3rd JULY 2015 • `150 • VOL. 4
ISSUE 1
PICO IYER’S Santa Barbara ALEXANDER McCALL SMITH’S Edinburgh RUSKIN BOND’S Landour
LITTLE-KNOWN INDIA SPITI VALLEY’S NAMKHAN FESTIVAL
CHHATTISGARH WALKING THROUGH
ODISHA’S OLIVE RIDLEYS
MANIPUR UNEXPECTED DELIGHTS
n a t i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c t r av e l l e r i n d i a
July 2015
Contents Vol 4 Issue I
l i t t l e - kn o w n i n d i a
Submerged chapels, unexplored caves, and waters filled with starfish and octopi— there’s plenty to discover, if you know where to look
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Trial by Fire Arrack-fuelled encounters with the mystical at Spiti Valley’s electric Namkhan festival By Neha Sumitran Photographs by Milan Moudgill
94 Spiti, Himachal Pradesh
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A Taj Mahal Near You
March of the Turtles
Lookalikes inspired by Shah Jahan’s masterpiece in Agra range from the whimsical to the historical By Kareena Gianani
Thousands of olive ridley turtles come together to nest at a tiny beach in Odisha on India’s eastern coast Photographs by Kalyan Varma
XXXXXXXXXXXX Milan Moudgil (XXXXXXXXX)
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India’s Better Kept Secrets
n a t i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c t r av e l l e r i n d i a
PAGE 150
113 Loktak Lake, Manipur
A journey through Manipur uncovers unexpected delights: Meitei cuisine and the indomitable spirit of its people By Neha Dara
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Confessions of a Mussel Maniac Through Thalassery’s streets broad and narrow, a mussel lover explores the various avatars of the elusive shellfish By Zac O’Yeah
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Hidden in Plain Sight Long ignored by travel guidebooks, Chhattisgarh is a state where tourism is slowly coming of age By Karanjeet Kaur Photographs by Sanjay Austa
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dhritiman mukherjee
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So Near and Yet So Far
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voices
JULY 2015 • `150 • VOL. 4
ISSUE 1
The Trend
Little ones are taking big steps in conservation PICO IYER’S Santa Barbara
A mountain retreat seeks to protect the environment and encourage local communities
28 Clan Rules
How does a group used to holidaying in Bali and Egypt react to a simple, village beach holiday?
30 Book of Hours
An illustrated travelogue of a visit to the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati, Assam
n av i g at e
32 The Insider
Change looms but Havana remains as quirky as ever
36 The Explainer
What’s a UNESCO intangible? Plus, three Indian traditions that made the list
38 Culture
Ideas for an enriching weekend in Trivandrum
ALEXANDER McCALL SMITH’S Edinburgh RUSKIN BOND’S Landour
LITTLE-KNOWN INDIA SPITI VALLEY’S NAMKHAN FESTIVAL
CHHATTISGARH WALKING THROUGH
ODISHA’S OLIVE RIDLEYS
MANIPUR UNEXPECTED DELIGHTS
On The Cover Wildlife and travel photographer Dhritiman Mukherjee captured this stunning image of a green sea turtle resting on barrel sponge, while he was scuba diving at the Dixon’s Pinnacle site in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Four kinds of sea turtles can be spotted in the archipelago: leatherback, hawksbill, green, and olive ridley.
My City
What I Know
Jane Goodall on how tourism can save the planet
62 Passing Through
Finding small pleasures in Coimbatore
64 Urban Spirit
Make the most of Toronto’s hip West End
70 Around the World
Celebrate with us! Toast these destinations through their signature drinks
S M ART TRA V ELLER
72 Money Manager
Stretching the kuna in Croatia’s capital Zagreb
80 Checking In
Restored Hong Kong hotels with a story to tell
G e t G o i ng
Adventure
40 Alexander McCall Smith on why the Scottish city of Edinburgh is No. 1 44 Pico Iyer reveals seaside Santa Barbara’s simple, hidden charms
136 Small airplanes hatch big adventures in New Zealand
46 Local Flavour
140 A bird’s-eye view from a treetop walkway, at
Active Break
Germany’s Hainich National Park
Kampot pepper crab, a Cambodian classic
48 Book Extract
S h o r t B r e a ks
Snippets from Ruskin Bond’s A Book of Simple Living: Brief Notes from the Hills
52 National Park
Spot the greater one-horned rhino in the forests of Dudhwa National Park
58 Lit Trip
The Dashwood sisters are alive and well at the Jane Austen Centre in Bath, England
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From Delhi regulars 20 Editor’s Note 22 Notebook 152 Inspire 160 Strange Planet
142 Lovely Landour is shrouded in mist Stay
146 Thrills, frills, and safari adventures in Corbett 148 Tents with benefits at a camp near Bangalore 149 In Fort Kochi, a snug, friendly homestay
melis/shutterstock (lake), Holger Leue/Corbis/imagelibrary (street performers), Dhritiman Mukherjee (cover)
26 Tread Softly
Editor’s Note |
n i lou f er ven katra m a n
SLEEP EASY
L
our miSSion
ately, i’ve not been the best of sleepers. i take a long time to fall asleep, wake up frequently, make notes on a handy notepad on my nightstand, drink water, sometimes even get up and walk around the house. However, on a family holiday to Gushaini in Himachal’s Tirthan Valley a few weeks ago, i found i had no trouble sleeping at all. i spent a full eight hours (sometimes more) in bed and woke up well rested. in fact, i was surprised at how much time i spent napping and sleeping on the first two days of the trip. Falling asleep isn’t always so easy when i’m on a trip. i recollect tossing and turning all night in a very stylish beach resort, and a similarly disturbed sleep at a boutique hotel in a big city. i also recall a comfortable, relaxing sleep in a makeshift bed in the back of a friend’s pickup truck, on the grounds
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of a ranch near santa Fe, new Mexico. and many tranquil nights tucked into a sleeping bag while camping under a canopy of stars in the Western Ghats. sitting in the breezy balcony of my room,
Overlooking the gushing Tirthan River, I began thinking: What was it about this trip that was bringing me such a good night’s sleep?
