Beautiful Home of Mount Everest - NEPAL

Kathmandu – the capital city

Being the capital city of Nepal, Kathmandu is home to most of the government offices, embassies, corporate houses, and the palace. A golden heaven to the artists in the world, it houses the old palace of Newar kings. The Kathmandu Durbar Square, which is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site, is in Basantapur, next to Freak Street, which was a popular hippie spot during the seventies. The Shah King's Palace stands right next to Thamel - the tourist hub of the country.

A small world within itself, Thamel is famous for the most attractive hotels and shopping centers in the world. It consists of two parallel streets just to the west of the palace. It is home to world famous hotels, ranging from different stars. The palace is at the head of Durbar Marg, a street lined with various shops. The largest city in the country, Kathmandu is in shape of a Khukuri knife and its glorious history dates back to two thousand years. Located in the bowl shaped Kathmandu Valley, the city is the cultural hub of the country and probably the most sought after tourist destination. The home town of Newars is the meeting point of various ethnic groups. Kathmandu city is the conjecture to the major routes within and outside the country. Most of the trekking expeditions and tours start from Kathmandu. The city itself is home to the historical monuments, cultural groups, architectural wonders and exotic tourist destinations. The famous Durbar Square of Kathmandu is world famous for its seemingly uncountable monuments.

Biratnagar – the economic hub

Biratnagar is Nepal's second biggest city that is located on the southeastern border with India. For years, this city in the Tarai region has been linked with cheap Chinese and Japanese electronics products. Lately, the city has turned itself as one of the largest commercial and industrial hubs in Nepal. In a way, it is a transit point for all kinds of legal and illegal trades with India. The very few manufacturing industry that Nepal has, is located in an around Biratnagar. It also acts as a way for tourists to get an entry into Indian hill stations such as Gangtok and Darjeeling. From there, the mountaineers and hikers proceed for Kanchenjunga, the second highest Himalayan Peak. It is also a gateway to the Tea estates of Nepal that are confined in the districts of Illam and Dhankuta. Biratnagar has also evolved itself to become the melting pot of the various religions and cultures in the Tarai. The place is known for its vibrant culture activities.

Among the places worth visiting, Kosi Tuppa is your best bet. The place is just 2-hours away from the heart of the city. This wetland is heaven for the bird watchers and runs almost parallel to the Sapta Kosi River and attracts a lot of migratory birds. In fact, it is one of the best wetlands in Asia in terms of a number of species of birds they attract. Close to this place is the Kosi barrage. This is the largest barrage in Nepal and a bone of contention with its neighbor, India. The spectacle of thundering Kosi river finding its way to India is breathtaking.

Birgunj – a major stop-over destination

Birgunj is situated about 3 KM away from the Indian northern border Raxaul. It is the main entry point to Nepal from India for routes such as Calcutta and Patna. Majority of all the foreign goods shipped to Nepal by sea go through Calcutta-Haldia Port to Raxaul and Birgunj then reach to main cities like Kathmandu. Hence Birgunj is an important land entry point for goods to Nepal.

Apart from a few tourists who actually go to Birgunj to see the city, the city is simply taken as a stop over place for travelers, businessmen, and pilgrims going to other destinations in Nepal. But spending a day or two at Birgunj is recommended, and is worth it, to discover another taste of Terai of Nepal! The population of Birgunj is about three hundred thousand (300,000). Many multi lingual and multi ethnic groups can be found in this city. People here speak many languages such as the Nepali, Maithili, Newari. Hindi (Indian language) is also quite common here.

Janakpur – associated with myth

Janakpur or Janakpurdham, historically called Mithila, is a city in Nepal; it is the center of the ancient Maithili culture, which has its own language and script & also nearly 400 km east of Kathmandu indisputably the Tarai’s most fascinating city. Janakpurdham is one of the fast developing cities of Nepal and is on the way to meet the criteria for being the seventh Sub-Metropolitan city of Nepal. The city enjoys good transportation facilities including road and air connectivity with other cities of Nepal as well as India. Janakpurdham is also the only city in the country with railway access. The city has better health facilities than others in Nepal, as well as good private schools and colleges.

The center of Janakpurdham is dominated by the impressive Janaki Mandir to the north and west of the bazaar. This temple, one of the biggest in Nepal, was built in 1911 (1968 in the Nepali calendar) by Queen Brisabhanu Kunwar of Tikamgarh. It is also called "Nau Lakha Mandir" after the cost of construction, The oldest temple in Janakpurdham is Ram Mandir. Pilgrims also visit the 200 sacred ponds in the city for ritual baths.

