Nubra Valley, Indian Union Territory of Ladakh, Inida

Nubra Valley is a subdivision and a tehsil in the Indian union territory of Ladakh. Its inhabited areas form a tri-armed valley cut by the Nubra and Shyok rivers. Its Tibetan name Ldumra means "the valley of flowers". Demands have been raised and BJP has hinted at creation of Nubra as a new district.Diskit, the headquarters of Nubra, is about 150 km north from Leh, the capital of Ladakh. The Shyok River meets the Nubra River (or Siachan River) to form a large valley that separates the Ladakh and Karakoram Ranges. The Shyok river is a tributary of the Indus river. The average altitude of the valley is more than 10,000 feet (3,000 m) above the sea level. The common way to access this valley is to travel over the Khardung La pass from Leh. Foreign nationals are required to get a Protected area permit to visit Nubra. Since 1 April 2017 Indian citizens are also required to get an Inner Line Permit to visit it.

Nubra means "western" in Ladakhi, thus referring to the "western  valley", perhaps distinguishing it from the eastern Shyok river valley, which is thinly  populated. The traditional name of the region is Dumra, meaning the "valley of  flowers"

Alexander Cunningham listed Nubra as one of the five natural and historical divisions of Ladakh. Nubra occupies the northeastern portion of Ladakh, bordering Baltistan and Chinese Turkestan in the north, and the Aksai Chin plateau and Tibet in the east. In Cunningham's conception, Nubra includes all the region drained by the Nubra and Shyok rivers. it is 128 miles long and 72 miles wide, making up an area of 9,200 square miles. It extends south till the Pangong Lake.

In modern nomenclature, the Nubra region is divided into "Diskit Nubra" in the north and the "Darbuk region" in the south, both of which are regarded as tehsils and subdivisions of the Leh district. The Diskit Nubra region includes the Turtuk region that was captured from Pakistan during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and the Siachen Glacier region.

The populated part of Nubra is often described as a "tri-armed valley". The  Nubra River Valley divided into three sections called Yarma, Tśurka and Farka. Like the  rest of the Tibetan Plateau, Nubra is a high altitude cold desert with rare precipitation  and scant vegetation except along river beds. The villages are irrigated and fertile,  producing wheat, barley, peas, mustard and a variety of fruits and nuts, including blood  apples, walnuts, apricots and even a few almond trees. Most of Nubra is inhabited by  Nubra dialect or Nubra Skat speakers. The majority are Buddhists. In the western or  lowest altitude end of Nubra near the Line of Control i.e. the Indo-Pak border, along the  Shyok River, the inhabitants in village turtuk are Balti of Gilgit-Baltistan, who speak  Balti, and are Shia and Sufia Nurbakhshia Muslims.

Siachen Glacier lies to the north of the valley. The Sasser Pass and the famous Karakoram Pass lie to the northwest of the valley and connect Nubra with Uyghur (Mandarin : Xinjiang). Previously there was much trade passing through the area with western China's Xinjiang and Central Asia. The people of Baltistan also used the Nubra valley for passage to Tibet.

Diskit town in the valley have become the congregation centre for people of  the region. Diskit is the headquarters of Nubra and thus has lot of government offices  with basic facilities. It is also connected by road with Leh. Along the Nubra or Siachan  River lie the villages of Sumur, Kyagar (called Tiger Hill by the Indian  Army), Tirith, Panamik, Turtuk and many others. The main road access to Nubra is over  Khardung La pass which is open throughout the year. Its status as the highest motorable  road in the world. An alternative route, opened  in 2008, crosses the Wari La from Sakti, to the east of Khardung La, connecting to the main  Nubra road system via Agham and Khalsar along the Shyok River. There are also  trekkable passes over the Ladakh Range from the Indus Valley at various points. Routes  from Nubra to Baltistan and Yarkand, though historically important, have been closed since  1947 and 1950 respectively.

The Nubra valley was open for tourists up to Hunder (the land of sand dunes) until 2010. The region beyond Hunder gives way to a greener region of Ladakh because of its lower altitude. The village of Turtuk which was unseen by tourists till 2010 is a virgin destination for people who seek peace and an interaction with a tribal community of Ladakh. The local tribe, Balti people, follows its age old customs in their lifestyle and speak a language which is just spoken and not written. For tourists Turtuk offers serene camping sites with environment friendly infrastructure.