National Geographic Traveller India is about immersive travel and authentic storytelling, inspiring readers to create their own journeys and return with amazing stories. our distinctive yellow rectangle is a window into a world of unparalleled discovery.
national GeoGraphic traveller inDia | july 2015
july 2015 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA
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andré Morrris
Gushaini, Himachal Pradesh
overlooking the gushing Tirthan river, i began thinking: What makes these instances different? What was it about this trip that was bringing me the blessing of such a good night’s sleep? around the world, hotels, especially high-end ones, have been investing a lot of money in trying to ensure guests get a good night’s sleep. This may be particularly true of city hotels, which target business travellers, but it’s increasingly becoming the norm to offer some kind of boost or sleep enhancer. some suggest a pre-bed routine with a video demonstrating deep-breathing exercises or meditation. Many fancy hotels have a pillow menu with eight or ten kinds to choose from. in their efforts to facilitate a restful slumber, hotels provide an assortment of paraphernalia: ear plugs, eye masks, sleepinducing aromatherapy oils with diffusers. some even offer foot massages that will lull you to sleep, and i’ve heard of hotels that have hired a sleep concierge or sleep consultant. our lodging at Gushaini was a cosy, familyrun pinewood guesthouse. The only way to access it was via a metal basket, in which you sit and are pulled across the river. The bedroom had just a bed, a cupboard, and a few pegs to hang clothes. When i travel, sometimes i’ve found sleep props such as soothing music or eye masks are useful, even necessary. apparently, all i really needed to get my night of repose here was a simple bed with a firm mattress, pillow, and comforter. But i had that at home every day. Clearly, it wasn’t these objects that were ensuring or preventing a good night’s sleep. That’s when the answer became clear. The explanation lay in what i was doing during the day, before i got to bed: inhaling fresh mountain air while hiking in the woods, walking through fragrant orchards, lazing in the warmth of the sun. The answer was in the synergy of a stress-free day with no cell phone signal and the presence of blissed-out loved ones close by.
Notebook |
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best of the web
Picture Frames A quirky sketchbook of family travel photos from the 1960s to 2050 illustrates the changes that have shaped the last few decades—and the way we travel. See Web Exclusives>Travel Sketches
Tales From the Road
super structures From Mughal fortresses to Gothic cathedrals and independent India’s first planned city (Chandigarh), we list nine stunning architectural styles worth travelling for.
See Web Exclusives> Experiences
See Web Exclusives> Experiences
hitch-hiker’s guide We illustrated imaginary postcards from Marvin, the eternally depressed and paranoid android from The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy series, as he goes vacationing across the galaxy. Web Exclusives>Travel Sketches
Go to natgeotraveller.in for more web-exclusive stories and travel ideas
letter of the month
A Tryst with Trieste The delightful article on Trieste called “The Late Afternoon Grind” (May 2015) states that “the city belonged to Italy, Austria, Germany during World War II, Yugoslavia and finally Italy again.” Readers might be interested to know that it was the famous Skinner’s Horse Regiment (the cavalry regiment of the Indian army that served the British before independence), which led the advance in north Italy. On 23 May 1945, this regiment entered Yugoslavia and reached the vicinity of Trieste. Soon a truce was called for and in mid-June that year, Trieste was returned to Italy. —Lt. Gen (retd.) M. S. Shergill
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■ Throw away that GPS and use a printed road map. See a nice-looking detour? Take it. ■ Check your papers, your tyres, and your PUC. That’s where the police get you. ■ Always make sure you have zero-liability insurance on an international road trip. ■ The information you get from truckers is far better than GPS and maps. ■ Safety is key but don’t have your guard up so high that you don’t let people in. ■ Respect the place you’re visiting—the mountain, the locals, their rituals—and do not litter!
DeePAK NARALE/YES YES, WHY NOT? (illustration), MASSIMO CAREGNATO (coffee shop)
green warriors Rajasthan’s Bishnoi tribe has been surviving the droughts of the Thar Desert and fiercely protecting its wildlife for five centuries. And it all boils down to 29 rules for good living.
Our monthly MeetUps are getting bigger and better. In June, we swapped stories and tips about road-tripping. On the panel, we had Rishad Saam Mehta, journalist and serial road tripper, Dilip D’Souza, author, map-lover, and chief travel planner for his family of four, and Nelson O.J., musician and cycling road tripper. Here are some of the tips from our experts and well-travelled audience.