Pokhara – the city of lakes

Pokhara, the city of lakes, is blessed with extreme natural beauty. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Nepal. It is also called the Switzerland of Nepal It is located at an altitude of 827m, 200 km west of the Kathmandu valley. The best viewpoint of Pokhara is obtained from Sarangkot (1600 m) and Thulakot in Lekhnath, a part of famous Royal Trek from where four lakes - Phewa, Begnas, Khaste and Dipang and whole Annapurna range is seen to the west of the city.

The city is famous for the adventure opportunities it offers that include sightseeing, white water rafting, kayaking, and mountaineering.

Most of the visitors are here to the start or end the trek to the Annapurna Base Camp and Mustang. It is considered by many to be the most beautiful place in the whole wide world.

Nepalgunj – a true glimpse of Nepal

Nepalgunj is a town in Nepal, located in the Banke district of the Bheri zone (Terai), near Nepal's southern border with India. Nepalgunj is famous for the exciting treks to the Dopolo plateau and Jumla region. Bageshowri temple in Nepalgunj is one of the most important temples for Hindus. At the temple can be found a statue of Shiva, which possesses a mustache. Known as the industrial and transport hub of the country, Nepalgunj has various attractions: Gharbaritole, Ganeshpur and Sadar Line to name a few. The border crossing, 6 km south of Nepalganj, is one of a limited number of places where non-Indian foreigners are allowed to cross the border with India.

Mahendranagar – the border town

Mahendranagar is named after King Mahendra Bir Bikram Saha of Nepal with the main area of the town named King Mahendra Square. The town or city is situated about five kilometers to the east of the Indian border and is regarded as a 'border town'.

Mahendranagar is naturally enhanced by the beautiful Mahakali River that runs in between Nepal and India. It is here that you will find two of the main tributaries that filter into the Mahakali River, namely: Limpiyadhura and Chamelia. The Mahakali River's namesake belongs to the Hindu goddess of ‘courage and rage’. It is interesting to note that the name is not commonly used amongst the Nepalese people who generally refer to it as 'Kali', while in India it is known as ‘Sharda’. If you wish to cross the border you can do this anytime during the day as a pedestrian, however, this does not apply to vehicles which are restricted on the Indian side allowing them access only from 7 am – 8 am, 12 pm – 2 pm and lastly from 4 pm to 6 pm. This must be kept in mind while planning any excursions across the border, as gate only reopens between 7 am - 8 am the following day.

Chitwan – blessed with natural beauty

Royal Chitwan National Park covers about 932 sq. kilometers as a successful research center of wildlife and nature conservation. The Park is situated in the tropical and sub-tropical lowland of the mid-southern part of Nepal. The Park has a large area of low, heavy-forested hills bordering India on the south, which is also known as a haven for wildlife. The Park has been covered by the different varieties of vegetations. The Shorea Robusta, that is known as a Sal tree in Nepali, covers around 70% of the area, with grasslands covering 20% and others 10%. Commonly seen animals in the park are the Royal Bengal tiger, one horned rhinoceros, wild boar, gaur, Neel Gai, wild elephant, striped hyena, pangolin, chital, wild dog, langur etc.

The Park also contains more than 450 species of birds. Some birds are listed as rare birds. The rare birds found in the Park are the bangle, the horizon, giant hornbill, and lesser florican, black and white stock. The other birds are the peacock, fowl kingfisher, woodpecker, flycatcher, and toucan.

Pashupatinath – the holiest shrine of Nepal

The temple of Pashupatinath is Nepal's most sacred Hindu shrine and one of the subcontinent's greatest Shiva-dedicated sites. Pashupatinath, beside the sacred Bagmati River, is the holiest place in Nepal. Pashupatinath's supreme holiness has two major parts. One is the Shiva Linga enshrined in the main temple and its location on the banks of Bagmati. Hindu devotees plunge into the holy Bagmati River daily and recite the verse from the ancient Vedas. It is believed that plunging or bathing in the holy river releases one from the endless cycle of rebirth.

Lumbini – where Buddha was born

Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, is the center of holy faith for the millions of Buddhists all over the world. Located in southwestern Nepal, Lumbini is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Kapilavastu district of Nepal, near the Indian border. It is the place where Queen Mayadevi is said to have given birth to Siddhartha Gautama, who in turn, as the Buddha Gautama, gave birth to the Buddhist tradition. Lumbini has a number of temples, including the Mayadevi temple. Also, here is the Puskarini or Holy Pond - where the Buddha's mother took the ritual dip prior to his birth and where he, too, had his first bath. The most significant spot of the palaces is the eastern gate from where Prince Siddhartha Gautam departed on his Quest for 'Essence for human life'.

