Travel Photography Blog by Nisa Maier and Ulli Maier. » Jungle

The Living Root Bridges Of Cherrapunji In Megahalya, India.

Ulli — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 05:23:32 +0000

In Cherrapunji, located in the Indian state Meghalaya, living root bridges are located throughout the rainforest. Travelling to the wettest place on earth, means heavy rain, thick fog, the greenest jungle, the tallest Indian plunge waterfalls and some of the most stunning & eco-friendly natural wonders you’ll come across.

It was by accident that we heard about these living root bridges in the Northeast of India. These really unique natural-man-made wonders can only be found in hidden valleys where rain tumbles down almost every day throughout the year. The logistic to get there at first seemed a bit difficult, but actually turned out to be pretty easy. We flew to Guwahati in the state of Assam and negotiated a cab straight up to Cherrapunjee Holiday Resort, which is a great starting point for a lot of hikes into the region. The guys in the resort were happy to hand out maps of the various trekking options and can arrange cabs and guides for every occasion.

As Cherrapunji holds the title “the wettest place on earth” one has to come prepared, especially during monsoon season – which of course the season when we decided to visit this extraordinary place. Yet it’s still an amazing place for travel photographers like ourselves.

The Double Decker Living Root Bridge.

We started straight away with the so called “most enduring trek”; 2.500 stairs down to the Umshiang Double Decker Living Root Bridge, called Jingkieng Nongriat. It’s a natural wonder designed and guided by man and even believed to be the only one of its kind in the world. The roots of a Ficus elastica tree have grown over a period of at least 25 years along a small rope across the river, always put into the right direction, until is developed into a bridge that could be “paved” with stones and can now hold up to 20 people at once. Some of the ancient root bridges in the area are used daily by the people of the villages around Cherrapunji for more than 500 years.

Getting To The Double Decker Living Root Bridge.

We hired a guide to lead the way, even though one could do it without one since the trek is well signed. But a guide knows many stories about the area and its people and knows exactly where to take special care on the path – during monsoon rain the trek can be slippery at times.

On the way to the double decker bridge, you have to cross two steel cable bridges. They were pretty shaking and we had to cross one by one, while being surrounded by raging waters … frightening in a way but amazingly impressive at the same time.

The entire trip takes about five hours, so it’s definitely necessary to bring plenty of water and some snacks, though there is a little place near the double decker bridge where you can get a bowl of instant noodles and tea.

Overall, the trek is a really rewarding experience through jungle, where betel-nut and bay-leaves are grown by the locals who do this trek everyday to reach the road. We were told that this trek is the most exhausting, but if you’re fit, it’s not even the slightest problem. We even did it a second time, since on our first trip down the valley it was raining cats and dogs.

The War-Khasis, a tribe in Meghalaya, long ago noticed this tree and saw in its powerful roots an opportunity to easily cross the area’s many rivers. Now, whenever and wherever the need arises, they simply grow their bridges.

The root bridges, some of which are over a hundred feet long, take ten to fifteen years to become fully functional, but they’re extraordinarily strong — strong enough that some of them can support the weight of 50 or more people at a time.

The root bridges lie in the dampest place on earth lies – the state Meghalaya in the northeast of India. It’s also known as “The Abode of Clouds”.

One special root bridge, believed to be the only one of its kind in the world, is actually two bridges stacked one over the other and has come to be known as the “Umshiang Double-Decker Root Bridge.”

The southern Khasi and Jaintia hills are humid and warm, crisscrossed by swift-flowing rivers and mountain streams. On the slopes of these hills, a species of Indian rubber tree with an incredibly strong root system thrives and flourishes.

Because they are alive and still growing, the bridges actually gain strength over time — and some of the ancient root bridges used daily by the people of the villages around Cherrapunji may be well over 500 years old.

This place receives a lot of rain, so wooden bridges rot and decay. But Root bridges are alive and growing and so gain strength over time.

