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Ladakh - Planning The Trip

Over 2000 Km by road, in around 10 days. Stunning landscapes, wonderful people. That sums up our Ladakh trip. But how did it actually work? How did we make it happen? Read on to find out!  Leh, the capital of Ladakh , is accessible by air and road. Flying into Leh is the easiest, and time-saving option, while the road is the time consuming one, but with the added advantage of driving past some of the most beautiful landscapes in our country. Each option has much to recommend it, and we chose the road for just one reason – altitude sickness. Altitude sickness was one of my biggest concerns, since I suffer from motion-sickness. Yes, I do travel a lot, but that is despite my condition, and, over the years, have learnt how to handle it. I struggled with it when we visited Nathu-La in Sikkim, and wondered if I would be able to manage a week at the even higher altitudes that we would encounter in Ladakh. This was the reason we stuck to a basic plan, of only 9 days in Ladakh, thoug...
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A Boat Ride on the Kaveri at Ranganathittu

We first visited the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary in May2014, when Samhith and I spent a week at Mysore. We visited the sanctuary again this year, at the special request of Samhith, for his birthday! It is amazing how the sanctuary, and the river, never cease to surprise us, with the profusion and variety of avian life. This has been my only birding trip this year, so here are some photos from the boat ride on the Kaveri at Ranganathittu…

Grey Heron

Painted Stork


Group of Painted Storks

Open Billed Stork

Oriental White Ibis

Oriental White Ibis, in their nest

Black - Crowned Night Heron

Cattle Egrets in breeding plumage

Egret


Snake Bird or Darter

Spot Billed Pelicans

Spot Billed Pelicans

While birds were certainly the highlight of the boat ride, there was more to see in the river.... such as these crocodiles!

Crocodile





The visit to Ranganathittu was our first halt during our Summer Trip of 2016. Read more about that trip in the coming days....

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  1. Harish ShettyDecember 20, 2016 at 11:28 AM

    Great shots.. Loved the croc..

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    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarMarch 17, 2017 at 5:40 PM

      Thank you! We love the crocs too.... Its always good to spot one

      Delete
  2. NatalieGDecember 21, 2016 at 8:47 AM

    The Ibis and Storks are so other-worldly with their dramatic heads and beaks! Many of them looked like they posed just for your pics! :) When you mentioned it was your only recent birding trip it made me realize how much I've missed your photos of all the beautiful birds you encounter. Thanks for the great wildlife pics and I'm looking forward to your upcoming posts about your Summer Trip.

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