Muktinath

Muktinath is a village and temple located at an altitude of 3,710 meters at the foot of the Thorong La mountain pass (part of the Himalayas), Mustang district, Nepal. Administratively the village is a Village Development Committee in Mustang District in the Dhawalagiri Zone. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 899 people residing in 191 individual households.
Muktinath is a sacred place both for Hindus and Buddhists. The Hindus call the place Mukti Kshetra, which literally means the "place of salvation". It is also one of the 51 Sakthi peetams. Buddhists call it Chumig Gyatsa, which in Tibetan means 'Hundred Waters'. For Tibetan Buddhists Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa is a very important place of Dakinis, goddesses known as Sky Dancers and one of the 24 Tantric places. They understand the murti to be a manifestation of Avalokitesvara.

Mustang

Nepalis a landlocked nation in South Asia, bordering the People's Republic of China (Tibet) to the north and India to the south, east and west.Nepal held distinct status of being the only official Hindu state, with over eighty percent of the Nepalese as Hindus.

On May 18, 2006, Nepal was declared a secular state. On December 28, 2007, the interim government declared Nepal a Federal Democratic Republic, on its way to abolishing the monarchy. The current king, Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev shall be the last king of Nepal, the monarchy set to be abolished after the April 2008 elections.For a relatively small country, the Nepali landscape is uncommonly diverse, ranging from the humid Terai in the south to the lofty Himalayas in the north.

Nepal boasts eight of the world's ten highest mountains, including Mount Everest. Kathmandu is the capital and largest city.After a long and rich history, during which the region has splintered and coalesced under a variety of absolute rulers, Nepal became a constitutional monarchy in 1990. In December 2007, parliament voted to abolish the monarchy in Nepal.

Karnali River

Karnali River, the largest and longest river in Nepal, is the destination of most rafters in Nepal. Karnali river, known as Ghaghara in India, literally means ' holy water from the sacred mountain'. The river is ideal for long rafting trips.

The lowland trek joining strength with few impressive canyons makes Karnali an unforgettable river rafting trip in Nepal. While kayaking in the river one passes amidst dense forests and picturesque natural beauty. For the lovers of big volume river rafting, Karnali river is safe to recommend.

Dhading Village Tours Nepal

Dhading district lies immediately west of Kathmandu, stretching from the Ktm–Pokhara Prithivi Highway to the Ganesh Himal range and the Tibetan border. With elevations varying from 488 to 7909 m. above sea level, we find sub-tropical, temperate and alpine climates. Average annual rainfall is around 2,121 ml. Dading Besi can be reached by bus from Kathmandu. The trip takes 4–6 hours, depending on the traffic and road conditions. Several rivers, among them the Budhi Gandaki, the Trishuli and the Mahesh, run through the district. In addition to panoramic mountain views of the famous Ganesh Himal, Dhading also boasts such scenic attractions as Bridaing Kunda and Ganesh Kunda lakes and the waterfall at Ganga-Jamuna. Dhading district, like Nepal as a whole, is marked by cultural plurality. Hindus predominate in the lower regions; in the higher areas there live a great variety of ethnic groups, primarily Tibetan Buddhist in culture and religion. The main languages spoken are Nepali and Tamang, with sizeable groups of Magar, Gurung, Newari and Rai-Kirati speakers.
Labour-intensive subsistence agriculture remains the main occupation. This in turn has meant that larger, traditional family groups are still the rule. Wheat and potatoes are among the main crops. Massive destruction of the natural forest area due to over-exploitation and mismanagement has decreased the total forest cover in Dhading. Now, under the concept of community forestry , local forest user groups have been introduced, and today much of the previous degraded forest area has regained its original composition.
Dhading boasts a considerable potential for trekking tourism, which could benefit the local communities and raise the standard of living. As yet, however, very little exists in the way of tourism infrastructure, nor is there any overall management, as elsewhere with Nepal's national parks and conservation areas. As part of a larger project to promote sustainable eco-tourism in Dhading district, the Kathmandu Environmental Education Project has been requested to provide volunteer teachers to a total of seven rural schools. To date, KEEP volunteers have taught at schools in the Sertung, Borung and Lapa village areas.

