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 And here is a set of guidebooks
that can help the foreigner in this respect, tackling one state
or a region at a time. Each volume acquaints the visitor with
the distinct culture, landscape and the personality of the
region it describes. It also contains a capsule of relevant
information about the places worth visiting, about places that
generally get bypassed and also some cultural background of the
area. It also tells the adventure sports enthusiast and the
trekker the best time and season for such activity and how to
get the necessary bookings and licences. Each book contains a
section under the title, ‘The Trails.’ These trails are
charted to suit those who prefer to drive along, but there also
is information about alternatives such as train, bus and air
connections.
The three regions
picked up for the first lot of three books are all mountainous
areas rich in mythology. Though the authors seem to have steered
clear of mythology, they have included special attractions such
as fairs, festivals and other unusual features in box form in
the main text.
The facts about
Himachal Pradesh include the climate—it varies from
sub-tropical to sub-arctic, depending on the altitude. The
traveller may find it rather inconvenient to carry a variety of
clothing to suit the extreme temperatures but it is unavoidable.
There are trails for those who prefer to drive, and trekking
trails for the hardy visitor. Such trails cover the high
mountains as well as the lower hills.
About the
Himalayan region of Uttaranchal, the authors caution the visitor
about long winters with heavy snowfall. The summers are mild but
the weather can change dramatically. A warm sunny day can be
followed by a frosty night. Eleven trails have been described in
this book with routes and stopovers and details of hotels, rest
houses, etc.
Ladakh’s climate
swings between hot and cold, but the cold usually dominates.
Tucked between some of the world’s highest peaks, much of
Ladakh remains snowbound even in summer. Six trails have been
listed with a description of different stages. There are tips
for trekkers and adventure sports enthusiasts.
With these books,
the publishers hope to bridge an information gap in the tourist
market, and plan to come out with three more volumes on Goa,
Kerala and Rajasthan very soon.
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FROM
the snow clad Himalayan peaks to the warm seashores, India presents
an amazing variety of landscapes and environment that can attract
tourists of all description. Its big cities match the metropolitan
ambience of any city of the world. There are dense rain forests,
mangroves and jungles with wild beasts; there are temple towns on
hills and along the rivers that present a panorama of India’s
ancient culture side by side with modern progress. The climate
changes from arctic cold in the mountains, to temperate climes in
the plains to blazing deserts and shifting sand dunes.
