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Nepal for Tourists

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  • ANNAPURNA BASE CAMP TREK - 15 DAYS
    ANNAPURNA BASE CAMP TREK - 15 DAYS
    This trek is the one of best views of annapurna range, nilgiri , Dhaulagiri , Tukuche peak , Dhampus peak , Hiunchuli ,Machhapuchhre , Gangapurna, Lamjung Himal other many more greatest views of mountains you never seen before.
  • KATHMANDU-POKHARA-CHITWAN TOUR (BY FLY/LAND)- 07 NIGHTS 08 DAYS
    KATHMANDU-POKHARA-CHITWAN TOUR (BY FLY/LAND)- 07 NIGHTS 08 DAYS
    Nepal, the land of splendid nature and rich culture is waiting for you exploration through its different facets.
  • DAMODAR KUND TOUR BY HELICOPTER - 05 NIGHTS 06 DAYS
    DAMODAR KUND TOUR BY HELICOPTER - 05 NIGHTS 06 DAYS
    Many Hindus from round the globe are dreaming to take a holy bath at least once in their life time in the sacred Damodar-Kund
  • 08 DAYS 07 NIGHTS NEPAL TRIP: KATHMANDU 3N, CHITWAN 2N, POKHARA 2N
    08 DAYS 07 NIGHTS NEPAL TRIP: KATHMANDU 3N, CHITWAN 2N, POKHARA 2N
    Nepal, the land of splendid nature and rich culture is waiting for you exploration through its different facets.
  • EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK - 17 DAYS
    EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK - 17 DAYS
    Sagamartha (Everest) Base Camp trek takes us into one of the most spectacular regions of Nepal where the Sherpa culture thrives amongst the highest peaks in the world.
  • KAILASH MANSAROVAR YATRA BY OVERLAND - 14 DAYS
    KAILASH MANSAROVAR YATRA BY OVERLAND - 14 DAYS
    Mt. Kailash (6714m) is the most sacred mountain in Asia.
  • KAILASH YATRA BY HELICOPTER VIA NEPALGUNJ/SIMIKOT/HILSA/TAKLAKOT - 11 DAYS
    KAILASH YATRA BY HELICOPTER VIA NEPALGUNJ/SIMIKOT/HILSA/TAKLAKOT - 11 DAYS
    Mt. Kailash, the sacred mountain and the abode of the Hindu god Shiva is one of the world's greatest pilgrimage destinations especially for Hindus, Buddhist, Jains and others.
  • MUKTINATH TOUR BY LAND/FLIGHT
    MUKTINATH TOUR BY LAND/FLIGHT
    Muktinath is one of the most ancient Hindu temples of God Vishnu.

Nepal, a tiny country located north of India, has long been popular with tourists looking to trek in the Himalayan peaks. Popular locations in Nepal, including the city of Kathmandu, the Khumbu Valley, and Pokhara, have a well-developed tourist infrastructure, and tourists will find it easy to locate transportation, accommodations, tours and food. Whether you are traveling on or off the beaten path, you will find the Nepali people to be warm and more than willing to welcome you into their culture and country.

Trekking

One of the most common reasons tourists’ visit Nepal is to trek among the most famous mountains in the world. The Himalaya Mountains run the length of the country, offering unparalleled hiking and climbing opportunities. The two most popular treks in Nepal are the Everest Base Camp trek and the Annapurna trek. The Everest trek, which takes you to the base camp on the Khumbu Glacier, usually starts with a short flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. Annapurna treks begin in Pokhara. You can trek with a tour group or on your own; guides and porters can be arranged in Kathmandu and Pokhara. Budget travelers will save an enormous amount of money by trekking on their own. Lonely Planet’s “Trekking the Nepal Himalaya” is an excellent guide, and trails are well marked.

Transportation

Travelers in Nepal generally get around the country by bus or flight. Buses serve almost every location in the country, and generally come in a variety of classes. The tourist class buses are the most comfortable, and often include an on-board restroom. Second-class buses are less modern, but are perfectly adequate for medium-distance journeys, such as the one from Pokhara to Kathmandu. To book a bus, simply visit one of the tour offices that populate most cities or inquire at your hotel; most will be able to arrange tickets for you. For travelers with less time, Nepal has several domestic airlines: Buddha Air, Cosmic Air and Yeti Airlines.

Visas

Citizens of most western countries can obtain a single-entry tourist visa on arrival. You will be required to pay $30 (as of May 2010) and to provide a passport photo for the visa. If you are flying into Kathmandu, a photographer will take the photo for a small fee. Be sure to have cash on hand for the visa and photo; there is a currency exchange before visa processing, but no ATM. Visas are generally given for a 60-day stay and can be extended by visiting the Immigration Department in Kathmandu or Pokhara for a $50 30-day extension.

