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Eco-Tourism & Outdoor activities
Editor's Note: ATTA New Member Profiles is a new Members-Only opportunity. ATTA New Member Profiles are short articles written by and about ATTA’s newest members. This venue allows corporate members the opportunity to convey its story in its own words and to send a call-to-action message to other ATTA Members to facilitate networking, new collaboration initiatives, etc. ATTA's membership includes Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs). This Nepal article was written by the Nepal Tourism Board, an ATTA DMO member.
Nepal is considered one of the best adventure destinations in the world. Nepal's geography packs an extremely varied landscape into a small area. The immense contrasts in altitude and climates found here support a spectacular mix of lifestyles, vegetation and wildlife. Nepal is probably the only country in the world where you can climb the highest mountains in the world, trek in the scenic countryside with the icy pinnacles always in the background as well as enjoy jungle safari in forests, considered to be the densest in the entire South Asian region.
MOUNTAINEERING:
With eight of the highest peaks in the world, it is hardly surprising
that Nepal has been the stage for some of the most outstanding
achievements in the world of mountaineering. The dauntless icy peaks
have since decades challenged the bodies and spirits of those daring
enough to want to conquer the hulks. All inquiries and arrangements for
expeditions have to be made well in advance at the Ministry of Tourism &
Civil Aviation, Mountaineering Section, Bhrikutimandap (Tel. 4256234,
Fax. 4227758) where the guidelines have been laid down.
Trekking:
The best way to experience Nepal s unbeatable combination of natural
beauty and cultural riches is to walk through them. One can walk along
the beaten trails or virgin tracks. Either way you are in for an
experience for a lifetime. Along with forests of rhododendron, isolated
hamlets, and small mountain villages, birds, animals, temples,
monasteries and breathtaking landscapes, you will also encounter
friendly people of different cultures - offering a fascinating glimpse
of traditional rural life. Trekking is possible any time of the year
depending on where you are going. The popular seasons are spring and
autumn. During winter, trekking is possible at lower altitudes. During
the monsoon season, you can trek in the rain shadow areas north of the
Himalaya like Mustang, Upper Manang and Dolpo. These places are out of
reach of the rain clouds because of the high mountains and are
unaffected by the monsoon. The best part about trekking in this season
is that the routes are less crowded and if you happen to be a keen
botanist, you will revel in lush vegetation as meadows blossom in full
swing. To ensure quality service and safety, it is advisable to make the
trekking programs through a government recognized trekking agency.
RAFTING/KAYAKING/CANYONING:
Rafting is one of the best ways to explore the typical cross section of
natural as well as ethno-cultural heritage of the country. There are
numerous rivers in Nepal which offer excellent rafting or canoeing
experience. You can glide on calm jade waters with magnificent scenery
all about or rush through roaring white rapids, in the care of expert
river-men employed by government authorized agencies. One can opt for a
day of river running or more. So far, the government has opened sections
of 10 rivers for commercial rafting. The Trishuli river (grade 3+) is
one of the most popular of Nepal's raftable rivers. The Kali Gandaki
(5-5+) winds through remote canyons and deep gorges for five days of
intense rapids. The Bhote Koshi (4-5) is 26km of continuous white water
and the raging Marshyangdi is four days of uninterrupted white water.
The Karnali river (4-5) provides some of the most challenging rapids in
the world. The Sun Kosi (4-5), 270km, requiring 8-10 days to complete,
is a big and challenging river. Adventurers are provided with
world-class services by rafting agents. Agencies here provide life
jackets, camping gear and the standard rafting paraphernalia needed by
world-class rafters. An extremely popular sport in Europe, canyoning is
now available in Nepal. Canyoning gives you the freedom to explore some
of the most ruggedly beautiful, yet forbidden places in the world.
JUNGLE SAFARI:
National Parks located specially in the Terai region in Nepal attract
visitors from all over the world. A visit to these parks involves
game-stalking by a variety of means - foot, dugout canoe, jeep, elephant
back. One is bound to sight a one-horned rhino or two at every elephant
safari. Besides the rhinos, wild boars, samburs, spotted deer, sloth
bear, four-horned antelope are also usually seen. A Royal Bengal tiger
may surprise you by his majestic appearance.
Nature walk or jungle walk is another way of experiencing the wilderness. In fact, jungle walk gives close-up opportunities to view animals as well as observe their tracks, signs, and sounds. Early morning and late-afternoon walk is the best to avoid mid day heat. Dugout-canoe trips down the Rapti river offer views of water birds: brilliant blue Eurasian kingfishers, egrets, osprey and ruddy sheldrakes. A pair of binoculars is a must for bird watching. A jeep safari through the jungle provides more game spotting opportunities than might be expected otherwise because it goes deeper into the jungle, usually beyond the beaten track. After the thrill of elephant rides, nature walks and jeep safaris, visitors can splash around in the swimming pools that some of the resorts offer.
