Photo Diary: Karishma Visits the Roof of the World

Kensington Tours' India expert, Karishma Sharma, just returned from the roof of the world. She did high altitude exploring in Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal Tours. She started her journey in Tibet, where she had the chance to visit Potala Palace and discovered for herself how uniquely spiritual this country really is. Then she jetted to Nepal where she explored the ancient cities of Kathmandu Valley, took in panoramic vistas of the Annapurna Range in Pokhara and embarked upon the Everest flight to see the highest mountain in the world! She concluded her adventure in Bhutan, the last remaining great Himalayan kingdom, where she hiked up to the famous Tiger’s Nest. Her favourite Kensington moment: “Hiking up to Tiger’s Nest in Bhutan was a challenging feat for me but also the most rewarding experience on the trip”.

(Left) Colourful flowers at the Summer Palace (or Norbulingka) in Tibet which is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and served as the traditional summer residence of the Dalai Lamas. (Right) My best picture of the beautiful Potala Palace!

(Left) Our guide in Kathmandu is explaining where we are here – the house of Kumari Devi, a young girl who lives in the building known as the Kumari Ghar, right beside Kathmandu's Durbar Square. She is known as the Living Goddess. (Right) A "Thangka," is a Tibetan silk painting with embroidery, usually depicting a Buddhist deity, famous scene, or mandala of some sort. We saw this painter in Bhaktapur, Nepal.

Our first glimpse of Mt.Everest from our Everest flight - a 45min flight tour from Kathmandu. Soaring in the clouds, surrounded by the Himalayas was a wonderfully intense feeling!

My partner went paragliding in Pokhara, Nepal which is a worthwhile and popular activity - it's a great way of getting an amazing view of the lakes and the Annapurna range.

(Left) This is a famous site relating to the story of how Guru Rinpoche transmitted Vajrayana Buddhism to Bhutan and neighboring countries in the 8th century. (Right) We had to cross this bridge, adorned with prayer flags, to get to our hotel – Aman Khora in Punakha, Bhutan.

A distant view of The Tiger’s Nest - a prominent Himalayan Bhuddist sacred site and temple complex, located in the cliff-side of the upper Paro valley in Bhutan. We had to hike up to the temple which proved to be quite challenging but extremely rewarding. This moment was definitely the highlight of my trip!

if you’re interested in what Karishma experienced, check out a similar trip with Kensington Tours – http://kensingtontours.com/Tours/Egypt-to-India/India-and-Area/Nepal/9-Day-Nepal-and-Tibet-Exclusive

Karishma Sharma was born in the Indian state of Kashmir and as such, naturally possesses an undying love for mountains and rich cultures. She is always keen to learn about people, religions and ways of life around the world. Last year, Karishma did some extensive traveling including a historic and spiritual tour of Israel. She also visited Turkey, Greece, Bangkok and did a lengthy exploration of Italy.