Ghorepani

Comfort and dramatic views are the hallmarks of this trek, which is probably the most popular trek in Nepal. Ideal for novice walkers of all ages this one-week trek will give you the inspiration to return and taste more. You will slowly climb a long ridgeline that offers beautiful views of the valleys below.

Passing through ever-higher villages you will be amazed by the countless multicolored terraces flowing down the hillsides. Finally you will reach the famous Poon Hill and appreciate the majestic panorama of the Annapurnas.Highlights: Friendly villages that reflect an ideal pace of life, the amazing views from Poon Hill of the Annapurnas and Macchapucchare.

phewa lake in Nepal

Lake Phewa was slightly enlarged by damming. It is in danger of silting up because of the inflow during the monsoon. The outflowing water is partially used for hydro power. The dam collapsed in the late 1970s and it was rebuilt by the Chinese. The power plant is located about 100 m below at the bottom of the Phusre Khola gorge. Water is also diverted for irrigation into the southern Pokhara valley.
The eastern Pokhara Valley receives irrigation water through a canal running from a reservoir by the Seti in the north of the city. Phewa lake is also used for commercial fishing. The tourist area is along the north shore of the lake (Lake Side and Dam Side). It is mainly made up of little shops, little hotels, restaurants and bars. The larger hotels can be found on the southern and south-eastern fringes of the city, from where the view of the mountains, mainly Machapuchare (Fishtail), is seen best. To the east of the valley are few smaller and few bigger lakes, the largest being Begnas Tal and Rupakot Tal. Begnas Tal is also known for its fishery projects. There are no beaches in the valley, but one can rent boats in Phewa and Begnas Tal (lakes).

Buddhist Tour in Nepal of Lumbani

Lumbini is the birth of place of Lord Buddha and has been declared as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. It is small town in the southern Terai plains of Nepal, where the ruins of the old city can still be seen. At the age of 84, he left this world with thousands of followers to keep Buddhism alive. Lumbini has since been a holy ground for Buddhists all over the world. The restored garden and surroundings of Lumbini have the remains of many of the ancient stupas and monasteries. A large stone pillar erected by the Indian Emperor Ashoka in 250 BC bears an inscription about the birth of the Buddha.

An important part of Lumbini is the temple of Maya Devi. It has stone image of Maya Devi giving birth to Lord Buddha as she holds onto a branch. An important archeological site near Lumbini, Kapilvastu evokes the ancient palace where Lord Buddha spent his formative years. Scattered foundations of the palace are abundant and archeologists have by now discovered 13 successive layers of human habitation dating back to the eighth century BC. Access: Siddhartha Highway connects Lumbini by road to Pokhara, Tansen and Kathmandu. Regular Flights from Kathmandu to Siddharthanagar, which is a 15 - 20 minute drive from Lumbini, connects Lumbini to the capital

Lumbini

Lumbinī (Sanskrit: "the lovely") is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Kapilavastu district of Nepal, near the Indian border. It is the place where Queen Mayadevi is said to have given birth to Siddhartha Gautama, who in turn, as the Buddha Gautama, gave birth to the Buddhist tradition. The Buddha lived between roughly 563 and 483 BCE. Lumbini is one of four magnets for pilgrimage that sprang up in places pivotal to the life of the Buddha, the others being at Kushinagar, Bodh Gaya, and Sarnath.
Lumbini is in the foothills of the Himalaya,25 km east of the municipality of Kapilavastu, where the Buddha is said to have lived till the age of 29. Kapilvastu is the name of the place in question as well as of the neighbouring district. Lumbini has a number of temples, including the Mayadevi temple, and others under construction. Also here is the Puskarini or Holy Pond - where the Buddha's mother took the ritual dip prior to his birth and where he, too, had his first bath - as well as the remains of Kapilvastu palace. At other sites near Lumbini, earlier Buddhas were, according to tradition, born, achieved ultimate awakening and finally relinquished earthly form.

