Lumbini Re-Discovered

The History of Lumbini was re-established with the visit of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka,who made a pilgrimage in 249 B.C,.and erected a stone pillar bearing an inscription stating'ida Budhe Jate Shakyamuni",which means that Shakyamuni Buddha was born here.After his visit structural activities started to mark the birth place of .He worshipped the nativity tree,the bathing tank slao visited the other surrounding historical sites such as Kapilvastu,Ramgrama and Niglihawa.

Later on the three famous Chinese pilgrims -Tseng Tsai,Fa-Hsien(5th century A.D)and Hiuen Tsang(7th century A.D) visited Lumbini.Hiuen Tsang's travel account gives a detailed description of the area,including the Ashikan Pillar with a horse carved on the top of it,king Ripu Malla(1312 A.D) of Karnali,marked the his visit by an engraving on the Ashokan Pillar.After 14th century A.D the sites were forgotten,neglected and shrouded in bushes.The association of Lumbini gradually changed to Rummindei and to then Rupandehi,the present name of the district.
Rupandehi,the present name of district.

Rock Climbing in Nepal

Rock Climbing is a challenging sport fot outdoor lovers.Most of the areas for rock climbing are situated towards the north of Kathmandu in the Nagarjun forest and Shivapuri National Park areas.Trip to these places can be combined with hiking,bird watching,nature tours and other activities.Nagarjun,3 kilometers from KAthmandu city can be reached via Balaju near the New Bus Park.Shivapuri can be reached via Budhanilakantha which is 9 kilometers outside city area in Kathmandu.People involved in rock climbing should be with strong determination.

Mountain Flights

Mountain flights offer a luxurious option of Himalayan experience .The one-hour mountain flight takes one close to some of the highest peaks in the world including Mt.Everest.One can clearly see and identify the peaks ,and see the Himalayan landscape and glaciers during the flight.The peaks seen are Gosaithan,Dorje Lhakpa,Phurbu,Chyachu,Choba,Bhamare,Gaurishanker,Melungtse,Chugimago ,Number,Karylung,Cho-Oyu,Gyachungkang,Pumori,Nuptse and of course Mt.Everest.Mountain flights are offered by several airlines especially in the morning from the domestic airport in Kathmandu.Mainly mountain flights in Nepal are carried out from the places of northern regions like Lukla,Pokhara and Jomsom.

Indigenous Products

Pashmina are made from the inner fur of the Himalayan lambs and are popular for their softness of touch and natural color.Pashmina fabrics like shawls,mufflers,sweaters ,caps and winter wears are fashionable worldwideIt is more soft and warmer than the synthetic mixed and artificially colored fabrics.Among other places ,the best places to but Pashmina items are New Road,Indrachowk and Thamel in Kathmandu .Nepal exports large amount of Pashmina products in USA and United Kingdom.

Khaptad National Park

Khaptad National Park in west Nepal is the home of Lae Khaptad Swami,the renowned acholar and a hermit.The park with rolling hills of grasslands and forests of subtropical,temperature and sub alpine vegetation,is also a rich natural habitat .The park boasts of 224 speciec medicinal herbs and offers excellent bird watching opportunities ,with 270species of birds,he common ones being different varieties of impheyan pheasant,partridges,flycatcers ,bulbuls,cuckoos and eagles .Animals in the park are barking deer.wild boar,ghoral,Himalayan black bear,yellow throated marten,rhesus monkey and langur monkey.There are several historical temples surrounding this area and an annual celebration of Ganga Dashara in held every Jestha Purnima.Another religious site is Sahashra Lingaat 3200 m ,the highest point of the park.Other religious areas in the park includes Ganesh Temple ,Nagdhunga,and Kedardhunga .These areas are ideal places for meditation.Towards the northest of the park is Khaptad lake where a festivcal is held every August and September.

