Five Things You Must Experience in the Himalayas

Since Sir Edmund Hillary climbed the highest mountain on earth, taking a trip to Himalaya has been a dream of many adventurers. It is no fluke that Himalayas enjoy a lofty reputation among the places of a lifetime. The fact that Himalayas are immense makes it difficult to decide which sites to visit. Still, each visitor should at least try to experience the following:

1) Mount Everest

No trip should be complete without a visit to the base camp of the highest mountain the world. Although, this is one of the most frequented sites in Nepal but many tourists feel an amazing urge to climb the mountain. Amazingly, the urge to conquer Mount Everest is so great that many climbers, once came to the base camp as ordinary visitors, without a real interest of mountaineering.

2) Village Walks

There is so much to experience on foot, rather than by car or train in most regions, and the Himalayas is no different. Village walks through Ladakh, Kumaon and Sikkim are beautiful, authentic and allow visitors to get a real ‘feel’ of the area. Himalayan walking tours, taken with a local guide, allow visitors to have a village experience, which can include following in villagers’ own ancient footpaths, meandering through pine forests and terraced fields of rice and wheat. You’ll be greeted by children, excited by your presence and you’ll see how the locals go about their daily tasks – just as they have done for centuries.

3) Potala Palace

Today, the Palace is converted into a museum but tourists are spell bound before even reaching the Palace grounds. Rising approximately 1000 feet, this huge complex is thirteen stories high and contains more than 1000 rooms, 10000 shrines and 100000 statues. Once inside the complex, it is easy to get lost among hundreds of galleries and alleyways.

4) Himalaya River Rafting

Nowhere in the world are there so many grade 5 white water river spans than Himalayas. If adventure is that you seek then it is necessary to try the famed river rafting of Himalayan rivers that challenge the body and spirit of ordinary people. If you don't like to spend time climbing mountains, white river rafting on grade 5 rapids is as close to the thrill of climbing as it gets.

5) Baltoro Glacier

If you can plan a visit to Pakistan then there is nothing more special than spending a night in Baltoro Glacier. This 70 km long stretch is one of the longest glaciers outside the polar region. What makes Baltoro Glacier special is the fact that it is surrounded by five 8000 meter high mountains and is considered to be the only place on earth with such a high concentration of mountains. Just imagine how would it feel to stand in the middle of 'almost nowhere' surrounded by mountains thousands of feet high. The silence is daunting as well as truly captivating. Maybe, it is the best place on earth to meditate.

Photos by: Himalaya reurinkjan