Nepal Holidays - Nepal Trekking Tours and Adventure Guide

PureTravel Says
"For many years Nepal was known as the forbidden kingdom. Westerners were banned from entering the kingdom under punishment of death and it was only in the 1950s that these laws were relaxed. These days, Nepal is a popular and fascinating holiday destination, especially to those who enjoy hiking and walking. With six of the eight tallest mountains in the world there is a wealth of choice. The treks vary from simple day walks in the lowlands to trekking peaks - mountains that can be climbed by people with limited mountaineering experience."

Highlights

Trekking
Nepal is home to the best treks in the world, including Everest Base Camp and the Annapurna Circuit. Most visitors who want to do some walking visit the Annapurna region of central Nepal. Starting from the Lakeside town of Pokhara you can walk through the terraced fields and thick rhododendron forests of the foothills or walk deeper into the high mountains, visiting Hindu shines at Muktinath and Buddist stupas at Braga.

Many visitors are also attracted by the lure of Everest Base Camp or the sacred lakes at Gokyo which are ideal to go trekking in Nepal. This trip takes you into the heartlands of the Sherpa peoples, famous for their mountaineering exploits. A visit to Base camp shows you mountain scenery on a scale you can hardly comprehend, and the thrill of walking on a creaking glacier for the last day. Other popular areas are Langtang, because of its accessibility from Kathmandu and Kanchanjunga in the far east, because of its undisturbed in accessibility!

Culture
The three Cities of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur are a cultural highlight now to be missed. Traditionally, Kathmandu was the home of the warriors (probably the reason that it became the capitol), Patan to the craftsmen and Bhaktapur to the arts and religion. These can all be visited on sightseeing tours, and most trips into the mountains allow time in the Kathmandu valley to take in the sights.

There is plenty to see throughout the Kingdom. Temples and shrines litter the countryside and the lives of the peoples have hardly changed for centuries. The markets, such as the weekly market at Namche Bazaar in the Khumbu, are a fascinating insight into the peoples lives.
In the mountains there are remote monasteries to visit. Thangboche Monastery is one example, famous for its beautiful position and Pangboche, smaller but the proud home to a Yeti scalp!

Rafting
With hundreds of miles of rivers carrying melt water down from the Himalaya, Nepal can offer every grade of white water. For the beginner or family wanting some gentle excitement to the experienced adrenaline junkie, there is a short or long option to keep everybody happy. Some of the start points are so remote that it can take several days to drive and walk in, but you are rewarded with landscapes and water visited and seen by few people.

Wildlife
The Terai, or jungle, is home to Tigers, Leopards and over 400 types of bird and are ideal to spot on a Nepal tour. It has 2 types of crocodile and is home to many domesticated elephants. In the mountains there are bears, red pandas, plenty of deer including the endangered Musk deer, snow leopards and most elusive of all, the world-famous Yeti!

Mountain Biking
Over the last decade Nepal has become a very popular destination for mountain-bikers on their Nepal holiday. Although there is only a fairly basic network of roads and tracks, these can be combines with the thousands and thousands of kilometres of footpaths and trading routes to let you really get off the beaten track and experience the country. As you would expect from the country with 8 of the 14 tallest mountains in the world, there are some great descents ( lets not talk about the up).

When To Go - Nepal Holiday

Trekking season is March to May and Late September to November. June - August is hot and humid, meaning a lot of cloud and rain and bad views. Its possible to do trekking but there are leeches at lower levels. November to March is the winter. It gets very cold, especially at higher altitudes and many of the passes are blocked by snow.

Top Tips - Nepal Tour

• Never trek by yourself. If you fall from the trail you may never be found!
• Make sure you acclimatize as you go higher. These are big mountains and they must be treated with respect.
• Use a respected tour operator who follows the correct guidelines on the use of porters.

Nepal Holidays In Focus

Walking and Trekking
Nepal is a walkers dream. Whether you wish to do some easy day-walks from the comfort of a good hotel, or climb the largest peaks on earth, the country has something to offer everybody.

There is a choice of styles of travel in the Nepalese mountains. You may stay in excellent hotels near the foothills and do day-walks. You can stay in small and basic lodges or tea-houses which are available throughout the foothills and valleys. Or you may camp, either with your own equipment or on a fully-services trek, where all your baggage is carried for you and your meals prepared.

Around Pokhara there are excellent hotels, including the Fishtail Lodge on the Lake shore, from where you can enjoy majestic views of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Himals on your Nepal trekking holiday. (A Himal is a mountain, although each can refer to several peaks lumped together. Annapurna Himal for example contains Annapurna I, II, III and IV, Machupuchure and several lesser peaks.) The stronger walker can do a trek in the foothills of the main Himalayan chain, walking through the verdant green terraces and through thick forest, frequently dropping down to cross icy rivers. The experienced or strong trekker can opt to do the Annapurna circuit of the whole range, a fascinating trip through both Buddhist and Hindu valleys and taking in many different landscapes such as the stone desert of the Upper Kali Gandaki river and crossing the Thorong-la pass. Another popular high-altitude trek is the Annapurna sanctuary which climbs up a narrow trail into the heart of the range and visits the Annapurna base camp used in mountaineering trips.

