Valley of Flowers – A brief introduction to the Heaven on Earth
Bequeathed with the rare and exotic flora of the great Himalayas, the Valley of Flowers is a literal bouquet of nature that is peacefully snuggled in the Western Himalayan region in the state of Uttarakhand. The trek to the Valley of Flowers goes through thick forests running along the Pushpawati river and can be reached by crossing several bridges, glaciers and waterfalls that come on your way.
This dazzling piece of nature is one of the many Indian National Parks and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, manifesting sumptuous meadows that are bloomed with endemic alpine flowers and diverse fauna that call this valley their home.
About Valley of Flowers National Park
The region enclosed as the Valley of Flowers is enriched with a variety of flora and fauna. The Valley of Flowers was declared as an Indian National Park in the year of 1982 and it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well. The charming beauty of this magical valley has always been like a magnet that attracts enthusiastic botanists, admirers of nature, and adventure lovers.
Situated at the height of 3,658 meters the lap of the Bhyundar Valley, the Valley of Flowers in the district of Chamoli in Uttarakhand sprawls over a huge expanse of nearly 87.50 square km, that measures around 8 km in length and 2 km in width. The Valley of Flowers is the second core zone of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve that is lauded with copious cascading waterfalls, silver and glimmering glaciers and beautiful thickets that greet each and every traveller at every step. Ghangaria is a petite little hamlet located at a distance of 13 km from the Govindghat, which is also the last human habitation centre that you will find on the way to the mesmerising Valley of Flowers.
The Valley of Flowers trek seems to change its hues and colours throughout the season from May to the end of October when the season concludes and blooming thousands of different flowers that take on numerous different colours and shades as time progresses. This valley is home to many beautiful and celebrated flowers that include the Brahmakamal, the blue poppy and also the cobra lily.
The Valley of Flowers is extremely popular among International tourists and thousands of foreign tourists come to the Valley of Flowers every year, to be a witness to a colourful bed of flowers that make up the Valley of Flowers in Uttrakhand.
History of Valley of Flowers
When a place is as beautiful as the Valley of Flowers, you do expect its history to be as beautiful as well, and it is. In the year 1931, three young British lads named Frank S. Smythe, Eri8c Shipton and R.L. Holdsworth who were also mountaineers went off their path while descending from the majestic Mt. Kamet. Their little trio accidentally landed in a valley that was blanketed with beautiful alpine flowers and they were in pure awe of its beauty, and thus they named it “The Valley of Flowers”. One of the climbers’ names, Frank S. Smythe also went on to write a book named ‘Valley of Flowers’ later in his life.
Steps that are taken Post Lockdown for the Trek
- The states/union territories that have currently opened their attractions to tourists from other states have made a Covid-19 Test that must not be older than 72 hours mandatory.
- Treks and Valleys that were earlier operating with homestays, will now avoid such stays to help protect the local habitants of the state safe and healthy.
- It is also requested that tourists make as little contact with the locals as possible, as we do not want to contaminate any of these lovely people with the virus.
- The dining tents that used to be the heart of the experience, where many games and fun times took place will now be avoided, to maintain social distancing. Similar measures are taken to ensure social distancing among the staff members and the tourists.
- All the staff members who accompany you on the trek are regularly tested and checked for symptoms, ensuring your absolute safety.
- Regular sanitization and cleaning of the tents and other tools are done. To make sure we are surrounded by a clean and healthy environment.
- In case, a participant develops symptoms for covid during the trek, they will be safely returned to the base camp. Following this, the team will also notify the nearest medical facility to decide upon the next course of action.
- All the tourists will be required to carry sanitisers with them, with a minimum of 60% alcohol content. And we also request the tourists to carry their own water bottles and cutlery and also avoid using any of these things with your fellow travellers.
- The number of tourists on these treks has also been reduced to a mere 6-8 members per tour, to ensure the safety and integrity of the tourists.
Things to do in Valley of Flowers
You can be one of those adventurers and nature lovers and visit the beautiful Valley of Flowers as you trek to it. The valley offers tourists an abundance of natural beauty that takes the form of various waterfalls, verdurous hills that are covered with oak and pine trees, gushing and splashing rivulets and streams, and of course a myriad of beautiful and fragrant flowers that will leave you in awe. So yes, trekking to this valley is always one of the most exciting and loved activities that you can be a part of.
You can also visit Hemkund Sahib, which is one of the most revered Sikh shrines in the state of Uttarakhand. Every year, thousands of pilgrims from all over the world partake in this holy pilgrimage with love and devotion. This beautiful shrine sits under a thick blanket of snow during the times of winters and that is just an extremely beautiful view that can be only explained when seen in person.
You can also take part in village tourism, and visit Ghangaria, which is the last inhabited village one will encounter on their way to the Valley of Flowers. You can go on to explore this beautiful little hamlet situated at the confluence and learn about the rustic way of life they live by, their interesting customs and unique beliefs. You may also visit the Bhyundar Village en route to Ghangaria from Govindghat.