Narvik to Abisko - along the Arctic Circle Train

The Arctic Circle Train, serving between Kiruna (Sweden) and Narvik (Norway), is one of the world's northernmost train routes. Running along the 68th parallel north, the train journey takes approximately 3 hours.

Along the way, there are a few notable stops - Abisko National Park, Björkliden ski resort and hiking in the Riksgränsen mountain ranges. In winter, the ski resort is very popular, as is Abisko, where many tourists flock here for the Northern Lights. In summer, trekking and hiking is the favourite activity. I took the train from Narvik to Abisko, stopping at Abikso Turiststation within the National Park. And along the route, I was glued to the train window!

The winter scenery is truly spectacular, and I would imagine the summer equivalent to be no less wonderful.  The border crossing between Norway and Sweden were but a mere announcement, and the train and seats are really comfortable. Tickets can be bought online directly at Swedish rail SJ's website (http://www.sj.se/start/startpage/index.form?l=en) and if booked early enough, it can be as low as US$9! There are also rail passes available. So next time if you have the opportunity, check out this train journey!

Here's sharing a few photos along the way! (Showing why I was glued to the window)

Winter in Kashmir

Kashmir, one of the regions in the Jammu & Kashmir state in northern India is a beautiful place for trekking, with scenic lakes and mountains. In winter, it boasts a well known ski resort too. However, dogged by internal (and external) disputes and terrorism, tourism is relatively slow.

Nevertheless, if the opportunity arises, there's plenty to see and do. In summer, trekking is the thing to do, with spectacular Himalayan sceneries to accompany you. There are also the royal gardens to visit, reputed to be colourful and mermerizing. Well, I didn't get to see it because I visited Kashmir in winter, and the gardens are, well, alittle dry.

Still, winter in Kashmir presented its own charms. As mentioned, there is a ski resort in Gulmarg. Whats cool, you get to ski with the Himalayas as your backdrop! Or you could just do some simple sledding, or just take in the winter view!
The journey up the mountain is interesting in itself. The road at certain parts are challenging, and at one of the corners on the mountain road, traffic was held up because the bus on the opposite direction got stuck in the ice/snow slush! Also, the local Kashmiris would all clamour up the bus and take a free ride up the mountain on the bus top! Once on the top, they will jump down and offer their services, typically sled pulling!




Of course, the top draw in Kashmir, whether in winter or summer, is a visit to the lakes and their houseboats. These houseboats are a legacy of the British, and is now a major tourist attraction. You get to stay in a beautifully decorated houseboat, complete with a cook and butler. In winter, the landscape is grey and misty but has its own charm, and I'm sure in summer, it's spectacular. Access to these houseboats are via shikharas, a small boat that can sit 2-4 persons. The lake sightseeing are also done on these shikharas, and merchants on shikharas would row towards you and offer their wares. Bargain hard though!


Do note though, security is really tight in this region. We flew into Srinigar airport from New Delhi, and we had to go through like 4 security checks! On our way back, the airport declared that no batteries are allowed on the plane, and had to be checked-in!! The view of the Himalayas on the flight is really one of the most spectacular, and luckily, I somehow managed to find a battery on my compact... ;)

I hope the political situation improves over there. Kashmir is really a beautiful place not to be missed!