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.