MOUNTAIN BIKING:
The best way to explore the Kathmandu Valley is on a mountain bike.
Nepal's diverse terrain is a mountain biker's dream adventure come true.
Mountain biking offers an environmentally sound way of exploring this
magnificent country, its landscape and living heritage. There are plenty
of dirt roads and trails in Nepal to meet every mountain biker's wildest
fantasy. Mountain biking is specially recommended if you wish to explore
urban centers of Nepal such as Pokhara and Kathmandu as well as the
countryside. Adventurous souls may plan extended trips to such exotic
locales as Namche Bazaar, and western Nepal. You could even do the
entire length of Nepal across the plains. Mountain bikes are available
for rent by the day or longer in many of the bicycle rental outlets in
and around the city.
BIRD WATCHING:
Nepal is a paradise for bird lovers with over 848 species (almost 8% of
the world total) of birds. And among them almost 500 hundred species are
found in the Kathmandu Valley alone. The most popular bird watching
spots in Kathmandu are Phulchoki, Godavari, Nagarjun, Bagmati river,
Taudaha and so on. Get your binoculars and look forward to a rewarding
experience.
MOUNTAIN FLIGHT:
Only awe-stricken silence can come close to matching the experience
of going on a mountain flight to encounter the tallest mountains of the
earth. Mountain flights offer the closest possible aerial views of Mt.
Everest, Kanchenjunga and the Tibetan Plateau. Mountain flights appeal
to all category of travelers and have become a popular tourist
attraction of Nepal. For those who are restricted by time or other
considerations from going trekking, these flights offer a panoramic view
of the Himalaya in just one hour.
BUNGY JUMPING:
The ultimate thrill of a bungy jump can now be experienced in Nepal at
one of the best sites that this sport can boast of anywhere in the
world. Nepal's first bungy jumping site is situated 160m. over the Bhote
Kosi river, inviting you to experience the ultimate adrenaline rush in
the surroundings of this amazing place. The jump, at 160m., is staffed
and operated by some of the most experienced jumpmasters in the
business.
ULTRALIGHT AIRCRAFT:
Ultralight aircraft take off from Pokhara and offer spectacular views of
the lakes, mountains and villages. This is an ideal way to see life from
a new perspective. The choice of the Pokhara Valley for ultra-light
aircraft is appropriate chiefly because of the proximity of the
mountains, and the scenic lakes. For those who wished they could fly
like birds when growing up, this flight is a must. It might be lonely at
the top, but the spectacular view from up high certainly makes it all
worth it. Flights are from the Pokhara airport beginning September
through June. The flights take place from sunrise to 11 a.m. and from 3
p.m. to sunset every day during these months.
PARA GLIDING:
Paragliding in Nepal can be a truly wonderful and fulfilling experience
for the adventure seeking. A trip will take you over some of the best
scenery on earth, as you share airspace with Himalayan griffin vultures,
eagles, kites and float over villages, monasteries, temples, lakes and
jungle, with a fantastic view of the majestic Himalayas. The last three
years have seen the activity flourish in Pokhara and it now is an
internationally recognized destination for free-flight enthusiasts.
Gliding is a weather dependent sport and the flying season in Nepal
commences from November through February, the best months being November
and December. The take-off point for these flights is Sarangkot (1592m),
which also offers prime views of Phewa Lake and the mountains at sunrise
and sunset (provided the skies are clear) and the landing is by the
lake. No previous experience is required as qualified pilots provide a
short briefing before launching.
What measures do you undertake to ensure the safety in your country?
Honestly speaking, in real sense, Nepal`s major tourism sites have no safety and security problems for tourists. Nepal`s tourism history has always stood to support this notion of safety and security. Hence, there is no record of any tourist being hurt or harmed in Nepal. Tourists can freely move all around major tourism destinations within Nepal. As it is self-evident anywhere in the present day world that precaution should be taken to ensure own safety. However, to manage the crisis smoothly to ensure safety of tourists in case of need, we have high level Tourism Crisis Coordination Committee presided by Minister for Culture, Tourism & Civil Aviation, which provides necessary guideline to Tourism Crisis Response Action Unit formed comprising all the government, security and private sectors for necessary action as and when required. There is good coordination among all state machineries and private sector to facilitate tourists during any type of crisis that is related with tourists directly or indirectly. We operate Media Center at Nepal Tourism Board 24/7 to keep vigil to the ongoing situation and inform the tourists about all the factual first hand information so that distortion in the news and views is wiped off.
The staff on duty is available at Direct Hotline Number 977-1-4225709. You may contact them at their mobile nos: 98510 87744 or 9851077385. Satellite phone No-882-1687710077. Inquiry can be made through fax or email at 977-1-4254298 or