NTY to be launched at border points

The ministry of tourism and NTY 2011 implementation committee plans to take the campaign to all the major border towns. NTY 2011 will be inaugurated in border towns like Kakarbhitta, Birgunj, Biratnagar, Bhairawaha, Nelapgunj, Mahendranagar, Janakpur and Dhangadi simultaneously on Nov 16.

The program will start with a cleanup campaign which will include participation from the government officials, business persons and local residents. The objective of the campaign is to inform the people to keep the cities and border points clean besides providing hospitality to the visitors who come overland. It is also an effort to decentralize and gather support at the regional level to make the campaign a huge success. Additionally, the campaign is also aimed at revamping the existing facilities, improving immigration procedures, simplifying frontier formalities and building rest areas for tourists have also been planned to enhance convenience to the visitors.

On Feb 26, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal launched NTY 2011 in Kathmandu. The event then moved to Pokhara and April 12 and to Bhairawaha, Nepalgunj, and Biratnagar on April 13, 21 and 23 respectively.

Nepal ranks 4th at climate change risk

South Asia is the world's most climate vulnerable region, its fast growing population badly exposed to flood, drought, storm and sea-level rise, according to a recent survey.

Of the 16 countries listed as being at 'extreme' risk from climate change over the next 30 years, five are from South Asia, with Bangladesh and India in the first and second places, Nepal in the fourth, Afghanistan in eighth and Pakistan at 16th.

Manaslu Fest in 2011

Youth Development Committee of Manaslu, Gorkha district is organizing Manaslu fest to mark the 55th Mt. Manaslu day on May 09, 2011.

The Committee will arrange archery and horse riding competitions during the three day event and has also included participation by foreign guests in a bid to attract a large number of tourists. The event
Is going to take place at Mt. Manaslu base camp. Tashi Glayzen Manaslu horse race honors the first climbers on this peak, Toshio Imanishi of Japan and Glayzen Norbu Sherpa of Nepal scaled the peak in 1956.

The festival is aimed to attract more tourists to this region. Manaslu has not being able to attract a large number of sightseers despite its tourism potential. According to the president of the committee, the govt collects hefty charges from the tourists every year but the benefits are not shared with the local residents. High entrance fee and controlled entry for foreign visitors have also affected the tourist arrivals.

HAN to hold NTY 2011 promo in Malaysia

Hotel Association of Nepal is holding a Tourism promotion in Kuala Lumpur. A 42 member delegation of HAN left for Kuala Lumpur to publicize Nepal Tourism Year 2011 in Malaysia. The promotion is being held in collaboration with the Nepal Embassy, Malaysia, Nepal Malaysia Chamber of commerce, NRN Malaysia and Nepal Tourism Board.

HAN will be organizing Buyer to Buyer meetings, press conferences and a Nepal night to promote Nepal in Kuala Lumpur on 8th October. The program will focus supporting the Nepal Tourism Campaign and its target to bring one million tourists. The event will also highlight the planned air service between Kuala Lumpur and Kathmandu by Malaysian Airlines and Air Asia which is expected to enhance tourism development in both the countries.

HAN and the Malaysian Association of Hotels are also scheduled to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Oct 7th.

Spice Jet flying to Nepal from 7th October

India’s most preferred low fare airline, Spice Jet is going to start its scheduled flights between New Delhi and Kathmandu from October 7, 2010. Initially, the airlines will operate six flights a week to Nepal making it the airline’s first international service.

The days of operation will be on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The flight to Kathmandu will depart at 07:30 hrs and landing at the Tribhuwan International Airport at 09:00 hrs. The flight will depart at 09:50 hours to land at Delhi airport at 11:20 hrs.
Similarly, the airline will also begin its daily service between Chennai to Colombo from October 9.

Adventure sports permit system simplified

The Tourism Ministry following complaints from travel traders has changed the regulations to create a one window system for acquiring adventure sports permits. The Tourism Ministry will henceforth issue permits to conduct adventure sports activities in protected areas. Formerly, the Forest Ministry gave out permits. The Ministry used to collect separate fee for 10 tourism activities in the Himalaya and high hills which contain biological diversity needing conservation.

