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NAC finally gets new aircraft for int’l air service

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NAC finally gets new aircraft for int’l air service

Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), the national flag carrier, finally received a new aircraft for international air service, on Sunday. This has happened after 27 years and many hurdles along the way to add new planes to the NAC fleet.


Airbus A320-Nepal-Airlines

The plane — Airbus A320 — touched down at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA)at 4:34 pm, on Sunday, with Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Deepak Chandra Amatya led team of government officials and representatives of Airbus. The aircraft which is manufactured by the Airbus Company was welcomed amid a special function. With the arrival of the new aircraft that is named ‘Sagarmatha’, NAC now has a total of three aircraft including two Boeings — Gandaki and Karnali — for international air service. “After several ups and downs we finally have got the new aircraft,” said Madan Kharel while addressing a welcome ceremony of NAC’s first A320 on Sunday evening. He said that they have had to face trying times, always bearing a fear on whether NAC would be able to revive their glory days due to lack of aircraft.

The aircraft is part of an agreement reached in June 2013 to purchase two Airbus A320-200 aircraft. Kharel said that the other aircraft is expected to be delivered within April and NAC will start operations to Dubai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai and will also add a new destination, Guangzhau in China. As narrow-body aircraft alone are not sufficient to compete in the international market, NAC is also working on plans to purchase a wide-body plane in the near future.

Kharel said that they have a target of buying a wide-body aircraft by 2021. Prior to this, NAC also had a target to obtain two more narrow-body planes. The addition of the new aircraft to the NAC fleet is also expected to give a boost to the tourism industry at a time when air traffic is expected to almost double within a decade.

NAC officials said that they are planning to start services with the Airbus A320 from February 25. Both the aircraft are powered by engines made by US-based International Aero Engines and will have 158 seats, including eight seats for business class and the rest for economy class.

Minister Amatya said that the rapid expansion of global tourism market has made it necessary to enhance the quality of the country’s aviation service by making them more punctual and credible. “We have emphasised the importance of ‘air safety’ and prioritised it in our policy,” he added.

The Airbus aircraft purchased by NAC is a widely used aircraft in the world. “The A320 is a new partnership in aviation sector of Nepal,” said David Dufrenois, vice-president, Customer Affairs, Airbus. Sheel Shukla, marketing manager of Airbus said that the aircraft was the ‘most fuel efficient’ single aircraft presently available in the market.

The last time that NAC had bought aircraft was a Boeing 757 in 1988. After the arrival of another aircraft in April, NAC is planning to fly to various destinations in Asia including Hong Kong and Bangkok. As it had only two aircraft for international flights, the national carrier had been finding it difficult to provide effective and competitive service as most of the times one of the two aircraft remained grounded for ‘technical reasons’.

Source: The Himalayan Times

5 places in Nepal you must visit before you die

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5 places in Nepal you must visit before you die

Nepal is country with one of the best landscapes in the world with stunning scenic beauty. It has been a tourism destination for people around the world for past hundreds of years. With 1310 magnificent mountains above 6000m, Nepal boasts of many fascinating places. Nepal is world famous for trekking, mountaineering, wildlife tourism, bird watching, jungle safari, river rafting and much adventurous stuff along with ethnic heritages and cultural richness.

Here, we have come up with 5 places in Nepal that you must, we repeat, YOU MUST VISIT BEFORE YOU DIE. Believe us; these places will blow your mind.

1. Rara Lake: Rara Lake tops them all. Situated in an altitude of 2990 m above sea level, Rara is the biggest lake of Nepal covering an area of 10.8 kilometers. The lake is surrounded by Rara National Park that protects unique and vulnerable species of flora and fauna. This shimmering blue jewel set in a ring of snowy peaks gives you fascinating, magnificent and marvelous views you’d have ever seen.

rara-lake

2. Everest Base Camp: You cannot find more spectacular place that the Everest region where four of the world’s six tallest peaks Mt. Everest, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Makalu and Mt. Cho Oyu rise above everything else. The Everest Base Camp offers you one of the grandest walk with astounding mountain views and glimpses of the life of world famous Sherpas. On the way, you get opportunities to go sightseeing around Sagarmatha National Park, a home to large varieties of Himalayan floras and faunas. Trip to this place shall the most gratifying event of your life.

everest-base-camp

3. Upper Mustang: The Upper Mustang trek brings you into the hidden world of the old Buddhist kingdom of Mustang, also called Lo which used to be part of the Tibetan empire, and is therefore closely related to Tibet. Not only the culture, but also the landscape is very much related to Tibet. Mustang lies in the rain shadow of the Dhaulagiri and you walk in a complete desolate landscape, surrounded by rocks in all kind of colors and bizarre formations.  In this barren landscape the villages with their bright colored fields are like oases. The culture of the people living there is one of the major attractions for tourists and visitors alike.

upper-mustang

4. Annapurna Base Camp: Ask any travel agencies in Nepal for best trekking destination, most of them will have one answer – Annapurna Base Camp. Go during spring, and you will witness luscious rhododendron forests which gives you majestic feel. Annapurna Base Camp is one of the most popular treks in Annapurna region that takes you to closer to the Annapurna range. It combines so many different landscapes that you perhaps will experience one of the best adventures in your life.

abc

5. Tilicho Lake: Tilicho Lake is one of the highest lakes in the world at an altitude of 4919 meters located in the Annapurna range of the Himalayas in Manang district. It provides one of the most heart-throbbing views that will remain in your eyes for long time. It is an extremely adventurous terrain that provides you a very revitalizing experience. It was also the site of one of the highest ever altitude scuba divers. There are many trekking agencies in Nepal that will guide you to this enormously beautiful lake.