NGT india@Work
Breathing In During a recent trip to Uttarakhand’s Kumaon district, where I was looking for interesting stays to feature in the magazine, I stumbled upon the beautiful Jilling Estate, just beyond Bhimtal. Visitors have to walk two kilometres uphill to reach the property, which is set amongst 45 acres of oak, deodar, and rhododendron forest. As afternoon turned into evening, I hiked up to a ridge that is the highest point of the mountain. The magical light of the setting sun cast a golden glow on the leaf-covered path and the gnarly branches of old oaks growing along it. At the top, I found the perfect flat rock to sit on in meditative silence. I returned to the spot at 6 a.m. the next morning for my daily pranayama routine, which was especially invigorating in the crisp air. Kumaon’s mountains are replete with such spots where you can find your own moment of bliss. —Deputy Editor, Neha Dara
instagram pick of the month
the find
Bowled Over Wildlife photographer Dhritiman Mukherjee, who shot our cover image, has photographed India’s most stunning landscapes, from desert to alpine pastures and coral reefs. He took this image of the Himalayas from an airplane window when flying to Leh. Follow @natgeotravellerindia on Instagram
I bought these stunning hand-painted bowls from the Tunisia section of the Global Village entertainment park in Dubai. Initially I’d bought just one, but as we were leaving the pavilion to savour a doner kebab meal, I went back and bought another. My enthusiasm for carrying these large bowls back was enhanced in no small measure by the fact that it was closing day and prices were rock-bottom. —Editor-in-chief, Niloufer Venkatraman july 2015 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA
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neha dara (person), Dhritiman Mukherjee (mountains), niloufer venkatraman (bowl)
Whiter than White
Navigate |
CULTU R E
Sunday School Ideas for a culturally enriching weekend in Trivandrum | By Sankar Radhakrishnan
Napier Museum is one of Trivandrum’s most prominent landmarks. The 1870s building was designed by British architect Robert Chisholm.
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8.30 a.m.-1 p.m. and 3-5.30 p.m.; closed Mon; entry `15, foreigners `50; no cameras or footwear allowed inside; exterior pictures/videos `30/`250.) For a further dose of history, art, and greenery, head to the tree-filled government museum complex that contains a couple of museums, a zoo, and an art gallery. At the very least, visit the eyecatching Napier Museum with its mélange of architectural styles and collection of archaeological and historical artefacts. (Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m Tue, ThuSun.; 1-5 p.m. on Wed; closed Mon; entry adults `10, children `5; no cameras.) Next, stop at the nearby Sree Chitra Art Gallery to see paintings by Raja Ravi Varma and Nicholas and Svetoslav Roerich. (Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue, ThuSun; 1-5 p.m. on Wed; closed Mon; entry adults `20, children `10; no cameras.) For a booster shot of history, head to the Keralam Museum of History and Heritage, opposite the main museum complex. The museum, which opened a few years ago, traces the region’s history and global connections across the ages. Its collections include Neolithic stone axes, a jar and bowl used in Iron Age burials, Roman coins, and sculptures of
national Geographic Traveller INDIA | july 2015
bronze, wood, and stone. (museumkeralam.org; open 10 a.m.-5.30 p.m.; closed Mon. and public holidays; entry adults `20, children `10, foreigners `200.) Round off a heritage-filled day with a mesmerising kathakali or koodiyattom performance at Margi, a cultural organisation that promotes Kerala’s classical performing art forms. Margi conducts regular kathakali and koodiyattom performances through the year, but when planning a visit it’s best to give them a call to find out what’s on (margitheatre. org; 0471-2478806/2473349). ATLAS
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala Padmanabhaswamy Temple’s vaults are estimated to hold antiques, gems, and gold worth $20 billion.
dinodia
R
ise early on a Sunday and join one of several free walking tours conducted in Trivandrum (officially Thiruvananthapuram). While Tree Walk explores the city’s tree wealth, Heritage Walk delves into its social, cultural, and architectural history. I’ve found these freewheeling walks to be a great way to discover facets of the city that would otherwise pass right by us. Both tours usually start at 7 a.m. and cover one of the city’s neighbourhoods. (One Sunday a month, more frequently in winter; details on future walks on Tree Walk and Heritage Walk’s Facebook pages.) No visit to Thiruvananthapuram is complete without admiring the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple—possibly now the world’s wealthiest religious institution—and exploring the busy Fort neighbourhood around it. A few hundred metres from the temple’s main entrance is the Kuthira Malika Palace, also called the Puthen Malika, which houses a museum of artefacts belonging to Travancore’s former royals. (Only Hindus allowed in the temple, which also has a dress code available on sreepadmanabhaswamytemple.org; Palace open
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Lit Tr i p
Austen’s Powers The Dashwood sisters are alive and well at bath’s Jane Austen Centre | By Rumela Basu
Visitors to the Jane Austen Centre in Bath may bump into characters like the jovial Mr. Bennet from Pride and Prejudice (top left), enjoy high tea in an English Regency tearoom (top right), and see what the author may have looked like in her 30s through a life-sized wax statue (bottom).
