Hitch-hiking, walking, slogging through rivers and across leech-ridden hills, Vikram Seth travelled through Sinkiang and Tibet to Nepal: from Heaven Lake to the Himalayas. By breaking away from the reliable routes of organised travel, he transformed his journey into an unusual and intriguing exploration of one of the world's least known areas.

Vikram Seth ( born June 20, 1952) is an Indian poet, novelist, travel writer, librettist, children's writer, biographer and memoirist.