Pals ________________________________________________ #GreatIndianFoodTrip #LetsGoSattvic #MansarovarYatra #TravelPals #China #DiscoverIndia #IncredibleIndia #India #Backpacking #Travel #Travelgram #Tourist #IGTravel #Traveler #Holidays #Traveling #Travelling #Travelingram #Travelogue #InstaTravel #TravelBlogger #TravelBlog #TravelPorn #Tibet #MansarovaraLake #MountKailasha #bloglyks #ContestWithJaunting

During my ambitious Kailasha Mansarovara Trek, I tested my new Columbia Sportswear gears. Many of my friends who trek have recommended adventure gears by @columbiasportswear_in to me. In fact, during my Kailasha Manasarovara Yatra, I saw many Indian and international yatris wearing it. It was about time I tried it myself. The jacket has thermal reflective technology which reflects back the heat generated by the body. I found it quite useful for Treks. On one day, the rain-prooof jacket also saved my DSLR camera as I got stuck in rain without shelter. The T shirt helped evaporate the sweat quickly and the quick dry pants keep me fresh. And finally, I have been able to go leather free. The shoes are great for high altitude treks. Pls swipe to see other pictures. Pic by @buoyantfeet With @scoutmytrip Madhuban Foods and Travel Pals #Columbia #GreatIndianFoodTrip #LetsGoSattvic #MansarovarYatra #TravelPals #GreatIndianFoodTrip #LetsGoSattvic #MansarovarYatra #TravelPals #China #DiscoverIndia #IncredibleIndia #India #Backpacking #Travel #Travelgram #Tourist #IGTravel #Traveler #Holidays #Traveling #Travelling #Travelingram #Travelogue #TravelPhotography #ContestWithJaunting #InstaTravel #TravelBlogger #Tibet #MansarovaraLake

I cried. Few minutes after meditating in front of holy Mount Kailash, I cried like a kid for half an hour in solitude.. Near the river. I don't know why. (I was told that I was mysteriously absent for half an hour, so I know the timing lol) In my 10 years of travel, no other place (except Mumbai of course) had the power of turning me to tears. They say Kailash Parikrama is akin to rebirth. I will find out. Meanwhile I am still an atheist since last 11 years. But something major happened in this trip which shook my belief again. This journey has also changed the way I perceive Hinduism, the magic that it is. I will tell more about that in detail in my blog asoulwindow.com The view from my #SoulWindow is perhaps life changing. Pic by @buoyantfeet With @scoutmytrip Madhuban Foods and Travel Pals #GreatIndianFoodTrip #LetsGoSattvic #MansarovarYatra #TravelPals #China #DiscoverIndia #IncredibleIndia #India #Backpacking #Travel #Travelgram #Tourist #IGTravel #Traveler #Holidays #Traveling #Travelling #Travelingram #Travelogue #TravelPhotography #InstaTravel #TravelBlogger #TravelBlog #TravelPics #TravelPorn #Tibet #MansarovaraLake #helloworrldd #ContestWithJaunting

As you can see in my last post, 11th August onwards, I am traveling within 3 countries (India, Nepal, China), the grand finale of which will be at the ambitious Kailasha Mansarovar. You can be a part of my journey and win great prizes too. Pls check my profile here- http://www.greatindianfoodtrip.com/gift-member/abhinav-singh/ Pls check link in bio and answer below question What does vegetarianism means to you! Even better tell us why you turned vegetarian? We prefer longer, intelligent and deeper answers which connect on an emotional and spiritual level. Feel free to make it personal. Also, in the same answer, let us know about what you know about Sattvic food. If you can link it to Ayurveda and Yoga and ancient Hindu scriptures, your answer will stand out! Let us learn and bring back our ancient traditions. ________________________________________________ Prizes: 1. Top three answers will win exciting souvenirs from Tibet! 2. Scout My Trip goodies 3. AND AND AND NEVER BEFORE CROWDSOURCED COLLAB BLOG FOR A LIVE PROJECT: The best quotes will be turned into a collab blog at the end of the trip. You will get a chance to be featured on my travel blog. Names and quotes of Non bloggers will be mentioned in the blog. I will pick 15 best answers. Bloggers will be given a do-follow link. I request bloggers to also drop their blog links along-with their answer in the comment section of this post. My DA is 34. And pls don’t forget to share this post. ________________________________________________ EASY RULES: 1) In the comment section OF LINK IN BIO, answer this- What does vegetarianism means to you! Even better tell us why you turned vegetarian, if applicable? 2) Tag 3 friends while answering (It’s a public post) 3) Like My FB page – link in bio 4) Like FB page of SMT- link in bio 5) Use hashtags #GreatIndianFoodTrip #LetsGoSattvik #TravelPals #MansarovarYatra with your comment. 6) Share this picture on Facebook with comment ‘Contest Alert’ IF YOU REPOST IT OR MAKE IT A STORY, EXTRA POINTS! This trip is presented by @Madhuban foods in association with @ScoutMyTrip . I will be representing Travel Pals. LAST DATE: 31st August #bloggingisstrong

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: I am embarking upon an amazing food trail which will see me pass through India, Nepal and China. My dream to visit such remote places is finally coming true. But not even in the wildest of my dreams, had I thought that it would be the epic Kailasha Mansarovara Yatra Trek. I see it as nothing less than a blessing by one of my favourite Lord Shiva. This trip is presented by @Madhuban foods in association with @ScoutMyTrip . I will be representing Travel Pals. What makes it special is that I will be on an unprecedented Sattvic Food Trail, which makes it a trip tailor made for me. Both vegetarianism and adventure is close to my heart and the very core of my being! I had quit meat at 14, at a tender age, on ethical grounds. As an adult, environmental issues generated by meat has only made my resolve stronger. Both vegetarianism and Sattvic are same and yet different. Not many people understand what Sattvic actually stands for. It is an ancient Hindus dietary tradition designed to aid spiritual and physical well being of humans. We will find out more! You can follow my journey on social media as I criss cross through 3 countries. And also watch out for an exciting contest coming up. You can check more details here- http://www.greatindianfoodtrip.com/ You can follow my journey at http://www.greatindianfoodtrip.com/ Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/A-Soul-Window-Travel-Blog-by-Abhi…/ Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/asoulwindow/?hl=en Twitter- https://twitter.com/asoulwindow AND PLS TELL ME IN THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW THAT WHAT IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF SATTVIC FOOD? #GreatIndianFoodTrip #LetsGoSattvic #TravelPals #MansarovarYatra The view from my #SoulWindow is so exciting ! #India #Backpacking #Travel #Travelgram #Tourist #IGTravel #InstaTravel #TravelBlogger #TravelBlog #TravelPics #China #KailashaMansarovar #Mansarovar #Kailasha #Trek #ContestAlert #Contest #Trekking #Nepal #Kathmandu #VaishnoDevi #frydayfvr #IncredibleIndia #Hindu #stayysafee11

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