Airport Taxes

Nepal has exit taxes for all flights, whether you are flying domestically or internationally. For travelers leaving Kathmandu on an international flight, the tax is “Rs. 900 (about $13 in May 2010) if going to SAARC countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) and Rs. 1,100 (about $16) to all other international destinations,” according to the Visit Nepal website. Taxes on domestic flights are Rs.165 ($2.36).

Culture

The Nepali population and culture have been influenced largely by India to the south and Tibet to the north. According to Nepal.com, there are 35 different ethnic groups who are mostly Hindu or Buddhist. The website advises that visitors handle items and eat with their right hand, as the Nepalese “use their left hand to wash themselves after being to the toilet.” When traveling in Nepal, dress modestly to show respect, and refrain from public displays of affection. Regardless of the region in which you travel, says Lonely Planet, “many visitors, drawn to Nepal by the promise of adventure, leave equally enchanted by the friendliness and openness of the Nepali people.”

Source: USA Today

The world’s 8 most terrifying bungee jumps

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The world’s 8 most terrifying bungee jumps

In 1988, daredevils AJ Hackett and Henry van Asch created the world’s first commercial bungee jump in Queenstown, New Zealand: the Kawarau Bridge Bungy at just 439 feet high. Think that’s a challenge? Think again.

bungeejumping-main

Close to 30 years later and however you spell it, bungee (or bungy) jumping continues to be a worldwide addiction for adrenaline lovers and for those looking to give themselves the ultimate challenge, with elevations reaching as high as 700 feet.

You can throw yourself over rivers, leap out into stunning gorges, or even hurtle from shaky suspension bridges that sway with the slightest breeze.

Take a look at some of the world’s scariest bungee spots. Go on. We dare ya.

Victoria Falls Bridge: Livingstone, Zambia/Zimbabwe

Sure, you may have taken a selfie, straddling the border of two countries — but how about bungee jumping between two countries? Risk-takers leap from the Victoria Falls Bridge, stretching between Zimbabwe and Zambia with Victoria Falls Bungee. Get ready to dive 364 feet and fall toward the crocodile-filled Zambezi River below.

Despite the bungee cord snapping for an Aussie tourist three years ago, the jump off the Victoria Falls Bridge is a must-do for the ultimate daredevil.

Action Valley: Cusco, Peru

Part of the thrill of this jump, operated by Action Valley, is that it lacks, er, what many travelers refer to as the appropriate safety measures that you might find elsewhere. A creaky, red cage wobbles back and forth as it brings you from the bottom of a valley in the Peruvian Andes to a deck 400 feet above ground. Whiplash included.

Nevis Highwire Bungy: Queenstown, New Zealand

At 439 feet, this is one terrifying bad boy, and so much of it lies in the buildup. A bus takes you uphill along narrow, winding roads (while your heart beats wildly, of course) until you arrive at the site, located deep within a canyon.

After a debriefing, a couple of jumpers pile into a cable car for a slow ride (pray it isn’t a windy day) to a pod hanging in the air smack in the middle of a canyon and suspended by cable wires. We hope you aren’t afraid of heights. The original bungee king AJ Hackett operates the Nevis.

Bhote Kosi River Jump: Tatopani, Nepal

It’s the Last Resort bungee. No, really. This heart-stopping option, situated 524 feet above Nepal’s Bhote Kosi River in a spectacular gorge, is part of the Last Resort outfitters, which also has other activities like whitewater rafting and provides accommodation.

Bungy Jumping in Nepal

Jumpers plummet face first from a suspension bridge toward the raging river below. Sound scary? We think so, too, but try to take in the scenery before you make the leap.

Europabrücke: Innsbruck, Austria

Translated to “Europe’s Bridge,” the Europabrücke Bridge bungee hovers 629 feet above the Sill River in the Wipp Valley and is a definite change of pace from exploring museums and churches. Rupert Hirner Bungy Jumping is the best option for those looking to take the plunge.

Bloukrans Bridge: Tsitsikamma, South Africa

Follow in the footsteps of legends including Kelly Slater, Prince Harry, and Andy Irons by doing the Bloukrans Bungy, the world’s highest commercial bridge jump at 708 feet high. Think you’re brave enough? Well, there is only one way to find out. The operator to use: Face Adrenaline.

Jump at Verzasca Dam: Tinco, Switzerland

Channel your inner James Bond with the 007 Jump, named for its cameo in in the movie GoldenEye. Located at Switzerland’s Verzasca Dam, this spy-worthy spot is 720 feet high and operated by Trekking Team. Beware: Stunt doubles are not included.

