NEPAL Tourism

For the Indians, Nepal would seem like home away from home .Indians don't need a visa to enter Nepal. A passport or a voter's identity card will do. You can go there by land or by air. Most people in Neal/especially those in the travel and tourism industry understand Hindi and English. Indian currency (except notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1, 00 denominations) Is accepted everywhere. If it's so similar to home, when why go there, you would wonder.Vepal's similarity with India is not where all its charm lies.

Reaching Tribhuvan international airport at Kathmandu by flight takes around two hours from Delhi. On Our first evening there ,our Nepali friend decides to take us to Thamel, the central shopping area in Kathmandu.On the way, we drive past theaters screening Kabh alvida na kehana and Lage Raho munnabhai.Thamel is the heart of the city.Quint,wood and glass restaurants offering everything from Indian to Nepali thai,Italian,Japanes and Chinese cuisine:bakeries and confectioners filling the streets with the heady smells;Live music emannatng frombars and restaurants :music stores palying devotional Tibetan music:people of all nationalties jostling for space in the streets;shops displaying pashmina shawls,handicraftsand bead jewellery;stores selling Nepal's famous rudrakshas there's everything. A 30 minute drive from Central Kathnmandu takes you to the Swayabunath stupa,from where you can get a bird's eye view of the entire Kathmandu.this World Heritage site is known as much as a religious destination because of the scenic beauty surrounding it. Visits to the Pashupatinath temple and Bouddahanth stupa are an integral pat of every traveler's itinery.however, though temple tourism inflow here, there are other things too.

A visit To Nepal is incomplete without a trip to pokhara,the city of Lakes.the best way to go there is by a 30-minute domestic flight from Kathmandu.A small 20-seater Beechcraft takes us thers,offeing us a glimpses of the Himalayas towering above the clouds surroundings us.

Sometimes the journey is as good as the destination. five minutes after coming out of pokhara aiprport, our van stops and we're told that reaching our lodge will entail a boat ride across the Pew lake .One by one, we get in carefully, the tiny boat threatening to give us an actual feel of the water around .This 5 km long lake is lone of the major draws of pokhara are spent tat the numerous restaurants dotting the length of the klake, accompanied by traditional dance and music. Besides Phewa, rupa and Begans are the other important lakes I Pokhara.

If you want to see the World Peace stupa, be prepared for a two-hour-climb .While we're busy huffing and puffing, title school children run past us, silently showing off. Also planned Is a sunrise view at sarangkot.Cursing and cribbing at the unearthly hour at which our hotels receptions gives us the wke up call, we point whre you're at eye-level with snow-capped peaks. You'd thank the good gentleman. As the sun continues too make us wiat, the white peaks slowly changes it color to golden. The moment finally arrives and everyone heaves a sigh of relief and wonder.

You can also go exploring Mahendra Gufa at Batulachaaur in Pokhara.If that's too staid for our taste,thereare the bat caves nearby,Devi falls,with water gushing greenery,is nether treat for eyes.Theinternational Mountain Museum is where we got to see and learn about every mountain expedition made to the Himalayas.

After two days in Pokhara, we return to Kathmandu.at a distance of 100 km from Kathmandu is Manakammna.Reaching there means a three-hour drive one hilly terrain.Eaelier, You would have had to walk a three-kilometers distance for a dradshan.Now a 3.02 km cable car of slopes and villages, takes you there .the rates are fixed, whether it's for a child, adult or goat. Abut 323 kms from Kathmandu is the trade s villages of Nagarkot.situated at 72, 00 ft; it's a place where you get a spectacular view of? Mt Everest, mt Annapurna,Kathmandu and Bhaktapur.Don't miss it.

Getting there

Kathmandu:Nepal airlines fly to Kathmandu from Delhi, Bagalore and Mumbai. Air Sahara(Delhi)Cosmic air (Delhi, Dhaka and Vadnais),Indian(delhi,Kolktha and Varnasi)and jet Airways (Delhi)also operate flights to Neplal.Entry by land ids from Kakarbhitta,Birguni,Belhiya,Bhairahawa,Nepalgunnj,Dhangadi and Mahendra Nagar on the Nepal_india border

Pokhara::A 30 _minute flight from any of the domestic airlines that fly everyday.

Nagarkot:1_hour drive from Kathmandu

Chitwan:A21=km Drive from Bharathpur(146 kms by rod from Kthamandu)

Activities

Trekkng: theres re many trekking routes in Nepal Park, annpurna Conservation area, Langtang National Park, and Sagarmath National Park are some of the most popular are some of the most popular among them. Log on to wwwtaan.org.np for details.

Boating;Phewa, Begnas and Rupa lakes are ideal for boating. One can try canoeing on Narayani and Rapti rivers near Chiwan national park.

Jungle safari:Parse wildlife reserve,Bardia National Park,Chitwan National Park and Shuklaa Phanta Wild Life Resrves.

Hunting:Dhorpatan hunting reserve (west Nepal).Log on to WWW.dnpwc.gov.np for details.

Mountaineering:One has to get permission from the mountaineering department of ministry of culture, tourism and civil aviation Log on to www.nepalmountaineering.org for details.