Tourism in Namche Bazzar

Almost everyone trekking in the Khumbu region will visit Namche Bazaar, as it is the gateway to the high Himalaya. Visitors are likely stay at least one night, if not two for altitude acclimatization. The village has many shops and lodges where one can find almost anything required for trekking (no camera repair shops), although prices are higher than in Kathmandu. However, the higher you go up into the Khumbu, the more expensive everything gets so by the time you reach Lobuche (4,930m/16,175'), the prices in Namche will seem quite reasonable. Near the top of the village is the headquarters for Sagarmatha National Park as well as Nepalese army barracks. From the bridge over the Dudh Kosi, the trail winds its way up a "big" hill, finally cresting at a small building which also serves as an army/police check point.


Many trekkers get up before sunrise and walk up to the Sagarmatha National Park Headquarters to take in the impressive views of Mount Everest, Lhotse, Thamserku, Ama Dablam (6,856m/22,493') and other magnificent peaks (though these can only be seen on a clear day) and to visit the museum. Pictures of peaks to the west from this vantage point such as Kongde Ri, cannot be taken as the army barracks are between you and these mountains. The army does not permit pictures to be taken of the barracks. Because of the proximity of the army barracks, the Sagarmatha National Park Headquarters is surrounded by a large amount of barbed wire.

Namche Market
A good acclimatisation walk from Namche Bazaar goes to Everest View Hotel, which is at an altitude of 3,800m / 12,467ft. As the name suggests, the hotel gives good views of Everest (when it is not enveloped in cloud) and this is generally considered the best view in the surrounding area. Everest View Hotel is a luxury hotel, which has had mixed success. Although the rooms are oxygenated, many guests have become sick. The hotel does, however, have the only decent restaurant serving western food in the region.
On Saturday mornings, a weekly market is held in the center of the village. People from all around the Namche area come to sell their wares, to locals and to visitors alike. The market usually starts around sunrise and begins to break up around 11 am. Also, there may be a daily Tibetan market where clothing and cheap Chinese consumer goods tend to be the main articles for sale. Tibetan merchants have traditionally come to the market by way of high passes through the Himalayas, however the Chinese currently disallow this passage.
Namche Bazaar has many internet cafés, making it the one of the few places in the region where trekkers can access the internet. The internet cafés connect via satellites and so the resulting connection speed is slow.
The village also contains a German bakery, well known in the region for providing good quality western food, including pizza.

Namche Bazaar

Namche Bazaar (also Nemche Bazaar or Namche Bazar) is a village and Village Development Committee (Namche) in Solukhumbu District in the Sagarmatha Zone of north-eastern Nepal. It is located within the Khumbu area at 3,440 metres (11,286 ft) (the low point that is), populating the sides of a hill. Namche is the main trading center for the Khumbu region with many Nepalese officials, a police check, post and a bank.
At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 1647 people residing in 397 individual households.

Nagarkot

Kathmandu, Nepal in Bhaktapur District in the Bagmati Zone. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 3504 and had 655 houses in it.At an elevation of 2,195 meters, it is considered one of the most scenic spots in Bhaktapur District. It is renowned for its sunrise view of the Himalaya including Mount Everest as well as other snow-topped peaks of the Himalayan range of eastern Nepal. Nagarkot also offers a panoramic view of the Kathmandu Valley.
Nagarkot is an international tourist destination with spectacular views of the whole Langtang range, sunrise on the mountains and sunset views. We can see the panoramic views of the captivating landscapes and hills with the Kathmandu valley. You can breathe the cool mountain breeze in the resort town of Nagarkot. There are resorts from top-end quality to decent lodges to accommodate you and eat different cuisines

