Nepal

Nepal

About Nepal

Nepal is a land-locked country bordered by China to its North and India to its East, West, and South. The country covers an area of 147,181 square kilometers (56,827 square miles) and stretches approximately 145 to 241 kilometers North to South and 850 kilometers west to the east. Despite being a geographically smaller nation, Nepal is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of biodiversity because of its unique geographical position and attitudinal variation. The elevation of the country ranges from less than 100 meters to the highest point on Earth that is the Mt. Everest (8848 meters), all within the distance of about 150 kilometers.

The Himalayas and its people

The Himalayas and its foothills fabricate the natural Northern border of the country as this region is rich with majestic mountains. Eight of the World’s ’14 eight-thousand meter peaks’ are situated in the Himalayas of Nepal. The relaxing scene of the snow-clad mountain range is legendary and it is a feeling we can rarely experience in other parts of the world. This part of the country is home to several ethnic groups like Sherpas, Dolpa-pas, Lopas, Baragaonlis, and Manangays. The majority of the population are the Sherpas, who originated in the Tibeto-Burmese region and the Sherpa language is a slightly modified form of Tibeto-Burman which uses Tibetan dialect. Locals believe the mountains to be a sacred place where the ancient gods and goddesses meditated; therefore the respect for the mountains is deep within their hearts. We can also find many Stupas and Gumbas on various parts of the Himalayas which are of cultural value to the inhabitants.

The Hilly and its people

The Hilly region covers more than half of the country’s geography and is home to almost half of the country’s population. Middle hills are where most of the country’s mesmerizing lakes and beautiful valleys are located. Mighty and perennial rivers that originate in the Himalayas flow through the gorges of the hills enhancing the already beautiful scenery. The climate of this region is more or less moderate throughout all seasons, providing a perfect habitat for wildlife such as leopards, deer, monkeys, butterflies and over four hundred indigenous species of birds. The ancient ethnic people of Nepal also originated from the middle hills and their rich cultural heritage is deeply ingrained into the very core of the Nepalese society. The major inhabitants of this region are Magars, Gurungs, Tamangs, Rais, Limbus, Thamis, Sunuwars, Newars, Thakalis, Chepangs, Brahmins, Chhetris and Thakuris, Damai, Sarki, Kami and Sunar. Due to the diverse ethnicity, we can find many temples, Stupas, Gumbas, and other monuments in the Hilly region.

The Terai and its people

The Terai is the southern part of Nepal and is rich with fertile flat lands that are perfect for cultivating crops. Most of the country’s industries and factories are also built in the Terai. The rivers flowing narrow in the Hilly region become gigantic due to the flat lands in Terai, and with proper sunlight throughout most of the seasons (except during some parts of the winter), this region is home to sub-tropical evergreen forests, unique species of wildlife like the Bengal Tiger, Asiatic Python, and one-horned rhino. Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha is also located in this region as well as other important monuments and historical places of the country. The region houses diverse ethnic groups among which Tharus, Darai, Kumhal, and Rajbangsi are the major ones. They mostly speak North Indian dialects like Maithili and Bhojpuri.

Perhaps, Nepal is the only country in the world where in a period of just a week or two we can travel from sub-tropical lowlands to the alpine glaciers, experience altitudes from as low as 70 meters to the base of the highest mountain on the Earth, feel the change in temperature from +35 degree Celsius to the sub zeros, and meet diverse group of people whose values and beliefs are totally different and yet are living in harmony. Truly, Heaven is a myth, Nepal is real.

Things to Do in Nepal

Nepal is known as a Paradise and naturally heaven in the world and itself shows what we can do in this beautiful country. Active adventures- trekking i.e. Everest Base camp, Everest high passes Gokyo lakes, Annapurna base camp, Annapurna circuit, Manaslu circuit, Langtang; mountaineering and peak climbing- Island, Lobuche, Mera peaks and many higher mountain climbing or expeditions; hiking,- i.e. Shivapuri, Nagarkot; rafting- Bhote Koshi, Trisuli, Kali Gandaki, Seti River; paragliding, Bungee Jump and jungle safari i.e. Bardia, Chitwan national park etc. are very popular in the to do list of Nepal. Cultural and historical tours like visiting many pagodas, Stupas and Gompas like Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur Durbar squares, Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, Soyambhunath or monkey temple, Ason , Indrachwok, many of them are registered in World heritage sites. Religious sites seeing Pasupati, Soyambhu, Boudha, Muktinath, Lumbini, Janakpur are unforgettable places while we are in Nepal.

Best time to visit Nepal

All season recommended to travel in Nepal for cultural, natural and historical tours except ‘Barsha’ (Summer). Spring- March to May and Autumn- September to November are the most recommended seasons for Adventure, such as trekking, hiking, expedition or peak climbing.

Traditionally Nepal has six seasons and the temperature slightly differs in each season. ‘Shishir’ is the winter which is quite cold and ‘Bashanta’ is warm and festive. ‘Grishma’ is hot in the lower elevation and warm in mountains. ‘Barsha’ is rainy season so farmers are very busy in plantations. Again, the ‘Sharad’ is clean with warm and most important festivals like Dashain, and Tihar (festival of light or festival of sisters and brothers). ‘Hemanta’ is cool in the mountains though the scenery is clean and wonderful to enjoy.

In summary these seasons and the months they fall on are;

1. Shishir (Second half of December- First half of February)
2. Basanta (Second half of February- First half of April)
3. Grishma (Second half of April- First half of June)
4. Barsha (Second half of June- First half of August)
5. Sharad (Second half of August- Firts half of October)
6. Hemanta (Second half of October- First half of December)

We follow the four seasons trends as it is easily understood by most visitors. Accordingly,

1. Winter (December to February)
2. Spring (March to May),
3. Summer (June to August) and
4. Fall/Autumn (September to November)