The Valley of Flowers National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Uttarkhand’s Chamoli district, was opened for tourists on Saturday.
The first batch of 48 tourists was flagged off from Ghangharia base camp for the valley by Deputy Forest Conservator BB Martolia. Spread over 87 sq km, the Valley of Flowers is home to rare Himalayan flora. Due to its picturesque location amid snow-capped mountains and the Pushpavati river flowing in the middle of it, the site attracts tourists in large numbers from all over the world. As it is a protected area, tourists cannot stay overnight in the valley and have to return to the base camp the same day, Martolia said. The trek fee for the Valley of Flowers is Rs 200 for Indians and Rs 800 for foreign citizens. The Valley of Flowers will remain open for tourists till October 31.
As the name suggests, Valley of Flowers is a destination where nature blooms in full glory offering a breathtaking experience. Exotic flowers (over 600 species) like orchids, poppies, primulas, marigold, daisies and anemones are an eye-catching spectacle. Sub-alpine forests birch and rhododendron cover parts of the park’s area. The trek to the valley offers eye-catching spectacles like cascading waterfalls and wild streams. Situated at an altitude of around 3,600 m above the sea level, the valley is also home to such rare and amazing wildlife species like the gray langur, the flying squirrel, the Himalayan weasel, and black bear, the red fox, the lime butterfly, the snow leopard and Himalayan monal, to name a few.
