Top Travel Leads

Anyone who has ever ventured along the Indus and the Karakoram Highway, past Chilas, a market town in the shadows of Nanga Parbat and a former staging point for the crossing of the Babusar Pass, had reached the doorstep of the Karakoram. Here passed one of the ancient caravan routes that lead across Hindu Kush and mighty Karakoram, connecting lower Sind and India with Kashgar and Taklamakan Desert, the gateway to China on the legendary Silk Road. The impressive Nanga Parbat marks the westernmost end of the Himalaya. To the north dominate the Karakoram. To enter the real amphitheater of its snow peaks and glaciers one must continue past Gilgit into Skardu and from there to Askole and beyond. It’s then that the sharp, heaven-piercing peaks and oozing glaciers overwhelm, leaving one completely mesmerized.

Askole is the starting point for treks north to the spectacular Baltoro Glacier and the dizzying nest of magnificent giants of the Karakoram – Masherbrum and Gasherbrum, Mustagh Tower, Broad Peak, Hidden Peak, Golden Throne and the spell-binding K2. Mere glance across the skyline of these peaks of 24,000 to nearly 29,000 feet sends chills down one’s spine.

To the west descends the Biafo Glacier, a vast river of ice and rock at whose apex lies the snow-covered basin of Snow Lake. Formed by the confluence of Biafo and Hispar glaciers, into which feed smaller glaciers down side valleys, Snow Lake lies at altitude of over 15,000 feet. To navigate this glacier route is to follow another ancient route of Silk Road, though certainly not one among the easiest, but one that connects the ancient kingdoms of Askole in the East and Nagar in West and the celebrated Shangri-la of Hunza further on. This is a solid two-week trek, three weeks plus as roundtrip from Islamabad, but indeed a trek that you will not soon forget.

The trek that traverses the two glaciers, Biafo and Hispar, from Askole to Nagar valley, covers some 80 miles, much of it on snow and ice. From some 9,000 feet at Askole the trek ascends to Namla nearly at 11,000 feet. In recent years the glacier has receded in the lower reaches and the first part of the trek follows over a river of rocks and boulders. Past Biantha and elevations of some 13,000 feet snow and needing to cross crevasses now dominate the route. The panorama of massive rock towers and pyramids line the passage, more peaks always looming behind, the Baintha Lukper Glacier flows down from the Latok Group and as the glacier broadens one is now firmly in region of eternal snow and ice, with the ice said to have been measured here as nearly a mile thick. Next day it’s over the Hispar Pass of roughly 15,500 feet and from here on its down the Hispar glacier. Though a descent it is the route is not a stroll, traversing lateral moraines and side glaciers of Khanibasa, Yutmaru and Dichiginas, at last, reaching the first settlement, the Hispar Village. From here it’s on to Hunza’s old capital, Karimabad, to sample the local foods and apricot spirits hoping not only to restore strength after a long trek but perhaps also gain an insight into Hunza’s secret of longevity.

It’s been too many years that Pakistan has dropped from our minds as travel destinations, hence it’s time to remind ourselves of the true stunning mountain range that occupies the extreme north of the country – Karakoram – put it on your map, it is truly an exceptional feat of nature and one not to miss! Trekking Biafo and Hispar Glaciers Askole to Nagar in Hunza Valley definitely belongs on a list of the most incredible treks on this Earth!

Many first time vistors to India crave to visit the legedary Taj Mahal and do so often as only a daytrip from New Delhi, ariving there at midday when sun is high and the grandeur of this remarkable site is diminished. It’s a shame as Taj must been seen at least twice, once in the late afternoon when shadows are long and next at sunrise.

A world heritage site, UNESCO described Taj Mahal as “the jewel of Muslim art in India”. Often considered the pinnacle of Mughal art, the Taj was built by Emperor Shah Jahan for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. There are few words that can describe the spleandor of this monument, hence viewing it at the ideal times of the day are an absolute must to soak in its full magnificance .

After early morning visit of Taj Mahal it’s best not to return to Delhi but continue to Fatehpur Sikri. Only one hour driving time away from Agra, Fatehpur Sikri was the 16th century capital of the Mughal rulers and the great Mughul Emperor Akbar had intended it to be the grandest capital city of the the world. Built entirely of red sandstone he came close to succeeding and Fatehpur Sikri served as his capital for 15 years until it was abandoned after his death in 1585 due to water scarcity in the area.

