Snow-clad peaks rising majestically in the horizon, mysterious lakes reflecting the mountains ringing them, massive glaciers and fast-flowing rivers-all this and more are the Himalayas, a world stamped by divinity. Here too are mountain trails winding up to far-flung corners where people in remote villages pursue age-old lifestyles, almost untouched by the contemporary world. From snow-covered Ladakh, with its stark-cold desert; to the Kashmir valley where the ancient pilgrimage trail to the Amarnath cave begins; from Himachal, with its stunning views from Shimla; to the remote Spiti valley and Uttarakhand's temple towns steeped in mythology-the journey moves on to Sikkim, crowned by the magnificent Kanchenjunga mountain, and the rainforests of Arunachal. On the way, visit fascinating people such as the Changpas tending their yaks in Ladakh; the Lepchas of Sikkim, said to be a vanishing tribe; and the Wanchos of Arunachal, the last head hunters of the world. The odyssey continues outside India, to Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet, where the mystique of the Himalayas deepens. Magical places where the chanting of Buddhist lamas resounds in the mountains of Tibet and Bhutan, where exquisite monasteries perch precariously on steep inclines and the dzongs (forts) of Bhutan have stood vigil since the twelfth century are bought to life by stunning photographs and evocative descriptions, enticing you to visit the far-reaches of the Himalayas or merely turn the pages to enjoy a visual feast.
