Facts for the visitors-Activities-Legal Matters
Higher than the Himalaya
In Kathmandu’s flower-power era in the 1960s and early 1970s, the easy availability of marijuana an d hashish was undoubtly a major attraction for many visitors. In its hippy hay-day Kathmandu had hash shops and hash calendars--and hash cookies appeared on every hip restaurant menu. Many of the ‘freaks’ who congregated in Nepal those days were high in places other than the Himalaya.
The herb had always been easily available, but its users were mainly sadhus, for whom it has religious importance. Then, in the run-up to King Birendra’s coronation, hashish was banned. The next night, possibly in protest, the huge Singh Durbar building-- a palace from the Rana period-- burnt down.
However, possession of a small amount involves little risk, although potential smokers should keep the less-than-salubrious condition of Nepali jails firmly in mind. Don’t try taking any out of the country either--travellers have been arrested at the airport on depature.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Visit Nepal
Architectural Marvels
• Kathmandu, Patan, & Bhaktapur
these three royal cities of the Kathmandu valley each have superb World Heritage-Listed Squares, where centuries-old palaces bear testimony to the strength of Newari culture.
• Buddhist Stupas the Stupas of Swayambhunath and Boudha (also known as Bodhnath), close to Kathmandu, are fine examples of Buddhist temple architecture and are great place to observe Buddhist religion.
Traveler Hang-Outs
• Pokhara
It's hard to go past Pokhara, with its lakeside location, relaxed atmosphere and potential for exploration on foot or by boat.
• Freak Street In Kathmandu, Freak St has been on the overland trail for the best part of 30 years. Although now a shadow of its former self, it still conjures up images of hippies and hashish.
Adrenaline Fixes
• Bungee Jumping
try the highest commercial bungee jump on earth at the Last Resort, close to the Tibetan border north-east of Kathmandu.
• White Water Rafting a highlight of travel to Nepal is white-water rafting on some of the world's wildest rivers. Kayaking is rapidly gaining in popularity too.
• Parasailing near the lake Pokhara, parasailing is one of the latest ways to get high in Nepal.
Hot-Air Ballooning a dawn ride above the Katmandu Valley is a little more sedate than parasailing, but is nevertheless a superb experience-there's the added bonus of excellent views of the Himalaya.
Wildlife Adventures
• Elephant Safaris in the Royal Bardia and royal national parks, an elephant safari is a superb way to track the elusive royal Bengal tiger or the sometimes aggressive Indian one-horned rhinoceros.
• Koshi Tappu
Wildlife Reserve in the eastern Terai, this reserve has a high concentration of migratory birds and is well off the tourist circuit, making it an ideal escape from the crowds.
• Kathmandu, Patan, & Bhaktapur
these three royal cities of the Kathmandu valley each have superb World Heritage-Listed Squares, where centuries-old palaces bear testimony to the strength of Newari culture.
• Buddhist Stupas the Stupas of Swayambhunath and Boudha (also known as Bodhnath), close to Kathmandu, are fine examples of Buddhist temple architecture and are great place to observe Buddhist religion.
Traveler Hang-Outs
• Pokhara
It's hard to go past Pokhara, with its lakeside location, relaxed atmosphere and potential for exploration on foot or by boat.
• Freak Street In Kathmandu, Freak St has been on the overland trail for the best part of 30 years. Although now a shadow of its former self, it still conjures up images of hippies and hashish.
Adrenaline Fixes
• Bungee Jumping
try the highest commercial bungee jump on earth at the Last Resort, close to the Tibetan border north-east of Kathmandu.
• White Water Rafting a highlight of travel to Nepal is white-water rafting on some of the world's wildest rivers. Kayaking is rapidly gaining in popularity too.
• Parasailing near the lake Pokhara, parasailing is one of the latest ways to get high in Nepal.
Hot-Air Ballooning a dawn ride above the Katmandu Valley is a little more sedate than parasailing, but is nevertheless a superb experience-there's the added bonus of excellent views of the Himalaya.
Wildlife Adventures
• Elephant Safaris in the Royal Bardia and royal national parks, an elephant safari is a superb way to track the elusive royal Bengal tiger or the sometimes aggressive Indian one-horned rhinoceros.
• Koshi Tappu
Wildlife Reserve in the eastern Terai, this reserve has a high concentration of migratory birds and is well off the tourist circuit, making it an ideal escape from the crowds.
Visit Nepal.
Himalayan Views
• Nagarkot
on the rim of the Kathmandu valley, Nagarkot in one of the best and most popular places for sweeping views. Many people stay overnight at one of the many lodges to catch the sunrise.
• Dhulikhel and Kakani
on opposite edges of the Kathmandu valley rim, both places offer great views and are far less touristy than Nagarkot.