Attaining great heights of civilization and prosperity then, many people and dignitaries came to the sacred site for pilgrimage. Evidence even shows the great Indian emperor Ashoka Maurya visited the sacred garden in the 250 BC. And to commemorate his pilgrimage, he erected a monolith known as the Ashokan pillar which stands till today.

Dhulikhel – a pristine little province

A 45-minute drive from Kathmandu to Dhulikhel offers the best views of the north-eastern Himalayas. Dhulikhel is situated at the foothills of the Panchkhal Valley, about 21 miles east of Kathmandu on the Chinese-built Arniko Highway which leads to Tibet. On the way, one passes Banepa, another former medieval city-kingdom that once boasted of diplomatic relations with China's Ming dynasty. Old Dhulikhel is a closed traditional Newar settlement of remarkable architectural consistency with its four to five-storeyed brick mansions built in an almost Victorian style. Newari woodcraft is also kept alive at Dhulikhel's resorts such as the Dhulikhel Mountain Resort and Himalayan Horizon. Both incorporate the traditional style of architecture along with modern amenities. The Dhulikhel resorts offer panoramic vistas of the snow-capped central Himalayas in contrast to the temperate and lush valley below. Dhulikhel is also a good base for a number of excursions. Most popular are the all-day hike leading to the sacred Buddhist pilgrimage site of Namo Buddha. For centuries Namo Buddha has drawn pilgrims to the sacred spot where, according to legend, Lord Buddha is said to have sacrificed his own flesh to feed a starving tigress and her cubs. A carved stone slab depicts this Buddhist tale of selfless compassion and sacrifice.

Gorkha – the land of royals

Gorkha, situated at the west of Kathmandu at an altitude of 1,135 meters, is the ancestral hometown of the Nepal's ruling royal family. Gorkha is only 18 km up a paved road of the Pokhara-Kathmandu Highway. A brief visit on the way to or from Pokhara would provide more insights into Nepal than one is likely to get at lakeside in Pokhara.

Gorkha's small town is perhaps the most important historical town of Nepal. From its hilltop fortress, King Prithvi Narayan Shah, the ninth generation paternal ancestor of the present King, launched his lifelong attempt to unify the independent states of Nepal, a wildly ambitious project which succeeded due to his brilliance, and the effectiveness of his locally recruited troops. The British term "Gurkha" evolved from the name Gorkha, referring to the famed fighting soldiers of the region.

Gorkha's centerpiece is the magnificent Gorkha Durbar with a fort, a palace and a temple with excellent views of the surrounding valleys, and the Manaslu range.

Nagarkot – the mountainous paradise

Among all the places for mountain viewing in the Kathmandu Valley, Nagarkot is usually considered to be the best. The views go from Dhaulagiri in the west to Kanchenjunga in the east. On a clear day, you can see Mt. Everest (Sagarmatha). You can also see Manaslu (8,463m), Ganesh Himal (7,111m), and Langtang (7,246m). Many people go up to Nagarkot in the afternoon, stay in a hotel in Nagarkot, and then get up at dawn to see the Himalayan Mountains during the sunrise.

Nagarkot is 32 kilometers east of Kathmandu, on the northeast edge of the Valley at an elevation of 2,175m. It is best to view the mountains in the early morning because it is more likely to be clear. There is a viewing tower next to the Club Himalaya Resort, where you get good views from a coffee shop where you can sit inside. Many of the hotels also have good views.

There is a lookout tower south of the village where you can get a 360° view of the scenery. It is an easy one hour walk from the main hotel area. To get there, you have to pass an army checkpoint, and they will only let you pass in the morning.

You can go to Nagarkot in the afternoon and stay over night and view the mountain at sunrise.

Mukti Nath – an ultimate trek destination

One of the holiest shrines of Lord Shiva. Reached by air up to Jomsom; Mustang, and then trek (pony) two days to Mukti Nath Temple. This also covers the route for the world famous Thorung-la trek. If you walk all the way from Pokhara, it takes about six days to get there. Ever burning lamp on the water just beneath the shrine, shows the mystery of almighty God.

Mustang – the forbidden land

The upper reach of the Kali Gandaki valley is known as Mustang. A trek to Mustang, which is also known as "Forbidden Land", is a journey of remarkable contrasts. Another side of the Annapurna Himalaya is a stark Tibetan landscape, with cliff hanging monasteries, which stands at a contrast with lush rice field and Hindu shrines.