Activities:Trekking
Accommodation:Camping
Access :Fly to Dipayal from Nepalgunj and then three day walk .
Park Headquarter :Khaptad

Hunting

Licensed hunting is allowed in Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve in western part of Nepal.Dhorpatan is the prime habitat of blue sheep,ghoral,serow,Himalayan tahr,black bear,pheasant and partridge.Endangered species here are chir pheasan and red panda.Hunting is allowed only after acquiring lisence from the Department of National Parks and wildlife conservation (DNPWC) in Kathmmandu and is restricted to a certain times in a year .Most huntin trips are planned in spring and onset of autumn from February through April and August through Qctober .Dhorpatan is 4 day trek from Baglung which is 72 km from Pokhara .Accommodation facilities are available in tented camps offered bu agencies or at one of the village houses.

World Heritage Sites

There are four UNESCO world heritage sites in Nepal .Two ae in cultural category and two are in natural category.World Heritage Sites of Nepal are Lumbini,the birth place of Lord Buddha,and seven monuments of Kathmandu valley within a radius of 20 km(together counted as one Heritage Site).The World Heritage Sited are Chitwan and Sagarmatha National Parks .Kathmandu valley World Heritage site comprises of three historical places-Kathmandu,Patan and Bhaktapur Durbar Squares;two Buddhist stupas -Swyambhunath and Bauddhanath;and who Hindu temples-Pashupatinath and Changu Narayan.Nepal offers incomparable scope to connpisseurs of art and culture to see and study different aspects of fine artss in its paintings ,sculpture ,wood carving and architecture .

Ultralight Aircraft

Ultralight Aircraft offer breathtaking bird's-eye view of Pokhara valley and the surrounding mountains .Flights are operated almost throughout the year except during the monsoons June through August Flights take place from sunrise to 11 a.m and from 3 pm to sunset every day provided the weather is not rainy.In the half-hour flight,one can fly oover Pokhara city,Phewa lake ,Sarangkot hill and get close to the Mt.Fishtail .Another option is the exploration of Annapurna range from 12000 feet or higher in an hour.Pokhara is easily accessible from Kathmmandu,Chitwan and other major towns .

Shopping and Souvenirs

The handcrafts of Nepal are popular throughout tr world for their popular throughout the world for their superior workmanship and artistic excellence.
The receptivity and creativity of an given culture manifests itself throuh an assortment of expressions in the form of art,craft,painting ,belief,ritual,dance,and household items.Handcrafts not only carry artistic expression but also cultural conscience about the historical and religious significance of the place.
It may be out of sheer love for the culture and lifestyle of an alien social milieu ,or out of pride to mark the occasion of having a particular place,or simply to keep the flame of reminiscence burning,souvenirs retained as memento play crucial role in the travel habit of people round the world.

Langtang National Park

Langtang National Park (LNP) is the nearest park from Kathmandu directly to the north of Kathmandu in the central Himalayan region .Langtang National Park was established in 197 by Government of Nepal to conserve the unique flora and fauna of this region. It has an area of 1710 sq.km and expands over parts of Nuwakot,Rashuwa,and sindhupalchowk districts in the southern mountaineous terrain of the Nepal -China border.In 1998 ,and area of 42 sq.km in and around park declare a bufferzone.
The park represents a meeting point between indo-Malaya and Palearctrealms,and holds a riich biodiversity.LNP represents some of the best examples of graded climatic conditions in the central Himalaya.Elevational gradients (ranging from mid hills to slpine) couples with complex topography and geolog have produced a rich biodiversity unique patchwork of vegetation .

Lumbini:Birth Place of Buddha

Lumbini is the place where the newly born Prince Siddhartha(Known as Buddha) took his first seven steps and uttered an epoch-making message to the suffering humanity. This happened in a beautiful 'sal' grove ,which is now the focal point of the Lumbini Garden area.Maya devi ,the queen of Shakya King Suddodhana of Kapilvastu, while passing through the Lumbini Garden,o the day of "Vaisakha Purnima " (Full moon day of May 623 BC ) took a bath in tha Pushkarini(the Sacred Pond) and soon after she took support of a tree branch,then gave birth to the crown prince Siddhartha,who beceme Buddha .The Lumini Garden covers an area of 1*3 sq.miles and encompasses three zones each covering one square mile connected with walkways and a canal .The area has a sub tropical monsoon climate with a warm wet season.