Undisputedly the magic of Rajasthan accounts for some of the most memorable impressions of India and Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri are but gateways to what lies ahead. From Fatehpur Sikri one can proceed to Bharatpur, only one hour further down the road, and beyond will lure such sites as Ramathra Fort, Ranthambore National Park, Bundi, Pushkar, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bhainsrorgarh, Udaipur and much more.

In the remote parts of Central Sulawesi of the Indonesian archipelago, an-odd shaped island resembling a hunched-over letter “k”, under the Dutch known as Celebes, there can be found a saddle-roof style house type built on piles. Depicted on Dong Son drums as far back as 500BC-AD100, its origin suggests being of mainland Southeast Asia. The region is known as Tana Toraja, or Torajaland, and the characteristic house style is referred to as “tongkonan” – a traditional ancestral house of the Toraja people that inhabit these mist-shrouded valleys, averaging some 3000 feet above seas level. Visiting Sulawesi’s Toraja region is easily done from Bali and the experience is always a highlight of travel in Indonesia.

Of tongue-and-groove construction, using no nails, bolts or other metal fasteners, the traditional houses are built on solid tree trunk piles high above the ground to safeguard against rodents, snakes and dampness of the tropical ground. It is the massive roofs, covered in a layered bamboo, today often by corrugated iron, that immediately catch one’s attention. The research shows that these proto-Malay peoples have originated from Cambodia. Their own lore and legends claim that their ancestors crossed the high seas to the north, suggesting they embarked off the coast of Southeast Asia. Their stories tell of storm having diverted their boats to shores of Sulawesi, thrown ashore the people used them as roofs.

Fact is the characteristic house type Toraja build over centuries developed only in the interior mountains that surround fertile plateaus and valleys where they live. Due to the remoteness of the region, even today some seven hours by road to the main urban port of southern Sulawesi, the mountains have protected lifestyle and customs, which have changed relatively little to this day.

A legend has it that the roof shape as well as the general shape of the house is patterned on the ships on which they sailed from their ancestral homeland. On another hand, closer look at their culture reveals worship of buffalo, which is a symbol of fertility, strength, and a protection from evil, and its horns decorate the gables of Torajan houses, hence the other theory has it the roof shape is that of a buffalo’s horn.

Whatever the shape’s origin the houses truly look as if they could sail, their sweeping roofs, especially when constructed closely together, the front of the house facing north, the direction of the ancestral homeland, look like ships moored at port. Opposite the houses are rows of granaries, too constructed in the same shape and on piles, often lavishly decorated. The uniform site plan of villages, compact settlements of freestanding structures set in a row, are precisely laid out as if based on well-thought out principles of a subdivision design.

 The house type is always elevated off the ground but in some villages the front of yet longer and broader roof is supported by a massive pillar ever more so giving the house the appearance of a ship.

The interior of the house is quite simple, consisting usually of three rooms – a living area, kitchen and sleeping quarters. As there is no chimney soot of the large fire pit cooking area covers the beams and rafters.

Every house, typically on the front facade but often also on the side of the house, adorn horns of buffalos. The family status is usually shown by the number of horns mounting the house, the more there are the higher the merit and status for the family, attesting to many sacrifices, feasts and ceremonies performed by the family to which many guests have been invited.

In the ancient times, the old, “adat” ceremonies and animistic rites, practiced by the Toraja until the arrival of Christian missionaries, not only buffaloes were sacrificed but people as well. As in many other cultures of the Indonesian archipelago, from Sumatra to Timor, headhunting was part of animistic practices. Its existence shows relationship to headhunting practices of ancient cultures of South and Southeast Asia, further substantiating the roots of origin of the island cultures, whether of Indonesian or Philippine archipelago. Although buffalo and pig sacrifices have replaced human heads and the animistic religion has for the most part been diluted, reasonably strong adat practice still continues to this day and is practiced by about 25% of the Toraja people. Much of the traditional animistic practices take place during the funeral ceremonies called the Feast of the Dead. The practice is sustained by the Toraja inherent belief in afterlife, called Puya, or the Land of the Dead, where everyone is believed will live under the same conditions as he or she did on earth, a belief that spurs every Torajan to attain as much wealth as possible during his lifetime. Another belief of note is that the Toraja people believe the souls of animals will follow their masters into heaven, thus the buffalo sacrifice is in a way not perceived as taking of life as such but rather as an act which is only a temporary state of parting between man and beast and the two will reunite once again at death.

