Enchantment is everywhere in Nepal; be it in the cool and invigorating shade of the high mountains, or on terraced farmlands carved like stairways out of hill ridges, or still across waterfalls, creeks, rushing mountain rivers amidst gorges, valleys and forests teeming with a cornucopia of flora and fauna. There are lakes amidst breathtaking settings, strong-current rivers for rafting, Wildlife Safaris, the tallest mountains to climb, trekking across vales and dales, and, above all, warm, friendly, welcoming people. In this respect, Nepal becomes a perfect holiday destination for tourists, trekkers, mountaineers, writers, honeymooners, lovers, retired people and people interested in research.

Nepal Geography

As Nepal is sandwiched between two economic and geographical Leviathans, it is rightfully regarded as “ A Yam between Two Boulders” as While Nepal abuts on Indian border in the east, the west and the South, Tibetan Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China shares the vast Himalayan frontier with Nepal. The length of the county is 885 kilometers from east to west, and its breath varies from 145 kilometers to 241 kilometers from north to south. The total area is 147,181 sq. kilometers.

 Climate 

Nepal isn’t only the home of mysterious Yeti and elusive Snow Leopard, but also a constant cause of wonder for meteorologists for her simply amazing variations in climatic conditions. Divided into three different geographical regions, Nepal houses the snow-capped Himalayas in the north, a vast stretch of plains in the south and two chains of hills, known as Mahabharata and Churiya range, acting as a geological bridge between the northern and southern region.

The most astonishing thing about the geography of Nepal is that the distance between the tropical lowlands and the snow-capped mountainous region is very less. While the distance between the tropical and alpine regions in most of the countries around the globe is more than 1000 km, it is just less than 100 km in some places in Nepal.. The temperature varies between zero in the mountains to over 30 degrees Celsius in the valleys, and to mercury plummeting up to 38 degrees during summer in the lowlands.

Population

‘Unity in diversity’ is really the mot just for a multi-ethnic, multicultural and multilingual country like Nepal. It had a population of 18,462,081 at the time of the 1991 census. The average population density at the time was 125 persons per sq km (329 per sq mi), although nearly half the people were concentrated in the narrow Terai region. In contrast, the 2003 population estimate was 26,469,569. The population has grown rapidly since 1950 when there were only 9 million people. In 2003 the population was increasing at an annual rate of 2.3 percent. Only 12 percent of the population lived in urban areas. The rate of population in the urban areas, however, has grown significantly thanks to a number of social, political and economic reasons.

Get in

You may need a tourist Visa to enter the country. A propspective visitor can apply for the visa from several embassies and consulates in most countries in the world. Nepal has diplomatic missions in

 Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Burma, Canada, China, Denmark, Finaland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Myanmar, The Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Phillipines, Spain , Sweeden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tibet, the United Kingdom and the United States of America that issue visas to the propective visitors.

Entrance/Egress

The following entery/exit points have been set by the government of Nepal for the foreign visitors:

1. Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu

2. Kodari, Sindhupalchowk (North)

3. Karkarvitta, Jhapa (East)

4. Belahia,Bhairhawa (West)

5. Birgunj, Parsa (Central Nepal)

6. Jamunaha, Nepalgunj (Mid-East)

7. Mohana, Dhangadi (Far-West)

8. Gadda Chauki, Mahendranagar (Far-West)

 

Via Air

Since there is only one international airport, Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, in Nepal, it is the Hobson’s choice for vistors to start their Himalayan voyage from the capital city itself. The following airlines company operate their services from/to Kathmandu:

 

1. Nepal Airlines (Run by the Nepalese government, it operates its service to/from Bangkok, Banglore, Calcutta, Delhi, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Osaka, Paris, London, Shanghai, Singapore)

2. Korean Air (Seoul)

3. Biman Bangladesh Airlines (Dhaka)

4. Air China (Lhasa)

5. Condor (Munich)

6. Druk Air (Paro)

7. Gulf Air (Abu Dhabi)

8. Indian Airlines (Delhi, Calcutta, Varanasi)

9. Qatar Airways ( Doha)

10.  Thai International (Bangkok)

11. Martin Air (Amsterdam via Sharjah)

 

Via Land

Although Indo/Nepal border is a porous one, you must enter the country by road from India through one of the border crossing points ( as described under the heading Entrance/Egress). If you are coming from Tibet, the route is Kodari, Sindhupalchowk. There is no national passenger rail service in Nepal, but there is a rail service operating from Calcutta, India. A train by the name Mithila Express plies regularly between Howrah Station, Calcutta, to Birgunj, one of the chief entry points to Nepal.

 

Contact

Although the comminication infrastructure of Nepal is not to the world’s standard, still the pincipal cities across the countries entertain almost all forms of sophisticated communication systems. These include:

 

1. Telephone: The international country code for Nepal is 977. There are two to three digit area code and six-digit local phone numbers. The communication system, operated by Nepal Telecom, a quasi-governmental organization, caters its service in almost all the seventy-five district of the country. But some off-the-map villages don’t have telephone facilities. However, the East-West optical fibre project, which is on the verge of its completion, is expected to cover all the villages and hamlets of the country within two to three years time. Besides Nepal Telecom, United Tele Communication Limited (UTL), a privately owned company, is providing its services in Kathmandu Valley.

2. Cell Phones

Mobiles are widely used, but due to the geoprphical constraints , some rural areas have only analog service, or no service at all. Nepal Telecom and UTL operate operate CDMA networks; Mero Mobile, a private mobile company, operates the only GPRS network. Travellers planning to bring their GPRS phones with them might do well to check that their handset supports the appropriate frequencies.

 

3. Internet

There are cyber cafes in almost most of the tourist areas all over the country. A trekker can surf the net in Solokhumbu, the entry point of Mount Everest Region. Nomal rate is Rs 20 to 30 per hours in the main cities like Kathmandu and Pokhara. New Pokhara Lodge Lakeside Pokhara offer free internet to hotel’s customers.

 

4. Mail

The snail mail system is there but, as a rule, it is not always speedy. Also, international parcel postal services can be costly. Furthermore, internationally acclaimed courier service providers like DHL and Fedex also have their branches in most parts of the country.

http://www.visit-nepal.com

nepal is beautiful …

Annapurna circle …

The other day I overheard a conversation between two women discussing their summer holiday plans. One was telling the other that she had gone to her local travel agent and asked for a cheap package holiday in Spain. The agent had quickly managed to find a holiday that suited and the lady booked it immediately.

The other woman said that she wished she could do the same but had been unable to find a travel agent who could help. Apparently, someone she knew recommended Northern Cyprus to her. The description of its climate, fabulous beaches, beautiful scenery and welcoming local people deeply appealed to her but she had been unable to find any travel agent offering package holidays there. The person who recommended Northern Cyprus to her explained how it was possible to book flights and accommodation online but she felt apprehensive about not going through a travel agent.

I was quite taken aback at hearing this admission of total dependency on travel agents and ignorance of Internet travel sites. After all, this was 2008 in the U.K. where traditional travel agents have long since been marginalised by online travel sites. Yet, as the conversation developed it became apparent that neither woman knew anything about what resources the Internet offers in this respect.

It got me thinking about how many other people there were around who need tips on organising travel online and when I got home I decided to write down the following seven steps for them.

Step 1: Finding out about the travel destination

Open Google and type into the search box, the name of whatever country or general area you want to holiday in, followed by the words “travel information” or “travel guide”. For example; “Spain travel information”. Browse several of the sites your search throws up and then decide which ones give you the best travel tips relevant to your holiday needs.

Step 2: Deciding on the actual resort

Use the best sites you find from step 1 to decide which resort or locality offers you most of what you want for your vacation. For example, localities with secluded beaches or beaches with lots of facilities, resorts that have plenty to keep the children occupied or quiet villages in scenic locations, etc.

Having familiarised yourself with all that you want to know about the resort or locality, ascertain the nearest airports (or other relevant transportation centres).

Step 3: Finding suitable accommodation

When you have found some resorts that satisfy your criteria, look for suitable accommodation in them. This may require typing a new search term into Google because the sites you have looked at so far may not have sufficient detailed information about specific accommodation in a given locality. They may however have some links to other sites that do. If so, check the links out before starting a new search. If you do need to do a new search, the best search term to use would be something like; Name of resort or locality followed by the word “accommodation”. For example if after researching southern Spain, you had decided you liked what you had read about Mojacar as a holiday resort, you would type; “Mojacar accommodation”. Here’s a tip worth remembering: you may need to refer back to the other website pages that you have already opened so keep them open by doing your accommodation search in a new tab. In case you don’t know about using tabs, take a look at your browser tools options and learn how to set your browser up so that you can open new pages in new tabs.

Step 4: Checking cheapest flight availability

When you have ascertained that accommodation exists in your chosen locality, the next step is check out what flights (or other transportation) is available to get you to the resort.

Open another tab on your browser and this time type in the search term, “cheapest flights” followed by the name of nearest airport. If there are other, more distant airports that you would be prepared to consider, you might want to run separate searches for each airport.

Spend time on checking for flights because quite considerable variations in ticket prices exits, not only from flight operator to flight operator but also from one airport to another even when they are more or less the same distance from your departure airport and operated by the same company. Very significant price variations will also be found by trying different departure and arrival dates.

Step 5: Provisionally book accommodation

Assuming that you establish the availability of flights (or other transportation) at the time you want and within your budget, you will be in a position to provisionally book accommodation. Return to the browser tab you left open with the websites providing accommodation details and follow the instructions for contacting the person or organisation offering the accommodation. Sometimes this will be an automatic online process and sometimes you will need to send an email. Submit the dates you have decided upon from the flight availability research. You will not normally be asked for a deposit at this stage but if you are, inform the accommodation owner that you want them to provisionally hold the dates until after you have booked your flight.

Step 6: Booking your flight

Having received confirmation that the accommodation is available for you between the selected dates, return to the website where you found the cheapest flight deal and book your outgoing and return flights. Very occasionally you might be unlucky and the flights on the selected dates are no longer available. If so you will need to select new dates and redo step 5.

Step 7: Confirm Accommodation

Once you have your flight has been booked you are in a safe position to confirm your accommodation booking. Usually, this will require that a deposit is paid, either online or by bank transfer. Either way, the balance is usually paid upon arrival at the accommodation.

we took our kids to Nepal for an elephant experience… take a look at this! …

I have traveled along Nepal’s “East-West” highway many times from its capital of Kathmandu to the popular lakeside town of Pokhara, but I am usually fortunate enough to sleep for most of the 5 hour journey – spectacular for the first few times, but redundant otherwise. The last time I came to Pokhara, I saw a curious sight that seemed a little out of place in this country – a cable car. It stretched from the Trishuli River that runs along the highway and extended up the steep slope of a surrounding mountain, how I missed this on one of my non-sleeping trips before is a mystery to me.

“What is that for?!” I practically yelled, waking up all of my fellow passengers. My aunt informed me it takes you to a hilltop town where people go when they have an important wish they want granted. The steep walk to the top used to take a whole day so the cable car really saves you time (and helps protect you from exhaustion). Even though Nepal has numerous temples and deities that are said to be ideal places to wish for different things in your life – Manakamana and its goddess in particular are said to really grant wishes.

In Nepali, Mana means wish and kamana means from the heart, wish from the heart.

At this point I was not all that convinced that the place was genuine about the wish-granting but you never know. I was determined to see for myself. I wasted no time trying to get a group together to go to the temple. I had a wish that I desperately wanted to come true and I suspected I was not the only one!

The day I finally organized a group to go, also happened to fall on one of Nepal’s many holidays – Teej – also known as the Women’s Festival. For this festival, women dress up in red sari’s or curta’s and pray for a long life for their husbands and brothers or if you have no husband you pray for a good one to come along. I have many brothers (and cousins count as brothers in Nepal) and I had recently gotten married so it was the perfect opportunity to indulge in the local traditions of wearing red and to pray for their long lives as well as make my important wish at this sacred Hindu temple.

I brought along with me some of my family members who had their own profound wishes, my cousins wife, my aunt and my husband. We cruised to the top of the mountain in the cable cars. The ride was surprisingly longer than expected because when we reached the ‘top’ there was a second incline waiting for us to climb to get to the end of our cable car journey.

As we approached the peak of the first summit, we were nearly 20 feet from a small village and passed over property of some of the homes. My first thought was that I would not want to live right there and have strangers passing through my life looking at me through a plastic box. But that was just my opinion and the cable car did not stop for me to change my idea. We sailed over lush green rice fields, dirt ground and orange trees, and as we got higher, the vegetation turned into long-grass covered floor with puffy pine-like trees that had a distinctly different color of green from the forest we had already passed.

As we stepped off to the mountain top town we were greeted by the sweet scent of incense. Merchants lined the pathway selling baskets filled with ritual-necessities for puja (prayer) that were especially spruced up for the Teej festival. There were also stalls of goats and chickens for sale if your wish requires a sacrifice to the Goddess. Each of us bought one of the pre-made baskets for our wishes and we all started the stair climb to the temple.

Our route wound through narrow rock slab streets with brightly painted restaurants offering the traditional Nepali meal of dal bhat and souvenir shops selling unique gifts and beautiful woven handmade baskets.

After the semi-quiet walk up through the town with not many people around, the temple suddenly appeared and was surrounded with tens of wishers all gathered in this one area. Devotees were circling the temple, some chanting and others ringing the hundreds of bells that are found around the structure and courtyard creating a pleasant harmonious atmosphere. Women were dressed in their lovely vibrant red saris and curta’s while some sadhu men were sitting in the shade of a massive tree along the courtyard perimeter taking in the sight. The overall feeling of the place was surprisingly magical and upon walking closer to the temple itself you could feel a strong energy – a spiritual pull. At this moment I silently believed that the rumors could be true and the possibility of my wish being granted was very likely. I started imagining my wish and concentrating all of my vigor on why I had made this trip and what I really wanted.

I placed a small donation on my puja basket and gave it to my cousin to carry it for me into the actual temple. Imagining what my life would be like when my wish came true I started to circle the temple clockwise. I walked around the outer border of temple grounds while my cousins wife walked our baskets to the edges of the temple where she would wait in the line with the other Hindu devotees to bring our wishes to the Goddess. I proceeded to walk around the temple and noticed on the back side through the clouds, I would have had spectacular mountain views had I visited during a clearer season. I kept to the right and passed the protected area where devotees make their sacrifices to Shakti the Goddess.

After coming full circle, I again noticed the massive lone tree that provided the only shade for the courtyard and to the left of this giant there was a designated ‘pigeons for sale’ area. Apparently, some wishes require not a sacrifice but to buy a soul and and set it free. You could purchase one of these fat over-sized birds and set it free which also makes the Goddess happy to grant wishes. The bird sanctuary (I use this term lightly) is ironically just on the other side of a low fence from the sacrificing grounds and I am sure that after they are purchased and freed, they come right back to their same perch.

When my cousin came out of the temple from bringing our prayers to the Goddess, we all gathered together again to make our Teej prayers. We lit our candles by using the flame from the countless number of other candles that had been burning all morning from other wishers. We then continued to light a hand-sized bundle of incense that had been tucked away in our goodie-prayer baskets. We moved our hands over the smoke from the incense to offer blessings to the Goddess and then we pulled some of them back towards ourselves. It felt like I was in a trance and the smell of the wax, the sweet incense and the gentle smoke that surrounded us kept me conscious and in the moment, making me really think about what we were praying for. Our husbands’ and brothers’ long life.

At this point I got lucky and received permission from some of the local wishers and was able to walk on the temple grounds. Here, I tied a ribbon on one of the many bells, for my husband and brothers. I rang it proudly.

After we collected our belongings, we headed back down the steps to the top of the cable car to the line-less ride ready to take us down the mountain. We sat in a peaceful silence and thought about the wishes we had asked for while we passed the changing vegetations.

We approached the hilltop homes that I had criticized on the way up and with one quick swoop over the last edge before the end of our journey, I realized that living here would not be so bad. Their view of the valley below, the Trishuli River, the curves of the “East-West” highway that cut in and out of the opposite mountain side, and the orange trees made the plastic boxes of strange people not seem so bad. I again imagined what it would be like to live here and I realized the villagers are privileged to live here. They are surrounded with unique beauty and just below a powerful energy-filled temple with a wish granting Goddess that allows hope and beliefs to thrive.

India has a diverse landscape, which is just as diverse as the various cultures that are scattered throughout this beautiful and amazing countryside. India is home to busy cities, deserts, the Himalayan Mountains, and rolling green hills and fertile valleys. With all this said, you may be wondering when the best of the time of the year would be to visit India.

The best time of the year to visit India is different for the various regions.

For northern India, the high season is October through February, the shoulder season is from March through June, and the low season is July, August, and September. For southern India, the high season is November through January; the shoulder season is from February through May with the low season being June through October. For Nepal, the high season is September through November; the shoulder season is December through May while the low season is June, July and August.

To understand the differences in the season the high season is when the weather is cool. You can expect the nights to be almost cold whereas you will need a coat, however, the southern part of India may not be as cool as the northern part. Of course you can see a bit of snow on the mountaintops and atop a few of the rolling hills.

Low season is also known as the monsoon season. During this time of the year, India has mainly reason days but you can experience a few sun shiny days. Southern India does experience a few hot and humid days but not too bad to stop visitors from exploring various cities.

The shoulder season is the time of year when you can expect hot temperatures. Many venture off from the beaches to find cooler climates in the rolling hills and mountains.

As you can see, the various seasons bring about different temperatures; however, the seasons can also give you an idea of the times in which more visitors arrive. The shoulder season and low season are probably the best times to find extra savings on airfare, hotels, and even a few holiday packages. During both of these seasons, even though many do not travel to India there are all kinds of fun and exciting things to do and many local festivals and events.

If you wish to travel during the high season, it is best to reserve transportation and accommodations quite a bit in advance or you may not find a seat on the plane or a hotel room close to the attractions you wish to see.

No matter when or where you wish to visit in India, Make My Trip will help you find the best deals on airfare, bus tickets, railway tickets, and even hotel accommodations. Plan your trip by the destinations you wish to see and learn if the weather will permit the activity. Once you know the activities your family wants to enjoy, along with the attractions you wish to see, you will truly find all of your answers at Make My Trip.

 

Whether you’re into rock climbing or bird watching, on a tight budget or have money to hire porters and guides, you can always find a suitable trekking route in Nepal. A trip to the Nepal Himalayas is a fantastic experience for most of us, offering views of snow-capped mountain peaks and a chance to meet indigenous mountain peoples who live almost cut off from the rest of the world.

 

All that’s required of you is that you like walking in the nature. You don’t have to be super fit for every trek, but the better shape you’re in, the easier your trek will be. The top season for trekking in Nepal is October-November and February-April. In the summer months the monsoon clouds obscure the grand views most of the time and in the winter months the high mountain passes are closed by heavy snow-fall. But with the right knowledge, you can always find a good trek in Nepal. Just browse through this list to get an overview of your options.

 

 

 

Nepal’s Western Region

 

1. Simikot, Humla

You can fly in from Nepalganj and maybe read –Spy on the roof of the world– by Sydney Wignall before you go. Permits are 90$ /person /week.

 

2. Rara Lake

4 days walk from Jumla to this the largest lake in Nepal. Getting to Jumla though is either a plane/helicopter trip or a several days long jeep ride on a mountain road that’s still under construction — and will be for any foreseeable future.

 

3. Upper Dolpo

First of all, see the movie –Himalayan Caravan – L’Enfance d’un chef– (Eric Valli 1999, Oscar nominated). It’s mandatory! Might want to pick up one of his books as well. Having done that, you’ll want to go to the Phoksundo Lake, which you can do in 1 week or as part of either the 15 day Dolpa Experience Circuit or the 20 day Dolpa Heritage Trek, all out of Juphal –airport–. Another couple of one-week’ers are the Sundaha Nature Trek and the Sahartara Tour. Expensive permit are required, as in Upper Mustang it’s $70 /person /day with minimum 10 days. No lodges. Annual number of visitors are in the low hundreds.

 

4. Lower Dolpo

Permits are 10$ /person /week. You might have to fly in from Nepalganj. Don’t expect lodges here, so bring your own camping gear.

 

5. Upper Mustang

10 days. Home to the ancient kingdom of Lo, still in existence – sort of. Hefty permit required north of Kagbeni, $70 /person /day with minimum 10 days.

 

 

 

Annapurna Region

 

6. Dhaulagiri

20-30 days to complete the circle around this 8000+’er. Bring good boots and sleeping bag!

 

7. Annapurna Circuit

2-3 weeks minimum. This is where everyone goes. Except me. In the high season it gets rather crowded and is more appropriately named the Annapurna Circus. Lodges and tea-houses are everywhere. The Thorung La high pass (5400 m) usually closes down in the end of November. If you bring your own camping gear, there’s also good possibilities of doing side trips off the beaten track. ACAP entry fees stand at 2000 rupees.

 

8. Jomsom & Muktinath

You can fly into or out of Jomsom, a days walk from Muktinath, and hike to or from Pokhara in about 1 week. Muktinath is an important pilgrimage site nestled at 3800 m. It’s on the Annapurna Circuit.

 

9. Annapurna Sanctuary & ABC

10-14 days, 2000 rupee ticket. Another popular option, since it’s shorter and a little less demanding than doing the full Annapurna Circuit.

 

10. Ghorepani, Poon Hill

5 days out of Pokhara, it reaches 3200 meters and is accessible all year round. Famous for it’s views of Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and rhododendrons in the spring.

 

11. Panchase Peak & Ghandruk

Another holy mountain, this one a couple of days walk west of Pokhara. Ghandruk is 3 days further and it’s home to the Annapurna Conservation Project and a whole lot of Gurung people.

 

12. The Royal Trek

4 days out of Pokhara. With altitude no higher that 2000 meters it’s open all year round.

 

13. Siklish, Begnas Lake, Lamjung

1 week return trip from Pokhara, 10-12 days through Lamjung to Besisahar. Lodges should be available, 2000 rupee ACAP permit required.

 

14. Manaslu

3 weeks, circle around this 8000+ m twin peak that can be seen all the way from Kathmandu. Pass over Larkya La at 5110 m. There’s no lodges and the mandatory permit stands at almost $100 /person /week.

 

Central Nepal

 

15. Trishuli – Gorkha

The easy way: 4 days along the route that Prithvi Narayan Shah took in 1768. Apparently has village lodges and stays under 2000 m all the way.

The hard way: 2-3 weeks on remote, off the beaten track. Passes over Sing La (3570 m) and by the Jogeshwar kund (4500 m). Camping gear required.

 

16. Ganesh Himal

No lodges, rough and remote. But wow, wouldn’t I like to go there! The highest peak is well over 7000 meters, and it’s prominent view from Kathmandu makes it all worthwhile if you like to brag about your adventures when you get back to civilization!

 

17. Tamang Heritage Trail

8 days, lodges still under construction.

 

18. Langtang & Gosaikunda / Panch Pokhari

1-2 weeks minimum. Third most visited in Nepal, after Annapurna and Everest. Fairly easy, not too crowded, especially the Gosaikunda lake area (4400 m) which is arguably the most scenic. Langtang Valley has lodges every hour or so all the way to Kyanjing Gompa (3900 m), the Gosaikunda trail has fewer, but still enough for short days. Gosaikunda features the annual Janai Purniam festival and from there, you can walk back to Kathmandu in 2-4 days. Entry fee 1000 rupees.

 

19. Helambu

½-1 week, more jungle than mountains but still a rough trail. Tea-houses available if you don’t get lost like that Australian guy. Distant, but awesome mountain views before you get too close to the mountain bases. –Walking distance– from Kathmandu, circuit from Sundarijal to Nagarkot (4 days).

 

20. Namobudda

1 day, one of the few quickies you can do when the noise and pollution of Kathmandu starts to get on your nerves. Take the bus to Dhulikel and start walking.

 

21. Rolwaling & Gauri Shankar

2 weeks or so. Get up close and personal with Gauri Shankar (7130 m) and it’s glacial lakes. Good view of Everest etc. Unspoiled landscape, permission still required but check with Nepal’s Tourism Board when you get here. There’s rumors that they’re making this one permission free.

 

22. Chitwan Chepang Hills

7 days in the Middle Hills. No Himalayas and no higher than 2000 meters so it could be a good winter trekking possibility. Good view of the (distant) Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Ganesh Himal, Gauri Shankar, Gurja Himal and Manaslu, but the main attraction is the nomadic Chepang people who live as hunters and gatherers. There’s also a fort, a waterfall and some caves along the route together with 400 bird species. Start in Hugdi on Prithvi Hwy, end Shaktikor in Chitwan. Homestays are on the route.