• Daman about 70km south of Kathmandu on the old highway. Daman has simply stunning mountain views of Dhaulagiri in the west across to Everest in the east.
• Mountain Flights early morning mountain flights out of Kathmandu take you on a loop around the world's major peaks and offer unsurpassed views.
Pilgrimage Sites
• Pashupatinath Temple this temple in Kathmandu is one of the major Hindu temples of the subcontinent, and during the festival of Maha Shivaratri in February-march the whole place throngs with thousands of pilgrims.
• Lumbini on the Terai close to the Indian border, Lumbini is the birthplace of the Buddha and is a special place for Buddhist pilgrims. A number of countries have already built monasteries here and there are plans for more. It is a peaceful place best visited in the cooler months.
• Janakpur in the eastern Terai, this is one of the best places to absorb the atmosphere of a Hindu pilgrimage centre. The temple to Sita attracts huge number of pilgrims, especially during the festival of Sita Bibaha Panchami in November-December.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Visit Nepal 2010
FACTS FOR THE VISITORS
While many people come to Nepal just to trek in the Himalaya, there is indeed a great deal more to the country. The Kathmandu valley is worth devoting at least a week to in itself, although most people seem to fly in and get out as quickly as possible. The temples at Patan, Bhaktapur, Swyambhunath, Pashupatinath and Boudha Stupa should not be missed.
The Terai, the lowland strip that runs the width of the country is a fascinating area that is often completely overlooked by foreign visitors but which has great deal to offer. Visiting the royal Chitwan and royal Bardia national park in the Terai offers visitors a chance to see an incredible variety of bird and animal life, including the royal Bengal tiger and the rhinoceros. Other Terai towns, such as Janakpur and Lumbini, are significant religious sites and are also worth visit.
·
While many people come to Nepal just to trek in the Himalaya, there is indeed a great deal more to the country. The Kathmandu valley is worth devoting at least a week to in itself, although most people seem to fly in and get out as quickly as possible. The temples at Patan, Bhaktapur, Swyambhunath, Pashupatinath and Boudha Stupa should not be missed.
The Terai, the lowland strip that runs the width of the country is a fascinating area that is often completely overlooked by foreign visitors but which has great deal to offer. Visiting the royal Chitwan and royal Bardia national park in the Terai offers visitors a chance to see an incredible variety of bird and animal life, including the royal Bengal tiger and the rhinoceros. Other Terai towns, such as Janakpur and Lumbini, are significant religious sites and are also worth visit.
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Visit Nepal 2010
FACTS ABOUT NEPAL
POPULATION
Nepal's population stands at around 23.4 million (2001 estimate). The population growth rate is a high 2.43%. The largest city is Kathmandu, the capita, with 500,000 people, although the population of the Kathmandu Valley is around one million.
In the mountains the rate of population increase is lower than in the Terai, but is because of many people are migrating in search of land and work. Despite or because of extremely high rates of infant mortality and the life expectancy of only 57 years, the overall annual rate of population increase is high, putting enormous pressures on Nepal's fragile ecology.
PEOPLE
Like the geography, the population of Nepal is extremely diverse and highly complex. Simplistically, Nepal is the meeting point of the Indo-Aryan people of India and the Tibeto-Burmese of the Himalaya, but this gives little hint of the dynamic ethnic mosaic that has developed and continues to change to this day.
In a south-north direction, as you move from the plains to the mountains, the ethnic map can be roughly divided into layers: the Himalaya, the midlands or Pahar zone, and acteristic ethnic groups whose agriculture and lifestyles are adapted to suit the physical constraints of their environment. These zones can be further subdivided from east to west, with different groups in the east, central and western regions of each zone.
POPULATION
Nepal's population stands at around 23.4 million (2001 estimate). The population growth rate is a high 2.43%. The largest city is Kathmandu, the capita, with 500,000 people, although the population of the Kathmandu Valley is around one million.
In the mountains the rate of population increase is lower than in the Terai, but is because of many people are migrating in search of land and work. Despite or because of extremely high rates of infant mortality and the life expectancy of only 57 years, the overall annual rate of population increase is high, putting enormous pressures on Nepal's fragile ecology.
PEOPLE
Like the geography, the population of Nepal is extremely diverse and highly complex. Simplistically, Nepal is the meeting point of the Indo-Aryan people of India and the Tibeto-Burmese of the Himalaya, but this gives little hint of the dynamic ethnic mosaic that has developed and continues to change to this day.
In a south-north direction, as you move from the plains to the mountains, the ethnic map can be roughly divided into layers: the Himalaya, the midlands or Pahar zone, and acteristic ethnic groups whose agriculture and lifestyles are adapted to suit the physical constraints of their environment. These zones can be further subdivided from east to west, with different groups in the east, central and western regions of each zone.