Annapurna Trekking Region

The Annapurna conservation area is one of the world’s best trekking trails in the world.The area apreads around Kaski ,Mustang ,Manang and Lamjung districts of Central Nepal .Starting with an altitude of 790 m,the area reaches as high as 8...091 m of Mt.Annapurna .Ghandruk is the first experience and further down is Ghorepani that provides fantastic panoramic view of the Annapurna range.Equally aye catching are hills of rhododendron that blossom every spring.The turning point of the Annapurna circuit is Jomsom.The trek southeast from Jomsom,leads to the scenic Tilicho Lake area at an altitude of 4919 .In the circuit route ,is the famous Hindu religious sites Muktinath Temple .The vegetation in this region includes various species of orchids and rhododendron ,Wildlife includes 102 different kinds of Mammals including rare endangered snow Leopards and a very good population of blue sheep .The region also boasts of around 474 species of birds including multi-colored impheyan ,koklas and blood pheasants.In addition the region is also home to 39 species of reptiles and 22 species of amphibian.

Paragliding

Paragliding in Nepal gives the opportunity to experience an aerial view of the Himalayas .Pokhara ,the beautiful lakeside town at the foot of the Annapurna mountains offers paragliding services .There are various deals for the paragliding veterans and novices.Three-day introduction course is offered to beginners ,the tandem flights where one can fly with instructor are also offered

Bardiya National Park

The Bardiya National Park is the largest and most undisturbed protected area in the Terai and is home to the endangered Royal Bengal tiger and Nepal's famous one-horned rhinoceros.The national park located in the far... western district of Bardiya ,is bordered by river Karnali in the west ,the churia range in the north while the River Babai flows right through the park.The varied geographical factors together with the thick cover of Sal,Savannah forests and grasslands render this region ideal as wild animal habitat.The park hosts 53 different mammals,more than 400 species of birds,and several varieties of reptiles ad water animals .Some of the other animals found here are elephants ,swamp deer,black buck,Gharial crocodile and march mugger crocodile .The fresh-water Gangetic dolphin is also commonly seen in River Karnali .Birds include endangered varieties of Bengal florican,lesser florican ,silver-eared mesia and saruscrane,The park offers the rare opportunities of angling at Karnali and river Babai.

Activities :Jungle safari on elephant -back,jungle walk ,boat ride,jeep drive
Accommodation:Jungle Safari
Access:Three hours by jeep(95 km) from Nepaljung which is one hour ten minutes by air or 531 km by road from Kathmandu
Beat season:Oct-Mar,Apr-Jun
Park Headquarter :Thakurdwara

Sagarmatha National Park

The
prime attraction in the Sagarmatha National Park is the Mt.Everest ,the highest peak of the world.The park was added to the list of World Heritage Site in 1979.The park ,a part of Himalayan ecological zone,has several other prominent peaks most of which are above 6,0,00 m.With most of the other prominent peaks above 3,000 m.Sagarmatha is full of rugged terrain with deep gorges,glacier and huge rocks.With its Himalayan terrain nd it's unique culture the park offers a blend of natural and cultural tourist products.The vegetation at lower elevation is dominated by pine and hemlock forests,while above 3,500 m the forest is dominated with silver fir,birch,rhododendron ,and juniper tree.During spring and monsoon the varieties of rhododendron flowers are seen .The common wildlife in the park are the Himalayan tahr,lynz,pikka(mouse hare ) weasel,jackal. Other rarely seen animals are Himalayan black bear,wolf,lynx,and snow leopard .Birds inhabiting the park are of over 193 species.Common ones among them are the impeyan pleasant(Danphe) ,blood pheasant,red-billed chough ,yellow-billed chough ,anow cock ,cnow piegon,Himalayan griffon,and lammergeyer.The national park also showcases the cultural trophies with the warm Sherpa hospitality and its many monasteries and cultural landmarks .