According to the old regulations, anyone wanting to go skydiving, skiing, paragliding, bungee jumping, rafting, canyoning, abseiling, mountain biking and kayaking had to get separate permits from the Department of National Park and Wildlife. The new regulation is expected to ease the lengthy hassle and boost the tourism industry.

As per the new fee structure, the royalty for skydiving for tourist from SAARC nations has been reduced to Rs. 2000 from Rs. 6000. Similarly the fee for foreign tourist has been cut to US $ 100 from US $ 500. Similarly, charges for paragliding and Para mountaineering have also been decreased to Rs. 1000 from Rs. 6000 and US $ 50 from US $ 300.

ACAP Proposes new trekking route in the Annapurna region

Annapurna Conservation Area Project has developed new routes in the Annapurna range to provide an alternative to the world famous Around Annapurna route. ACAP came up with the idea of marketing new trekking routes as old trekking routes in the area are getting shorter with increased access to transport services. The process of constructing necessary infrastructure as well as erecting sign board along the new routes has begun recently.

The new routes cover major tourist destinations including Ghalegaun, Ghanpokhari, Tharchu, Dudhpokhari, Namunapass, Timang, Bhujung, Pasaung, Besisahar and Tanting. Tourist guide information center has also been set up.

A total of 10 days is required to complete each new trekking route.

Peace festival in Nepal from September 30

Nepal is all set to host the Global Peace Festival South Asia 2010, scheduled from 30th September to October 02. The 3 day event is likely to see the participation of faith leaders, social entrepreneurs, government and community leaders, business and NGO representatives. The conference promises to provide inspirations, vision, practical tools and partnerships to address the fundamental global challenges being faced in South Asian countries.

The Global Peace Festival (GPF) is a global movement of committed peace builders working in partnerships based on common principles, values and aspirations. The GPF promotes and celebrates persons and programmes that contribute to reconciliation, mutual respect, harmony and cooperation and sees all people as ‘one family under God’.

NTY Promo held in South Africa

With the view to promote Nepal tourism year 2011 in South Africa, the Nepali Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa and the Non- resident Nepali Association together organized a program to promote Nepal Tourism Year 2011. The program was jointly inaugurated by ambassador of Nepal to South Africa and the president of the resident Nepali association, South Africa.

Ambassador for Nepal highlighted the importance of Nepal Tourism Year and different aspects of Nepal – South Africa relations. He said that its main objective was to establish Nepal as a major tourist destination and pledged full cooperation and support from Nepal embassy in disseminating information about Nepal, facilitating visa issuance and other such matters.

Officials from the department of International Relations, representatives from media and travel trade and a large number of Nepalis residing in South Africa were present on the occasion.

The event was the first official program organized by Nepal Embassy

A Plane Crash in Nepal

In yet another tragic accident, Agni Air crashed while flying back from Lukla airport which was closed due to bad weather. The crash site is believed to be approx 2 hours hike from Kathmandu. All passengers and crew on board are feared dead as the wreckage of the airplane, according to the eye witnesses is scattered over the hill side.

Every year mostly during the monsoon season we hear news of landslides, flooding and occasionally, plane crash. It is a know fact that due to the nature of the Nepali terrain any rescue mission becomes a daunting task for the search team. Our search and rescue team only comprises of a handful personnel from Nepal army and some from the Police force. On top of that, we are not equipped to deal with such cases of emergencies due to lack of proper preparation and planning by the concerned authorities.

Despite all the above, there seems no legislation from the government to take corrective measures to ensure accidents like this don't repeat itself. Why then do the airlines still fly under such adverse conditions?? Where is the safety criteria by the Civil Aviation? Isn't preventing incidents like this a wiser course of action than trying to fight against it. Like the old saying " prevention is better than cure" which aptly applies to a country like ours, it is time to follow these simple rules.

Knowing your own turf and the capability of your team has been a winning mantra, why then do we not take preventative methods to ensure that no more lives are lost in vain.

Responsible Adventure Trail in Nepal

For the trekking enthusiasts and adventure seekers, The Great Himalayan Trail (GHT) is set to unveil trekking routes which promise rare walks into the remote regions of the Himalayas. The launch of GHT is being planned for January – February 2011, targeting Nepal Tourism Year. The Great Himalayan Trail is an extreme trekking trail for over 162 days with more than 1, 50,000 meters of climbing and descending, a proportion sure to tempt adventurous trekkers. Australian trekker Robin Boustead completed this trek after years of research. Starting in September 2008 in Kanchenjunga and ending in July in 2009, Boustead crossed the entire length of the Nepal Himalaya.