the movie adaptations of her novels. Of the more personal memorabilia on display was the famous portrait of the author made by her sister Cassandra, and handwritten letters exchanged between them. The proper, eloquent, yet passionate and playful side of Austen comes across in those letters. Reading them, I realised that each of Austen’s heroines had a fragment of herself, while every elder sister was a reflection, in part, of her own Cassandra. Nodding to a jolly Mr. Bennet from Pride and Prejudice, I came to a room that replicated Austen’s study, which had a dark wooden desk with an inkpot, quill and pieces of parchment. While my own sense (and sensibility) had long been persuasion enough to move on from dreams of a brooding hero, I couldn’t resist sitting at the desk to write a love note to my own imaginary Mr. Darcy. A cupboard of vintage clothing beckoned as I stepped out of the study. A board provided instructions on how to flirt, be coy, or drive away a suitor with the flick of the wrist and furl of a fan. I tried on a bonnet, wrap, and
skirt. Inspired by my newly acquired fan-handling skills, I bought a delicate lace fan from the souvenir shop on the ground floor, before heading to the third-floor Regency Tea Room. This quaint little tea room, filled with portraits of Austen characters, offers 15 brews of tea and coffee accompanied by classic English teatime treats like scones with clotted cream, jam tarts, and sandwiches. I picked a tart from the three-tier tea tray as I sipped on my Earl Grey from a fine china cup. Sighing, my Austen-loving soul sated, I felt thankful that in some parts of the world, afternoon tea is still no trivial matter. the vitals
Photo courtesy: Jane Austen Centre, Bath
I
n the early 1800s, almost 1,300 years after the Romans left the recreational spa city of Bath in southwest England, a woman wrote of its “fine and striking environs” and fashionable society. It was in Bath that Jane Austen finished her first manuscript, the posthumously published Northanger Abbey. Today, in the city she called home for five years, a three-storey museum celebrates all things Austen. The Jane Austen Centre at 40 Gay Street is a place of utmost reverence to those who like the author’s work or dream of leisurely teas, grand balls, breaking feminine social stereotypes, or romancing an unpredictable man like Mr. Darcy. Guilty of all of the above, I obviously had to step inside. As I entered, I was greeted by an actress playing Elinor Dashwood, the most level-headed of the three Dashwood sisters in Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. She talked about the life and works of her creator, setting the scene for the next few hours. After this introduction, I walked through a corridor, arriving at a hall with newspapers, fine china, and fashionable clothing from Austen’s time—the sophisticated and stylish Regency era of the 1800s—alongside costumes from
Getting there Bath is in England, 164 km/3 hours from London. Regular coach and train services are available. Hours Daily 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m; varies seasonally. Closed 25-26 Dec and 1 Jan. Cost Adults £7-9/`780-880; children 6-16 £5.50/`540; family of four £23/`2,250. Tickets at the centre or online at www.janeausten.co.uk
july 2015 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA
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t he tr e n d what i know
Jane Goodall conservationist National Geographic’s Explorer-in-residence emeritus
Nepalese schoolchildren embrace World Environment Day at the forest of Gokarna, near Kathmandu.
No Kidding Young ’uns taking big steps in conservation | By Costas Christ
T
he days of children waiting around for grown-ups to save the planet are over. Nowadays, they’re taking conservation action into their own hands. Consider Olivia and Carter Ries from Fayetteville, Georgia, U.S.A. At ages 7 and 8, with help from their father, they started OMG, shorthand for One More Generation. Their peer-to-peer organisation empowers children to become environmental leaders, with a focus on endangered species. “If we do not do something today to save the rhino, it will become extinct in my lifetime,” says Carter, now 13. “We travel around the world to mobilise children to save nature,” adds Olivia, who at 12 also confided to me that “age discrimination” is a problem they contend with.
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Tempting as it is for adults to chuckle about their seriousness, homeschooled Olivia and Carter are five years into propelling a kids movement. And they are not alone. In Australia, nine-year-old Ava McQueen spoke at the 2014 World Parks Congress last November, where she introduced her idea for “Party Like a Wild Animal” fundraising events. In Costa Rica, Janine Licare and Aislin Livingstone launched Kids Saving the Rainforest when they were nine years old. More than 15 years later, the group spearheads efforts in 18 countries, from encouraging school projects to building monkey bridges. Obviously, kids cannot do everything on their own. But passionate advocates of all ages can raise environmental awareness to new heights.
Perks of Tourism Many wildlife species such as chimps and gorillas would not survive without tourism. I know how people have been utterly changed by looking into the eyes of a wild chimpanzee. They are never the same again. The message is not to stop tourism, but to make sure we get it right. In essence, tourism is good, provided the benefits accrue to the local people so they become partners in saving nature. Local Makers People say think globally, act locally. Well, if you think globally, it is overwhelming and you do not have enough energy left to act locally. Just act locally and see what a difference you can make. We are constantly told to buy more, buy, buy, buy! But do we really need it? It starts with trying to live a more sustainable life in the small decisions we make every day.