Temple Running Through Angkor Wat, Cambodia.

Nisa — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 08:43:38 +0000

She smiles seductively, her mouth is opened just a little bit; her hair is pinned-up to a crown; a precious cloth runs down her arms; a very short piece of fabric covers her hips. The Aspara dancer is an intriguing figure, which you’ll come across in almost every temple of Angkor Wat.

An Aspara dancer at Angkor Wat, Cambodia.

For most westerners, Angkor Wat induces an image of a lone European explorer hacking his way through the thick jungle of Cambodia when he by chance stumbling across the lost ruins of Angkor… Ruins, which turned out to become a wonder of the ancient world. To be frank, I was no different. Before I visited Angkor for the first time in 2007, I also thought that Henri Mouhot – a French naturalist – re-discovered these temples.

But this is just an urban myth; When Henri Mouhot came across the temples in 1860, Angkor was run-down, succumbing to nature and being in a serious state of disrepair, yet it was never lost as many people think… The location of all Angkor sites, which are on the tourist itinerary today, was always known to the Khmer and other westerners have been there before. Mouhot himself never claimed that he was the one to discover it, yet somehow he became associated with it.

Angkor Wat is the largest religious structure in the world. It’s the crowning achievement of the classical Khmer Empire, which once ruled most of Southeast Asia.

Personally I think it’s one of these sights every tourist and/or traveller should have seen at least once in their lifetime. Angkor’s many temples will capture you immediately – the area is truly magical and the atmosphere one of a kind.

The Obvious:

Angkor Wat.

Angkor Wat is the main temple and largest monument of the Angkor group, as well as the best preserved. It’s truly an architectural masterpiece. The main tower represents the mountain “Meru”, which is the centre of the universe for Hindus & Buddhists. The best time to visit is just before sunset, when the sunlight directly hits the temple structure.

Style: Angkor Wat
Reign: Suryavarman II

The main temple Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

Ta Prohm.

Ta Phrom is definitely one of the most unique temples in Angkor. Unlike most temples, Ta Prohm has been left in much the same condition in which it was found. Trees growing out of the ruins give you the impression that the jungle is taking over.

Style: Bayon
Reign: Jayavarman VII, enlarged by Indravarman II

Ta Prohm temple in Angkor Wat, Cambodia.

Bayon.

Bayon is one of the most enigmatic and powerful religious constructions. Today the temple is best known for the gigantic face sculptures that adorn its 37 surviving towers, facing in four directions on each tower.

Style: Bayon
Reign: Jayavarman VII to Jayavarman VIII

Bayon temple in Angkor Wat, Cambodia.

The Less Obvious:

Ta Som.

In spite of its ruinous state, Ta Som temple has a captivating beauty like very few of the Angkor temples. This comes from its remote location and the merge of nature with the temple. It’s located away from the crowds, and with continually growing plants and trees which makes visitors more curious to explore every dark corner of the temple.

Style: Bayon
Reign: Jayavarman VII

Ta Som temple in Angkor Wat, Cambodia.

Preah Khan.

Preah Khan is one of the largest Angkor temples, measuring 700 meters by 800 meters. It’s immense, beautiful and full of surprises. Definitely allow yourself that bit of extra time to see more than you’d expect in the first place.

Style: Bayon
Reign: Jayavarman VII

Preah Khan temple in Angkor Wat, Cambodia.

East Mebon.

The lovely temple of Mebon is a pyramid of receding terraces. The sculpture at the East Mebon include two-meter-high free-standing stone elephants at corners of the first and second tiers.

Style: Pre Rup
Reign: Rajendravarman II

East Mebon temple in Angkor Wat, Cambodia.

Banteay Kdei.

Banteay Kdei has not really been restored (yet they are working on it right now) and therefore allows the visitor to experience what it may have looked like originally.

Style: Angkor Wat/Bayon
Reign: Jayavarman VII

Banteay Kdei temple in Angkor Wat, Cambodia.

