Adventurous Malaysian traveller has a magical time in remote areas

The writer on a Pamiri yak in the Pamir Mountains. These yaks are still used today for transportation. — Photos: ASI MOHAMED

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Since childhood, I had crazy ideas of travelling to places which were remote and unexplored, as I was curious about them.

After years of doing research on where to go, I finally narrowed down my choices to three destinations: Spiti Valley in India, Pamir Mountain in Tajikistan and Ruga Tadrart or Tadrart Rogue in Algeria.

The first destination I went to was Spiti Valley in 2017. Located in the state of Himachal Pradesh in India, Spiti Valley sits on the country’s Himalayan border with Tibet. I was on a road trip with friends, and we drove through what was thought to be one of the deadliest roads in the world.

We started our 750km journey in Shimla, passing through villages like Sarahan, Sangla, Chitkul, Kalpa, Nako, Kaza and Rohtan Pass; the drive ended at Manali.

Exploring Himalaya via these routes took us to some unfamiliar yet gorgeous landscapes and various terrains, from the lush mountains of Kinnaur Valley and spectacular peaks of Lahul, and the stunning deep blue lake of Chandratal.

We meandered along the Satluj River, and then further along Spiti Valley, we saw colourful Tibetan monasteries.

The highest point of the road was the Kunzum Pass, which stood at an elevation of 4,590m. It is one of world’s highest mountain passes that a vehicle is able to go through.

A unique rock formation found in Tin Tehak, Algeria.

The drive was slow, and there were plenty of sign boards along the way that reminded drivers to be careful. Many sections of the road were so narrow that any error in judgment would mean tumbling down the valley and into the fast-flowing river!

It was a nerve-racking experience and definitely not for the faint-hearted. Nevertheless it was also the most exciting drive I had ever had in my life.

About a year later, I travelled to Pamir Mountain, which is dubbed the “roof of the world”. The route I took was a historically important one, running along the Silk Road.

Pamir is one of the best-kept secrets as a tourist destination; it is also one of the most inaccessible places in the world. My journey of 1,200km started in Dushanbe in Tajikistan. This route took me through some of the most extreme terrains, perpetually subjected to landslides, avalanches, earthquakes as well as difficult weather conditions.

Driving along the Panj River we were often faced with hairpin turns and precipitous cliffs far above the water. The drive cuts through the Gorno-Badakhshan autonomous region, where we got to visit the Wakhan Corridor and see the snow peaks of Trans-Alay.

We stopped at places like Khorog, Isskhasem, Alichur Murgab, Karakul Sari Tash and Sari Mogul, and ended the trip at Osh in Kyrgyzstan. We drove across desert landscapes, past stunning turquoise lakes and golden meadows, and went through mountain passes.

There were also a few hot springs, Saka tombs (or burial mounds) and old Kyrgyz graves, as well as some Marco Polo sheep and ibex.

The lakes in Pamir – including Karakul, Bulunkul, Sarez and Yashikul – were a kaleidoscope of blues and greens.

The Kyrgyzstan border – Kyzyl Art Pass – is one of the highest border crossings in the world. When I declared my passport there, the officer had to refer to a master list of countries for reference. I think I may be one of only a handful of Malaysians that has ever gone through that check point.

Finally, in 2019, I went to Tadrart Rogue. Sharing borders with Libya and Niger, its reddish surroundings and rock formations resemble the planet Mars.

Tourism is not Algeria’s main economic trade, although its portion of the Sahara desert is popular, especially among adventure travellers.

Djanet, a small town in the south, was where our journey started. It was a six-day, seven-night road trip and the drive cut through Tilafazo Tiseteka, Oued Innahar, Tehe Tahosaiet, Moul Naga, Ouenzaouaten, Tin Tehak, and Tin Merzouga.

The drive was awesome as there was no one else on the road. This experience was truly unique to me. We went through spectacular landscapes like the sand dunes that seemed to be higher than mountains and the black basalt formations. We also slept under the stars.

The extreme terrain is not the only draw though – scattered across this rugged landscape was one of the world’s most splendid collections of prehistoric rock art. It was like an open museum.

The locals who accompanied us are known as the Tuareg, and they were some of the toughest people I had ever seen. They were able to walk non-stop in the desert for hours and hiked up the sand dunes effortlessly.

Tadrart is a controversial area as it is said there are immigrants who cross over to illegally dig up precious metals. Also, some parts of the Algerian Sahara are not accessible to foreigners due to its proximity to hostile neighbours.

According to the locals I was the first Malaysian they had met, though I was not entirely sure if that was true. They asked me to give them the Malaysian flag I was carrying as a memento, and I did.

These three trips to relatively unknown destinations truly did change my perception on life, and the environment. I had done something unpredictable and explored the unknown, lived in unimaginable places, and met some wonderful people.

I encourage any adventure-seeking tourists to include these places in their next travel plans as they are truly worth visiting.

The views expressed are entirely the reader’s own.