NARENDRA SHRESTHA/epa/Corbis (trees), Karen Robinson/Camera Press/Redux (woman)
Birthday Wishes Turning 80 last year only strengthened my resolve to do as much as I can in whatever time I have remaining to protect animals and inspire a new generation of conservation activists. I started Roots and Shoots in Tanzania in 1991. Today we have 1,50,000 youth groups in 138 countries supporting wildlife sanctuaries and community development. But my work is not yet finished.
Navigate |
Arou nd the Wo r l d
Shaken and Stirred
Singapore
Peru
Dijon, France
Singapore Sling
Pisco Sour
Kir Royale
This year marks the 100th birthday for the tall tipple, which was allegedly first made in its namesake city by combining London dry gin, cherry Heering liqueur, Bénédictine, lime juice, soda, and angostura bitters. You can still order the classic at its birthplace—Singapore’s Raffles Hotel.
In preparation and history, the pisco sour is complex. There’s a centuryold dispute between Chile and Peru as to which country invented it (Peru apparently wins). The cocktail calls for lime, simple syrup, pisco, and angostura bitters, but Peru’s version needs an egg white for its frothy top layer.
London, England
New Orleans, U.S.A.
Mexico
Pimm’s Cup
Sazerac
Michelada
Legend has it that a 19th-century New Orleans apothecary made the world’s first cocktail by mixing his bitters with a popular French cognac, Sazerac de Forge et Fils. Now the official cocktail of New Orleans, the recipe evolved to rye whiskey, simple syrup, Herbsaint, and Peychaud’s bitters.
This hair-of-the-dog beer mixture doesn’t have an exact recipe. You’ll need cold cerveza and an ice-filled glass with a salted rim, then improvise with lime, tomato juice, and a bevy of spices and condiments. In Mexico, your bartender might even add chicken bouillon if you’re looking extra faint.
Often served with fruit, cucumber, mint, and carbonated lemonade, this English drink is a summer staple. In the mid-1800s, London restaurateur James Pimm blended liqueurs, herbs, and quinine with gin, and bottled it as Pimm’s No. 1. By 1900, it was sipped throughout the British Empire.
Named for Frenchman Félix Kir—a priest and WWII resistance fighter who became the mayor of Dijon—this fizzy aperitif surprisingly has a feminine quality. Crème de cassis, a dark, sweet liqueur made from black currants, is poured into a flute and topped with dry champagne.
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Elan Fleisher/AGE FOTOSTOCK (singapore), Ildi Papp/AGE FOTOSTOCK (peru), Layla Pujol (france), Eric Futran/Chefshots/Getty Images (england), Randy Harris/Redux (U.S.A.), Sarah Ross/My Chocolate Therapy (mexico)
Toast these destinations through their signature drinks | By Jenny Adams
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adventure The thrills of flying a WWII aircraft over Wanaka
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active break A bird’s-eye view from a treetop walkway in an anciet beech forest
Adventure
Flying above Lake Wanaka in the Tiger Moth has the two-fold thrill of a stunning sights and the undiluted sensation of flight.
The Joy of Flight Small planes offer Big Adventures in New Zealand Text & Photographs by Rishad Saam Mehta
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T
he little red Tiger Moth parked in front of me epitomises the romance of flight. Lit by the warm rays of the morning sun washing over the mountain-ringed airfield of Wanaka, on New Zealand’s South Island, it’s even more enchanting. Big commercial airplanes seem magical because I still cannot bend my brain around the fact that thousands of tonnes just lift off into the sky. But this little red propeller plane feels like a school science project. I can easily understand how the handcrafted wooden prop sucks in air to create forward motion. And how the shape of the fabric-covered wings puts Bernoulli’s Principle into play—meaning the unequal pressure generated above and below the wing allows the aircraft to lift.
Intensity The tough part is getting into the planes (literally in the case of the Moth’s tiny cabin). Once you take your seat, the spectacular flights make you forget all your fears.
Peter Hendricks, the pilot, hands me vintage flying gear ( jacket, helmet, and goggles) from the 1940s and I climb into the front cockpit of the plane. It is snug. The joystick sits between my knees and my feet rest on the rudder pedals. Peter gives the propeller a hearty spin and I get to pull on the throttle as the engine coughs, belches, spits white smoke, and angrily roars to life. It is the throaty burble of a potent petrol engine. He jumps into the cockpit behind me and his voice crackles over the radio through my headphones. These too are from the 1940s and I have previously seen them only in WWII movies. We rush down the grassy airfield and before we’re even doing 80 kmph, the 74-year-old contraption of wood, metal, and fabric daintily lifts off into the air. After a few minutes of vertical climb, the necessity of all the heavy flying gear is apparent. It is bracingly cold at 2,000 feet, and when I peek out of the cockpit into the slipstream, my face practically flash-freezes. Below me is a visual feast of gold, green, and blue. We fly over deep sapphire Lake Wanaka, farmlands glowing with ripening grain, and lush vineyards. I already know that Wanaka is beautiful, but from the air it is stunning. The plane moves so slowly that it feels as if we are standing still in the sky. Peter tells me he’s going to do a gentle loop and pushes down on the joystick. The Tiger Moth nosedives towards the lake. He pulls back and the plane goes wheels up. I glance up to see the lake above me and realise with a start that we are flying upside down. Its simple design notwithstanding, the Tiger Moth is quite the acrobat. During the Second World War, it
HU512 This is the number of one of the oldest aircraft in the Indian Air Force’s fleet. It’s an identical de Havilland Tiger Moth (albeit yellow) and was also manufactured in 1942. It was last flown from Delhi to Baroda in Jan 2013.