The Gibbon Experience – Tree House In The Jungle Of Laos.

Nisa — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 08:10:06 +0000

Adrenalin meets conservation in this eco-friendly adventure in the Bokeo Nature Reserve wilderness. The Gibbon Experience is a series of ‘ziplines’ criss-crossing the canopy of some of Laos’ most pristine forest, home to the black-crested gibbon. Above is the main treehouse from where all the zipping action starts.

The idea.

Poaching, logging and slash-and-burn farming are destroying primary forest and its inhabitants in South East Asia.

This crazy french guy had a vision to protect the jungle and with the help of the local people, started building tree houses and a network of zip lines through the canopy of Bokeo Nature Reserve. The concept of The Gibbon Experience emerged. The Gibbon Experience provides accomodation in the treetops (into which he first had to climb into for adjusting the first cable) and you can “fly” over the forest to meet the wildlife. The funds received are reinvested to protect the forest.

The Gibbon Experience is the closest you will ever get to playing Tarzan; living up 40m above the ground in a tree-house within thickly forested hills and swinging high across valleys on incredible ziplines, some more than 500m long.

Zipping.

This was the most fun I have ever had! All I did for three days was zip from one platform to the next. If feels just like flying when you’re over 100 meters above the ground. Fantastic! In between the zips you walk through the Laos rainforest to get to the next zipping point.

For me, the Gibbon Experience made me feel like a real superhero. The days where filled with zipping through the jungle.

Rainy season.

If you visit the Gibbon tree house during the rainy season, it can happen that your car gets stuck in mud and you have to walk the distance to the tree house for about 8 hours. While we were there, we had to walk both directions (2 x 8 hours = 16 hours!) because it was simply too muddy for the truck to get through. It’s more than hardcore trekking but it’s a wild experience as well!

We did the Gibbon Experience during the rainy season, which meant walking a lot more due to the fact that the car couldn’t bring us into the jungle. Back then it was a pain in the ass, but today I wouldn’t want to miss out on this special adventure.

Dresscode.

So, don’t just bring your trekking shoes but also comfortable cloths. Nothing fancy becasue everything’s going to be dirty within the first couple of meters (as you can see below – and no, I didn’t slip!). While zipping your cloths might also get some oil stains and we all know how hard it is to get them out if you don’t have a washing machine on hand. Bring a rain coat (or buy one there) and make sure your bags are waterproof becasue it can rain, and rain, and rain for hours. Pull your socks over your pants to make sure leeches don’t get a chance to suck your blood (one girl didn’t do that and she had about 10 on each leg – not fun!).

Bring comfy cloths & shoes for the hike. It’s also advisable to bring a torch, water bottle and gloves, but otherwise leave most of your baggage behind. Everything you bring you must carry in and out of the jungle yourself.

Shoes.

If you don’t have the most comfy shoes, get rid of them immediately! Buy a local pair of shoes. They are 100 % plastic and definitely the best ones for this kind of hike! I can really recommend them to you. You can buy them at the local shop where you stop before you’re on your way to the tree house.

The best shoes for the Gibbon Experience are the ones you get in the hut just before you board the truck. The local guides also wear these and they know why. And after all, you’re not going to a Hollywood movie premier.

The tree house.

Once you made the 8 hour hike, you’ll arrive at the fantastic Gibbon tree house. Soon you’ll realize that it was all worth it. The tree house is not huge but that’s why there’s a limit of 10 people for each expedition. Everything is amazing about this adventure and I can’t wait to go back there again!

The living & dining room of the tree house. At night, large spiders on the walls and rats rustling in the ceilings will be your companions, but you’re in the jungle after all.

Helpful tips.

The following items should be brought by everyone:

Flash-light.
Mosquito repellent.
Gloves for zipping!
A water bottle for the hike.
A book for those who don’t want to zip all day.
A couple of cereal bars.
Fully loaded batteries & reserve battery packs.