NEPAL

In Nepal charm hangs in the air. Just like the notes of tinkling bells, just like the fair mist, just like the mumbled chant, quite like the incense smoke. In Nepal some of them saw planes flying over and landing in their fallow fields before they saw a truck rumble by. When you scale the world’s tallest mountain, if you do, it’ll take a fair bit of reckoning to find out whether you went up 8850 metres or just 8848. The jury’s still out on that one!

Sturdy nimble footed porters still carry loads heavier than themselves across miles of slippery hills as they guide tourists to the summit of their aspirations; there are places which you either trek to or take the helicopter, no in-betweens; the capital of this country that has no automobile industry to speak of is daily in the throes of a traffic jam. Quirky things happen here like they don’t elsewhere! Ask the Nepalese and they’ll tell you a wonderful tale about change, growth, maturity and life. They’ll tell you how the travel industry, tour operators and tourists are changing Nepal forever, but no one is complaining! That’s Nepal – dilemma-struck, dogmatic, delightful.

Those who travel to Nepal discover a land God made for tourists! Mountains and massifs, racing rivers, quaint temples and palaces, tough trekking trails and wildlife safaris lure the tourist.

Capital: Kathmandu

Best time to visit:

  1. The best time to visit is between February-April and again from September to November. This is when the weather is at its best and festivity is in the air.
  2. The peak season for tourists start in September as the cool season begins. The best time for trekking is between October and May, when the weather is relatively stable.
  3. In Nepal, when it rains it pours, and the months of slush from June to August are distinctly avoidable. May in the terai is hot, almost like the northern plains in India.

Minimum days required: 5 days

Places of Interest:

  1. Kathmandu – Pashupatinath temple, Thamel, Kopan Monastery, Helambu, Langtong National Park, Shechen Monastery
  2. Pokhara–  Phewa lake, Annapurna Circuit, Annapurna Natural History Museum

Climate:

  1. The heavens open up in the monsoon season from June to September. The Terai is a drippy, newly washed fantastic green. It’s cool while it’s grey and hung over with clouds. When the sun comes out it gets muggy and the air begins to buzz with insect activity.
  2. The months between September-November and February-April are really the the best seasons in Nepal.
  3. Winter is considerably cold in the entire hilly region. The Kathmandu valley at 1310 metres can get as cold as 2°C (minimum) in the cold months from late November to January. A little higher you’ll encounter temperatures that dip to freezing levels.
  4. Summer sweeps Nepal in May and carries through till September. The plains will be very warm during this time, almost 40° C. The Kathmandu and Pokhara valleys are pleasant and the higher Himalayas as always are snow-bound.

Currency: Nepali Rupee

Things to carry:

  1. Carry a combination plug that will feed into a round-pin socket: across the subcontinent plug point sockets are round rather than flat.
  2. Winters in the Kathmandu and Pokhara valleys are cold and of course the mountains are perennially snow laden. But days in the plains are sunny. Carry a combination of heavy woollens and light jumpers. It’s coldest from mid-December to mid-January.
  3. Get yourself an umbrella or raincoat because there’s no telling when the heavens will open up.
  4. In the summer be armed with sun protection: sunglasses, cap/hat, and cream with a minimum SPF of 20.
  5.  Bring water purification tablets, prescription medicines and an extra pair of spectacles/contact lenses (though opticians abound in Kathmandu). A sleeping bag and a bed sheet are a must for budget travellers.
  6. It’s also a good idea to carry mosquito repellent, plenty of it!

How to get there:

Air:

  1. The only international airport in Nepal is Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport . There are flights to Kathmandu from around the globe. Within Nepal, most areas are connected by air, even though some by small aircrafts on little runways.