Easy
Moderate
demanding
The Moth has a hand-made six-foot propeller that takes the plane forward (top left); Small planes are agile and the pilots will dip the wings a few degrees upon request so you can get a clear photograph of a glacial lake (top right); A cruise (bottom) through Milford Sound provides a different angle of the immense scale of the glaciers and the path carved by them.
was used as a trainer for future Spitfire pilots and lent itself very well to practicing loops, dives, spins, and turns in the sky to gain the upper hand in dogfights. The next morning, at another airport in Queenstown, 70 kilometres from Wanaka, I am with six other people and a fresh-faced youth named Mackenzie Gardyne. He is so boyish that when he says he is our pilot, we glance at each other unconvinced. We board a little seven-seater, single-engine Cessna, which has less room than a Toyota Innova. This shoebox-sized machine takes us up and away over july 2015 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA
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Get Going |
New Z e a l a n d
Looking down from the Cessna (left), Milford Sounds looks like a map. Sights like this and the convenience of a 35-minute flight as opposed to a 3-hour drive, have made the fly-cruise option popular; Visitors can take jetboat rides (right) on the Kawarau and Shotover Rivers, which add excitement to a day of exploration from above.
the Southern Alps towards the Milford Sound fjord. During the 35-minute flight, we sail over several craggy snow-capped peaks, which are so close that at times I feel the wheels will certainly graze the mountaintops. Because the plane is so light, it bobs over turbulence like a car with no suspension on a bumpy road. In fact the Cessna’s shell is made of aluminium, the same stuff that chocolates are wrapped in! But Harry Potter at the controls assures us that he has flown through much worse, and that this aircraft is well suited to handle the many moods of mountain air. As we fly, the pilot keeps up his commentary, heard through the headsets each passenger is wearing. He points out lakes, like little blue dimples in the mountains, amongst huge glaciers and various peaks, telling us whether they’ve been summited or not. From the sky, Milford Sound looks like the pretty green paw of a giant dinosaur placed in the blue green waters of the Tasman Sea. To give passengers on both sides equally stunning views, our pilot flies a little distance out over the sea, banks left and then right, finally lining up to approach the runway at the very end of the outcrop. The dazzling white of the Southern Alps is a gorgeous contrast to the indigo water, bright blue sky and green land, broken by streaks of white— the Sound’s abundant waterfalls. Technically, Milford is a fjord (spelled fiord in New Zealand), but was erroneously marked as a “sound”
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atlas
Wanaka, New Zealand
When Rudyard Kipling visited Milford Sound, he was so stunned he declared it “the eighth wonder of the world”.
by Captain John Grono, who named it after Milford Haven in Wales. To fly into that fjord felt like something out of 633 Squadron, a 1964 film about an Allied Squadron tasked with destroying a Nazi V2 rocket fuel plant at the head of a similar fjord in Norway. The Nazis knew about the attack, and the entire fjord was lined with anti-aircraft guns. So the squadron had to fly into the fjord amidst a hail of bullets, bomb the plant, and fly out again. As we landed, I couldn’t help thinking that this modern Cessna, built primarily for passengers, wouldn’t stand a chance, while that 74-year-old lady in Wanaka might actually be able to manoeuvre nimbly enough to come out unscathed. After landing, we explore the Sound from a different angle, aboard the Lady Bowen on a twohour boat cruise that takes in stunning vistas, rainbowtinged waterfalls, and a very friendly albatross. Flying on a commercial airliner is quite a sterile experience as far as the feeling of flight goes; other than the rush down the runway to take off or land, it feels like being in a giant tube. But these little flying machines, especially the Tiger Moth, give a taste of the wonder that aviators of the past must have felt. To be up there in the cold, rarefied air, with no canopy or computers for protection or prediction; to feel the wind on your face, put your trust in a simple carburetted petrol engine and a hand-built contraption—it is more than magical.
The Vitals Southern Discoveries’ Glenorchy Air Fly/Cruise/Fly Milford Sound package includes the 35-min flight from Queenstown to Milford Sound and back with a 2-hr cruise on the Lady Bowen, and an option of kayaking at Harrison’s Cove in between. They also offer other fly, cruise, and kayak packages (NZ$485/`22,150 per person; www.southerndiscoveries.co.nz).
Classic Flights Wanaka offers 30-min Tiger Moth scenic flights at Spitfire Lane, Wanaka Airport. Passengers must weigh under 100 kg (NZ$289/`13,200; www.classicflights.co.nz).