AJ Hackett Macau Tower Bungy Jump: Macau

The truly daring can challenge themselves to soar from the world’s highest bungee jump. At 764 feet, the AJ Hackett Macau Tower Bungy Jump is so high; you can see the Great Wall of China from the top. Just kidding. But you can basically see all of Macau as you spiral toward the ground.

Source: New York Post

Tourists from 120 countries trekked Annapurna Circuit in 2014

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Tourists from 120 countries enjoyed the Annapurna Circuit Trek in 2014.

Junu Pun, tourism assistant at Dharapani check post of Annapurna Conservation Area project (ACAP), said the popular trekking trail received visitors from 120 countries from across the world in 2014. Last year, the trail had received visitors from 86 countries. “The popularity of Annapurna Region is growing with each passing year. We are getting visitors from across the world,” she added.

Annapurna Region

Data compiled by ACAP shows a total of 20,694 foreign tourists enjoyed the Annapurna Circuit Trek in 2014. The trek begins from Besishahar of Lamjung and concludes in Jomsom after crossing Thorong La Pass (5,416m). Last year, 21,207 tourists had completed the trek.

Tourism entrepreneurs say the popular trekking route is attracting visitors from across the world. “Not only the conventional markets, we have started receiving guests from new markets,” Ram Chandra Sharma, president of Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) Western Regional Association, Pokhara, said.
Tourists from Sri Lanka, Syria, Pakistan, Mongolia, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Dominican Republic, Cambodia, Bolivia and Paraguay enjoyed the Annapurna Circuit trek in 2014.

“Word of mouth publicity is the biggest advertisement. It is good to note that tourists from new countries are coming here and promoting our products and services in their countries,” added Sharma.

France (2,702), Israel (2,687), Germany (2,042), United States (1,441), United Kingdom (1,317), Australia (1,095), Russia (859), Spain (849), Netherlands (812) and South Korea (691) were the top 10 countries in terms of number of visitors completing the Annapurna Circuit Trek in 2014, according to ACAP.

Source: Republica

TAAN promotes Nepal in Melbourne, Los Angeles, Denmark

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TAAN promotes Nepal in Melbourne, Los Angeles, Denmark

Three separate delegations of Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) promoted Nepal’s tourism products and services in Melbourne (Australia), Los Angeles (USA) and Herning (Denmark).

TAAN coordinated participation of Nepali trekking companies in these expos. TAAN Secretary Pasang Sherpa led Nepal’s delegation in Adventure Travel Show held in Los Angeles, USA on Febraury 21 and 22. TAAN member companies participated in the expo.

Trekking-expo

“Our stalls received around 700 visitors – most of them were buyers. Our participation was successful,” Sherpa said.

Similarly, Executive Member Vidya Hirachan led Nepali delegation in Adventure Travel Expo held on February 21 and 22. TAAN member agencies “Our participation was highly successful. There were lots of quality visitors,” Hirachan said. “Most of the visitors were interested toward trekking. Few sought information about expeditions.”

The expo, which saw participation of 120 countries, saw around 25,000 visitors, according to Hirachan.

TAAN delegations distributed promotional brochures, DVDs and maps to the visitors.

Similarly, TAAN member agency Sherpa & Swiss Adventure participated in Danish Travel Show held in Herning of Denmark from Febraury 20-22. The participation was coordinated by TAAN.

Trekking in Himalayas Nepal

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Trekking in Himalayas Nepal

Nepal is the ultimate destination for the trekking enthusiast-offering a myriad of possibilities from the short and easy to the demanding challenges of the snowy peaks. Easy, moderate or rigorous-there is something for every palate. Nepal har aptly been called “A Trekkers Paradise” as her terrain-mountains, hills and the Terai-offers some of the most spectacular trekking routes in the world. The immense contrasts in trekking routes in the world. The immense contrasts in altitudes and climates found here support an equality spectacular mix of lifestyles, vegetation and wildlife. Trekking in Nepal is as much a cultural experience as a Himalayan adventure. In the shadows and foothills of the icy pinnacles of the Himalaya, one passes picturesque charming villages inhabited by diverse ethnic groups. Treks vary from expeditions, high altitude treks to simply easy paced walks.

Trekking-in-Nepal

Trekking is another word for walking. The treks are focused in Annapurna, Everest, Langtang, Rolwaling, and restricted areas such as Dolpo, mysterious Mustang, Jumla ( Rara Lake ), Kanchenjunga, Makalu and Arun Valley , Manaslu and Larke La Pass and many new discovered unbeaten trails. However, the word trekking has become more well known for the kind of walking which takes you along trails winding up, down, over and around mountains.