Visit Nepal 2010
The Kiratis
Recorded history begins with the Kiratis, ancient people who were found habituated here around the 7th or 8th century BC. Although they are the first known rulers of the Kathmandu Valley, and Yalambar (the first of their kings) is mentioned in the Hindu epic the Mahabharata, little more is known about them.
Is was during the Kirati period that buddishim first arrived in the country; indeed it is claimed that during the reign of the seventh of the 28 Kirati kings, Buddha, together with his disciple Ananda, visited the valley and stayed for a time in Patan.
Other accounts of the Kirati period include a 4th century BC description of the Kiratis' sheep-breeding and agricultural activities. Around the 2nd century BC, the great Indian Buddhist emperor Asoka visited Nepal and erected a pillar at the Buddha's birth place at Lumbini, south of Pokhara near the present-day Indian border. Ashoka may have also enlarged the stupas he erected around Patan can still be clearly seen. Ashoka may have also enlarged the stupas at bodhnath shyambhunath. His daughter charumati was said to have founded chabahil, a village on the road between Kathmandu and bodhnath, which has now been swallowed up by the capital. There is a stupa, which is smaller version of the one at Bodnath, and a monastery here that are claimed to date back to Charumati's time in Nepal.
Kirati domination ended around 300 AD but the Rai and Limbu people of eastern Nepal are said to be modern descendants.
Recorded history begins with the Kiratis, ancient people who were found habituated here around the 7th or 8th century BC. Although they are the first known rulers of the Kathmandu Valley, and Yalambar (the first of their kings) is mentioned in the Hindu epic the Mahabharata, little more is known about them.
Is was during the Kirati period that buddishim first arrived in the country; indeed it is claimed that during the reign of the seventh of the 28 Kirati kings, Buddha, together with his disciple Ananda, visited the valley and stayed for a time in Patan.
Other accounts of the Kirati period include a 4th century BC description of the Kiratis' sheep-breeding and agricultural activities. Around the 2nd century BC, the great Indian Buddhist emperor Asoka visited Nepal and erected a pillar at the Buddha's birth place at Lumbini, south of Pokhara near the present-day Indian border. Ashoka may have also enlarged the stupas he erected around Patan can still be clearly seen. Ashoka may have also enlarged the stupas at bodhnath shyambhunath. His daughter charumati was said to have founded chabahil, a village on the road between Kathmandu and bodhnath, which has now been swallowed up by the capital. There is a stupa, which is smaller version of the one at Bodnath, and a monastery here that are claimed to date back to Charumati's time in Nepal.
Kirati domination ended around 300 AD but the Rai and Limbu people of eastern Nepal are said to be modern descendants.
Visit Nepal
HISTORY
In many ways—historically, culturally and linguistically—Nepal has been the meeting point between the mongoloid people of Asia (who speak Tibeto-Burmese languages) and the Caucasoid peoples of the Indian plains (who speak Indo-European languages). In earlier times, Nepal was able to exploit its position as intermediary in the trade between India and china. Today, the country continues to take advantage to its strategic position between these two uneasy giants.
Over the centuries, the boundaries of Nepal have extended to include huge tracts of neighboring India, or contracted to little more than the Kathmandu Valley and handful of surrounding city-states.
Legends recount that the Kathmandu valley was once a great lake and that Manjushree broached the valley wall with a magical sword, draining the water and creating the Kathmandu valley we know. Or perhaps it wasn't Manjushree; he was after all, a Buddhist from china. Hindus claim it was Krishna who performed the mighty deed, hurling a thunderbolt to create the Chobar Gorge, choose whichever legend you prefer, but scientists agree that the valley was submerged at one time and the rivers of the valley do indeed flow southward through the narrow Chobar Gorge.
In many ways—historically, culturally and linguistically—Nepal has been the meeting point between the mongoloid people of Asia (who speak Tibeto-Burmese languages) and the Caucasoid peoples of the Indian plains (who speak Indo-European languages). In earlier times, Nepal was able to exploit its position as intermediary in the trade between India and china. Today, the country continues to take advantage to its strategic position between these two uneasy giants.
Over the centuries, the boundaries of Nepal have extended to include huge tracts of neighboring India, or contracted to little more than the Kathmandu Valley and handful of surrounding city-states.
Legends recount that the Kathmandu valley was once a great lake and that Manjushree broached the valley wall with a magical sword, draining the water and creating the Kathmandu valley we know. Or perhaps it wasn't Manjushree; he was after all, a Buddhist from china. Hindus claim it was Krishna who performed the mighty deed, hurling a thunderbolt to create the Chobar Gorge, choose whichever legend you prefer, but scientists agree that the valley was submerged at one time and the rivers of the valley do indeed flow southward through the narrow Chobar Gorge.