As the Cessna takes off, the vibrant colours of the countryside around Queenstown are reflected in the plane’s polished aluminium wings. july 2015 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA
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stay Thrills, frills, and safari adventures near Corbett
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stay Tents with benefits at Galibore Nature Camp in Karnataka
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stay In Fort Kochi’s oldest street, a snug, friendly homestay
Landour in the Mist despite its proximity to manic mussoorie, Ruskin Bond’s hometown retains its old-world aura | By Ambika Gupta | photographs By rishad saam mehta
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from under ivy, and weathered, wooden signboards carved with names like Parsonage and Cosy Nook. Some of Landour’s pretty summer houses belong to well-known personalities such as actor Victor Banerjee and Prannoy Roy of NDTV. You may also bump into the author Ruskin Bond, the town’s living legend and one of its oldest residents. The hush in the air here surely stimulates creative juices. This is a silence you only hear in the hills, a quiet made denser by the trees, heavier by the moisture, and interrupted only by gusts of invigoratingly cool breezes. Descending into the mayhem of Mussoorie below is a shock. The noisy “Queen of the Hills” crawls with trinkets, touts, and tourists. Its choked lanes appear bound to spill over into Landour, but the town has held its own for almost two centuries. There must be some enchantment protecting its deep, dark, evergreen woods.
Landour affords dizzying views of the gorgeous Doon Valley draped in slowmoving clouds. Aroon Thaewchatturat/Alamy/indiapicture
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ovely Landour looks like a picture postcard and is about the same size. An old-fashioned aura drapes the town’s mighty deodars and red rhododendron flowers. This is a relic of the British Raj. A steep, four-kilometre drive from Mussoorie, it is a world that floats dreamily in clouds and mist, far removed from the crowded hill station below. Landour’s lush inclines and views fuel the belief that its name is derived from Llanddowror, a town in Wales. When the East India Company’s army arrived here in 1825, they named it Mullingar. Soon after, British troops suffering from tropical diseases began to trickle in to Landour for recovery. Salubrious air and beautiful walks remain the chief highlights of this former cantonment area. Besides colonial-era churches, quaint shops, and a 19th-century cemetery, there are brick and stone cottages peeping
mountain escape
EXPLORE Long Way Round Landour’s old bridle path—now
motorable—circles the three summits of the ridge. The largely level circuit runs for about 2 km, passing interesting sights along the way. Going clockwise, the route starts with St. Paul’s Church, consecrated in 1840. The church is framed by pines, and the mountain sun that filters through stained-glass windows falls on plaques from over a century ago. It must have been a lovely wedding venue for the marriage of conservationist Jim Corbett’s parents many years ago (0135-2630622; Sunday service at 9.30 a.m.; open Mon 2-5 p.m., Wed to Sun 10 a.m.-1p.m. and 1.305 p.m., closed Tue). Next to the church is the town’s hub Char Dukan, named after the four shops that have been here since the late 1800s. Vipin Prakash, the owner of Tip Top tea shop, which was founded by his great-grandfather 130 years ago, proudly displays sepia photographs from 1890. On weekends, students of Woodstock School swoop down to feast on bun omelette (`70), instant noodles (`60), and pancakes or waffles with maple syrup (`150). Landour is best appreciated on foot. Further ahead from Char Dukan, walk to the 20-m-tall tower at Lal Tibba. It is a spectacular vantage point from which to gaze at the valley below. Take in the view through the tower’s telescope, or rent binoculars from Dabbu’s Café across the road. The path takes a turn at Lal Tibba, passes some pretty cottages, the
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Char Dukan (top left) is the favourite hangout of trekkers and tourists who come to tuck into waffles and bun omelettes; Often the only people you’ll see on a drive to Dhanaulti are local Garhwali women dressed in traditional attire, carrying firewood back from the forest (top right).
Christian cemetery with graves from the 1830s (open only on Sun) and ends at Kellogg Memorial Church.
Established in 1903, this church doubles up as the Landour Language School where expats come to learn Hindi (Sunday service at 10 a.m.; open weekdays 8.30 a.m.-6 p.m.). Sisters’ Bazaar Landour’s British Military Hos-
pital was established at the beginning of the 20th century. After 1947, the Defence Ministry’s Institute of Technology Management occupied the buildings. A small market that sprung up around the quarters of the nursing staff became known as Sisters’ Bazaar. Though it’s a short way from Char Dukan, the walk to Sisters’ Bazaar is rather steep, but the bracing weather makes it enjoyable. The bazaar includes a neat row of half a dozen shops. Prakash Stores has been around since 1928 and is popular for its fresh preserves made from locally grown fruit. Strawberry jam, gooseberry and apricot preserves, apple mint chutney, and blueberry jam are some favourites (`120-150 for 470 gm; A. Prakash & Co., 97569 04833, 99276 44446). Prakash Handicrafts next door (different owner) is a treasure trove of organic products, yak wool garments, and other curiosities. High Altitude Goodies A little ahead of Sisters’ Bazaar, a path leads to the stunningly located Hotel Dev Dar Woods, a lodge in a colonial bungalow.
