 The world is made up of magic , and when you travel, your little heart believes it. When you first lay eyes upon the fabled Tiger Nest monastery, You can only wonder how men could achieve this feat of building up such a classic construction so high hanging on a cliff. Then you hear of the legend and you start to believe that , surely magic does exist. The story goes like Guru Padmasamabha or Rinpoche came to Bhutan, which was filled with demons back then. Spreading the holy name of Buddha and spirituality , he helped the people here to form the peaceful and serene country that today is. It was during this time , that Rinpoche with a help of a tigress flew to the caves hanging on the cliff , here in the region of Taktseng, and finally the tigress laid down making this her nest. In my latest exploration of Bhutan leading my amazing trip, we made a point to climb Tiger nest , and here are some glimpses of what we found while hiking there.  Since this is a sacred Buddhist sight , you might find a lot of locals climbing it with you. They believe Rinpoche still meditates there , and having the blessings from this monastery is really helpful in life. I am glad this was my third time climbing here. Adorned in their traditional wear, carrying the children on their back , it is a sight to see. It is also easily accessible, as Tiger nest is situated in upper Paro, around an hours drive in taxi from the main town, so it is inevitable to see people going up and down. A lot of people met on road stated , I must be blessed by Rinpoche and have a lot of Good karma that I could come back here , even when I don't live in this beautiful country.  The trail to Tiger nest is beautiful indeed, with a lot of nature all around. You can avail ponies or mules to climb up, but my team, as always was amazing, and we decided to take the short cut. Now short cuts are a little tricky but more beautiful always. The total climb is around 8 kilometers. It takes in general 6 - 7 hours to go up , see the monastery and come back. It can be done faster, but my advice would be , go slow enjoy the journey too. You can also get to hear a lot of birds singing here and there. On patient approach , you might get to see some rare ones surely.  The monks on the trail add up to beautiful frame that you might capture with your eyes or camera. Befriending some , you get to hear a lot more stories about the tiger nest and also folk lores associated with it. This place is so famous , monks from different nations tend to visit it and find blessing from the holy sight. You can find a lot of them from Sikkim or Thailand. They are so friendly they might offer you some food , and share their beautiful laughter with you.  The door to the monastery is vibrant and colourful. Also the little kids accompanied by their father puts in perspective of the happy nation that Bhutan is. People's happiness matter most in this beautiful country and you can see or feel it in every inch of air. It is not permitted to click pictures inside the monastery due to some security reason and then some spiritual too. If it was, surely , we would miss out on the calmness and vibes inside , always bothered to click pictures while going around inside. The last of a selfie is mandatory before you leave this place. Back at home , make a print and stick it on your wall, since Tiger Nest and its memories stay long enough as the adventures lived and blessings found here.  To plan this amazing trip in Bhutan , consult me soon.
All Pictures are copy right of photographer Shrikant Bhadrige , who traveled with me in this journey. Require prior permission to feature or use them.  The last time I had visited Rajasthan , I was a kid, and my parents took me to all the giant forts and deserts that comprises the state of Rajasthan. Though memories of the time are clear and etched in my mind, yet somehow , I didn't explore it my own way, of course being so small, I had no idea of what exploring actually meant anyways. But after years of wandering now solo and leading groups, finally I have decided to go around Rajasthan again, and that is why this March I am putting up there for sometime. And here are the things that intrigues me, and attracts me to go there!  First and foremost will be the colourful streets, and the amazing cityscapes this state has to offer. Being a reputed photography guide for my renowned photographer clients, I have always saw and heard about the awesome images they captured from the state of Rajasthan. The vibrant colours of the city adds up to a region which is very photogenic and personally very attractive! Can't wait to get my own good shots from Rajasthan.  The sunsets have always been my love, all through out life. After watching so many from mountains, oceans and forest, this time , I would like to witness one from the desert. Rajasthan with its vast stretches of Thar desert , makes up for an ideal place to camp out at night and watch the sunset. Icing on the cake will be lying down under the clear skies, that deserts have to offer and do star gazing session and astro photography.  The forts are another thing of interest. Huge walls that hold guard to the history and glorious past of the empires that rose and fell in this region. Heritage in itself , they are the true custodian of the mythical past our country of India holds, and it will be surely not a less experience to behold it and explore this great forts. Cant wait to listen to the stories from here!  The final yet most intriguing part of any journey , is the people you shall meet there. The locals from this region are known for their hospitality and colors that they live with. I am so intended to know their life style, I will be staying in a village, far out in the Thar desert and watching them closely. Living with the camel herders and knowing their stories, eating bread with them, and hopefully enjoying a drink. I am so excited to do all of this, but I also want to have some of you by my side, hence, I have curated this whole trip as a backpacking trip you can join too. We will go through great cities like Jodhpur , Jaisalmer, Jaipur , see the forts of Mehrangarh and Kumbhalgarh, and ofcourse stay with camel herders in Thar desert. So let me know if anyone of you is interested, we are sure to have an amazing time. I look forward to meet some of you and take this journey! And oh, did I mention I am playing 5 days of Holi this time in Pushakr Rajasthan!!! Get in contact with me, for all the information.  KINDLY LEAVE YOUR MAIL ID TO GET THE WHOLE BACKPAKCING PLAN AT YOUR DISPOSAL. |
Note from the Author," Travel made me rich and free. Magic and miracles are true , once you wander on the roads to places different and divine. I have collected so many thoughts and stories while being a Tour & Trek guide for last seven years. Sharing with you all, those memories and stories , and wishing you all , that someday you guys travel far and wide too. I am not a great writer , so ignore my grammar and spellings, read it with feelings, and you might just be affected with the wanderlust to hit the road" Categories
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