Take The High Road In The Amazing Himalayas [Video]

The Himalayas stretch from Pakistan right through India, Nepal, Bhutan, and all the way to China, offering scenic wonders along the way and many exciting touring and trekking options.

For those with a love of mountains, the Himalayas offer everything from tall and glistening snow-capped peaks, right down to lush green and forested valleys. The area covered by the mountain range is home to around 40 million people, living in the various countries within the region, comprising a fascinating mix of different peoples and cultures, with many ancient pilgrimage and trading routes perfect for the keen trekker.

This article is a brief introduction into just a few of the attractions available in the Himalayas mountain range.

As stated in the Telegraph, Nepal is one of the most popular destinations in this magnificent mountain range. While some areas are still affected by the devastating earthquake earlier in 2015, including the capital Kathmandu, the country is still a popular draw with magnificent scenery, beautiful trekking trails, and affordable accommodation options.

One recommended area to explore is the Chitwan National Park. Situated at the foot of the Himalayas, the park was pronounced a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984 and is one of the last refuges of the Bengal tiger in Nepal. The park is home to some of the last of the single-horned rhinoceros, along with sloth bears and leopards, and hosts around 544 species of birds. Naturally with its positioning, the surrounding scenery is amazing.

In the central Himalayan region, Langtang National Park is another place of interest, where the sacred Lake of Gosainkunda draws both religious devotees and tourists. The lake is frozen between October and June, offering beautiful views. The surrounding area is ideal for hikers on the Dhunche-Helambu trekking route, which offers basic accommodations and tea houses along the way.

Nepal is, in fact, one of the best regions for trekking, following the mountain paths past the charming Sherpa or Tamang villages all the way to the foot of amazing mountain peaks such as Annapurna and Everest, with trekkers knowing that always close by is a comfortable place to sleep and a hot dinner waiting.

Naturally, Mount Everest is one of the most well-known mountains in the Himalayas, but as reported in the Inquisitr, the climbing season for 2015 had to be canceled for the second year in a row, due to the devastating Nepal earthquake.

Next stop is Tibet, and while the views of Mount Everest are great from Nepal, when visiting the high Tibetan plateau, you will get an even better view of the North Face of the mountain.

While China has modernized much of Tibet, many of the original monasteries still retain their historic and fascinating atmosphere, nestled in beautiful landscapes of rolling grasslands or up in the mountains next to the turquoise lakes, making Tibet an excellent destination for trekking.

Bhutan is a unique and fascinating kingdom in the Himalayas, in some areas almost completely untouched by the modern world, although the major centers have tended to be modernized. The friendly people of Bhutan still wear their traditional dress and live pretty much as they always have, surrounded by lush, forested valleys and mountain peaks and unique Bhutanese architecture. Due to its pristine environment and harmonious society, the tiny Kingdom of Bhutan has often been called “The Last Shangrila.”

There are many national parks and wildlife sanctuaries to be found in the Kingdom of Bhutan, where snow leopard, musk deer, blue sheep, Himalayan black bear, red panda, sambar, barking deer, and markot can be found.

According to the Telegraph article, the only drawback with Bhutan is that it tends to be expensive and on average costs a tourist around $250 per day.

To get a better view of the Himalayas without even setting foot on a mountain trekking trail, Himalayan Footsteps reports that aerial cinema experts Teton Gravity Research have put together the most amazing video footage, using the latest in camera technology.

Included below, the crisp and perfect footage of the Himalayas in all their glory was captured on the GSS C520 system, which is reportedly the most advanced gyro-stabilized drone camera system ever.

For those who can’t make it to the Himalayas this year, this video footage was filmed from a helicopter flying from Kathmandu in Nepal at heights of between 4,600 feet and 24,000 feet up, giving views of Mt. Everest, Ama Dablam, and Lhotse. Enjoy the view!

The Himalayas from 20,000 ft. from Teton Gravity Research on Vimeo.

[Images: Featured image Nepal sunrise CC BY-ND 2.0 Mike Behnken – Nepal view CC BY 2.0 ilker ender – Chitwan National Park CC BY 2.0 Dhilung Kirat – Woman in Tibet CC BY 2.0 Christopher Michel – – Bhutan scenery CC BY-NC 2.0 Aymaan Ahmed]