ExoticBuddha Blog

I had written an article on Squidoo.com about Nepal being a travel destination for almost all types of people. What I had argued was that Nepal is great place to travel for those people who love the arts and architecture - they can roam around the Kathmandu valley, especially the durbar squares in Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur.  They can also enjoy the people,  events and the environment around the temples and stupas in Kathmandu and the other parts of the country.

For those who are used to seeing their sunrise and sunsets from Walmart or other similar large building, sunrise  and sunsets in the hills of Nepal will be a different way to experience. You could also enjoy the views of the Mount Everest and other mountains on that range by taking a mountain flight early on the morning through a domestic airlines’ mountain flights.

For adventure minded people, there are plenty of options for their visit to Nepal. Rafting and kayaking, canyoning, paragliding, parahawaking, mountain biking. Travelers can also sky dive from the height equivalent to that of the Mount Everest (8850 meters or over 27,000 feet)

For those who want to have a feel of the tropical climate can visit the Chitwan National Park and enjoy the adventure of elephant safari, jeep safari and enjoy the birds, rhinos and other wild animals. Bardia National Park is also another place with similar climate and topography.

Trekking and Mountaineering for those who want to enjoy the nature and the snows of the mountains.

If you just want to lay back and enjoy, go to the casinos, bars, discos and restaurants in in Kathmandu and Pokhara.

Come visit us in Nepal!

For rafting in Nepal, there is a range of rivers that people who travel to Nepal can enjoy. The experiences vary from a white water experience to a gentle rowing. There are rivers with a high volume of water like Koshi River and those with a moderate volume of water like Bhote Koshi River. The rivers on the hills have a steep slope and the rapids on the hilly sections are challenging for rafters. As the altitude decreases, the level of steepness also decreases and the experience is more relaxed. The river grades vary from 1 to 5+ and some people who travel in Nepal raft around the year - even during the monsoon season. The natural beauty along the rafting routes is awesome.

There are more than a dozen of rivers in Nepal where rafting enthusiasts are permitted to raft and kayak. Several competitions are organized - some with the aim of raising awareness while others are organized as a competitive sport. People from Nepal and the international travelers to Nepal also participate in those events. There are several rafting agencies in Nepal which organize rafting tours as per your requirements.

Bhote Koshi, Karnali, Sun Koshi rivers are very popular for rafting in Nepal.

In order to provide a unique taste and experience to people who travel in Nepal, various sporting competitions are being organized. In most of the events, travelers to Nepal also participate.

International Elephant Race in Sauraha, Chitwan is running fifth edition in December 2008. Nepal Paragliding Championship is organized in Pokhara. Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon in the Everest region is a high altitude sport organized every year on the occasion of the International Everest Day.

Similarly, rafting competitions, elephant polo competition, biking competitions, marathon races are also organized for domestic as well as international participants.

Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon (Photo Courtesy: Everestmarathon.com)

Nepal is a premier destination for adventure travel enthusiasts. The range of activities that are offered in Nepal are really exciting. Activities like rafting and kayaking, bungee jumping, canyoning, para gliding, para hawking, mountain biking and sky diving from the height equivalent to that of the Mount Everest are some of the exciting activities for travelers who enjoy adventure activities in Nepal.

There have been several competitions in Nepal to promote these events as well.

A significant number of tourists enjoy mountain biking in  Nepal. The range of biking routes has made people with different interests, time, endurance and capabilities take mountain biking in Nepal. The ease of taking a ride has encouraged people who travel to Nepal take mountain biking. Various biking championships - both in national and international level have also made Nepal as an attractive destination for travelers with interest in mountain biking and by extension in adventure travel. 

There are several biking tour companies in Nepal which rent or sell bikes, organize biking tours and championships.

14th Asian Mountain Bike Championship (Photo Courtesy: Nepalnews.com)

Nepal Tourism Board, a government agency assigned for promoting travel to and inside Nepal is celebrating its tenth anniversary today. 

The board headquartered in Bhrikuti Mandap, Kathmandu has been providing free information to tourists. It has opend information centers in the entry points to Nepal and in the major cities which are frequently visited by the tourists to Nepal. The board also promotes Nepal in the international markets by participating in travel fairs and running advertisements in popular media like the BBC. 

Have you used the services of the Nepal Tourism Board? How do you like its services? Have you made a decision to travel to Nepal because of the promotion by the board?  We would love to hear from you.

Update: The operations have resumed from December 6.

In another Development, all the hotels in the hill town of Nagarkot have been closed from November 26 due to labour disputes. (The hotels have resumed operations from November 27.) Please book hotel somewhere else in Kahtmandu, Bhaktapur or Dhulikhel if you have your bookings at hotels in Nagarkot.

The operations of the Manakamana Cable Car, the only cable car facility in Nepal, has been suspended due to labour dispute in the company. 

If you are planning to visit Manakamana Temple in Gorkha, Nepal via the cable car, then you need to postpone or cancel your travel arrangements. 

Have you been affected by the suspension of the operations? Has your plans about travel in Nepal been hit by this? We would love to hear from you. Visit us for further updates.

In a move that will go well with travel entrereneurs, people visiting Nepal and the public, Chitwan has been declared a strike free district of Nepal. This will remove the unnecessary anxiety that people who travel in Nepal have to bear due to frequent strikes on the major highways. 

Chitwan is the gateway to the Chitwan National Park, which is famous for one horned rhinoceros, Royal Bengal Tigers, elephant and jeep safaris, gharials and many variety of wild plants and animals. Disruptions on the highway have led the travelers to Nepal spending less time on their destinations. The end to strikes on the highways will make Chitwan even more attractive destination for the people who want to visit Nepal. 

Nepal Tourism Board has welcomed this move by the political parties, their student wings, entrepreneurs and civil societies.

To allow the people who want to travel to Nepal during the peak travel season for this year, the government has allowed the international airlines to increase the frequencies of their flights to Nepal. It was reported that October saw a record increase in the number of tourists who visit Nepal by air. With the international airlines being unable to meet the demand for tickets to Nepal, many would be travelers to Nepal chose some other destinations instead. 

There were some delays in taking this decision and the Tourism Minister was criticized by the tourism entreprenuers in Nepal for that. The demand for tickets was severe in Delhi to Kathmandu and Bangko to Kathmandu sectors. 

Were you affected by lack of tickets to for flights to Nepal? Have you changed your decision because of this? Please share your thoughts on this.

Prince Harry will be part of a trip, Exercise Khumbu Challenge,  to the Everest Base Camp for the wounded members of the British armed forces in October and November 2009. The members included in the teams will be drawn from the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines. The soldiers wounded in the wars in Iraq and Afganishtan will be included in the team to enable them to return to the military environment. 

An experienced team will undertake different challenges in the Khumbu region including climbing Mount Ama Dablam.

What would be the impact of such a high profile visit to the Everest region? Will it raise the profile of the region or will it make the trekking in the peak season even more crowded for the regular visitors? Can the infra structures in the region cope such a large scale event? What do you think?  We will be glad to know your views.