#himalaya

#himalaya

According to Hindu mythology, gods and demons churned the ocean to get amrita, the nectar of immortality. A deadly poison called Halahala came out first. The poison was so powerful that it threatened to destroy the entire universe. To save creation, Lord Shiva drank the poison, which turned his throat blue but did not harm him.

In The Last of Earth, she points her writerly compass towards the mountains of mid-19th-century Tibet a region then closed off to European imperialists to meditate on the chequered history of colonial exploration, cartography and the impermanence of human existence. It's in the nature of white men to believe they own the world, that no door should be shut to them.

High above the Naggar valley in Himachal Pradesh, Eila reveals itself slowly. It is not the kind of resort that announces its presence with grand façades or rigid terraces. Instead, it feels as if the architecture has quietly grown out of the mountainside. Soft, organic forms follow the contours of the land, echoing the rhythms of the terrain rather than resisting them.

My father was a petroleum geologist. A lot of my childhood, he was gone, away on oil rigs in the Powder River Basin and remote parts of Wyoming, living in man camps long before cellphones. We had to wait days to talk to him. When he went into the nearest town to shower, he'd find a payphone and call us. I was always breathless with news.

The body is a shifting landscape transformed by surfaces and sensations. Each look captures a different tactile world: the heat of blood, the cool weight of metal, the yielding drift of water. The result is a sculptural study of how the elements carve, shield, and release the self. The materials we embody become the emotions we carry, and the body becomes a materialised exhibition of our emotions, from the pulse of Blood to the discipline of Metal to the surrender of Water.

AllTrails, a hiking app with trail maps and reviews, dug into insights from their 90 million-plus members and team of trail experts to spotlight lesser-known places where the trail alone is worth planning a trip around. Their guide, Travel-Worthy Trails for 2026, spotlights eight unexpected destinations around the world where the trail is the destination.

A February vacation can be the right time to explore different parts of the country. Whether solo or with loved ones, February is a sweet spot for travel. It also means fewer crowds, better deals, and pleasant weather in many destinations. So, if you are planning a getaway, here's a list of some of the best places to visit in February in India.

I've traveled to all 63 major US national parks, but Grand Teton stands out as my favorite.

I trekked it in December 2023 with plans and a permit to camp at Bright Angel Campground, a scenic cottonwood-shaded hideaway just near the famed Phantom Ranch (the only lodging on the world wonder's floor). Then, two days before my trip, a miracle happened: One last-minute reservation became available for Phantom Ranch. The ranch digs typically book out over a year in advance, but if you're lucky, you can either get in via the lottery or a last-minute opening. This made the grueling but gorgeous hike down and up the steep South Kaibab Trail even more memorable.