Activities:Trekking ,Mountaineering,experience of Sherpa culture
Accommodation:Resort hotels,lodge,camping
Access:Two-Day walk from Lukla which is 30 minutes by air from Kathmandu
Best Seasons:Qct-Nov and Mar-May
Park Headquarter :Mendalphu,Namche Bazzar

Village Tours

Village tours allow visitors to experience a stay in a typical Nepali village.This gives visitors an opportunity to observe the rich Nepali cultural tradition from the clsest quarter and intermingle with he locals .Besides,any experience made at that level directly contribute to the welfare to the local community ,hence giving the visitor a sense of satisfaction.Village tours are conducted in Sirubari,Briddim,Ghalegaun,Ilam and other places .

Boating in Nepal

From glacier-fed lakes up to he north where rivers ease into the Terai plains,there are numerous lakes in Nepal where tourists can experiance the pleasures of boating .With famous lakes like Phewa ,Begnas a& Rupa,Pokhara is known as the lake city and a popular plae to go boating .
In the Terai,one can go caneoing on Narayani or Rapti rivers near Chitwan National Park,Boats and canoes can be rented from local dealers on hourly basis from nearby areas.A wide variety of accommodation and other facilities are easily available in bot the places .

THE MOST DRAMATIC LANDSCAPES ON EARTH !

Nepal is a blend of ancient history,vibrant cultures and scenic grandeur.Located between China and India ,Nepal's main geo-garphical features include snow-caped peaks,lower mountains,mid hills and fertile Terai Himalayas and 8 of the world's 14 highest peaks are in Nepal .The meters to the highest point at 8,848 meters above the sea level.Nepal's... See more ... See more popularity as a tourist destination has increased vastly over the years .While trekking and mountaineering have long been popular ,an entire range of other activities are carried out .With the variety of adventure options,the count is a favorite among adventure lovers

Mountain Biking

Nepal's diverse terrain is a mountain biker's dream,Biking offers an environmentally sound way of exploring the country.It is possible to go biking the entire length of Nepal.Centuries-old dirt roads and trails offer a chance to go om extended trips to exotic locales like Annapurna and Kanchanjungha areas.21 to 27 gear bicycles are recommended when riding through Himalayan terrain.Mountain bikes are available for rent at numerous bicycle rental outlets in and around Kathmandu or Pokhara,Rider's can explore rims and ridges of the cities.Food and accommodation facilities are available along the main trails.It is recommended to use the services of licensed biking companies.

Bungy Jumping

The ultimate thrill of bungy jumping is offered at one of the best sites in the world.Nepal's bungy jumping site is situated 160 meters over the raging Bhote Koshi river in the northern part of the country .The site is located close to the Nepal-China border at Barahbise and is 3-hour bus ride from Kathmandu.A package deal includes the jump,bus ride from Kathmandu.A package deal includes at a 30 percent discount.Accommodation and other facilities are available in Barahbise.

Rafting/Kayaking/Canyoning

Few River Rafting in the world can match the thundering course of the rivers of Nepal originating from snow meltdown of the Himalaya terrain. The rivers gush through the twisted canyon, winding through calm valleys where small settlements are perched on the southern plains to merge with the sea. A river trip is one of the country's natural as well . See more as the ethno culture heritage with massive doses of adrenaline buzz on our world caliber white water thrills. An explore some of the most ruggedly beautiful, yet forbidden places in the world. Here are about ten diffident world class river are waiting for the people to make your trip to Nepal more excitable and memorable in you lifetime. Recommendation for all kind of Rafter and Kayaker's.A river trip is one of the best ways to explore the typical cross-section of the country's natural as well as the ethno-cultural heritage with massive doses of adrenaline buzz on our world -class white-water thrills.An extreme sport opular in europe,canoning is now available in Nepal .It involves abseiling,jumping,sliding,climbing along waterfalls asnd steep cliffs to dep polls,giving the canyoneer the freedom to explore beautiful under-water landscape.