The Great Himalayan Trail is being developed with two different routes, the High GHT and the mid GHT. Higher GHT will be above 5000 meters with more than 21 different trails for tourists willing to experience this extreme adventure while the mid hill GHT will be for all types of trekkers.

According to travel trade entrepreneurs, Nepal has tremendous potential in adventure tourism which has been identified as one of the fastest growing segments in global tourism. There has been a significant rise in young adventure tourists coming to Nepal. The rise in young tourist supplements the fact that more people are coming to Nepal for adventure tourism.

The GHT trekking route developed from the eastern border to western border of Nepal will not only provide adventure thrills for the tourist but also aims to help the local communities in this remote region. Trekking groups can make a real difference to the lives of the people that are barely above subsistence. Trekking in these regions would also mean being responsible tourist and contributing to pro-poor sustainable Tourism initiatives in the Himalayas.

Bagmati festival - Media and School Challenge

As a part of its continuous attempt to save Bagmati river and to revive its lost glory, Nepal River Conservation Trust had organized the Media/School Challenge last weekend on the Bagmati river. I was very fortunate to be a part of this mega event unlike the previous years, this time I got to witness the festival and participate in it as well.

Despite some resistance from the local people, mainly the local clubs due to certain misunderstandings from the past, the festival was a huge success and saw a grand participation of many media houses and local schools from the area.

This was also an opportune moment for many rafting companies, who otherwise are competing against one another to collaboratively work together for a greater cause. The team spirit and an extremely cohesive professional approach by the river companies is well worth applauding. This was one time when professionals from various organizations were untied towards achieving a common goal, a time for all to join hands to raise their voice and express solidarity to protecting the rivers of Nepal and conserving its habitat.

Nepal Tourism Year 2011 promoted in UK

Tourism promotion program specially focusing Nepal tourism Year 2011 was held in Wales. The program was organized by the Nepal Embassy, London in coordination with the Wales Nepali Community, Cardiff and Wales Gurkha Community. During the program, a power point presentation exhibiting Nepal’s major tourist destinations, UNESCO heritage sites, flora and fauna and cultural sites of historical importance was shown. Dignitaries attending the program included Dr Suresh C. Chalise, the Ambassador of Nepal to UK, Rt. Hon. Alan Michael JP MP, members of parliament, mayors, councilors, travel and tour promoters as well as prominent members of Nepali community based in Wales.


The Embassy of Nepal, London promoted Nepali tourism and culture at the London Mela. Hosted at Gunnersbury Park in Ealing , London Mela is regarded as the city’s biggest celebration of Asian culture and creativity. Special Nepalese highlights included Nepali cultural dances, Naumati Baja recital and display and promotion of Nepal Tourism Year 2011 at the Nepal Tent House. The embassy also gave away free air tickets to Kathmandu as prizes for the raffle draw.

A Pilgrimage Trek to Gosainkunda

Every year during the festival of Janai Purnima all Hindus visit the river banks or temples for a ritual bath. After the bath the sacred thread called the Janai is changed. Janai is worn by higher Hindu caste males across the left shoulder and tied beneath the right armpit. After passing boyhood, this thread is worn continuously as a symbol of awareness of body, speech and mind; when the knot is tied the wearer is supposed to have gained complete control over each.

During this festival, most Hindu devotees who have the time and can afford it, make a pilgrimage to Gasoinkunda, a high mountain lake north of Kathmandu regarded as sacred to Lord Shiva. A dip in this holy lake is believed to add considerable merit to the devotees.

The lake is situated at 4360 mts just south of the Langtang range of mountain. This secluded valley is also filled with nature's bounty. Here the rare red pandas lurk in dense lichen-draped rhododendron thickets, heard of blue sheep graze the alpine meadows and lammergeyers glide over glaciated valleys amidst scenery of lofty Himalayan peaks.

Although easily approached from Kathmandu, this region is far less trekked than the Annapurna or Everest areas making it all the more attractive for Nature lovers, pilgrims and trekkers alike.

