Tag: #firsttimetravellers

Visit Kailash Manasarovar


It is said that faith can move mountains. What if the mountain itself is faith?

For millennia, Mount Kailash has been venerated as an extraordinary peak, with divinity attributed to it. For Hindus, it’s revered as the very abode of the powerful Lord Shiva and his consort, Parvati. It is also believed to be the pillar of the world, reaching up to the heavens. At 22,022 feet above mean sea level, it indeed seems so. Mount Kailash also holds a special place for Jains, Buddhists and the people belonging to the indigenous Tibetan religion, Bon. All these religions believe that a parikrama or the ritual circumambulation of Mount Kailash brings good fortune to the one who does it. From its location in modern-day Tibet, Mount Kailash radiates divinity and spirituality that guides devotees from all over the world to visit it and bask in its majesty.

At the base of Mount Kailash is the presence of the holy lake, Manasarovar. At 14,950 feet above mean sea level, Manasarovar is the highest freshwater lake in the world. The geographical significance apart, Lake Manasarovar is also considered extremely holy. A dip in this water is supposed to wipe off all the sins of your previous lives. Manasarovar feeds another nearby salt-water lake called Rakshastal. According to Hindu belief, Ravana – the lord of the demons – performed a tough penance on the foothills of Mount Kailash to propitiate Lord Shiva, which gave rise to this lake named after him. Both these lakes are considered opposites: fresh versus salty, brightness versus darkness, life-giving versus lack of life and calm versus choppy. This is also a special spot geologically. Lake Manasarovar is close to the sources of four great rivers, the Brahmaputra, Ghaghara, Sindhu and Sutlej.

Thus, both spiritually and geologically, Kailash Manasarovar is a rather extraordinary place in this wonderful planet of ours, and you have to be blessed and privileged to go on this physical and mental journey to experience it. However, as you would expect, Kailash Manasarovar is located in an inhospitable, remote terrain. It’s not an easy journey to undertake and you need to be reasonably fit, both mentally and physically. But if you think the call has come from the top of Mount Kailash, asking you to visit His abode, give The Wanderers a call.

GETTING THE CALL

Why travel with us? Many solid reasons. We have been promoting trips to Kailash Manasarovar since 1998, at a time when one had to rough it out – camping in the outdoors, fording streams and rivers and traversing rough terrain without any sign of tarmac. Since we have been at it for two decades now, we know the lie of the land and have warm, trustworthy relationships with the people who partner with us locally. Needless to say, all those who have travelled with us in these 20 years have put in a good word for us and recommended us to others to undertake this very special journey with The Wanderers.

With our vast experience, we are your best advisors, telling you upfront what to expect if you have ‘received the call’ and made up your mind. As mentioned earlier, it’s not an easy trip to take to this remote, high-altitude terrain and you need to be prepared to head out there. We make you go through extensive briefing to prep you up mentally and physically to go to Kailash Manasarovar and return home blessed.

Of course, our objective is to also make sure you are comfortable and safe throughout the trip. Hence we use the best quality hotels and stay options available in Nyalam, Saga and Darchen. We are also equipped with facilities like oxygen cylinders, keep the availability of medical support through most of the trip and we supply you with duffel bags, day backpacks and (returnable) down jackets for your use. There is also The Wanderers’ legendary attention to detail and personalisation options, which sets us apart.

We offer four route options, depending on your budget and time:
1. Overland ex-Kathmandu
2. Helitour ex-Kathmandu
3. Helitour ex-Lucknow
4. Overland ex-Kathmandu via Lhasa

All options work well and there is no difference in our quality of service. The ideal time to visit Kailash Manasarovar is between May and September. Though it is difficult, elderly persons of even 70 years of age have travelled with us in comfort and ease. We even customise packages for private groups.

Are you ready then to take the call?

To check out our Kailash Manasarovar Package click here

Email: askus@thewanderers.co.in

Get Antarctica off your Bucket list Now!

By Alifiya Calcuttawala


To go boldly where no man has gone before!
If you are a Trekkie then this statement probably brings the same shiver of anticipation and
excitement down your spine that it did all those many years ago watching Captain Kirk explore
new galaxies on TV.
To embark on your own personal adventure, both inwards and to the last truly unexplored
continent, Antarctica.


Where the land lies under many feet of ice, huge glacial mountains reach for the sky, penguins,
sea lions and whales cavort in the icy cold sea, untouched by commercial tourism, and without
busloads of tourists jabbering in every language known to man. Antarctica.
Head off on your own Columbus-like exploration, brave cold winds, sea swells and rubber
dinghies, to make landfall. Antarctica.

Explore long forgotten whaling houses, abandoned science camps watch the only place on
earth where the countries of the world work with everyone else, in a spirit of togetherness.
If adventure is your thing, you crave solitude and enjoy the journey just as much as the
destination then Antarctica should have been on your bucket list.

But it is now time to take it off the list and move to experience the adventure of a lifetime.
This physically demanding trip requires a higher level of fitness than your usual run of the mill
cruise or holiday. Drills to help you in emergencies form part of your daily routine.
Unpredictable wind conditions coupled with the icy cold seas make it more of an extreme
adrenaline pumping adventure than a pleasure cruise. Physically demanding conditions,
temperatures below freezing, choppy and stormy seas just add to the allure of the journey.


The Antarctica adventure begins from the minute you board the ship. The icebreaker ship,
will be your home for the whole trip, making excursions aboard the all-weather Zodiac
to the last unexplored continent. Evenings will be spent learning more about the place you’re about to visit, watching movies, documentaries and listening to biologists share their knowledge with you!
Starting your journey through the scenic Beagle Channel, heading for the open South Atlantic
Ocean. You will cross the Tierra del Fuego or the Land of Fire before heading South on your
way to Antarctica.


Going through the Drake Passage, the South Shetland Islands come into view, moving between
Greenwich and Livingstone islands through Macfarlane Strait, landing on Half Moon Island
where the Argentinian Camara station is located, marking your first step on Antarctica!

Be prepared to be surprised by the Gentoo penguins and their babies, and fur seals
That will be the first of three or four landings across the whole trip. Imagine that! Going into
territories that were available only to explorers of old, men and women who took adventure to
the next level, with belief in their hearts, charting their course with the help of the stars to lands
they only saw with their eyes closed.

The whole idea of knocking this off your bucket list early is basically to make this entire trip
when you are resilient to deal with the vagaries of the weather, strong enough to acclimatise to
the biting cold and have enough chutzpah to give your friends FOMO.
The trip is said to be soul changing, and puts you in touch with yourself. If that is true, and it is,
wouldn’t you benefit from life changing experiences earlier in the day rather than later?
Finally, let’s face facts, if you don’t experience this fantastic journey now, then when…
because ultimately You Only Live Once!!

Check out our latest Antarctica Expedition.