Places To Visit In Nubra Valley-

1) Panamik Village: is noted for its hot springs. Between Hundar and Diskit lie several kilometres of sand dunes, and (two-humped) Bactrian camels graze in the neighbouring "forests" of seabuckthorn. Non-locals are not allowed below Hundar village into the Balti area, as it is a border area.

2) Maitreya Buddha: The 32 metre Maitreya Buddha statue is the landmark of Nubra and is maintained by the Diskit Monastery. On the Shyok (pronounced Shayok) River, the main village, Diskit, is home to the dramatically positioned Diskit Monastery which is built in 1420 AD. Hundar was the capital of the erstwhile Nubra kingdom in the 17th century, and is home to the Chamba Gompa.

3) Panamikh: You will love exploring hot water springs, you will like Panamik. Located about 150 kilometers from Leh, in close proximity to Nubra Valley, it is a small sleepy village situated at an altitude of 10,442 feet above sea level.

4 ) Yarab Tso Lake: Yarab Tso Lake is a famous tourist attraction in Nubra Valley, located almost 15 kilometers from Diskit near to Simur village.

5) Diskit Monastery: Diskit Monastery is a major tourist attraction in the Nubra Valley, not just for its incredible location, but for the 106 feet Maitreya Buddha statue which is located just below the monastery.

6) Samstanling Monastery: The Samstanling Monastery is located in Sumur Village in Nubra Valley, en route to Panamik. Samstanling Monastery is a famous tourist attraction in Nubra Valley.

7) Maitreya Buddha: There are many things to fall in love with in Nubra Valley, but one which leaves you fascinated is the 108 feet tall statue of Maitreya Buddha.

8) Hunder Sand Dunes: Nubra Valley in Ladakh holds so many surprises for the visitors. One such surprise awaits you at the Hunder Sand Dunes, located about 10 kilometers from Diskit village.

9) Khardung La Pass: At 5,359 meters, Khardung La is the highest motorable road in the world. A sign which greets visitors upon arriving there proclaims it with a hint of pride. 

10)  Turtuk: For The Best Landscape & Local Culture

11) Ensa Gompa: Overlooking The Snow-Capped Mountains. Across the Nubra or Siachan River at Panamik, is the isolated Ensa Gompa near Warisfistan village.

Their are many other place and Natural sites to exploer in Nubra Valley. 

The valley is also famous for its forest of Hippophae shrub, popularly known as Leh Berry. It is within this shrub forest that one can spot the white-browed tit-warbler. One can also spot the Tibetan lark, Hume's short-toed lark, and Hume's whitethroat. The various water birds like ruddy shelduck, garganey, northern pintail, and mallard can be observed on several small water bodies scattered along the route. Besides these, waders like black-tailed godwit, common sandpiper, common greenshank, common redshank, green sandpiper, and ruff can be spotted in Nubra valley.

Hoh Rainforest , Olympic National Park, Pacific Northwest, United States

Hoh Rainforest is located on the Olympic Peninsula in the Pacific Northwest. It is located in western Washington state, and is one of the largest temperate rainforests in the U.S. Within Olympic National Park, the forest is protected from commercial exploitation. This includes 24 miles (39 km) of low elevation forest 394 to 2,493 feet (120 to 760 m) along the Hoh River. The Hoh River valley was formed thousands of years ago by glaciers. Between the park boundary and the Pacific Ocean, 48 km (30 mi) of river, much of the forest has been logged within the last century, although many pockets of forest remain. Hoh Rainforest is the wettest forest in the Contiguous United States, receiving over 150 inches of rain per year. Its a Oceanic climate.

The Hoh lies on the west side of Olympic National Park, about a two-hour drive from Port Angeles and under an hour from Forks. The Hoh Rain Forest is accessed by the Upper Hoh Road, off of Highway 101.

The Hoh Rain Forest, pronounced "Hoe", earns its name from the ever-flowing Hoh River that carves its way from Mount Olympus towards the Pacific Coast. However, where the name originates, is up for debate. The word "Hoh" undoubtedly comes from Native American languages; possibly the Quileute word "Ohalet" which means "fast moving water" or "snow water." Since the river itself forms from glacial runoff, that origin seems straightfoward. Other explanations state that the Quinault word "Qu," meaning "boundary," could be the root of the name as a river as massive as the Hoh certainly forms a formidable boundary across the landscape. A third consideration claims that the word "Hoh" translates to "man with quarreling wives." What the actual history behind the name is appears to be lost to time. 

