Wading through forests, across glaciers
Located in the state of Uttarakhand, Byundar Valley of Flowers is located in India’s national park – the “Land of Gods” – which has been recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site. There are more than 500 species of flowers of many different varieties. Hundreds of species of flowers will gradually appear according to the altitude of the terrain. Therefore, this is also considered a promised land for any ecologist.
Although I am not an ecologist, I could not resist the attraction of this enchanting valley of flowers. So I decided to make a trip to the “land of the gods” during my first summer vacation in India.
Passionate Indian FriendstrekkingMy experience tells me that the difficulty of this expedition is average. On the way, I was lucky to meet a few people who wanted to share the cost of the Jeep ride to the area.trekkingSo I have a companion.
There was someone in the group who had gone to the valley of flowers three times, but all three times they failed due to bad luck. At that time, when they reached the starting pointtrekkingThen the weather got bad, it rained heavily, and the valley was closed. This time, the group was lucky. The weather that week was beautiful, sunny, though sometimes overcast, and at night the temperature dropped to 0oC.
The center of the flower valley stretches 10 km2and you can only explore this place by road. From the starting point at Joshimath, you have totrekkinga 13 km stretch to Ghangria village - the starting point for the two trailstrekkingto the Valley of Flowers and to Hemkund - a sacred place for Sikhs and Hindus. This is where Gurudwara Shri Hemkund Sahib - a famous saint in Sikhism - meditated before passing away.
It took us a daytrekkingto reach Ghangria village. It was 9 pm. Two of our group arrived late, as one of them had a sore leg and could not climb fast. Fortunately, we all reached there before 11 pm.
The Byundar Valley is surrounded by the majestic Himalayas and the sacred Ganges River flows through it. The white foam and roar of the water echo in the early morning like the breath of Mother Nature, a river from Indian mythology with boundless power.
From Ghangria village, to reach the center of the valley of flowers, I had to complete the roadtrek4 km, then another 6 km to Hemkud. The path got steeper and more difficult, and we had to wade across a glacier. When we reached the top, the fog was thick and due to the rainy season, the weather was very unpredictable. However, we waited patiently until the fog cleared and the clouds cleared.
Finally, I was satisfied. I had the opportunity to touch the most valuable thing for those who are determined to do this arduous journey. The crystal clear beauty of the lake and the white patches of ice on the Himalayas made me understand why the journeytrekkingThis has such a fascination for adventure enthusiasts.
Flowers in the valley of mist
The next day, I made a trip to explore the flower valley. This route was a little gentler. And when I saw the image of this flower paradise with my own eyes, I realized that the images I saw before were nothing. Only two words can describe the beauty of the flower valley when you set foot in it, that is “magical”. Rising from the slope, a majestic and overwhelming open space as if I was stepping into a completely different world.
The entire Byundar flower valley is surrounded by the Himalayas, the clouds surrounding the mountains create a breathtakingly beautiful picture. This place deserves to be one of the holy lands that Mother Nature bestows on true nature lovers.
WhentrekkingComing to the landmark of the stream, the cool breeze, the purity and tranquility of the whole valley surrounded by the majestic Himalayas made me wonder: “Why is there such a beautiful and majestic place?”.At that moment, I also understood why the British explorer Thomas Hardwickle - the first person to discover the Byundar valley during his journey to conquer the Garhwal region of the Himalayas - exclaimed: "I have no hesitation in saying that this is the most beautiful valley in the Himalayas that I have ever seen."
Triptrekkingto my Byundar flower valley in a week. But the moment I set foot in the flower valley will forever be an experience that makes me think I have been given a rare privilege. And for those who have had to bet their luck on the weather to set foot in this place after many failures, arriving at the flower valley, witnessing the magical beauty of nature is a complete happiness. Because this is the convergence of the beauty of heaven and earth, and is the sacred place of the gods.
More information
+ Onionprogram:From Vietnam, you can fly directly to New Delhi by AirAsia or Thai Airways. From New Delhi to Dehradun (Uttarakhand state), you can go by plane, train or bus (about 6 hours, average 15 minutes/trip). From Dehradun to Joshimath, you can go by bus or self-drive car, it takes about 10-12 hours.
+ Supplytrekking:Joshimath bus station is also the starting point for the climb, from here you must take a Jeep. You will stay overnight at the foot of the mountain, and start climbing early the next morning, to reach Ghangria village, this route is 13 km long. You can go by horse ortrekkingby road (takes 1 day). Stay one night at Ghangria, next day start trek to Hemkund and Valley of Flowers.
+Note:
- Time: The best time to trek to Byundar flower valley is the rainy season, from June to August. The weather is very cold at this time, with temperatures dropping to 0°C at night.oC. Therefore, you should bring many light, warm jackets, woolen hats, socks, and scarves. Remember to bring a raincoat because the weather is changeable and there is often jungle rain.
- Prepare specialized, waterproof climbing shoes, because there are some sections of road where the ice has not melted yet, so it is very cold.
- In Ghangria village there is no mobile phone signal, have to use the hotel's private phone.
- Food and drink: Because this is a religious area, and falls on the occasion of the Shiva festival, this area does not sell meat food, only vegetarian food. You need to prepare snacks on the way.trekking, because there are no shops up here.
- Take photos: Prepare additional memory cards, tripods, and moisture-proof equipment.
Ngo Nu - TV reporter
During her 2 years of living and studying in India, Ngo Nu had the opportunity to visit 14 out of 29 states, from North to South, East to West in this South Asian country. The journey to explore the Byundar flower valley was part of her plan to “travel alone in Northern India” for nearly 2 months during her first summer vacation here.
When talking about India, many Vietnamese people often only think of spiritual tourism, without paying attention to the vastness and diversity of India's terrain. Each place and piece of land here is associated with a myth, and will leave you amazed. That is also the reason why Ngo Nu wants to introduce an article about the trip to explore this beautiful flower valley like paradise.