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delicious, thin-crust pizzas (Fair View, Sisters’ Bazaar, Landour Cantt; 97190 03548). Opposite Landour’s historic Clock Tower is the trendy Clock Tower Café, a great place to enjoy a steamy cappuccino (0135-2630354, 99970 55999; cappuccino `90, cold coffee `100). For more eating options, it’s best to plunge into the cacophony of Mussoorie, where the profusion of street-food vendors slows down traffic. Momos and instant noodles are the hottest selling dishes. However, I prefer sinking my teeth into deliciously hot, hard-boiled eggs sprinkled with rock salt, particularly when chilly clouds roll on the roads reducing visibility to zero. For more elaborate egg preparations, the place to go is Lovely Omelette Centre, which pioneered the baffling Chocolate Omelette. It is only prepared for school children, so hoist a kid along if you want to try it (opp. Central Methodist Church, Mall Road). Another popular tourist haunt is Chick Chocolate. Cheerful, cosy, and crammed with books and posters, it is reminiscent of a living room warmed by the glow of a blazing fire. There is no fireplace, but there is plenty of chatter as grown-ups and children clamour for assorted flavours of home-made chocolate and other treats (Mall Road, 0135-2632131, 99973 11101; chilli chocolate `230 for 100g, liquor chocolates `280).
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Landour and Mussoorie have numerous colonial-era bungalows (top) with slanting roofs, brick arches, and stone walls. Facing page: St. Paul’s Church is an oasis of tranquillity.
Bond with the Best Doma’s Inn in Landour is gaily coloured and decorated with dragon motifs, but it draws curious onlookers for an entirely different reason: Ivy Cottage, the residence of beloved author Ruskin Bond, is a part of the same building. Each Saturday, Bond signs books at the Cambridge Book Shop in Mussoorie. This bookstore is crammed between Moti Mahal restaurant and another book depot. You might miss it if not for the astonishingly orderly queue snaking out the front and trailing far down the road, and a big banner with the writer’s beaming face stretched across the storefront. Eager fans arrive much before the assigned time, and Ruskin Bond’s arrival causes an electric ripple to run through the waiting crowd. To see him in person is a curious experience. If you have grown up reading his stories you’ll be forgiven for thinking of him as a beloved fictional character too, an ambassador of a world that has long vanished (0135-2632224; opposite State Bank of India, Mall Road; signings Sat from 3.30-5.30 p.m.). Right across the road is another testament to a faraway time, a beautiful 19th-century structure that quietly overlooks the flurry of activity. Since 1956, this historic building has housed the State Bank of India, but it was built in 1898, during Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee celebrations, as the iconic Himalaya
■ U ttarak han d Hotel. Inscriptions on the filigreed wrought-iron railings hark back to those times. The building later became the office of the Imperial Bank of India in 1923, before taking on its current role. A plaque at its gleaming, wooden doorway has a fascinating account of the tumultuous history of banking in Mussoorie, closely woven with the story of this building. Take a Spin When you need a break from walk-
ing, pack a picnic lunch and drive to thickly forested Dhanaulti (24 km), misty Chamba (56 km) or beautiful Kanatal (42 km). Find a quiet hidden glen, sprawl
on the leaf-strewn forest floor, and watch the sunlight bathe the woods in a hazy glow.
Stay Hotel Dev Dar Woods offers no-frills accommodation, but the colonial bungalow’s location at the edge of wilderness is adequate compensation (01352632644; devdar.blogspot.in; for reservations, email anilprakash56@yahoo.com; doubles from `2,500). Rokeby Manor is a stately mansion from the 1840s,
restored as a heritage hotel. The estate’s natural beauty, vintage rooms, and stellar service are memorable (Sister’s Bazaar, Landour Cantt; rokebymanor.com; 0135-2635604/5; doubles from `10,000). Doma’s Inn Renovated in the style of a Bhutia monastery, Doma’s Inn is a cosy B&B away from the bustle of town. It is next door to Landour’s famous resident, Ruskin Bond. (0135-263-4873; www.domasinn.com; doubles from `2600 including breakfast and Wi-Fi).
Unique Experience Landour during winter (mid-October-January) offers an opportunity to see the rare winterline, a phenomenon caused by the refraction of the sun’s rays as it drops behind a black band that is a false horizon. The sight is exclusive to Mussoorie and some parts of Switzerland. Burnt orange and fierce red blend into grey and mauve in a colourful strip that sets the mountaintops aglow at sunset.
the guide orientation
Landour is a former cantonment town in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun district. It is perched at 7,500 feet, on a ridge that is a 4-km drive up from Mussoorie.
Getting there
By air The closest airport is Dehradun’s Jolly Grant Airport (60 km/90 minutes), which has daily flights from Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. By rail Dehradun is the closest railhead which is well-connected with Delhi. Buses from Dehradun leave for Mussoorie every hour, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. via the railway station. By road Landour is 38 km/1 hr northeast of Dehradun and 273 km/7 hr northeast of Delhi. Buses for Mussoorie leave daily from Delhi’s ISBT Kashmere Gate. Taxis for Landour are available outside Mussoorie’s Picture Palace (`200).
getting around
Landour is so adorably tiny that you miss half its charm if you explore it any other way except on foot. The drive up from Mussoorie is steep, but once you’re there the paths are not difficult.
seasons
Landour is a great escape from the plains during the scorching summer (Mar-Jun). Days are sunny but there is a nip in the air at night (7-27°C). Peak winter (Nov-Jan) is bitterly cold with plentiful snowfall (temperatures range from 1-12°C). Monsoon (Jul-Sep) sees daily rainfall, and occasional heavy showers can make the mountain trails treacherous. Pleasantly low temperatures (13-20°C) make this an ideal time to settle down with a book and watch the rain. july 2015 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA
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