The other main trekking area is the Khumbu, home to the Sherpa peoples and of Mount Everest. To reach here is either a full-days coach ride followed by 5 days walking or a 1 hour flight into a small airstrip at Lukla, itself quite an adventure. From here you climb to Namche Bazaar, a thriving town and local market. Kere you choose your route. To the North West lies Thame and the Tibet border. To the North, the route to Everest and Gokyo lakes. These are hard, high altitude treks, with the requirement for rest days to acclimatise to the altitude. Its worth it however, with stunning scenery and a famous view of Everest and its flanking peak of Lhotze from a small mound called Kala Pattar.

For the mountaineer, there is also a wealth of choice so that you can truthfully say that you have climbed a Himalayan peak and go trekking in Nepal. The Nepalese Government has a list of what it calls “Trekking Peaks.” These are lower mountains (they still go up to over 20,000 ft (6,500 m)!) that you can get permits to climb. Most are possible by those with experience in the use of ice-axe and crampons (e.g. Mera peak in the Khumbu, Chulu Far East to the north of Annapurna). Some are more technical, and require the use of ropes (Island peak and Chulu East). For the real adventure buff, how about a climb to the top of Everest. There are several agencies who will do “escorted climbs”, doing all they can to stick you on top. Its not small change however, you are looking at over $75,000 for the opportunity.

Culture
The capital of Nepal is Kathmandu, a modern city ringed by the Himalaya. Shines are scattered throughout the city, both Hindu and Buddhist, which coexist happily with the modern hubbub of traffic swerving to avoid the sacred cows that roam the streets.. Large temples like Swayambhunath and Stupas like the Bodhnath all make for a fascinating visit. You can enter many of the places and experience the sights and smells at first hand. You can even visit Pashupati, the Hindu cremation ghats and watch the rituals as they happen.. Throw in a sighting of the living goddess and a visit to the newly opened Royal Palace there is plenty enough to keep you busy in Kathmandu alone.

This can still be seen today, especially in Bhaktapur which has been spared the rapid development of the others and retains a beauty and air that captured what those cities must once have been like. It is a UNESCO-protected site and the architecture of the palaces and temples is wonderful.

With Hinduism as its main religion but with a strong Buddhist presence, the whole of the Kathmandu valley and indeed country is littered with small shrines and temples that still make these religions a part of everyday life.
In the hills and mountains you can watch a lifestyle being lived that has hardly changed for centuries, relying on the small terraces that have been cut out of the mountains for food.

Rafting
For the beginner there is the Trisuli river, gently winding its way through the lower foothills and offering the chance to get splashed with little prospect of the boat flipping. Indeed some of the gentler rapids can be swim.

For the experienced rafter there is a host of options, from the Sun Kosi to the Kali Gandaki to remote and little visited rivers in the far west of Nepal. The exact river can be chosen based on your experience and how much time you have.

Wildlife
The Royal Chitwan National Park is where most wildlife safaris take place. This reserve, once the hunting grounds of the King of Nepal, is now home to many of the remaining Tigers in the country. There are many lodges and camps to choose from, many clustered around the edge of the Park. There is only one actually in the reserve which is known at Tiger Tops. This used to be the hunting lodge of the Royal family and is now an expensive and exclusive hotel. Wherever you stay, there is a variety of activities available to you.

The most enjoyable way of looking for the animals is on elephants. From your high vantage point you have an excellent view over the vegetation (although you do have to be alert to duck the occasional tree branch!). This is useful as there is plenty of high elephant grass which you would otherwise be unable to go through. The other advantage is that the wild animals are not afraid of the elephants who they do not see as a threat so it is possible to get much nearer to the Rhino and Tigers.

Its also possible to do walking safaris, an excellent way to enjoy the stunning bird-life of the Terai, and learn more about the plant life. Boat trips are a popular excursion, especially at dusk when the animals come down to the river to drink. Its also possible to look out for the 2 types of crocodile - Muggers and Garial – which live on the banks.

As well as Chitwan, there are several other reserves in the Nepalese terai that are home to Tigers and Leopard. In western Nepal there is the Royal Bardia Reserve, once known as Karnali after the local river. With open grasslands this makes an excellent and much less visited wildlife destination, with over 350 species of bird to look at.

Classic Itineraries & Nepal Trekking

• Everest Base Camp Trek
• The Annapurna Circuit Trek
• Mountains and Jungle - Trekking and Wildlife
• Gokyo Lakes trek