Mountaineering

With eight of the highest peaks in the world ,including Mt.Everest ,it is hardly surprising that Nepal has been the stage for some of the most outstanding achievements in the world of mountaineering .The dauntless icy peaks have since decades challenged the bodies and spirits of the daring ones .All inquiries and arrangements for expenditioin have to be made well in advance at the ministry of tourism and civil aviation.
Climbing gears can be brought or rented in Kathmandu and Pokhara .Many of the mountaineering and trekking companies also offer packages ,where they provide gear,food,transportation,guides,porter services ans also arrange for insurance coverage,Orientation on altitude sickness,acclimatization sickness and safety measures is a must for every mountaineer.The fatal sickness ,also known as Acute Mountain Sickness((AMS) can be dangerous for climbers ascending 3000 meters and above.Symptoms include headache,loss of appetite and sleeplessness.Immediate descent or evacuation to lower altitude is the best cure for AMS.

Trekking In Nepal

Nepal is the ultimate destination for the trekking enthusiast -offering a myriad of possibilities from the short and easy the demanding challenges of the showy
peaks.Easy ,moderate or rigorous -there is something for every one .Nepal has aptly been called "A Trekker's Paradise" as her terrain-mountains,hills and the Terai -offer some of the most spectacular trekking routes in the world .The immense contrasts in altitudes and climates found here support an equally spectacular mix of lifestyles,vegetation and wildlife.Trekking in Nepal is as much a cultural experience as a Himalayan adventure .In the shadows and the foothills of the icy pinnacles of the Himalayas ,one passes picturesque charming villages inhabited by diverse ethnic groups .Treks vary from expedition, high altitude treks treks to simple easy paced walks.
Trekking is the highlight of a visit to Nepal ,The range o geographical features,variety of vegetation and rich Himalayan culture award trekkers with unique trekking experience ,Thousands of visitors trek to different parts of Nepal every year to experience the charm of nature and culture .Mos treks go trough altitude between 1,000 to 4,00,0 meters ,while some popular parts reach over 5,0000 meters.
Protected regions along the Himalayas like Shey-Phoksundo ,Langtang,Sagarmatha,Makalu-Barun,Rara,Kanchenjunga and Shivapuri national parks ,and Annapurna and Manaslu conservation areas,provide excellent trekking opions ,For group trekkers arrangements for food and accommodation are managed by the trekking crew,while independent trekkers can fing nigh
rest and food halt at some lodges and tea house that dot the main trails.Independent trekkers should be self sufficient.As per new regulations,all trekkers are requires to carry TIMS card on their treks .

Access To Nepal

By Air: Nepal Airlines is the national flag carrier of Nepa;l with flights to/from Delhi, Mumbai, Dubai, Doha, Bangkok, Hongkong and Kuala Lumur .Other international airlines operating from /to Kathmandu are Ait Arabia,Air China ,Bahrain Air ,Biman Bangladesh (Dhaka),China Southern Airlines(Guanzhow ),Dragon Air(Hong Kong) ,Druk Air(Delhi,Paro)Ethad Airways(Abu Dhabi),GMG Airlines(Dhaka),Gulf Air(Bahrain,Muscat),Indian Airlines (Delhi ,Kolkatta ,Varansi),Jet Airways (Delhi),Korean Air(Seoul),Pakistan International Airlines (Karachi),Qatar Airways(Doha),Silk Air(Singapore),Srilankan Airlines(Sri Lanka) and Thai Airways(Bangkok).

By Land: All visitors coming to Nepal by land must enter only through one of these points

1. Kakarbitta

2. Birgunj

3. Belhiya,Bhairahawa]

4.Nepagunj

5. Dhangadi

6. Mahendranagar in the India -Nepal border and 7.Kodari in the Nepal -China border.

The overland must posses an international carnet or complete customs formalities.