Tourism Crisis Cell Formed

Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA) and Nepal Tourism Board (NTB)have signed an agreement on establishing a Tourism Crisis Cell (TCC) to facilitate rescue operation of tourist in case emergency situations and to address other tourist related problems.

HRA has been actively involved in coordinating rescue operation in the mountainous areas in Nepal. HRA will now have establish and operate TCC Secretariat at its office in Kathmandu. The cell can be contacted round the clock through 4442555 and 9751044088 hunting lines.

Trekking Agencies Association, Hotel association of Nepal, Association of Travel and Tour Operators and PATA Nepal chapter are the other members of the cell.

Bagmati River Festival 2010

Adventurehimal Nepal, not lagging behind in its Corporate Social Responsibility is actively supporting Nepal River Conservation Trust (NRCT) in organizing the Annual Bagmati River Festival.

NRCT is a non profit organization with an aim to conserve the natural and cultural heritage of the rivers of Nepal through various conservation, awareness and community development activities. Enthusiastically involved in conserving Nepal's Himalayan River system, preserving Nepal's rich cultural heritage and developing an environmentally responsible river tourism industry.

The 10th Mega Annual Bagmati River Festival, also known as the festival of the 21st century aims to provide a platform for all to work cohesively towards a common goal of maintaining the integrity of Rivers of Nepal. Clean up campaign, Awareness, Bagmati Eco challenge and Water Sports is targeted to making a difference by preventing further damage and loss of natural habitat along the Himalayan Rivers.

Monsoon Madness - Trishuli High Water

Its monsoon time and a calling for all river junkies once again. Not much can be said about the Trishuli river at other times but during the monsoon season, its a story untold. Huge runoffs from the tributary rivers make this river swell and shear with voluminous water making it a sheer delight to whitewater enthusiasts.

A two-day trip starting at Baireni and finishing at Gaighat this is a classic river experience. You run all the good rapids, watch the river grow as its tributaries join, marvel as it cuts its way through impressive gorges before it spills over the lowlands. During the trip, we camp on the sandy beaches surrounded by streaming tropical forest.

Everest Base Camp Selected in 20 Journeys of Lifetime

The UK's leading magazine The Observer, sister publication of UK's Guardian in its Sunday edition published on January 11, 2004 has selected Everest Base Camp of Nepal in 20 Journeys of a Lifetime. Selected by journalist Jill Hartley as great adventures that one never forgets, Everest Base Camp has been placed in the seventh position beating the destination like Galapagos Islands which was placed first by UK's internet based travel company iexplore.com in 2003. Galapagos Islands has been placed in sixteenth position in this list of The Observer. The famous traditional trade route known as Silk Route from Kashgar (China) then Tashkent - Samarkand - Khiva (Uzbekistan) is in eight position.

The Everest Base Camp is the only South Asian destination that has been included in the list. Most of the journeys included in the list are shared by two countries. The journey from Ruta Maya Antigua - Quetzaltenango (Guatemala) to Lake Atitlan - Antigua (Guatemala) via San Cristobal - Palenque - Merida (Mexico), Belize City - Caye Caulker (Belize), Tikal has been selected as number one among 20 journeys.

Free Visas to Nepal for Everest Climbers

Foreign mountaineers who have climbed Mt. Everest and Mt. Dhaulagiri will get a free Nepali visa for two years. The visa fee will be free for year 2010 and 2011 as a part of Nepal Tourism Year 2011 celebration.To mark the 50th anniversary of the first ascent of Mt. Dhaulagiri, the visa fee for Dhaulagiri summiteers has also been waived off.

Each foreign climber has to pay USD 5000 to the government of Nepal as royalty for climbing Dhaulagiri, however after the announcement of the rebate on the fee they now have to pay just USD 2500.

Paragliding Flights in Kathmandu

Kathmandu paragliding and Hang gliding companies and X sports Nepal are offering both tandem and solo flights in Kathmandu. X sports offers two types of flights, Black Kite Flight and Eagle Flight. The Black kite flight runs between 20 – 30 minutes while the Eagle flight lasts for about 45 – 60 minutes. The flights are operated by licensed Paragliding instructors and pilots. During June- August the paragliding flights are not scheduled due to bad weather.