High-mountainous lake Tilicho

Source: Nepalb2b

Trekkers change course to Langtang

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A deadly disaster on the famed Annapurna Circuit trekking trail last month has led trekkers to change course to Langtang, one of the most adventurous destinations in the Himalayan foothills of Nepal.

More than 300 thrill seekers are now visiting the region daily. In the past year, Langtang used to receive 45-60 tourists daily during the peak tourist season which lasts from September-November.

langtang Base Camp Trek

Tenzen Tamang of the Hotel Mountain View said that the Langtang and Gosaikunda routes were crowded with trekkers these days. With the increasing number of tourists in the region, hotels are unable to cater to the demand.

More than 13,000 tourists visit the region annually and local entrepreneurs said that arrivals were likely to increase significantly this year. Last month, a blizzard and avalanche killed 39 trekkers and injured many others in the Annapurna region.

The Tourism Ministry said that the government and the private sector jointly carried out the largest ever helicopter rescue operation in the Annapurna region to rescue people trapped in the snow. The ministry said that more than 520 people were evacuated on 70 helicopter flights.

Langtang is Nepal’s first national park and lies amid the Himalayan range to the north of Kathmandu. The park is dominated by Langtang Lirung (7,245 metres), the highest peak in the area, and smaller peaks to the south—Chimse Danda, Ganjala Pass (5,122 metres), Jugal Himal and Dorje Lakpa (6,989 metres).

Langtang is also known for its glaciers which number more than 70 of varying sizes. The high altitude lakes of Gosaikunda, Parvatikunda, Bhairavkunda and Dudhkunda draw pilgrims and trekkers.

Apart from the Langtang route, treks to Gosaikunda Lake at 4,380 metres and the Tamang Heritage Trail are other attractions in the region. “Nowadays, tourists also come here to see yak farms and they have become one of the attractions in the area,” said a local Tenzing Pasang.

Source: Nepalmountainnews

Lo-Manthang witnesses more tourists

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Lo-Manthang witnesses more tourists

Lo-Manthang, a tourist spot in Mustang district, has witnessed an increase of 24 per cent in the influx of tourists this year.

Some 4,147 tourists have visited this place compared to 3,151 last year, according to Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), Mustang.

Mustang

Once believed to be the capital city of the forbidden kingdom, Mustang, Lo-Manthang is notable for its enchanting desert-like landscapes, remains of ancient caves, ancient monasteries and the Annapurna Trekking Route among others.

Bidur Kuikel, the Chief at ACAP, Mustang shared that the number of tourist wills likely surge in coming years since the tourists are found to return to the spot again.

The increment in the number of tourists to Lo Mangthan, situated at the altitude of 3,800 metres above sea level, could also be attributed to the recent construction of roads to the place, Kuikel opined.

Source: RSS

Individuals can carry Rs 500, Rs 1000 notes to Nepal & Bhutan: RBI

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Individuals can carry Rs 500, Rs 1000 notes to Nepal & Bhutan: RBI

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) today announced that an individual travelling to neighbouring countries like Nepal and Bhutan can carry Indian currency notes in denominations of Rs 500 and Rs  1,000.

100INR

“An individual can now carry to Nepal and Bhutan Indian currency notes in denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000, subject to a limit of Rs 25,000,” RBI said in a statement.

Earlier, individuals were allowed to carry Indian currency without any limit in denomination of only up to Rs 100.

This has been relaxed to mitigate the hardship faced by individuals travelling to Nepal and Bhutan from India, it  added.

The RBI has suitably amended the  Foreign Exchange Management (Export and Import of Currency) Regulations, 2000 to incorporate the relaxation.

Source: dayandnightnews

Malindo Air to fly to Nepal from Feb 6

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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.
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    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.

Malaysia-based Malin-do Air is beginning scheduled-flights on Kuala Lumpur-Kathmandu sector from February 6. The airline has appointed Yeti Incentive Travels, a member of Yeti Group, as its general sales agent (GSA) in Nepal. According to Yeti Incentive Travels, Malindo Air will operate daily flights on Kuala Lumpur-Kathmandu-Kuala Lumpur with a Boeing 737-900ER. It will offer 160 seats in economy class and 12 in business class.

Chandran Ramamurthy, CEO of Malindo Air, said though Malindo Air is a hybrid airline, it provides full service in business class and best service in economy class. “We will try to bring foreign tourists to Kathmandu,” said Ramamurthy. Saying that Malaysia has a huge number of middle-income earners who travel frequently, Ramamurthy said the airline hopes to bring more Malaysian tourists to Kathmandu.

Officials of Yeti Incentive Travels said introductory price for Kathmandu-Kuala Lumpur flight will be fixed at around Rs 20,000. It, however, has not been finalized, they said. Norbu Tshiring Sherpa, managing director of Yeti Incentive Travels, said Malindo Air will provide the best service at affordable price. “We are confident that we will be able to stand out among our competitors within a few years,” he added.

Malindo Air is adding 100 aircraft in its fleet in the next 10 years. Initially, it will serve routes with flying distance of up to five hours from Kuala Lumpur. Ramamurthy said the airline plans to start services to Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and China within few years.

Ratish Chandra Lal Suman, director general of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), said international passengers have increased significantly in the last five years. “The launch of new airline will contribute further in the growth of international passengers,” he added. Malindo Air has received temporary operating permit (TOP) as two Malaysian carriers — Malaysia Air and Air Asia — are already operating 21 flights a week on Kuala Lumpur-Kathmandu sector. The existing Air Service Agreement (ASA) allows carriers of Nepal and Malaysia to operate a maximum of 21 flights each per week.

Suresh Acharya, joint secretary of Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, said Malaysia has proposed to Nepal to revise ASA. “We are studying their proposal. Nepal and Malaysia are likely to revise ASA in February,” added Acharya.

Source: Rrepublica