If you want to have a good holiday where you also experience a lot, Nepal is definitely an obvious choice. A holiday to Nepal offers beautiful nature, lots of culture and much more.
A for Arun and Annapurna
The first letter of the alphabet offers exciting places in the Himalayas, but most famous is without a doubt the Annapurna Himal located in Central Nepal, which is one of the most powerful mountain ranges in the Himalayas. It stretches over 40-50 km with an almost constant altitude of over 6,000 meters. The Annapurna chain very effectively stops the monsoon winds coming from the south. This means a very big difference between the landscapes south and north of the mountain range, where there are lush highland areas to the south and dry, almost barren Tibetan landscapes to the north.
B for Brahmin, Flowers, Bhutan, Buddhism, Bridges and Mountaineering
According to shoefrantics, Nepal is perhaps the world’s most famous mountaineering country. Here lies the largest concentration of the world’s highest mountains (7 of the world’s 14 8,000s). Every year a large crowd of hopeful climbers make a pilgrimage to high and sometimes very difficult mountains.
C for Cho Oyu, Chang and Chumbi, but here we choose Chitwan.
Chitwan is Nepal’s most famous national park. It is located on the border with India. The park is just over 1,400 km2 including the adjacent Parsa reserve. Was it something to look for the Bengal royal tiger riding on the back of a 2½ meter high elephant or to sail out a carved canoe on the Rapti River, Chitwan is the choice.
Nepal has 11 protected areas and national parks and in recent years has done a lot to build up a strong environmental image.
D for Dolpo, Dhaulagiri, Demons, Darjeeling, Dalai Lama, Dumji and Dasain
Dasain also called Durga Puja is Nepal’s biggest festival. The real name is Bada Dashain, which means “The Great Dasain.” Dasain is held every year in September and October and is by far the most important Nepalese festival. Virtually all public activities are stopped and educational institutions are closed for about 2 weeks. The Dasain or Tihar festivals as these coincide with the biggest travel season.
E for Rivers, Adventures and Everest
Mount Everest is the world’s highest mountain and is 8,848 meters high. It is located on the border between Nepal and Tibet. The official Nepalese name for the mountain is Sagarmatha (Mother of Waters), but the Sherpas and Tibetans call the mountain Qumolungma, which means “Mother Goddess of the World”. Everest is a goal for approx. 25,000 trekkers who want to take a closer look at this giant mountain. Since 1953, more than 1,000 people have climbed Everest – and nearly 170 have died.
F for Fishtail, Rivers and Birds
Nepal has approx. 1,500 bird species and thus qualifies for one of the world’s best countries for bird watching. This is also seen in the number of ornithological tours in the country. Particularly good places include Chitwan, Kosi Tappu, Pulchowki and Langtang.
G for the Ganges, Garhwal, Gompa, Gangtok, Gurkha Soldiers and Gorkha
Gorkha is a central city in the so-called Middle Hills located south of Manaslu between Kathmandu and Pokhara. Nepal’s royal family (those who remain) are descended from Gorkha and Prithvi Narayan Shah, who united the country in 1767. Thus, it is an important city in Nepal’s history – and the great Durbar Kalikathan over the city is also very beautiful.
From Gorkha emanate a host of wonderful walks, including the Manaslu Tour.
H for Hinduism, Holi, Altitude sickness and Himalayan
Himal (snow) Aya (home) it is rightly called. Broadly speaking, the world’s highest mountain range stretches from the Pamir in the west across the Karakorum to Burma in the east. More accurate from Nanga Parbat in Pakistan to Bhutan in the east. The Himalayas are the only mountain range that has mountains above 7,000 and 8,000 meters altitude.
In for India, Insects and Indra Jatra
Indrajatra is a glorious festival for the rain god Indra. It is held in August and September and is thus outside the normal tourist season (what a shame). For eight days, the feast is held and the Kumari, the living goddess, is driven around the streets of Kathmandu three times in a beautifully decorated ceremonial carriage. Among other things, the king must worship the Kumari under Indra Jatra.
J for Jumla, Jungle, Jukha and Jhankri
Dhami or Jhankri are the Nepalese words for shaman or spirit man. A shaman is a traditional medicine that is quite common in Nepal (also Kathmandu). A shaman is a person who is given – and has – special and powerful powers, which enables him to be the link between this world and demons, spirits and worlds of gods. When the balance between these worlds is disturbed, it is his job to restore harmony. The most frequent manifestations of imbalance are in connection with disease control and more general predictions. The knowledge he has and obtains will be made available to alms or small sums for the villagers and others who invoke him.
You often meet shamans on trekking trips in the Makalu and Manaslu areas.
