Mystic Nepal

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nepal, the birthplace of deities, the home of the legendary Gurkhas and hospitable people with exotic culture is known as a souvenir mystic kingdom.

The Word Nepal resembles Never Ending Peace and Love. The tiny Himalayan kingdom of Nepal is located between India and China in South East Asia. Nepal is the home of the historic cities, the world's deepest canyon, the most challenging trekking trails and eight of ten highest peaks including Mount Everest along with the world's most endangered species like one-horned Rhinoceros and Royal Bengal tiger. It is also the historical birthplace of Lord Buddha.

It is consider as the country with more temples than houses and more gods and goddesses than the people who live here. We can count more festivals than the number of days in this unique country. There are ten World Heritage Sites, out of which seven cultural sites are located within a distance of 20 Km. inside Kathmandu valley namely Boudhanath Stupa, Swyambhunath Stupa, Kathmandu Darbar Square, Bhaktapur Darbar Square, Patan Darbar Square, Changu Narayan Temple and Pashupatinath Temple. The eighth cultural site is Lumbini The birth place of lord Buddha. The rest of the two are natural world heritage sites, which are as Chitwan National Park and Sagarmatha National Park. In addition it is also the home of Living Goddess Kumari.

This Hindu kingdom’s culture, traditional arts and heritage dates back to more than thousand years. The wide mosaic of races and ethnic groups have given this country a distinct character and culture of her own, which was hidden from the western world until the mid-19th century.

About tourism: The activities include climbing, mountain flight, trekking, rafting in trepid mountaining rivers, mountain biking, paragliding, jungle safari, hiking, village tour, hot air ballooning etc. Tourism provides the single largest source of foreign exchange for the country’s development plants and the largest source of employment besides agriculture. Nepal collects over $60 million in revenue from tourism each year, which is the largest income of this country.

When to visit: In spring and autumn the weather is generally mild and dry. These are the most popular times for trekking in Nepal. March, April and may are the most colourful months - with wild flowers in full bloom throughout the lower lying areas. September, October and November are also excellent months.

During the winter, December, January and February, there is usually lots of snow, and the ice-cold winds restrict trekking to lower regions and sheltered valleys. But there are fewer trekkers at this time of year - so you feel more like a true explorer!

Summer, June, July and August, is the rainy season. Most of Nepal is drenched by the Monsoon. Visibility can be restricted, and trekking can be difficult. On the plus side - you'll have the place pretty much to yourself!

How to get there: You can fly directly to Kathmandu from London, Paris, Frankfurt, Vienna, Amsterdam, Moscow, Osaka, Shanghai, Bangkok, Hongkong, Sharjah, Dubai, Dhaka, Karachi, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Doha, Paro, Lhasa, Singapore, Delhi, Mumbai, Patna, Calcutta, and Varanasi .

Visas: You will require a visa to enter Nepal. These are usually granted for 60 days and are obtained on arrival at Kathmandu Airport. You can save time by filling in the visa-form during the flight (the flight attendants have them). You will need two additional passport photographs for the visa. Read More....

Currency: You will need Nepalese Rupees as soon as you arrive. You are not allowed to bring them with you from abroad, so you will be expected to purchase them at one of the currency exchange kiosks within the airport. You will be given a receipt showing how many Rupees you have bought. You will need the receipt to re-exchange any unspent Rupees when you leave. You can also purchase Nepalese Rupees from banks, hotels and licenced money-changers. You may also be offered the "chance" to buy them (at much better rates) on the streets. This is illegal and should not be considered as an option.

Visitors other than Indian nationals are required to pay for their trekking permits and hotel bills in foreign currency.

Credit debit cards: American Express, MasterCard and Visa are accepted in tourist shops, hotels, restaurants and most of the agencies.

Travellers cheques: Accepted at banks and major hotels. If trekking, it is important to bear in mind that cash is necessary at lodges, restaurants and hotels along your route. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in US Dollars or Pounds Sterling.

Health: A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required of travellers arriving from infected areas. Cholera is a serious risk in Nepal and precautions are essential. Up-to-date advice should be sought before deciding whether these precautions should include vaccination, as medical opinion is divided over its effectiveness. Typhoid is common in low lying areas. Malaria is a risk in low lying areas. Neither of these are considered as problem in the high mountains.

All water should be regarded as being potentially contaminated. Water used for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice should have first been boiled or otherwise sterilised.

Milk is unpasteurised and should be boiled. Powdered or tinned milk is available and is advised, but make sure that it is reconstituted with pure water. Avoid dairy products which are likely to have been made from unboiled milk. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled.

Altitude sickness can be a hazard for trekkers, so it is important to be in good health before travelling.

External Links: