Nepal is a country of beautiful scenic landscapes
with an abundance of both natural and cultural heritage. Although being a small
landlocked country right in between two Asian giants China and India, Nepal has
only been able to prosper so much economically or even infrastructure wise in
all these years and still remains quite underdeveloped compared to its
neighbors due to the fact that it hasn’t really gained any political stability
whatsoever, even after so many years have passed since the dismissal of the
Monarchs from the country in 2008. With so much culture and tradition poured into one small piece of land,
most tourists that come here are attracted by the various forms of art and
cultures that Nepal has to offer. Over a 100 different castes and societies live peacefully among each other within the
boundaries of this small piece of heaven.
‘’Unity in diversity,’’ is the closest one could come to while defining
Nepal and its people, if they had to do it using a single phrase.
Now, that it’s been said, coming back to our topic
– tourism industry in Nepal has always shown quite the potential needed to
compete with or become a tourist-hub like Switzerland; with three of the
highest mountains in the world and various other peaks at stray, several
hundred rivers all suitable for adventure rafting, ideal safari and wildlife
areas and so much more to explore should certainly make Nepal the most
attractive destination for adventure tourism, shouldn’t it? Well, the government of the country thinks
otherwise and seems as if they would rather be overtly consumed with their
self-empowerment-schemes than actually caring about the country’s heritage or
even the future at the least.
Anyways, here we have ten of the most amazing
places you could travel to while you’re in, or planning to visit Nepal.
However, being a Nepali myself I have selected the places on my own discretion
so, most of the other popular places to visit in Nepal, especially ones that
are advertised a lot on other sites may not be enlisted below… so now… here we
have ten of the most life-defining travel destinations in Nepal.
10. Tilicho Lake
It is one of the highest lakes in the world at an
altitude of almost 5,000 meters located in the
Annapurna range of the Himalayas in Manang district of Nepal. Anyone attempting
to do the Annapurna Circuit route usually cross these watersheds between Manang
and Kali Gandaki valleys above the 5,000 meters high Thorong La pass. Various lodges have been built between Manang
and the Lake, but there aren’t any accommodation sites or even teahouses past
the Tilicho Base Camp lodge. Tilicho Lake and the trek as a whole is a very
revitalizing experience, yet a very demanding and an extremely adventurous
terrain, not meant for everyone, only the adventure junkies so-to-say.
9. Annapurna Base Camp
(ABC)
With terraced rice paddies, luscious rhododendron
forests, and high altitude landscapes along with the Annapurna range in view
most of the times, Annapurna Base Camp trek is certainly one of the most
popular treks in the Annapurna region. It combines so many different landscapes
and perhaps is the only trek which brings you closer to the base of 7,000-8,000 m high peaks in such a short duration
of time. The trek is almost 7 to 11 days long, depending
on the trekker’s itinerary and the length of walking days. ABC can be trekked
almost any time of the year; however in the winters the base camp is sometimes
closed due to the level of snow; according to experts’ springtime is certainly
the most appealing time to visit ABC due to the full bloom of the rhododendron
forests which gives the trek a truly majestic feel.
8. Upper Mustang
The Upper Mustang trek can also be called a peek
into the hidden world of Buddhist kingdom of Mustang, also called Lo. Lo used
to be a part of the Tibetan empire, and is therefore very closely related to
Tibet; not only the culture, also the landscape is very much related to Tibet.
Surrounded by rocks in all kinds of colors and bizarre formations, Mustang is
mostly a barren landscape where the villages with their bright colored fields
are like Oasis in the deserts. Mustang lies in the shadow of the Dhaulagiri
region and is a complete desolate landscape. The culture of the people living
there is one of the major attractions for tourists and visitors alike.
7. Rara Lake
Rara taal is the biggest lake situated within the
borders of Nepal, which lies at an altitude of 2,990 m above sea level and covers an area of 10.8 square kilometers. The lake is surrounded by Rara
National Park on all sides, the park was established in 1976 to preserve the beauty of the lake and protect the
unique floral and faunal importance of the rare and vulnerable species found
around the lake. The trek to Rara has been a popular destination for many
trekkers, with a very rough route in the western part of Nepal. The trek begins
with a flight to Jumla, and a mountainous trek follows after that, where one
would pass many villages untouched by all the hassle in the world and finally
reaching the banks of the Rara Lake which was aesthetically described by GORP
founder Bill Greer as, ‘’a shimmering blue jewel set in a ring of snowy peaks.’’
6. Khaptad National Park
Khaptad National Park is a protected area in the
Far-Western Region of Nepal which was established in 1984 on the advice of the region’s holy man Khaptad Baba. The
Park stretches over four districts of Bajhang,Bajura, Accham and Doti and
covers an area of 225 square km. The
landscape consists of steep slopes, streams and moorland. It is considered to
be one of the best scenic landscapes Nepal has to offer, with various
landscapes and species of birds and animals along with different kinds of
vegetation it surely is a place where almost none of the beauty has been
rearranged by human hands. Certainly a place where one can experience the true
essence of tranquility and peace.
5. Panch Pokhari
Panch Pokhari is Nepali for ‘five lakes’ at the
base of Jungal Himal, which are considered to be holy and of religious
importance. The trek to Panch Pokhari is a 12 days trek to these five holy lakes through untouched
traditional villages in the presence of spectacular Himalayan landscapes. The
trek offers pristine mountain views, rich culture and genuine adventure
combined with unsurpassed scenic beauty and biological diversity as you make
your way to a group of high altitude lakes, sacred to both Buddhist and Hindu
people.
4. Gosaikunda Lake
Situated inside the Nepal’s Langtang National Park
and located at an altitude of 4,380 in the Rasuwa district covering an area of 1,030 ha, Gosaikunda is an adventure travel destination that
has been delineated as a religious site according to Hindu mythology. It is
basically an alpine freshwater oligotrophic lake surrounded by spectacular
mountainous view and is a significant place of interest in the Dhunche-Helambu
trekking route. This trek adjoins the Langtang valley trek in the same district
and the two treks can be combined, this trek can easily be done teahouse style
due to the availability of hotels and lodges all along the trekking route.
3. Chitwan National Park
This was the very first National Park established
in Nepal in the year 1973 and was granted the
status of a World Heritage Site in 1984. Formerly called the Royal Chitwan National Park, it was renamed to only
Chitwan National Park after the dismissal of the royal family. The park covers
an area of 932 square kilometers and
is located in the subtropical Inner Terai lowlands of south-central Nepal in
the district of Chitwan. It is certainly one of the most popular tourist
destinations in Nepal, with several lodges and hotels providing full
accommodations inside the park along with elephant-jeep-safaris, rafting tours
and guided jungle walks. The park is a sheer example of wildlife exploration
and all the different kinds of birds and vegetation that provide importance to
its existence.
2. Poon Hill
Poon hill is the view point in the Annapurna
foothills that offer unobstructed and magnificent mountain views. The Ghorepani
and Poon Hill trek is a colorful foray into the Annapurna Region which starts
and ends in Pokhara. The trail goes through patchwork valleys, dense mossy
forests and past icy waterfalls where one can stop to cool off and rest. On the
way to Poon hill around every corner is a tantalizing glimpse of the high
mountains, whole horizon of which is revealed to you as you reach the higher
points of your trek. The trek to Poon hill certainly one not to miss out on if
you are planning to visit Nepal anytime soon.
1.
Everest Base Camp
It is certainly acknowledged by everyone that the
highest mountain peak in the world Mt. Everest lies in Nepal. As it is not
feasible for anyone or everyone to attempt and climb the Everest itself, the
trek to Everest Base Camp trek shall
suffice for the experience of conquering Everest, at least experience and feel
wise. A trek that lasts 16 days offers an exhilarating flight to Lukla, then a trek through lush
rhododendron forest and stone walled traditional villages, to the Sherpa Land,
Namche and all the way to the village of Phortse Gaon where one can witness
magical peaks of Everest and Nuptse and various other mountain ranges. The
journey involves plenty of challenges and requires a high level of fitness. The
camp lies at an altitude of 5,364 meters. The camp is a more of a rest point for Climbers looking to climb
the Everest and they rest there for several days for acclimatization to reduce
the risks of severity of altitude sickness; however it makes for an extravagant
adventure tourism spot for any adventure enthusiasts.
FINAL CONCLUSION: Nepal certainly has a lot to offer
compared to the size of land it beholds, more of everything so-to-say, from
cultural diversity, to various types of landscapes, to scenic natural beauty,
watersheds and much more. I personally believe that this land holds a great
importance both religiously and in scientific and geographic terms and should
be taken care of accordingly. Apart from trekking you can obviously rent a car
in Nepal and travel by land around different cities. The destinations mentioned
above are the best of what Nepal can offer any adventure enthusiasts, but these
are only a few. There are other thousands of places if not exactly like the
ones mentioned above, but similar in size, geo-diversity and the most important
of all, the great feeling that all of these places offer you once you’re there.
