Nepal, our beautiful landlocked neighbour that is shielded by the shadow of the mighty Himalayan Range has a diverse geography, including fertile plains and highest point on earth—Mt. Everest. And that’s why Nepal has earned itself the moniker of “The Roof of the World”.
The ideal trekker’s paradise, Nepal attracts several types of travellers from backpacker to the luxury traveler to those seeking some family mountain fun! And while the country might still be recovering from the twin earthquakes that ravaged the former Himalayan Kingdom in the year 2015, the good news is that it is on the mend.
Take a walk through Nepal's lush hill villages |
After a sharp decline in visitors post the natural disaster, the numbers are slowly recovering and now is a wonderful time to go to the mighty mountains. We give you a glimpse into what Nepal has to offer you:
Hire a boat and sail down the meandering Bagmati river |
Kathmandu
The capital city of Nepal also serves as the gateway to the country. Kathmandu is an interesting city to visit, though it takes a while to get over its crazy traffic and poor road conditions.
Though a lot of the monuments located at the famous Durbar Square were severely damaged or completely ruined during the earthquakes of 2015, they are being painstaking restored. Make sure to visit the famous Boudhanath Stupa that is a world heritage site and the Pashupatinath
Temple. The latter being the country’s most important Hindu temple, located on the banks of the Bagmati river. Another must-see Kathmandu attraction is the Royal Palace, the site of the infamous 2001 massacre of the Royal Family by the then Crown Prince, and now converted into the Narayanhiti Palace Museum.
Chitwan National Park
As one of the World Heritage listed reserves that protects over 932 sq. km of forests, marshlands and grasslands, Chitwan National Park cannot be missed.
The park is considered to be one of the best parks for viewing wildlife in Asia. One-horned rhinos, deer, monkeys and over 500 species of birds are regularly spotted. If you are lucky, you may spot a leopard, wild elephant or sloth bear and if even better luck prevails, you may also spot the majestic royal Bengal tiger.
Pokhara
Offering some spectacular scenery and adventure activities, Pokhara is the getaway for treks to the country’s famed Annapurna range. The Lakeside of Pokhara is a chilled-out version of Kathmandu’s busy Thamel area.
From the Lakeside as well from a lot of hotels one can enjoy the spectacular panoramic view of the snow-capped mountains. Pokhara boasts a booming adventure sports industry and is one of the best paragliding venues in the world.
Annapurna Region
Speaking of the Annapurna Region, it has long been considered one of the best trekking zones in Nepal and known for having one the world’s most classic walks.
The walk follows the Marsyangdi Valley to the north of the main Himalayan range and crosses a 5,416 meters pass to descend into the upper Kali Gandaki valley. The walk offers spectacular views of the numerous 7,000 meters plus Annapurna peaks and boasts some of the great trekking lodges of Nepal.
Breakfast at Everest Base Camp
This is a new private concept for the hard-core adventure traveller where one can do a short excursion from Kathmandu and enjoy breakfast near the Mt. Everest base camp with the fascinating peak in the backdrop. (With inputs from WIYO Travel—a travel company specialising in unique travel experiences and customized solutions for the discerning traveller.)
TRAVEL TIPS
Avoid drinking tap water and try to drink only bottled water. Wherever possible, avoid intercity road journeys and use local flights. The roads in Nepal are narrow and are ridden with traffic; a 200 km journey may take 7-8 hrs.
Wherever possible, avoid intercity road journeys and use local flights. The roads in Nepal are narrow and are ridden with traffic; a 200 km journey may take 7-8 hrs.
Chitwan National Park is famous for its one-horned rhinos |
Local flights are substantially dependent on weather conditions and there may be delays, so plan accordingly. If you are doing any trekking, do ensure that you have the necessary permits to trek in the region.
Indian Nationals enjoy special rates at hotels and for trekking permits at most trekking routes, NRIs or Foreign nationals will have to pay the regular foreigner rate for the permits.
Be sure to convert any remaining Nepalese Rupees prior to leaving, one cannot exchange Nepalesecurrency outside of Nepal.
Indian nationals can use denominations of INR 100 or lower very easily. Higher denominations are legally not accepted.
Trek along the stunning meadows of Khaptad National Park |
DID YOU KNOW?
The Nepalese flag is the only national flag in the world that is not quadrilateral in shape. It is made up of two triangles. The triangles are said to represent Hinduism and Buddhism. They also represent the Himalayan Mountains.
