Hiking Sites in Nepal

Hiking Sites in Nepal

There is no dearth of sites and peaks in Nepal as far as hiking is concerned. Nepal has a cluster of sub-8000 meter and above 8,000 meters peaks. While the former is good for Hikers, the later is best for Peak-climbers. The Government of Nepal approves these sites and only the permit holders are allowed to scale these peaks. It does not matter at all if these peaks are 8000 meters high or 1000 meters; you will need permit at any cost. Following are some of the most popular hiking and peak-climbing sites: -

(1) Kakani

(2) Nagarkot

(3) Phulchoki

(4) Nagarjun

(5) Dhulikhel

(6) Pokhara

Rafting in Nepal

Rafting in Nepal

Nepal is a river rafter's heaven. Nowhere in the world will you get an experience this exhilarating, this sublime. The gurgling and bouncing Himalayan Rivers provide you with ample opportunity to live your fantasies. Rafting in Nepal is often re-christened "blissful escapism" because of the rafting routes that more often than none, lies in seclusion. Very few rafting routes have highways accompanying them and thus what is left is the blue water and you. The best thing about the rafting in Nepal is that it is very cheap in comparison to the similar facilities in Gadhwal in India. White water rafting is inseparable with rapids, of which there is no dearth in Nepal. The thundering rivers that originate from various glaciers in Tibet make Nepal one of the best rafting destinations in the world. The rivers that are fit for rafting are graded on the scale of 1 to 6. Grade 1 is awarded to the rivers that are very quiet where as 6 is given to the one that are very dangerous. The rafters have to apply for the rafting permit. These permits have grades mentioned on it. Rafters are classified according to their experience where amateurs are awarded with Grade 3 Rivers at maximum. The most experienced and the professionals are awarded maximum Grade 5 Rivers. The best month for rafting is from September to November when there is minimum melting of glaciers. There are various rafting agencies both in Northern Nepal as well as Kathmandu regions. Most of the bookings are done in advance and on the Internet. The most popular among these agencies is Mountain River Rafting Club at Kathmandu.

Trekking Agencies in Nepal

Trekking Agencies in Nepal

There are various trekking and mountaineering agencies in Nepal. Most of these trekking agencies are located in Kathmandu only. These agencies are affiliated to government bodies and have valid permits for taking out mountaineering expeditions. These agencies are on the regular monitoring of government agencies and comply by all the safety norms that have been prescribed by the UIAA, the central body for climbers and mountaineers.Nearly all of these agencies have shifted to online bookings. At the prescribed sites you can get a list of possible expeditions and the rate quotations. The entire list of the travel agencies can be obtained either from the tourist help cell at the Tribhuwan Airport or can be downloaded from the official website of the Ministry of Tourism, Nepal.These agencies have trained mountain escorts and guides that accompany every expedition. Most of the guides are well versed in English only. Nevertheless, arrangements are made for multilingual guides too. French, Spanish, German, Arabic, Hebrew and Russian are some of the languages for which guides are readily available. The trekking agencies require you to make payments in advance before embarking for the journey.

Adventure Sports in Nepal

Adventure Sports in Nepal

The one word that solely signifies Nepal is "Adventure". For decades, Nepal has caught the fancy of adventurers. The lofty mountain, the ice-capped pine trees, the gurgling rivers and what not; Nepal has all the recipes of adventure. People from all nook and corners of the world have relished these recipes for decades. Among these recipes, Mount Everest is the most favorite delicacy. Mount Everest, the highest mountain peak in the world, is the proud possession of Nepal. Known locally as Sagarmatha, Mount Everest stands 8,848 meters above the sea level. Mountaineers from all over the world come to Nepal to scale this ultimate challenge. It has been close to 50 years since Mt Everest was first scaled but this peak still attracts the highest number of mountaineers. Apart from the Mount Everest, there are other peaks too that are famous among hikers. Some of these peaks are Nanda Devi, Nanga Parbat and Makalu. There are various agencies that facilitate these expeditions. All of these agencies follow international norms regarding safety and environmental issues.

Monarchy in Nepal

Monarchy in Nepal

The history of Nepal is inseparable with its monarchy. Monarchy is a form of government where the King is the executive head of the government with or without a people elected government to support it. The history of Nepal, since years, has revolved around the two warring dynasties namely Shahs and Ranas. The former were the one who united the nomads to form a nation that is now known as Nepal. Ranas were the one who usurped the kingdom in the later years. The bloodbath between the two dynasties and the incidents such as Kot massacre will go down as the black chapters in the history of Nepal. Later, both these dynasties came in to matrimonial alliance and buried their hatched. This alliance is reflected on the flag of Nepal too. The two triangular portions of the flag represent the two dynasties. The most illustrious king in the history of Nepal was Tribhuwan Bir Vikram Shah. The king was said to be pro-people and pro-development and initiated many reforms for the masses. No wonder, most of the buildings in Nepal are named after the monarch. His only son Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah followed him. Mahendra Bir Bikram had modern ideas in his kitty and it was he, who first blew the wind of change.

Music of Nepal

Music of Nepal

The rhythm, beats, bounce of Nepali traditional folk and classical music is spiritual enough to sooth you and entertaining enough to cheer you. Music is associated with every event in Nepal, then be it birth, marriage, festivals or National events.Various songs, musical instruments and dances are connected with various religious, social and cultural lives of the Nepalese. Music is the heartbeat of Nepal. Music is associated to every event of life, then be it festivals, feasts, marriage, birth ceremonies or funeral processions. The main genres of Nepali music are pop, rock, folk, and classical. There are a number of other genres that are yet to be cataloged. The following music genres have their roots in Nepal and are therefore considered to be indigenous.

Tourist Guides in Nepal

Tourist Guides in Nepal

It is said that however well versed you are about a certain place you need a travel guide to tell you the nuances. It is true for Nepal too. Though, a copy of Lonely Planet Nepal will prove more than handy you must take the help of guides if you want to excuse yourself from minor irritants like dickering and all. There are basically three kinds of guides in Nepal namely, travel, trekking and water guides. These travel guides are versed in different languages. Traveler guides for English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese and Japanese are the easiest to be found.The first and the foremost point are to pick up a right kind of guide. Your best bet is a government approved and licensed guide. You can check out the names and rates of these guides on the official tourism website of Nepal or pick up the list from the tourist help cell at the Tribhuwan Airport. These are trained guides and are well versed in the history and culture of Nepal. There is another edge these guides have over the unlicensed guides. In case they cheat you off or run away with your stuff, you can always call on the helpline number and file a complaint against them. Their registration information ensures that they get caught and your stuffs are returned to you with sincere apologies. However these incidents are less likely to happen in case of registered guides.