Tourism in Dhulikhel

Dhulikhel has for many centuries been an important trading centre on the ancient commercial route linking Nepal to Tibet. Since time immemorial, people of Nepal travel to Tibet to bring home salt and gold. Likewise, the Tibetans every year with their flocks of sheep enter into Nepal during Dashain, the greatest Hindu festival. They purchased chilies and other daily necessities in Nepal and return to their homeland. In those days, a whole day walk from Kathmandu to Dhulikhel was comfortable for Tibet trippers with easily available of food and water at Dhulikhel at the evening for overnight stay. Even now, a bird's eye view from the resorts at Dhulikhel to the landscapes; highway to Tibet and horizons far to the Tibetan borders, clearly exhibits Dhulikhel as the gateway of Tibet. After adjoining with Tibet by motorable road in 1965, Dhulikhel got a face lift and developed as a tourist destination both for Tibet trippers and tourists. Dhulikhel is an ideal station to stop for overnight stay while going to Tibet and coming back to Kathmandu.

The Mountains - A Tourist Paradise: The spectacular snowfed mountains seen from Dhuklikhel must be one of the finest panoramic views in the world. When a blue haze covers the lower portion of the mountains, they seem to be floating in the air. With the snowy mountains on the backdrop, Dhulikhel is a stage of immense beauty and a paradise for nature lovers. Green inviting hills of which still virgin and some turned into beautifully carved agricultural terraces cater to the beholders' pleasure.
Geographically, the plains rise up gradually up to the green mountains and further into the snow capped Himalayas. The panorama offers a majestic undisturbed view of the Himalayan ranges stretching from Mount Annapurna in te far west to Mount Karolung in the Far East. More than twenty Himalayan peaks including Mt. Annapurna (8091 m), Mt. Ganesh Himal (7429 m), Mt. Langtang (7234 m), Mt. Phuribichyachu (6637 m), Mt. Gaurishanker (7134 m), Mt. Lhotse (2516 m) and many others can be seen in their full glory from the different vantage points in Dhulikhel. In short, it is the foremost point for the mountain-oriented sightseeing since time immemorial. The eco-himalayan atmosphere will surprise anyone an unforgettable experience in lifetime.

The Old Town: The oldest area of the town, the southern end, is an assembly of fine old Newari houses, often occupied by 20 or more members of the local extended families. They may not all have glazed windows, hot water or modern furniture, but they have dignity and a friendly atmosphere. Their most valuable assets are the beautifully carved windows and doors, fine examples of traditional Newari craftsmanship.
As one wanders down the traffic free narrow streets, one passes through a medieval city inhabited for at least five centuries and may have a feeling that he is in the garden of cultural theme park. The plan of the city is based on ancient Hindu planning doctrine with the position, shape, scale & dominance between buildings, temples, public squares all having their own meaning and harmony. There are organically developed compact settlements around Dhulikhel. These settlements in one hand conserved heat in the cold valley, and at the same time maximized land for agricultural use. One of such old settlements is Shrikhandapur, which lies 2 km west of the core city near the Kathmandu University, and is also a centuries old Newari settlement. The settlement is protected by Swet Bhairav (an incarnation of Lord Shiva) and Narayan (Vishnu) deties.
Temples: There are numerous temples in the town depicting an example of traditional and old Newari craftsmanship of Dhulikhel. These are important places of worship for local people. The core area of Dhulikhel has interesting narrow cobbled streets and lanes embedded with number of Hindu Shrines and a few Buddhist Stupa.
In the centre of the old town is the Narayan Temple with its yellow metal roofs. It is dedicated to Lord Krishna whose birthday is joyfully celebrated here in August. Alongside is the Harisiddhi Temple whose God responds to the worshippers' problems and sees their right and wrong doings. Both the temples are adorned with profuese wood carvings and fronted by two Garudas in quite different attitude. Bhagwati Temple situated at the top of the western part of the town is considered as one of the best place to see around Dhulikhel and also to enjoy the best mountain views. The GaukhureshworMahadev Temple is about 20 minutes walk to the east of the town near Tundikhel Recreation Park and is located in a peaceful and quite environment. Further up hill, one reaches, within half an hour trek, the Bhagwati (Kali) Temple. This is a beautiful pagoda that one can see on the skyline as one drives into Dhulikhel

