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Wheeling off to serenity

A first-time travel writer, Manmohan Singh alias Koko Singh has come out with four books, "Driving Holidays In The Himalayas". RANA SIDDIQUI speaks to the avid traveller

EVEREADY Koko Singh says his books on travel are a part of an essentially active pastime PHOTO: V.V. KRISHNAN

This summer, Sikkim, Uttaranchal and Ladakh can be the travel destinations for you. Not one, not two but there are more than 95 destinations in these areas waiting for you. These are all mostly unexplored, in pen or in pictures. So forget Naini Tal or Shimla. Take the route less travelled. Take it from Manmohan Singh, a corporate honcho earlier and now a travel writer better known as Koko Singh. He has come out with four books under one title, "Driving Holidays In The Himalayas". Published by Rupa, the books explore small and big destinations in Sikkim, Ladakh, Zanskar and Uttaranchal with stunning pictures. He laces it with some historical background of almost each location in easy writing tinged with lots of humour at places.

He peeps into the culture and food habits of the people living in so far unknown areas. Then there are colourful maps, lists of dos and don'ts, lucky symbols that you can carry as mementoes back home, and a lot more.

Says Singh, "These books weren't planned. In fact, they are a part of an essentially active pastime. I have been travelling for 20 years. But though I know about these places for many years, when I sat to write a book on them, I found that none of the websites, books etc. had any information about the stunning places we have visited. So the places that I visited with my wife Annu Sharma, who has also taken some of the photographs, is a result of my practical visits in the last two years. They are not based on hearsay or jotted down from the Net."

Unexplored destinations

Singh wonders that usually people list Zanskar as one small destination in Ladakh. "Zanskar is a stunningly beautiful place. It is not so small. In fact, it needed a separate book. Half of Zanskar is dominated by Shia Muslims, a fact many don't know. Similarly, people usually stop at Gangtok in Sikkim without realising that there are countless other nearby places to visit. Take for instance, Nathu La, which is just 60 km from Gangtok. It is breathtaking. Here, a look at the Army made me realise how they operate in extremely hostile conditions," says Singh, who however suggests visitors to keep aside at least a week to ten days if they choose Sikkim as a holiday destination this summer.

"Sikkim has everything one can imagine, from water rafting to joy driving. It is still not run over by tourists. So it has its own share of peace and tranquillity," he shares.

As one skips through the pages of these books that also carry food coupons of some of the restaurants in these areas, it shows the maturity of the deft writer. So, how come a corporate guy has become a travel writer? "I was working with the first corporate company in India, Hindustan Lever Limited.

As a marketing personnel there, I realised that what all corporate houses teach you is to take care of yourself in a lavish way. I thought I don't need that much money to survive. So I joined an NGO called Sruti in 1989. Ever since, I am working with them as their board member and also travelling as a hobby." However to write these books, Singh travelled there twice to get all the facts right.

A fit car, a medical kit, mental readiness to acclimatise to the severe mountain conditions, warm clothes, binoculars and a camera, is what all Singh suggests you to begin with.

Next in his kitty are a book on Himachal Pradesh, ready to be published in July and "may be one on Rajasthan", he quips.

Ready to drive?

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