Friday, October 14, 2011

Thursday, October 13, 2011

If you wish to enjoy all the best of Nepal in a single visit , this could be the trip for you.The main highlights of a Nepal trip are the spectacular Himalayas, the beautiful countryside, the heritage sites in Kathmandu, the wildlife safari in Chitwan National park and the whitewater rafting in the Himalayan rivers.

We first explore the heritage sites in Kathmandu, next morning we fly to the beautiful lake city of Pokhara whose skyline is dominated by the mighty Himalayas - Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Machhapuchare.A scenic four day trek to the Annapurna foot hills will expose you closer view of these mountains and offer an opportunity to experience Nepalese countryside. Next we head for Chitwan National Park in the tropical lowland of Terai. It is a great jungle trip to enjoy elephant back safari, canoe ride, birdwatching and visit to the elephant breeding centre etc. The trip concludes with a thrilling white water rafting in Trisuli river.

This itinerary is rush free and enjoyed by people of all ages. However , for elderly people or for family groups with kids, the four day trek is better done in five days , making the trip length 12 days.

Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu, transfer to hotel
Day 2: Guided sightseeing tour of Kathmandu including Kathmandu Durbar square, Swoyambhunath stupa, Pashupatinath temple and Bouddhanath
stupa.
Day 3: Fly to Pokhara. Enjoy the serene mountains and boating on the
lake.Short sightseeing tour around Pokhara. Overnight in a hotel by
the lake.
Day 4: Drive to Nayapul and trek to Tikhedhunga
Day 5: Trek to Ghorepani (2855)
Nepal Rafting

Day 6: Climb to poon hill 3200m, enjoy great Himalayan panorama and trek to Ghandruk .
Day 7: Trek to Nayapul and drive to Pokhara .
Day 8: Drive Pokhara to Chitwan ( 5 hrs ). A few safari activities.Stay in a safari lodge by the national park
Day 9: Full day safari activities including canoeing on the river, elephant back
safari, bird watching , elephant breeding centre visit etc
Day 10: Drive Chitwan to rafting point in Trisuli river for 2.5 hours. Enjoy three hours of thrilling rafting. Drive further to Kathmandu ( 3 hours ). Celebrate your amazing trip with farewell Nepali dinner.
Day 11: Fly back home.

Included in the price

All surface transfers including arrival and departure transfers in a private car.
Kathmandu to Pokhara airfare
Guided tour in Kathmandu and Pokhara , all entry fees, boating fees etc.
Three star hotel on bed and breakfast basis, in Kathmandu and Pokhara
Trekking permit and Annapurna conservation fees
Three meals with tea and coffee during trek days, accomodation on mountain lodges.
Salary, insurance and all expenses of our guide and porter.
Chitwan safari package on full board, with all safari activities, meals and accomodation included.
There will be an excellent safari lodge in Chitwan to stay.
Farewell Nepali dinner

Not included in the price

Nepal entry visa ( requires USD 25 and one photograph, granted upon arrival in Kathmandu.
Nepal internal airport tax USD 3
Water , alcoholic drinks, tips, lunch and dinner in Katrhmandu and Pokhara.
Your insurance

ANNAPURNA SANCTUARY TREK

Duration : 15 days
Trek days : 11 days
Trek grade :moderate
Max altitude : 4095 m
Trekking style : Lodge to lodge
Best season: Oct - Dec, March - May

The area below the base camp of Annapurna south is called Annapurna sanctuary. The Annapurna sanctuary, is one of the most popular treks in Nepal .This trek, also called Annapurna base camp trek, provides you the opportunity to visit impressive high mountains in a relatively short time frame and without climbing much high . Starting from Phedi, near Pokhara , we pass through lovely Gurung villages of Landrung and Ghandruk. Enjoying good views along the way we reach the base camp of the famous Machhapuchare ( Mt Fishtail ) on fifth day. Passing between Machhapuchare and Hiunchuli we reach the Annapurna base camp at 3900 m on the sixth day, where we get surrounded by the towering peaks of Annapurna south and the spectacular glaciers . The scenery is simply dramatic to be surrounded impressive high mountains all around.

Starting from lowland villages and farm terraces to glaciers , the Annapurna sanctuary trek traverses a variety of terrain , different cultures and landscapes . We return via Birenthanti and catch our coach for Pokhara at nayapul and return to Kathmandu from Pokhara by air. During the trek we eat and sleep in Mountain lodges . Accompanied by our guide , you carry only a light day pack and rest is carried by our porters.

Itinerary – Annapurna Sanctuary trek.

Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu, transfer to hotel
Day 02: Kathmandu sightseeing tour
Day 03: Fly to Pokhara and trek to Tolka (1810m)
Day 04: Tolka to Chhomrong (2040 m)
Day 05: Chhomrong to Bamboo lodge (2340 m)
Day 06: Bamboo lodge to Himalaya hotel (2900m )
Day 07: Himalaya hotel to Machhapuchhre Base camp (3720 m)
Day 08: Machhapuchhre base camp to Annapurna base camp (4095 m)
Day 09: Annapurna Base camp to Dovan (2630 m)
Day 10: Dovan to Chhomrong (2040m)
Day 11: Chhomrong to Ghandruk
Day 12: Ghandruk to Pokhara
Day 13: Short Pokhara tour, afternoon fly to Kathmandu. Evening celebrate your Annapurna Sanctuary trek with farewell Nepali dinner.
Day 14: Fly back home

Note: One extra day , ie 16 days is required if drive is taken instead of flight for Kathmandu to Pokhara and back.

Price: Price would be quoted upon knowing the number of participants on your group and the category of hotel you would like to stay in.

Included in the price

All surface transfers as per itinerary
Kathmandu to Pokhara return airfare
Hotel in Kathmandu and Pokhara in twin sharing , bb basis
Three meals with tea and coffee, accomodation on mountain lodges
All expenses of our trekking staffs.
Necessary permit and national park fees
Guided sightseeing tour in Kathmandu and Pokhara

Not included in the price

single suppliment charges (if required.)
Personal equipments and clothing
International airfare and your insurances
Cold drinks and beverages
Personal expenses and tips

EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK

Duration : 16 days
Trek days : 12 days
Trek grade: moderate / strenous
Max altitude : 5545 m
Trekking style : Lodge to lodge ( tea house)
Best Season: Oct to Dec, March to mid June

A face to face with Everest is a long held dream for many . This amazing trek to the base camp of Everest fulfills the same .The Everest Base Camp trek follows the classic expedition route along Dudh Koshi river, the trail passing through alpine forests of pine and rhododendron, beautiful Sherpa villages and secluded Buddhist monasteries on the high Himalayas . The trek ends with a visit to the base camp of Everest and then the ascent of Kala Pattar for superb views of Mount Everest . The Everest Base Camp trek truly deserves its reputation and is one of the most rewarding trek anywhere.

A fantastic 45 minute mountain flight takes us to the Lukla airstrip, the gateway to Everest region. From Lukla we trek slowly upwards to the Sherpa settlement of Namche Bazaar, following the valley of the Dudh Kosi river .We stay for one day in this delightful Sherpa village for acclimatization ( adjusting our body to high altitude, to the lower oxygen level) . As we leave Namche we glimpse our first view of Everest as it peeks above the Lhotse-Nuptse ridge. Everest is still few days' walk away, but with careful acclimatization we keep on ascending , soon to find ourselves in Gorakshep. We visit the Everest base camp but the view is better from a small ridge of black rock called Kalapattar. Kalapattar gives a breathtaking view of Everest and the Khumbu icefall.

As soon as you arrive in Everest region , you soon notice that Mount Everest is just one of the many jewels to make this region so famous. Many other mountains here are as beautiful as Everest. The Sherpa villages and Buddhist monasteries are other highlights of the trip. Special noteworthy is the monastery in Tengboche . Every climbing group seeks the blessing of the Lama of this monastery before they move ahead and the Mani Rimdu festival celebrated here is the biggest Sherpa festival of the region. Everest Sherpa Trek

Everest lies in the Everest National park , a world heritage site declared by UNESCO. It houses a great species of alpine flora and fauna. In Spring you can see the spectacle of blooming of rhododendron flower and in summer the wild flowers bloom in higher slopes of Everest valley. You will also see the Impeyan Pheasant and Himalayan goats called “ Thar “ during your trek among other animals.

During our trek we sleep and eat in Mountain lodges called " tea houses". A guide will escort you and porters and yaks will carry your belongings .This is truly a classic trek which undoubtedly gives one of the best mountain views in the world.