Regardless of the name, there's no question as to the allure that draws visitors back to the rainforest year after year. Throughout the winter season, rain falls frequently in the Hoh Rain Forest, contributing to the yearly average of 140 inches (3.55 meters) of precipitation each year. The result is a lush, green canopy of both coniferous and deciduous species. Mosses and ferns that blanket the surfaces add another dimension to the enchantment of the rainforest.

The Hoh Rain Forest is located in the stretch of the Pacific Northwest rainforest which once spanned the Pacific coast from southeastern Alaska to the central coast of California. The Hoh is one of the finest remaining examples of temperate rainforest in the United States and is one of the park's most popular destinations.

The dominant species in the rainforest are Sitka  spruce (Picea sitchensis) and western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla); some grow to  tremendous size, reaching 95 meters (312 ft) in height and 7 m (23 ft) in diameter. Coast  Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii), western red cedar (Thuja plicata), bigleaf  maple (Acer macrophyllum), red alder (Alnus rubra), vine maple (Acer circinatum), and  black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa) are also found throughout the forest.

Many unique mosses and lichens are also present in the rainforest, such as lettuce lichen (Lobaria oregana), which "requires the cool, moist conditions found under the canopy of old-growth forests" and is consumed by deer, elk, and other animals

Many native fauna also make the Hoh Rainforest their home, including the  Pacific tree frog (Pseudacris regilla), northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina), bobcat  (Lynx rufus), cougar (Puma concolor cougar), raccoon (Procyon lotor), Olympic black bear  (Ursus americanus altifrontalis), Roosevelt elk (Cervus canadensis roosevelti), and  black-tailed deer (Odocoileus columbianus).

The area is also home to the banana slug (Ariolimax columbianus), which has recently been threatened by the encroachment of a new species of slug, the black slug (Arion ater), an invasive species from Northern Europe. The Hoh Rainforest is home to a National Park Service ranger station, from which backcountry trails extend deeper into the national park.

Near the visitor center is the Hall of Mosses Trail, a short trail—0.8 miles (1.3 km)—which gives visitors a feel for the local ecosystem and views of maples draped with large growths of spikemoss. There is also the Spruce Nature Trail (1.2 miles (1.9 km)), which includes signs that identify various trailside trees and plants. Plucked straight from a storybook, the trail is filled with old trees—a mixture of temperate bigleaf maples and Sitka spruces—draped in green and brown mosses.  Along the main trail, there is an otherworldly 200-foot side path which leads to an enchanting grove of giant maple trees, cloaked in hanging moss. One visitor to the trail wrote that “the trees stand like green-robed figures of eld.”

Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park, San Juan County, Utah, United States

Mesa Arch is also known as Rotary Arch and Trail Arch. Its a pothole arch on the eastern edge of the Island in the Sky mesa in Canyonlands National Park in northern San Juan County, Utah, United States. Mesa Arch is a spectacular natural stone arch perched at the edge of a cliff with vast views of canyons, Monster Tower, Washer Woman Arch, Airport Tower, and the La Sal Mountains in the distance. Mesa Arch Trail is a 1.1 kilometer heavily trafficked loop trail located near La Sal, Utah that features beautiful wild flowers and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for hiking, running, and nature trips and is accessible year-round. Canyonlands National Park charges a fee to enter. Users can also purchase a park specific annual pass.

Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit Mesa Arch. According to the Köppen climate classification system, it is located in a cold semi-arid climate zone, which is defined by the coldest month having an average mean temperature below 0 °C (32 °F) and at least 50% of the total annual precipitation being received during the spring and summer. This desert climate receives less than 10 inches (250 millimeters) of annual rainfall, and snowfall is generally light during the winter. 

This is an easy walk to an arch perched on a cliff edge. Users especially recommend this as a great sunrise hike in Canyonlands National Park with its amazing morning views. Getting to this day hike early is also a great way to avoid the busy crowds and full parking lot that tend to start in the mid-morning, making this a more nature-like experience. As this climate varies tremendously throughout the year and days, definitely bring layers for the cold mornings and hot days.

The Island in the Sky mesa rests on sheer sandstone cliffs 1,000 feet above the surrounding terrain. Every overlook offers a different perspective on Canyonlands' spectacular landscape. The Island is the easiest district to visit in a short period of time, offering many pullouts with spectacular views along the paved scenic drive. Hiking trails and four-wheel-drive roads access backcountry areas for day or overnight trips. Mesa Arch Trail is easy and offers great views from the arch perched right on a cliff edge. 

