About Nepal
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 where Buddha was born and the world’s highest mountain peak Mt. Everest stands. Nepal is a paradise for it’s ecstatic beauty, cultural trek and tours, ecological trek, adventure sports and mountaineering.
It is located in south Asia, landlocked country, east, west and south covered by India and north china. Here lives estimated 28.98 million peoples, it is 48th largest country by population and 93rd largest country by area. It is located between the longitudes 80° and 89°E and latitudes 26° and 31°N. By area it is the one small country in the south Asia, total area of Nepal has 1,47,181 square kilometers, stretches over 800 kilometers from east to west and 90-230 Kilometers from North to the south. Nepal is somewhat trapezoidal in its shape. The entire nation is divided primarily into hilly region, Terai area and mountain area. It was never under the any foreign rule. It is topographically divided into three regions, Himalaya to the north, the middle hills (Pahad) consisting of the Mahabharat range and the Churia Hills, and the Terai to the south. Only 0.1% of the earth occupying by Nepal. Himalayan Region covers 16% of the total area of Nepal, Mid Hill Region 67% and Tarai region 17%. Capital city of Nepal is Kathmandu (काठमाण्डु) which is located in middle of Nepal and it also largest city of Nepal. It made up of the Kathmandu District, Lalitpur District and Bhaktapur District covering an area of 220 square miles. The capital city Nepal stands at an elevation of approximately 1,400 metres in the bowl-shaped valley in central Nepal surrounded by four major mountains, namely Shivapuri, Phulchowki, Nagarjun and Chandragiri.
Nepal is a small and beautiful country which is rich in cultures and traditions. In Nepal people of different languages and religion live together in peaceful environment. Hinduism was the major religion of the country where other religions like Islam, Buddhism, and Christianity were in a small population but in the year January 2007, Nepal was declared as a Secular country. Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha which is located in Lumbini Zone, Rupandehi District, Western Terai Nepal. Lord Buddha, was born in 623 B.C. in the famous gardens of Lumbini, which soon became a place of pilgrimage. Lumbini is the holiest places of one of the world for busshist and it is the evidence about the nature of Buddhist pilgrimage centers from as early as the 3rd century BC.
Economically mediocre, it is rich in its stage set grandeur and cultural heritage. It definitely can be a mountain climber’s paradise as 8 to the 10 highest mountain peaks within the globe are located right here. Arrive to Nepal and find out a paradise unexplored. The Kingdom of Nepal presents nature in its most great splendor. It’s stuffed with temples, journey locations and serene locations that hugely draw the consideration in the visitors inside the direction of this hilly nation.
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 the densest concentration of World Heritage Sites, Kathmandu valley alone has 7 World Heritage Cultural sites within a radius of 15 kilometers.
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.
Adventure Tourism in Nepal
If you want to experience the joys of a holiday that you and your family will absolutely appreciate, it’d be best to go visit the Himalayas. There is no way you and your family and friends will not love the fun here. Not only will you enjoy but you will also free refresh, away from the daily grinding of our stressful life. Take the pleasure of tourism of Nepal and experience the one of its kind of fun and frolic.
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.
Trekking & Expedition in Nepal
Nepal is a land of scenic grandeur and cultural diversity with few major roads. The only means of travel and transportation for the inhabitants of mountain areas is by foot. Trek may reveal rich contrasts in people and culture as you travel from one elevation zone to another.
Rara lake travel guide Deepest lake of Nepal
Annapurna The Annapurna region was voted one of the top 10 best trekking places on earth.
Tour in Nepal
Kathmandu a town that paints a beautiful picture with the prior as well as the current. It is laden with temples which appeal to vacationers and pilgrims from around the world in massive numbers. The well-known and historic temple of Pashupatinath is situated here.
Sightseeing in Kathmandu
Swayambhu: also know as “The Monkey Temple” by tourists.
Kathmandu Durbar Square – Patan durbar square – Bhaktapur durbar square
Pashupatinath: The holiest of holiest Hindu temples around. Actually, it’s more sort of a temple complex with a constant smell of barbeque from the funeral pyres. Walk around and suck it all in!
Boudhanath stupa: Like that first one, just bigger and easier to be there. Also great for coffee lovers.
Nagarkot or Dhulikhel: On a clear morning, you can see Everest from your breakfast table.
Pokhara is one of the most beautiful city of Nepal
Pilgrimage Tour in Nepal – Lumbini tour birth place of Buddha
Hiking in Nepal
Dhulikhel hiking – Namobuddha hike – Jamacho hike – Kakani hike – Hiking in Chobhar – Hiking in Nagarkot – Sarangkot hike
Adventure activities in Nepal
National parks of Nepal
Jungle Safaris
Nepal’s most famous Royal Chitwan National Park is located on the lowlands of the inner Terai covering an area of 932 Sq. km. Royal Bardia National Park is another park which is famous for different species of birds and animals. There are 11 other National Parks in Nepal which are rich in wildlife such as the rare one-horned rhinoceros, several species of deer, bear, leopard, monkey, crocodile, tiger, birds etc. The parks are very popular for Elephant Safaris, Dugout Canoeing, Nature Walking, Bird Watching and Jungle Excursions with a Jungle Naturalist.
Sagarmatha National Park – Chitwan National Park – Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve – Bardia National Park
Culture of Nepal
Bel bibaha – Newari Ornaments – Newari festivals – Prayer flags meaning – Exploring culture of Nepal
Religion Nepal
History
Prithvi narayan shah father and mother
Shopping in Kathmandu
For shopping, Nepal is an important destination in Asia.
Enlisted here are some of the products which can be bought in most of the important tourist markets in Nepal.
- Statue, antiques
- Thanka
- Pashmina
- Herbal Products
- Carpet
- Jewellery
- Nepali Handmade Paper Products
- Stone Crafts
- Wooden Crafts
- Metal Crafts
- Tea Products
- Garments and many more
Thamel: Here, you’ll find trekking clothes along with other gear like boots, sleeping bag, crampons, helmet etc. you’ll need for a walk in the mountains.
Durbar Marg: You can find the most fashionable branded shops in Nepal from Gucci watches, diamond jewelry, Adidas and other international brands. If you get hungry, this is also where you can stuff yourself with some authentic Western fast-food. Here, you can find international brands like KFC, Pizza hut etc.
Bag Bazaar and Jamal: You can find books shops and distributors at Bag Bazaar. At Jamal you’ll find Mandala book store and you can also find some book stores at Thamel too.
Putalisadak: For computer accessories, harddisks, memory cards and other office equipments.
Newroad: Mostly you’ll find mobile shops, sunglasses, camera, lenses and other gear. Near by Newroad you can also reach Freak street.
Asan: This is the oldest market of Nepal where you can find bed-sheets, brass artifacts, rock salt, saris, bicycles and many more. In this market you can find everything from gold to salt, especially household items.
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 its quality dhaka topis. 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:
Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu
Kakarvitta (Jhapa) – The Eastern immigration office.
Birgunj, (Parsa) – The Central immigration office.
Jamunaha (Nepalgunj) – The Mid western immigration office.
Mohana(Dhangadi) – The Far western immigration office.
Gadda Chauki (Mahendranagar) – The Far western immigration office.