Itinerary - Everest Base Camp Trek

Day 01: Arrive Kathmandu, transfer to hotel
Day 02: Fly to Lukla (2840m) - Phakding (2610m)
Day 03: Phakding - Namche Bazar (3440m)
Day 04: Acclimatization day at Namche Bazar
Day 05: Namche Bazar - Tengboche(3860m)
Day 06: Tengboche -Dingboche(4410m)
Day 07 : Acclimatisation day at Dingboche
Day 08: Dingboche - Lobuche (4910m)
Day 09: Lobuche - Gorakhshep(5140m), visit Everest base camp.
Day 10: Visit Kalapathar (5545m) early morning , take breakfast and trek to Lobuche
Day 11: Lobuche - Tengboche
Day 12: Tengboche - Jorsale (2800m)/ Phakding
Day 13: Jorsale / Phakding - Lukla (2840m)
Day 14: Fly back from Lukla to Kathamndu, rest and shopping
Day 15: Kathmandu sightseeing, evening celebrate your Everest Base Camp Trek with farewell Nepali dinner.
Day 16: Fly back home /onward destination

Included in the price

All surface transfers as per itinerary including arrival and departure transfers by private vehicle.
Kathmandu to Lukla return airfare for you and our staffs.
Hotel in Kathmandu in twin sharing , bed and breakfast basis
Three meals with tea and coffee during the trek, accommodation on mountain lodges.
All expenses of our guide and porter
Necessary permit and national park fees
Guided sightseeing tour in Kathmandu
Farewell Nepali dinner

Not included in the price

Nepal visa ( requires USD 40 in cash and one photograph, granted upon arrival in Kathmandu airport )
Nepal internal airport tax $ 2
Personal equipments and clothing
Your insurances
Cold drinks and beverages , tips, personal nature expenses
Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu.

FAQs on Mount Everest Base Camp Trek

1. How fit do I need to be for this trek ? Can people of my age do this trek ?

Everyone with good fitness and without any physical problems can do this trek. Doing exercises like swimming , jogging etc before arriving Nepal will help a lot.
The most important things to consider for a successful Everest trek are right amount of walking and enough rest - at least two days of rest /acclimatization . We have seen over the years that very fit young people had to abandon the trek where as people in their sixties doing it very comfortably. This is simply because those young people did not take enough rest and neglected the advice on altitude sickness.

2. What if we can not fly from Lukla to Kathmandu on the planned day due to bad weather ?

This is usual problem during summer and also during January and February. So , you are advised to have one spare day incase of flight cancellations and also suggested to do the Kathmandu sightseeing at the end of the trek because in case of flight cancellation you can use the sightseeing day as an extra day for the trek.

3. What kind of food do I get in the trek ? What is a mountain lodge like ?

You get a la carte menu to choose the food from and mostly the food is continental and Nepali.The mountain lodges are simple family run inns with good basic facilities like clean bed and toilets but do not expect luxury on them. Some of them have attached baths and at some of them , you have to share bathroom with often two other rooms.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Happy Bijaya Dashami to all

Vijayadashami is a festival celebrated in various forms across India, Bangladesh andNepal. It is also called Dasara, Dashahara, Navaratri and Durgotsav Bengali: Oriya : Kannada: Malayalam:, Nepali :, Tamil:, Telugu: It is also known as Dasara (also written Dussehra) Bengali: ,Kannada: , Malayalam:, konkani: , Marathi: , Oriya:,Telugu: (Punjabi: ) and Dashain in Nepali.

Dussehra is celebrated on the tenth day of the Hindu autumn lunar month of Ashvin, or Ashwayuja which falls in September or October of the Western calendar, from the Shukla Paksha Pratipada, or the day after the new moon which falls in Bhadrapada, to the Dashami, or the tenth day of Ashvin. It is the culmination of the 10-day annual Navaratri (Sanskrit:, Navaratri 'nine nights') festival. It is the largest festival in Nepal, and celebrated by Hindu and non-Hindu Nepalis.

In India, the harvest season begins at this time and so the Mother Goddess is invoked to start the new harvest season and reactivate the vigor and fertility of the soil. This is done through religious performances and rituals which are thought to invoke cosmic forces that rejuvenate the soil. In Bangladesh it is a five day long festival and is celebrated in mandaps (congregation).The largest festival is held at Dhakeshwari temple and Ramkrishna missionary in Dhaka. On the day of Dasha-Hara, clay statues of the Goddess Durga are submerged in rivers. The pooja is performed with turmeric and other pooja items, which are added to the river in order to help the water yield better crops.

Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Hindawi (Hindu) Swarajya - Maratha Empire worshipped Lord Shiva and the goddess Durga in her Bhawani form before engaging in military expeditions. Dasha-Hara is the festival of Victory of Good over Evil. Buses, trucks and machines in factories are decorated. Dasha-Hara is alsoVishwakarma Divas - the National Labor Day of India. Veda Vyasa is considered the foremost guru and Vijayadashami is also celebrated as Vyasa puja. Shastra pooja, or the worship of the weapon Shastra/Astra used by Goddess Durga, are worshipped on this day.