Nepal is the naturally very beautiful, peaceful landlocked country without any ocean. It is surrounded by Himalayan ranges, nestled in the lap of Himalayas. Nepal is one of the wealthiest countries when it comes to the scenic beauty, culture, art and religion. It is also the land of the world’s highest mountain peak Mt. Everest. Nepal is a paradise for it’s ecstatic beauty, cultural trek and tours, ecological trek, adventure sports and mountaineering.
Unique points
- Everest – The highest mountain peak in the world.
- Nepal also holds the titles for airport at highest elevation, hotel at highest elevelation and may other titles related to height.
- Kali Gandaki River – The deepest river gorge in the world.
- Lumbini – The birthplace of Buddha. Gautam Buddha, Founder of Buddhism was born in Nepal.
- Kumari – The Living Goddess, worshipped and taken in a chariot procession annually
- Flag – The non-rectangular flag. Nepal is the only country in the world with a triangular flag. The two triangles symbolize the Himalaya Mountains and represent the two major religions Hinduism and Buddhism.
- People in Nepal do not greet one another with a handshake, but rather put their palms together and bow their forehead and say Namaste (directly translated as “I salute the God in you”). Though handshake is very common among friends and in the cities.
- Nepal has 10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites..
- In Nepal, birds such as crows and animals like dogs and cows are worshipped during Tihar, the festival of lights.
There are 14 mountains above 8,000 meters in the world, and among them, 8 are in Nepal.
Mount Everest (8,848.86 m / 29032 ft) – The world’s highest peak.
Kanchenjunga (8,586 m / 28,169 ft) – The third highest peak.
Lhotse (8,516 m / 27,940 ft) – Connected to Everest by the South Col.
Makalu (8,463 m / 27766 ft) – Known for its pyramid shape.
Cho Oyu (8,201 m / 26906 ft) – Considered one of the easier 8000-meter peaks to climb.
Dhaulagiri (8,167 m / 26794 ft) – The seventh highest peak.
Manaslu (8,163 m / 26781 ft) – The eighth highest peak.
Annapurna I (8,091 m / 26545 ft) – The tenth highest peak in the world.
“Heaven is myth, Nepal is real”
Home of the Himalayas
Nepal is famous all over the world for the Himalayas. The world’s highest mountain, Mount Everest (Sagarmatha in Nepali), is in Nepal. Many people come to Nepal to see the mountains, trek in the hills, and enjoy the fresh air and peaceful nature.
Popular trekking routes include:
- Everest Base Camp Trek
- Annapurna Circuit
- Langtang Valley Trek
These treks are great for adventure lovers and nature seekers.
Beautiful Cities and Places
Nepal has many interesting cities and towns. The capital city is Kathmandu, also called the “City of Temples.” It has many old palaces, temples, and monuments. Some famous places to visit in Kathmandu Valley are:
- Swayambhunath
- Boudhanath Stupa
- Pashupatinath Temple
- Patan Durbar Square
- Bhaktapur Durbar Square
- Kathmandu Durbar Square
- Changu Narayan Temple
Other popular places to visit include:
- Pokhara – a beautiful city with lakes and mountain views.
- Lumbini – the birthplace of Lord Buddha.
- Chitwan – home to Chitwan National Park where you can see rhinos, elephants, and tigers.
Rich Culture and Festivals
Nepal is very rich in culture. There are many ethnic groups and languages. The main religion is Hinduism, followed by Buddhism, but people of all religions live peacefully.
Nepal celebrates many colorful festivals like:
- Dashain – the biggest Hindu festival
- Tihar – the festival of lights
- Sivaratri – one of the most sacred Hindu festivals dedicated to Lord Shiva
- Holi – the festival of colors
Food in Nepal
Nepali food is simple and tasty. The most common food is Dal Bhat (rice with lentil soup), served with vegetables, pickles, and sometimes meat. Momo (dumplings) is another popular dish. You can find both local and international food in most cities. Newari food is popular in Kathmandu.
Adventure Activities
Nepal is a great place for adventure sports. You can enjoy:
- Trekking and Hiking
- Paragliding
- White water rafting in rivers
- Mountain biking
- Bungee jumping
- Jungle safari
Nature and Wildlife
Nepal has green forests, rivers, hills, and national parks. Popular places include Chitwan National Park, where you can see tigers, rhinos, and elephants, and Pokhara, which is famous for its lakes and views of the mountains.
New Destinations
Mandre dhunga paragliding in Pokhara
Above the Clouds: Paragliding in Chandragiri
Ramaroshan: A Nature Lover’s Paradise
Dhanishwor manarom nageshwor gufa
Tourism in Nepal
Adventure tourism of Nepal is coming up in a big way. While the beauty of the place has always intrigued the world, it is the fun of extreme sports that has been attracting hordes of tourists to Nepal. Even though, adventure tourism may not be the most used term and may be misunderstood as well, Nepal is making the optimum utilization of this tourism. Needless to say the tourists are also happy with this. Of the many reasons the availability of adventure tourism of Nepal is one of the major reasons for the large number of visitors coming to Nepal.