3rd international Sagarmatha (Everest) Day on May 29

The 3rd International Sagarmatha (Mt Everest) Day celebration is being observed in Nepal on May 29, 2010 with various programs. More than 250 Mt. Everest summiteers, including renowned climbers like Chris Bonington, Peter Habelar, Ken Noguchi, Apa Sherpa, Min Bahadur Sherchan, Dawa Steven Sherpa, Bill Burke, David Liano, and Meagan McGrath are expected to attend the program. To honor the Summiteers a request letter has been sent to the Government of Nepal asking to provide them free visa every time they visit Nepal. The summiteers will be regarded as the Goodwill Ambassadors of Nepal to promote Nepalese mountain tourism.

NTY 2011

After a mega launch of Nepal Tourism Year 2011 officially from the capital on February 26, the campaign is being launched outside the Kathmandu valley in April. The NTY 2011 will be launched from five different cities – Pokhara, Nepalgunj, Biratnagar, Bhairawaha and Janakpur – from east to west of the country. Various promotional programs have been organized within April in these cities aspiring to creating awareness about the ambitious national campaign that aims to attract one million tourists.

Nepal tourism board along with private sector will develop a one window policy at the border area to facilitate the services required by tourist entering Nepal by land. Facilities of Immigration, custom, transportation office, food court, handicraft exhibition centre and other related services required by the tourists will be developed at different border points. With the slogan – together for tourism, all the political parties have committed not to call for any strike and other disturbance during the year 2011.

Tourism being the largest industry in Nepal is the largest source of foreign exchange and revenue. Possessing eight out of the 10 highest mountains in the world, Nepal is a hotspot destination for mountaineers, climbers and people seeking adventure.

PATA Adventure Conference 2010

Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) successfully organised Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference from February 1 to 5, 2010 at the Soaltee Crowne Plaza in Kathmandu. The event had been already endorsed by Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) and the international Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The Conference and Mart created important platforms for discussion and promotion of environmental protection and social sustainability. Conference session included 'Adventure Travel: Pulse of the Adventure Traveler' Responsible Tourism: The Driving force' and an interactive plenary session 'Adventure Sports Tourism - Risks and Responsibilities'

The Conference saw an active participation of reputed national and international travel related companies in the adventure travel arena.

Nepal - Turkey Air Service Soon

In another attempt to promote Nepal Tourism year 2011, the cabinet meeting on Wednesday granted permission to the ministry of Tourism and Civil Avian (MoTCA) to seal a deal with Turkey to operate air services. The ministry had forwarded a proposal to this effect to the cabinet two weeks ago. After the agreement, Turkey will be the 36th country to sign air service contract with Nepal. Prior to this, Flydubai, a UAE based airline started its Kathmandu – Dubai flight with an introductory round fare of Rs 12,000 (USD 167) marking Nepal as its 11 destination. Flydubai operates four days a week to Nepal, the travelers can avail themselves to onwards destinations from Dubai to Amman, Alexandria, Aleppo, Beirut, Baku, Bahrain, Damascus, Doha, Djibouti and Khartoum on the same carrier. Moreover, flydubai will connect passengers to all parts of the world, as Dubai is a major International airline hub.

London - Kathmandu to be linked via road

Oz- Bus, the adventure bus company that runs tours from London to Sydney & London to New York is now selling a new shorter option from London to Kathmandu beginning from Feb 14, 2010.The trip that also can be reversed will run 9 times a year with the first departure from London on Feb 14th and the last on Sep 26th. After traveling through some European cities for 11 days the bus reaches Istanbul. From there, the legendary route followed by the Hippies in the 60s and 70s takes passengers through Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India and then to Kathmandu - Nepal.

Look out for the featured trip of the month "The Annapurna Adventure" A sensational trek into the scenic grandeur of the highly diversified Annapurna mountain range in Nepal. This trek is a superb combination of gentle walk in the Himalayan foothills meandering through a colorful mosaic of ethnic culture and wonderful natural environment.

Extend your trip further with our unique home stay offers, bird watching excursions or raft down the wild Himalayan rivers. Whatever you choose, we are here to help you make your stay in Nepal the most memorable holiday, ever!!