All Toraja houses are richly decorated in a maze of geometric ornamentation in ochre-red, black and white as well as a profusion of symbolic carvings representing aspects of ancestral worship, known as Aluk Todolo. Traditionally people were only allowed to depict motives characteristic of their social status or cast, whether that of the Tokapua or the noblemen, the Tomokaka or a middle-class tradesmen, or the Tobuda, the commoner, usually a farmer. Today people add designs expressive of their lifestyle as well as profession.

Most Toraja people are Christians, both Catholics and Protestants, and the church spires dot the horizon of the villages. Only about ten percent are Muslim, and in fact Muslim religion dominates the coastal areas as well as many deep valleys surrounding the Toraja region as such. All in all Toraja continue to practice highly ritualistic religious ceremonies including the rites of fertility, marriage, birth and death.

 The Torajans believe that when a person dies, the soul leaves the body but remains restless until the burial ritual has been completed. Often a time much of family’s wealth can be spent on staging the finest, most elaborate funeral they can afford, a strange blending of solemnity and celebration. Today the Toraja may bury their dead in the ground but the traditional burial was by placing the body in a casket that was taken into a small structure shaped like their house before being moved to its final resting place inside a cliff-side grave. The caskets were inserted inside cave-like chambers although often left to protrude on specially constructed balconies high above the valley floor. As over time many caskets fell, the ground below is littered with bones and skulls. On the balconies are displayed “tau-tau”, the wooden effigies of the deceased, typically set in rows as puppets they stand gazing over the countryside.

There is definitely more to Indonesia than Bali and visiting Sulawesi and Torajaland should not be missed. On your next trip to Bali or elsewhere in Indonesia include Sulawesi in your itinerary!

Rooftops of Zhaoxing village, Guizhou

Wooden Drum Tower, Zaoxing

Guizhou is one of lesser-visited provinces of China. This is largely due to its remote mountainous character and bad roads, especially in its southeastern corner, where a number of fascinating ethnic minorities such as Bouyei, Sui, Hui, Zhuang, Miao and Dong are found. Although much of these ethnic groups live in poverty, Dong relatively prosper and construct intriguing compact villages of truly remarkable architecture. Of all the Dong villages, Zhaoxing has been hailed as the most beautiful village and is certainly quite picturesque.

Resting under a drum tower, Zaoxing

Set in a basin when approached from either direction and viewed from the surrounding hillsides, Zhaoxing skyline strikes as coherent blend of rooftops above which protrude unique pagoda-style towers, five of them in all. Interspersed throughout the village the drum towers were built by each clan as if one per neighborhood. The pagoda tiers, intricately carved, mounted atop massive timber columns, are decorated with village life images and harbor a drum which is beaten to summon villagers to a meeting, warn of fire and in the old days sounded alarm when the village might had faced an approaching attack. Although the benches below the drum tower serve as a gathering area to hold village meetings, villagers use its soothing shade to rest, play cards, games and chat; the drum towers indeed thus constitute an urban design element that can be incorporated by any contemporary culture.

Drum tower and an ecological village pond, Zhaoxing

A small river passes through Zhaoxing and its banks span several covered bridges, called Wind and Rain Bridges. The name is eloquent as its purpose is not to channel pedestrian traffic on either side of the river alone but to protect the villagers from inclement weather while resting on its benches that line both sides of the structure. Similarly as the drum towers, the covered bridges are a gathering place to socialize as well as nap, and much of the time they are busy namely with the village elders.

The dominant architectural element of the village are the houses. As the drum towers and the covered bridges the Zhaxing house architecture uses no nails and the structures are built entirely of notched timber post and beam construction. The skeleton of the structure is completed first and the rest of the house follows. It’s astounding to see that a massive three-storey structure can sit on simple flat stone footings often as if haphazardly set inside a steep hillside. The Dong vernacular style of architecture undeniably belongs to one of most fascinating tribal architectural styles found anywhere. 

Skeleton structure of a Dong house architectural style

Dong notched post and beam timber construction

Construction detail, Dong architecture

Large house sited on a steep hilside, Zhaoxing village area

Footing of a Zhaoxing house, Guizhou Province, China