Nepal is the heaven of adventure sports that not only provides fun to the tourists but is also a source of revenue for the government. The tourism of Nepal is sure to bring about a positive change in the social-economic contortions of the less fortunate in the country. With the expansion of the tourism of Nepal the socio-economic fabric of the country will also undergo a change. While Nepal is slowly taking a turn towards modernization, it is cautious not to lose its culture tradition and identity. Nepalese are also very cautious of taking care of its nature. After all, being the foremost provider of adventure sports Nepal has to ensure that their country provides the fun and adventure it claims.
Local weather / Climate
Nepal’s environment is commonly foreseeable and dulcet. You can find 4 seasons Winter (December – February) Spring (March – May) Summer (June – August) Autumn (September – November). Most precipitation (rain/snow) falls in June, July and August as the moist monsoonal air-mass sweeps in from the south. The monsoon season begins inside the final of June and lasts till mid-September once the majority of the rainfall requires place in Nepal. The winter months temperatures can drop to bone chilling amounts and there’s typically massive snowfall. The temperatures within the capital metropolis of Kathmandu assortment from 19-30 degrees Celsius in summer time time and 2-20 degrees Celsius all through winters. Each season has its own character but Nepal can be enjoyed all year round. Even in winter the climate in Kathmandu and Pokhara is relatively mild compared with much of continental Europe, the northern states of the U.S.A. or the northern areas of Japan. Of course this is not the case at higher altitudes where appropriate dress is essential all year round.
Tradition
The Kingdom of Nepal is bordered by Tibet within the north and India within the south, the impact of which might be naturally noticed for the Nepali culture. About 90% about the population of Nepal is developed up of Hindus at the same time as the rest includes Buddhists, Muslims along with other people. A lot more than a hundred languages are registered in Nepal as mother tongues. Dashain, which involves animal sacrifice will be the most critical festival in Nepal. Other festivals such as the Tihar festival as well as the Chaitra Dasain may also be celebrated with each other with Hindu festivals of Holi, Haribodhini Ekadashi and Mahashivratri. The colorful masked dances accompanied by new music from close by musical instruments add considerably attraction to the place.
Language
Nepali is the member of Indo-Aryan language and closely related to other South Asian languages. It is derived from Sanskrit. Many Nepalese from Terai speak other languages of Indo-Aryan family such as Bhojpuri, Maithili, Awadhi etc. but people from the other groups of the hill and mountain areas speak one of the several dozen Tibeto-Burman languages that are completely unrelated to Nepali. Some of these may only be spoken by a few thousand people within a single valley. Newa of Kathmandu valley for example, speak Nepalbhasa, Thakali of Mustang speak Thakali language in the Kali Gandaki valley. Other languages spoken are Magar, Gurung, Tamang, Sherpa, Tibetan, Rai, Limbu, Kaike, Kham, Tharu, Tibetan etc. Many Nepali speak both their mother language and Nepali fluently.
The flag of Nepal
Flag of Nepal was adopted in December 16, 1892 which is made up of two triangular structure and is the only national flag in the world that is non-quadrilateral in shape. Red is also the sign of victory in war and sign of blood. The blue border is the color of peace and some historians also claim that the blue signifies veins, hence the blue around red, veins carrying blood. The curved moon on the flag is a symbol of the peaceful and calm nature of Nepalese people. The sun represents the aggressiveness of Nepalese warriors known worldwide as the brave Gurkhas.
How do people dress in Nepal?
If you’re wondering what is the dress of Nepal then the tradition Nepali dress for men is the Daura Suruwal and Dhaka topi. Women wear an item of clothing called a sari. The sari is mostly composed of material made from cotton, silk. Haku-patasi is also popular in Kathmandu valley in those days. The way people dress in Nepal is also determined by many factors such as geographical area, caste, economic status etc. People living in places of high altitude wear clothing that is composed thick material, in hot Terai areas wear a simple cloth wrapped around as bottoms and a simple tank top. Sherpas are well known around the world for their amazing high altitude survival, climbing skills and traditional Sherpa dress consists of a knee-length robe woven of yak wool. It is similar for both men and women and is worn with yak wool pants, boots made of yak hide.
A Dhaka topi is a type of hat made of a fabric called dhaka. Dhaka topi is worn always by men and it’s very unusual to see females wearing dhaka topi in Nepal. Dhaka topi is also seen very commonly by politicians and government officials as a part of National uniform. Dhaka topi is available in variety of colors and patterns and different types are worn based on the function and the person wearing the hat. Tourists are usually fond of these hats due to they unique origin/connection to Nepal. Dhaka topi can be purchased in Nepal at most fabric store. Western town of Palpa is known for it’s quality dhaka topi. Nepali’s consider dhaka topi as a pride and it is very much attached to the culture.
Nepali Time zone
Time in Nepal is 5 hrs 45 min ahead of GMT. Saturday is the official weekly holiday.
What are the entry points of Nepal?
The major immigration points of Nepal are as follows:
- Tribhuwan International Airport, Kathmandu
- Gautam Buddha International Airport, Bhairahawa
- Pokhara International Airport, Pokhara
- Kakarvitta (Jhapa)
- Birgunj, (Parsa)
- Jamunaha (Nepalgunj)
- Mohana(Dhangadi)
- Gadda Chauki (Mahendranagar)