Trekking is not mountaineering although some of the popular trails are used by mountaineering expeditions to get to their base camps. Most of the trails you will walk on are still used predominantly by Nepali people for everyday travel and trade. It is not uncommon to be passed along the way by a Nepali porter carrying lengths of corrugated roofing iron slung from a jute strap (namlo) around the head or a sick relative being carried in a basket (doko) in the same manner to the nearest medical facility.

Annapurna-Base-Camp-Trekking

Samrat Tours & Travels offers some of the best treks depending on the interest of the client. From hikes lasting three to four days to trekking in the restricted areas which may last longer than a month. Samrat Tours & Travels family is ready to serve you and make your holiday dream come true with some fine arrangements, government registered and will differ with its rescue services in case.

The “New” Route on Everest

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The “New” Route on Everest

This past week, there has been extensive media coverage of a “new” route on Everest. Once again, shallow journalism has misstated reality. The fact is there not a totally new route but rather a small change within the Khumbu Icefall that amounts to about 4% of the traditional Southeast Ridge route being affected.

The BBC is mostly responsible for this headline with their article and other outlets picking it up and simply parroting the story. In the first version, since changed, the BBC article as I read it, suggested the route was to no longer traverse through the Icefall at all. While theoretically possible to avoid the Icefall by climbing from Lhotse’s East Face or traversing the flanks of Nuptse, it is practically impossible.

Everest-new-route

All of the coverage is driven by the tragic deaths of 16 mountain workers on April 20, 2014 from a release of an ice serac off the West Shoulder of Everest into the Khumbu Icefall. The route is installed and maintained by a team of dedicated Sherpas under the direction of the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC), Each client pays $600 as part of their permit for this service. For the last two decades or so, the route went directly underneath the fall line of a serac (the bottom of a hanging glacier) thus increasing the exposure to anyone in the area if the serac released.

The route had migrated towards the West Shoulder from a safer but longer route in the center of the Icefall to accelerate the climb through the Icefall for workers and clients alike. Almost every year the serac had released thus the danger was well known, but accepted by most of the workers in order to move faster. Western guide companies, led by Russell Brice, had asked for a safer route for years but their request fell on deaf ears. Brice even canceled his 2012 season based on this danger. After the 2014 tragedy and with immense pressure from the Nepal Government, operators, world media and climbers, the SPCC re-evaluated the current route and is planning – note future tense – to shift the route away from the West Shoulder and more towards the center for the upcoming 2015 season.

Everest-basecamp-new-route

The current estimate is to move the route about 150 feet towards Nuptse and the center of the Icefall from last years position. This may not be far enough if a larger release occurs than last year’s.

The Icefall is approximately 1,500 feet long and the section in danger is maybe 500 feet of that. The total route from Everest Base Camp to the summit is 11,535 feet so we are talking about 4% of the route. There are few good options for climbing through the Icefall. The center of a glacier moves the fastest and has tall seracs and ice blocks that shift without warning. By moving the route to the climber’s right as seen from EBC, climbers are exposed to avalanches and serac releases from Nuptse. In general, the Icefall is estimated to move 3 feet or 1 meter a day.

In all cases, the higher one goes in the icefall, the more jumbled and dangerous it becomes. Ladders are commonly used to scale high ice walls.

Pete Athens, 7 time Everest summiter, was interviewed on NPR in an objective, non-sensationalize style. He had recently returned from Everest to work with the SPCC on the proposed route change. Click this link to listen to his interview. He also said:

We had a much colder season this year. We had more snow, and I think that that bodes well, actually, for the icefall. If there’s greater coverage, if there’s greater snow, I think we actually see the icefall route be somewhat more predictable.

everest_2008_1296

From other sources, it appears using helicopters to ferry gear into the Western CWM has not been approved by the Nepal government for environmental reasons.

The modified route will make the climb from Everest Base Camp to Camp 1 in the Western CWM longer by about an hour according to some estimates.

Finally these stories of a “new” route have provided a platform for those wanting to promote climbs from Tibet. The following table is an objective look at the statics from the Himalayan Database comparing the deaths of hired, their term for mountain workers, who went above their respective base camps and died. This covers the time frame from the first deaths in 1922 on the Tibet side to last year’s 19 total worker deaths on the Nepal side.

Above Base Camp Deaths %
North 3,419 23 0.7%
South 6,800 61 0.9%
Total 10,219 84 0.82%

So with all this pre-climb publicity, the world’s attention once again includes Everest. The reality is no one knows where the route will be placed until the Icefall Doctors can evaluate the dangers in person. This should start in late March.

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are everything

Source: Alanarnette.com