India Trang Vy is the first Vietnamese to experience Sandakphu - Phalut, one of the most beautiful treks in the world, and see Kangchenjunga peak like the sleeping Buddha.
In November 2022, Ms. Trang Vy (43 years old, Hanoi) trekked the Kuari Pass in the state of Uttarakhand in Northern India. No longer crowded and polluted like in urban areas, she was impressed by the pristine scenery of the mountains of Northern India. After two months, from January 25 to February 2, she returned to India to continue her experience of the Sandakphu - Phalut trek.
Ms. Trang holds the Vietnamese flag on the way to the Kangchenjunga mountain range, which resembles a sleeping Buddha.
The Sandakphu - Phalut trek is over 80 km long, located along the border between India and Nepal. Sandakphu peak is located at an altitude of 3,636 m, the highest point of the Singalia Ridge, the border between India and Nepal. This is a convenient location to see 4 of the 5 highest peaks in the world: the highest peak Everest (8,849 m), the third highest peak Kangchenjunga (8,586 m), the fourth highest peak Lhotse (8,516 m) and the fifth highest peak Makalu (8,481 m).
This is also one of the 35 most beautiful hiking trails in the world, according to Wanderlust magazine. Tshering, the group's Indian tour guide, said this trail is popular because people can watch the sunrise and sunset on the Kangchenjunga range, which looks like a sleeping Buddha.
Ms. Vy's group bought a tour from Himalaya Trekker Company (India), most of the guests were Indians. According to the company's statistics, Ms. Trang Vy's group was the first Vietnamese guests to trek this route.
Pristine scenery on the Sandakphu - Phalut trek.
The nature of the mountain region is strictly preserved by the Indian government, keeping its wild beauty. Her group started by going through bamboo forests, pine forests, and rhododendron forests in Singalila National Park. After passing through the forest, before them was a long trail running through a vast area of burnt grass. Scattered along the way were stupas, Buddhist monasteries, small villages of the people, herds of yaks (Tibetan cows) grazing, and mules of the local people carrying goods up the mountain.
Ms. Trang Vy could see the Kangchenjunga mountain range throughout the journey. The mountain range changes from purple to rose gold at dawn or bright red in the afternoon, with a sea of white clouds below. "The giant sleeping Buddha statue of nature becomes magical at the moment of transition between day and night, a scene that deeply moves anyone who witnesses it," she said.
The trek is in India but many sections have to cross the border with Nepal. Thanks to that, the group was able to admire the overall picture of the natural landscape and border culture of both countries on the same trip.
The day of the trek to Phalut peak (January 30) coincided with Trang Vy’s birthday. That night, the group’s two Indian tour guides, Tshering and Arpan, secretly made a cake to celebrate her birthday. Her name was written on the cake in the Indian phonetic transcription. The surprise birthday party in the -2 degree Celsius temperature on Phalut peak became her most memorable memory of the trip.
The group spent five nights in tea houses in local villages along the trek: Tonglu, Sandakphu, Molley, Phalut, Gorkhey. There were many dormitories in the houses, each room for about 3-6 people, clean but without heating, electricity and internet.
Ms. Trang Vy is especially impressed with the North Indian kitchens. The utensils are neatly arranged, as elaborate as a showroom.
Neat kitchen of the people in the mountains of North India.
The people of India in the mountains are simple and hospitable. In Manebhanjyang, she saw young people in the village dancing and singing to popular music on social networks, including Vietnamese songs.
The military officers at the border guard stations were also friendly and chatted with the group, inviting them to drink milk tea, in return the group gave them two photo frames of Vietnamese landscapes.
During the six days of trekking, the meals were not very varied, mainly nan (Indian flatbread), curry and eggs. The group bought a sack of vegetables, had the locals carry them up the mountain on mules, and cooked Vietnamese dishes themselves.
However, when coming here, visitors should try Chhurpi, a typical dish of the area around the Himalayas. This is the hardest cheese in the world, made from the milk of Chauri - a cross between a male yak and a female cow, according to BBC .
Singalila National Park is closed from June 15 to September 15 every year. Visitors can trek Sandakphu - Phalut during the remaining period. The trek has snow around January but not much. Rhododendrons bloom in spring (April, May), information on the Himalaya Trekker website.
Trang Vy's group flew from Hanoi to Kolkata, connecting to Darjeeling for a break, then moved to Manebhanjyang to start trekking. The total cost of the trip was about 20 million VND, including airfare (11 million VND); tour price (6 million VND); accommodation and travel expenses incurred when visiting the Darjeeling region (more than 3 million VND).
On the trek route, there is a jeep service that takes you along the concrete road to the resting huts, the price per day is about 600,000 VND.
Trekking the Sandakphu - Phalut trek, Ms. Trang Vy has admired the sceneries that no books or words can describe. "Once a year, go to a place you have never been before", she really likes this saying of the Dalai Lama and is on a journey to do that.
Comment (0)