Dhulikhel

Dhulikhel is the administrative centre of Kavrepalanchok District, Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 9812 people in 1624 households.Dhulikhel lies along the B.P Highway and Araniko Highway. Araniko Highway connects Kathmandu, Nepal's capital city with Tibet's border town of Kodari. Dhulikhel is located near the Himalayas at 1550m above sea level and is situated 30 km southeast of Kathmandu and 74 km southwest of Kodari. The people in the village are Newars, Bhramin, Chhettri, Tamang and Dalit. Drinking water in Dhulikhel is one of the best water in Nepal. It was made with the Help of the German NGO, German Technical Cooperation.

Dhankuta

Dhankuta is a hill town with about 20,000 inhabitants, located in the Dhankuta District in the eastern part of Nepal. Until about 1963 Dhankuta Bazaar (the town) was the administrative headquarters for the whole of north-eastern Nepal. Located a half mile above the town were the buildings of the Bada Hakim, the feudal district governor of the whole north-eastern region, a man with enormous power. The town also had the regional jail and army post. Because of Dhankuta's isolation from the lowland Terai and from Kathamandu, it was in many ways a self-governing area.

Income to purchase items (cloth, kerosene, batteries, medicines, etc.) that could not be produced locally came from a combination of sales of hill produce (tangerines, potatoes, etc.) and funds repatriated back into the hills by Gorkha soldiers serving first in the British and then more-often in the Indian armies.

The first five (3 male; 2 female) American Peace Corps Volunteers arrived in Dhankuta Bazaar in Fall, 1962 to work as teachers in the two high schools. In October, 1963 three male PCV's arrived to help establish the new Panchayat Development program.

From 1963 Nepal was divided into 75 Panchayat Districts, and the traditional Dhankuta administrative region was divided up into about six of the panchayat districts. The power of the Bada Hakim was transferred to the central government's appointed Panchayat Development Officer and each district's elected Panchayat President.

During the pre-panchayat period Dhankuta Bazaar prided itself as being in the cultural vanguard, a relatively progressive community with its own "intellectual" elite. Dhankuta Bazaar, already in the 1930's, had the only high school in Nepal to be located outside of the Kathmandu Valley. Early on it added a girl's high school and a two-year college.

Then and now there is a sharp contrast between Dhankuta Bazaar and the surrounding rural villages. The town is a commercial center and has a population that is primarily Newar. The surrounding area is agricultural and the population is made up of many caste/tribal groups, notably Rai (aathpaharias), Limbu,Tamang and Tibetan.
Dhankuta Bazaar, on the North-South Koshi Highway, is now the administrative headquarters for the Eastern Development Region, and is home to a number of offices for NGOs and aid agencies serving in the area. The large bazaar of Hile further up the road, is an important trading centre and major road head, serving the remote hinterlands of the Arun valley and Bhojpur. Villagers walk for many days from surrounding districts to trade in Hile and Dhankuta bazaars, although road building in the district may reduce the importance of these centres.
The vegetation zones in the district range from sub-tropical Sal forest along the Tamur and Arun rivers, and cooler temperate forests on some of the high ridges that mark the watershed between the two catchments. The altitude ranges from around 300m to 2500m. The majority of the population are involved in agriculture and crops include maize, rice and millet. Important cash crops include citrus fruits, cauliflower, cabbage, ginger, and in recent years, tea. A well-preserved forest (Rani Bhan - Queen's Forest) spreads along a ridge line on the northwest side of the village, with well-developed mature stands of rhododendron and sal (pine) trees.

Pokhara

Pokhara Sub-Metropolitan City is a city of close to 200,000 inhabitants in central Nepal located at 28.25°N, 83.99°E, 198 km west of Kathmandu. It is the third largest city of Nepal after Kathmandu and Biratnagar. It is the Headquarters of Kaski District, Gandaki Zone and the Western Development Region. It is also one of the most popular tourist destinations of the country.