A serene place, an heaven for the mountain trekking, but Nepal is not just about high altitude walks!
Between natural and cultural riches, the birthplace of the Lord Buddha is a destination to put on the list if you are looking for a detachment from the noise of our daily life.
Some of the activities I suggest you plan during a trip to Nepal:
- Most tourists and travelers land in Nepal to tackle a few days trekking on one of the fantastic Himalayan routes. Everest and Annapurna are just two of the most famous.
- South of the country you can go on a safari in the Chitwan National Park, among rhinos and bengal tigers!
- Learn how to draw a Thangka, the sacred Tibetan Buddhist paintings, in one of the drawing schools in Kathmandu.
- Visit one of the many Hindu temples or stupa, the typical Buddhist sacred architecture in the village: the Buddha’s eyes painted on top of the building will watch you!
- Fly with the paragliding over thePokhara lake.
- Visit the birthplace of the Lord Buddha at Lumpini.
- It is easy to organize one of the many activities in nature, such as rafting, hiking, biking, kayaking …!
Some info aboutl Nepal:
Capital of Nepal: Kathmandu
Population: 29 millions.
Official language: Nepali, Maithili and Bhojpuri, and othe languages like English.
Currency: Nepalese rupee
Calling Code: +977
Nepal Visa: It depends on your passport, but usually you get it easily on arrival in the country, it is 15, 30 or 90 days days in duration and you pay it based on how much you decide to stay. The passport must have at least 6 months validity from the date of entry into the country and two free pages.
N.B. Always check before leaving that the rules for obtaining the visa have not changed recently!
Phone and Internet: A telephone sim can be obtained by presenting a passport and a photo ID to one of the various points of sale at the airport or in the towns. There are 3 main service providers: Ncell, Nepal Telecom, Smart Telecom. You can use the wifi service available in restaurants and hotels.
The main tourist destinations of Nepal:
If you are traveling from abroad you will probably fly to Kathmandu, the sparkling and chaotic capital of Nepal. Although the traffic and street noise is a bit boring I found the city quite relaxing. A capital rich in culture, between Buddhism and Hinduism.
The second most popular destination in Nepal is Pokhara, a quiet lake town where you usually get ready and settle everything for a trek. Beautiful views from here on the Annapurna mountains.
Lumbini, in the south near the border with India, the place where Gautama Siddhartha was born, the Lord Buddha.
Also in the South there is the Chitwan National Park, a UNESCO heritage site. Don’t miss a safari to spot rhinos, tigers and over 500 species of birds.
Bhaktapur: was one of the royal cities of Nepal.
Some deemed best trails for a trek: Annapurna circuit, Everest camp base, Manaslu circuit, Upper Mustang.
Patan and its beautiful architecture.
Nepal, when to go?
The best months to visit Nepal are from October to December, the rains are just over and leave room for clear skies.
January and February are much colder, March and April are quite good for trekking. In May the humidity increases and then comes to the monsoon season which runs from June to August.
N.B. Lately the weather conditions are changing a lot, so sometimes the seasons are not always as expected!
