The travel to the Holy Mountain of Kailash is full of moments of anxiety and yet the trek offers unrivalled glimpse with nature at its best. A mix of tradition and modernity, the trek provides a life time experience with its challenging and yet mesmerising landscape and history.

A fleeting visit imprinted a memorable frame in our hearts inlaid with spoonbills, Asian openbills, coots and common moorhen swimming in languid grace. Last season there were as many as 75,000 birds in this 30 hectare Sanctuary.

The deafening roar of the mighty Ganga, nearly three times its normal width, transporting boulders and earth from the majestic Himalayas must be experienced to be believed. Framed at one end by the span of the Ram Jhoola the muddy waters trundled down as black clouds gathered strength in the background. Soon golden spotlights through the dark clouds were obliterated as the River turned into a boiling cauldron.

An idyllic sojourn is the natural settings of the Wildlife Institute of India campus in Dehradun coupled with a short visit to the cloudy realms of Mussoorie were prefect ingredients for a memorable weekend.

The idyllic rhododendron town borrows its name from a 350 year old temple of Shiva, Mukteshwar Dham, situated atop the highest point in the town, within the Indian Veterinary Research Institute campus. Close to the temple precincts lie the overhanging cliffs, Chauli-ki-Jali, which are used for rock climbing and rappelling and provide an excellent view of the valleys below.

A thriving, underwater world, white sands, dark tropical forests and visions of the erstwhile kala pani made this vacation more than just memorable.

A fantastic workshop followed by a meteor shower and a trek to Shikhar thrown in for good measure was quite an unexpected treat. The icy winds, sparkling sunshine and pretty solar powered villages made this trip one of the most memorable among my many sojourns.

Abandoned by 1900 BCE with the drying up of Sarasvati, excavations at Banavali show the classical chessboard pattern of the Harappan era.

Narkanda in summer offers a spectacular view of the snow capped Himalayas, apart from offering a delectable spread of fruits. The apple boughs in Thanedar, laden with green apples, adorn every hedge interspersed with cherry trees bearing a bountiful ripe red harvest.

Chennai has been a frequent haunt ever since priya, our daughter, chose to study bharatanatyam at kalakshetra. But we did not expect such surprises this time round.