Among writer Madhavi Bhatia’s Himalayan escapes are the spectacularly beautiful Niti and Mana Valleys. “These are the last villages you will see before you enter the passes into Tibet. The views are magnificent, with Panchchuli, Nanda Devi and other great peaks towering over you. On a clear day you may even catch a glimpse of Mount Kailash,” she says. Yet these valleys are a stone’s throw away from Joshimath, Badrinath, and the Valley of Flowers.
Once you step off the busy pilgrim trail, it’s all densely wooded slopes, green meadows and pastures where semi-nomadic tribes like the Bhotiyas camp in season. For five months, starting in May they graze their flocks, cultivate buckwheat, barley and gather medicinal herbs. In winter they move to lower altitudes. You will find village accommodation, especially at Lata, which has long been a base camp for expeditions to Nanda Devi.
“This has long been a very rich trade route, so you will find Malari and other villages have prospered,” says Madhavi. “It is quite a surprise to find houses here with elaborate carvings and decorations right in the middle of this distant outpost.”