 

 

 

Everest Region

 

23. Everest Base Camp & Kala Pathar

2 weeks out of Lukla, 3 out of Kathmandu/Jiri with return flight from Lukla. If you don’t have a spare $50.000 lying around for an Everest climb permit, you can just settle for this Base Camp trek. Most people seem to choose the Tengpoche route to KP, which stands at 5630 m.

 

24. Mera Peak

2-3 weeks out of Lukla, 6500 m. A popular expedition/climb that requires some basic mountaineering skills, but without being too technical. Long march in, 2 high camps.

 

25. Island Peak

3 weeks out of Lukla. At 6100 meters, this trek is not for everyone. Although not very technical, it is a demanding snow climb. Views are everything you could ever dream of.

 

26. Gokyo Lakes, Peak & Renjo La

2 weeks out of Lukla. High pass at 5400 m. Lakes at 4800 m, peak at 5500 m. Some lodges along the trail. Great Everest views.

 

27. Pikey & Dudhkunda Trail

1 or 2 weeks in the less -much less- visited southern part of Solukhumbu. Both the Chiwong and the Thuptenchoeling Buddhist Monasteries are world renowned, the former famous for the Mani Rimdu Dance Festival, the latter is the biggest monastery in Nepal.

 

 

 

Nepal’s Eastern Region

 

28. Arun Valley – Makalu Base Camp

3 weeks out of Tumlingtar/Khadbari. You’ll get up to 5000 meters and still be 3500 meters short of the summit! Either go same way back or climb a couple of 6000′ers into the Khumbu region.

 

29. Kanchenjunga

3 weeks out of Taplejung, 3rd highest mountain in the world. Don’t rely on finding any lodges here. Permits are 10$ /person /week.

 

30. Pathibhara

1 week out of Taplejung. The Pathibhara Devi shrine is a pilgrimage site for Hindus and Buddhists alike. There is lodges along the route.

Are you dreaming of the perfect tropical Maui vacation but need some travel tips to make your trip as magical as it can be?

It is difficult to find another tropical location that provides the blend of fantastic scenery and activity options that Maui can claim. A visit to this island will change your life (if you allow it to).

This Maui travel tips article will provide some foundational tips for people planning travel to Maui. The information can be especially handy for first time vacationers to the island.

Useful Maui Travel Tips:

Plan Your Budget and Create your Trip Using that Budget as a Guideline – Maui offers a large amount of activities that can be either extremely pricey or rather inexpensive. There are lodging options that range from luxury to modest. Depending when you travel, there are great airfares available. Car rentals on the island run on the inexpensive end compared to other resort locations. It is better to understand your ideal budget and stick to it when planning travel so you don’t experience stress the entire trip. For example, staying at a cheap Maui hotel because you plan to snorkel and hike is a great strategy if you don’t plan to be in your room a lot.

If your goal is to save on your trip, the best option is to investigate Maui vacation packages, which will combine flights, lodging (hotels and condos), and your rental car. Maui vacation package options include five star hotels to cheap hotels (and condos), first class or coach air, and a range of rental cars to economy size to luxury SUVs (like Lincoln Navigators).

Plan for a Good Time of the Year – If you going to Maui as a family, most likely you will travel when school is out. This is usually during summers, holidays, or spring breaks. The link below contains a page on planning for Maui family vacations.

If Maui is a romantic getaway for you, honeymoons included, one tip is to avoid dates when family volume is increased on the island. I have determined that February through May is a good time and September through November is great as well. Travel is less expensive and you will miss many of the high tourism months.

Be Sure to Complete Your Research – It is a great idea to visit sites like this one in order to create a desired list of activities that have appeal to you while visiting the island. There are a range of activities that include going to a luau, trying a snorkeling or dive excursion, or hiking or viewing lava fields and a volcano. Make a “must do” determination before you book travel and then make a commitment to do each. There is something to do in every price range to do on the island.

Do Advanced Preparations if Doing Family Travel – When traveling with family, be it your kids or your extended family, be aware of the considerations you must take into account when traveling this way. Again, the link below will offer a link on the left called “Travel Tips” and will provide a link to a Maui family vacations information.

Also visit the same link for additional Maui travel tips that should be planned for when traveling to the island like weather, safety concerns, clothing to wear, and other information that can be extremely useful while there.

If you would like free advice on planning and booking your perfect Maui vacation, visit www.ideal-maui-vacation.com

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