Like both these
famous peaks, several places across Asia have become popular tourism magnets. The
iconic status of Malaysia’s Mount
Kinabalu attracts thousands of ecotourists, hikers, climbers, birdwatchers
and plain day-trippers to the Kinabalu National Park each year. Those who wish
to climb the mountain itself are advised to make reservations at least six
months in advance as only 135 climbers are permitted each day.
The stunning volcanic
crater and spectacular sunrises at Mount
Bromo in Indonesia lure a daily stream of visitors who ascend its slopes on
foot, by jeep or on the hardy and lovable local ponies. India’s Doddabetta Peak is close to the beautiful montane resort of
Ooty in Tamil Nadu, and has scenic views of Bandipur National Park. South Korea attracts tourists to its
popular ski resorts, with our particular favourite peak being Balwangsan Mountain in Yeongpyong.
Some peaks are only
accessible to the intrepid adventure-tourists and determined climbers. Mongolia’s
Mount Khuiten is located
in what is considered to be one of the most remote and untouched regions in the
world. Visitors have to take a couple of flights, endure a rugged 400km drive, and
then undertake a 17km trek just to reach the base camp of this pristine peak.
Our choice for Best Asian Mountain Experience,
however, is the legendary Huangshan in
China’s Anhui Province. Since ancient times, poets, painters and pundits of
prose have tried to capture the dramatic magnificence of the amazing and
surreal-seeming landscape. A visit to the actual place, however, shows that
reality is every much as breathtakingly beautiful today as was displayed in
ancient art.
Sheer rock-faces tower
up to dizzying heights, actually piercing the clouds to create a visual fantasy
for the stunned traveller. Solitary pine trees calmly grow out of tiny side-fissures
at terrifying heights, lending a serene tone to the dramatic landscapes. What makes Huangshan a truly memorable
experience is that the most heart-stopping spots are accessible to visitors,
complete with all modern facilities that an international traveller would
expect!
Over time, several
routes with over 60,000 steps have been hewn on the sheer granite faces of
Huangshan. Climbers take between 3 to 7 hours but porters laden with huge loads
of things like furniture, refrigerators, building material and other heavy
items can take a back-breaking 12 hours. For savvy and well-heeled tourists,
however, there are three spectacular cable-car routes, each taking between 10
to 12 minutes.
At the foot of Huangshan
and along the access highways there are numerous accommodation-options ranging
from luxury hotels to spartan backpacker hostels. For us, however, the most
memorable part of our Huangshan experience was staying at the small but
well-appointed hotels built decades ago on the giddy heights of the legendary peak. Nestling in nooks and crannies of the magnificent mountain, they
provide quintessential Chinese hospitality with surprisingly excellent service.
Photographs © Phosamos, Patricia Malina, Jade Screen Hotel