 

Mesa Arch is classified as a pothole arch because it was formed by surface water that pooled on the sandstone behind the arch, slowly eroding the rock. The result is an arch that dangles across the mesa’s edge. Geology aside, the arch provides the frame for a stunning Utah landscape. Along the mesa to the east is another arch, named Washing Woman Arch. Below the mesa is the prominent white rim of spectacular canyons carved by the Colorado River. Rounding out the view, the snow-capped peaks of the La Sal Mountains meet the sky at the horizon.

The arch is beautiful any time of day, but if you end up here around sunrise or sunset, you will likely be in for a beautiful show.

Tham Khao Luang Cave, Mueang Phetchaburi, Phetchaburi, Thailand

Tham Khao Luang Cave is at Mueang Phetchaburi, Phetchaburi, Thailand. Khao Luang is the most important and best visited, because of the large number of Buddha images found inside the cave, including a meters high Buddha image cast by order of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V).  King Mongkut (Rama IV) who reigned the Kingdom from 1851 until 1868 used the cave to study Buddhism and to meditate. He had a large number of Buddha images placed in the Khao Luang cave. His successor to the throne, King Chulalongkorn ordered a large 4 meter high Buddha image be made and placed in the cave dedicated to Kings Rama III and Rama IV.

The impressive caves are set in Khao Luang hill, just North of Petchaburi town. They consist of a number of caverns filled with beautifully illuminated golden Buddha images, several chedis and a great number of stalactites hanging from the ceiling.

Petchaburi is not only a province with a lot of history that has  long been reflecting local culture and lifestyle, but also has many places of worship such  as temples, in particular cave temples found on mountains throughout the province. Five  kilometres away from the city centre towards the direction where Khao Wang is situated, a  cave temple was built on a small hill with a height of only 92 metres. It is not that hard to get  to there. The way up to the temple is not quite steep so that you can either walk or drive  uphill.

The cave temple is only about a hundred years old. It was built in the reign of King Chulalongkorn, who wanted to build a temple on Khao Luang Peak in honour of King Mongkut, who once visited the Tham Khao Luang Cave. King Chulalongkorn thought that the cave was fascinating with stalactites and stalagmites all over it. The cave also features a hole through which sunlight comes and gleams on stones, making the cavern colourful and allowing visitors to see all the beauty of the interior of the cave. Also, the hole permits cool air to flow into the cave, making it not humid. King Mongkut, who saw the beauty of the cave, had 10-metre long concrete stairs built from the foot of the mountain into the cave and also got the ancient Buddha images which were hosted in the cave before the Rattanakosin Period renovated. It is assumed that the statues, the six-metre long reclining Buddha and the large Buddha image in subduing Mara position. During his reign, King Chulalongkorn paid a visit to Petchaburi and wanted to construct a proper temple in the Tham Khao Luang cave in honour of his father, King Mongkut. He had new Buddha images made so as to host them in the cavern with the ancient ones. He also had the first five kings of the Chakri Dynasty's coats of arms inscribed at the base of one of the newer Buddha statues.Wat Tham Khao Luang underwent renovations and improvements. Nowadays, tourist guides are provided by the temple and shops are available to visitors. In addition, there are lots of monkeys living in the temple.

The atmosphere inside the cave is serene and quiet, Buddhist people will pay respect to the Buddha images burning candles and incense sticks. There are about 170 Buddha images in Khao Luang cave. One of the most beautiful is a huge reclining Buddha image, symbolizing the passing of the Buddha into final Nirvana.

The rays of the sun shining through holes of the ceiling of the caves illuminates the cave chambers, giving the gold colored Buddha images a mystical appearance. Apart from the Buddha images and chedis, you will find stalactites hanging from the caves ceiling, formed over the centuries by dripping water.

An old local legend tells that the caves were once inhabited by young women only. One of the most important Buddhist temples in the world, Khao Luang Cave is a must visit when on a trip to Thailand. Located in the Khao Luang Mountains, the cave is just 5 kilometres away from Phetchaburi. The serenity and peace that exists inside the cave is sure to levitate your senses. The laid-back atmosphere here will give you the perfect break from the hustle-bustle of city life.

The caves are open daily from 9 am to 4 pm and the admission is free. Taking a private taxi is the best way to get here. It takes less than an hour from Hua Hin and about two hours from Bangkok to reach Khao Luang Cave.