Visit Nepal 2010
INTRODUCTION
Behind the time-worn temples and places of the Kathmandu valley, above and beyond the hills that ring the valley, another 'kingdom' rises skyward. The 'abode of snows' (Sanskrit for 'Himalaya') is a natural kingdom and a magnet for trekkers, mountaineers and adventurers from around the world. Fortunately you don't have to be a Sherpa and your surname doesn't have to be Hillary, Messner of Bonington for you to get in among these great mountains. With a dash of enterprise and a degree of fitness most travelers can walk the trails that led into the road-less heights of the Himalaya. One trek is rarely enough and many visitors soon find themselves planning to return.
Fascination old towns, magnificent temples and great trekking are not all Nepal has to offer. Many visitors come to Nepal expecting to find these things, but also discover how amazingly rich and diverse the local culture is, and how friendly Nepalis can be.
Nepal has some of the world's premier whit-water rafting and kayaking opportunities, as well as offering mountain biking and other adventure sports such as canyoning and paragliding. And for those that are getting their thrills at less than adrenaline-rush speed, the national parks of the lowland Terai region offer wildlife-spotting safaris by elephant. It's an amazingly diverse country that offers something for everyone—and it usually ends up doing so more than once!
Behind the time-worn temples and places of the Kathmandu valley, above and beyond the hills that ring the valley, another 'kingdom' rises skyward. The 'abode of snows' (Sanskrit for 'Himalaya') is a natural kingdom and a magnet for trekkers, mountaineers and adventurers from around the world. Fortunately you don't have to be a Sherpa and your surname doesn't have to be Hillary, Messner of Bonington for you to get in among these great mountains. With a dash of enterprise and a degree of fitness most travelers can walk the trails that led into the road-less heights of the Himalaya. One trek is rarely enough and many visitors soon find themselves planning to return.
Fascination old towns, magnificent temples and great trekking are not all Nepal has to offer. Many visitors come to Nepal expecting to find these things, but also discover how amazingly rich and diverse the local culture is, and how friendly Nepalis can be.
Nepal has some of the world's premier whit-water rafting and kayaking opportunities, as well as offering mountain biking and other adventure sports such as canyoning and paragliding. And for those that are getting their thrills at less than adrenaline-rush speed, the national parks of the lowland Terai region offer wildlife-spotting safaris by elephant. It's an amazingly diverse country that offers something for everyone—and it usually ends up doing so more than once!
Regional Peace.
Nepal was in war from about two-decades.
The Regional Peace in our region between the so-called government and the PLA People's Liberation Army has been almost come to an end; since all of them are more intersted in power than to peace. unless and until these parties does not come to any kind of positive and fruitful conclusion the whole process is going to collasp just like that and till this time there is no sign of agreement.
The Regional Peace in our region between the so-called government and the PLA People's Liberation Army has been almost come to an end; since all of them are more intersted in power than to peace. unless and until these parties does not come to any kind of positive and fruitful conclusion the whole process is going to collasp just like that and till this time there is no sign of agreement.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Visit Nepal
INTRODUCTION
Draped along the greatest heights of the Himalaya, the kingdom of Nepal is a land of eternal fascination, a place where the ice-cold of the high Himalaya meets the heat of the steamy Indian plains. It's a land of ancient history, colorful cultures and people, superb scenery and some of the best trekking on earth. Personally, I would love to call it an apostle of peace, top of the world and the land of smiles.
Nepal's history is shaped by its geographical location, between the fertile plains of India and the desert-like plateau of Tibet. Its position between India and China has meant that Nepal has at times played the role of intermediary—a canny trader between two great powers—while at other times it has faced the threat of invasion as well. Internally its history is just as dynamic, with city-states in the hills vying with each other for power until one powerful king, Prithvi Narayan Shah, overran them all. The three great towns of the Kathmandu valley—Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur—still bear witness to their days as fiercely competitive medieval minikingdoms. Indeed, in Nepal it's possible to mentally turn back the clock to the medieval era; such is the evocative power of the country.
Draped along the greatest heights of the Himalaya, the kingdom of Nepal is a land of eternal fascination, a place where the ice-cold of the high Himalaya meets the heat of the steamy Indian plains. It's a land of ancient history, colorful cultures and people, superb scenery and some of the best trekking on earth. Personally, I would love to call it an apostle of peace, top of the world and the land of smiles.
Nepal's history is shaped by its geographical location, between the fertile plains of India and the desert-like plateau of Tibet. Its position between India and China has meant that Nepal has at times played the role of intermediary—a canny trader between two great powers—while at other times it has faced the threat of invasion as well. Internally its history is just as dynamic, with city-states in the hills vying with each other for power until one powerful king, Prithvi Narayan Shah, overran them all. The three great towns of the Kathmandu valley—Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur—still bear witness to their days as fiercely competitive medieval minikingdoms. Indeed, in Nepal it's possible to mentally turn back the clock to the medieval era; such is the evocative power of the country.
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