Tourists increases by 17 pc to Annapurna trekking route

The number of foreign tourists visiting Annapurna trekking area has increased by 17 percent this year as compared to the last year. The route is one of the 10 most famous trekking routes in the world.

Some 6,011 foreigners have visited the areas in March, 2013 while the number was 4,500 in the same period last year, RSS reports quoting Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP).

Similarly, 3,353 tourists visited the area in February, 2013 while the number was registered 2,876 in the last year, Tirtharaj Dhungana, an Official at the Tourist Check Point, Birethanti as saying told RSS.

A total of 44,531 tourists had visited the area in 2012 and 38,054 in 2011.

The trekking route begins from Nayapul of Kaski district and ends at Upper Mustang through Ghandruk, Chhomrung and Annapurna Base Camp.

Govt earns Rs. 254 m from Mt. Everest climbing permits this season

The government has collected Rs. 254 million in revenue from Mt. Everest climbing permits this season.

Twenty nine expeditions (as of April 19) from different countries are attempting Mt. Everest (8848m), the tallest peak on earth, this spring.

According to Tourism Industry Division of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, 315 foreign mountaineers have received permission to climb Mt. Everest.

Last year, the government had permitted 335 foreign mountaineers of 30 teams. Of them, 181 made it to the summit of Mt. Everest.

The spring climbing season starts from mid-March and runs through May. Officials of the division said members of most of the expedition teams have already left for Khumbu Region for acclimatization.

According to them, royalty fee to climb Mt. Everest ranges from US$15,000 to US$70,000 per expedition. The permit fee depends on the size of the team and route.

An expedition with 15 members is required to pay US$10,000 per person as permit fee.

Int'l indigenous film festival kicks off

The Seventh Nepal International Indigenous Film Festival -2013 has kicked off in the capital on Thursday, RSS reports.

The Festival organized by the Indigenous Film Archive (IFA) would last for three days. It is organized under the slogan: Equal Access and Participation of Indigenous People in Media.

Senior journalist Lal Deusa Rai, Malla K Sundar, Khildhwoj Thapamagar and Binita Chaudhari jointly inaugurated the Festival. The organizing body honoured them with the ´Pride of Indigenous´ award.

As many as 23 films and music videos on Gurung, Newar, Rai, Limbu, Chepang, Dhimal, Magar, and Tharu languages would be screened during the Festival.

Similarly, 27 foreign films and music videos produced in Australia, Germany, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Russian, Ethiopia, Spain, Taiwan, US and Guatemala will be screened on the occasion.

Under ´Nepal Panorama, the best films produced by the indigenous film makers of Nepal would be provided cash prizes and award in the Festival.

Also, seminar and interactions would be held on the common problems of indigenous community and the films.

Festival Director Sanjog Laphamagar told RSS the Festival would set a stage to discuss on the situation of indigenous community, films on them, and to exchange the experiences.

Highest and lowest pt on earth make a symbolic meet as stones from Dead Sea is placed on Mt Everest

Two poles never meet. But they always attract.

However, the marvelous feat of making two opposites meet -- at least symbolically-- was achieved on Tuesday as a joint Nepali-Israeli team placed a monument brought from the Dead Sea -- the lowest point on Earth -- at the base of Mt. Everest, the highest point on Earth.

The ceremony to unveil the monument, which has stones from the Dead Sea embedded on it, was held on Tuesday at Namche Bazaar, Solukhumbu.


A joint Nepali-Israeli team placed a monument brought from the Dead Sea -- the lowest point...
The joint team was led by Embassy of Israel in Kathmandu, Mayor of Tamar Regional Council-Dead Sea Israel Dov Litvinoff, Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nepal, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation in Nepal and the Nepal Tourism Board.

Mayor Litvinoff along with Israeli artist Jojo Ohayon, who created the monument, brought the Dead Sea stones to Nepal for the ceremony.

Speaking at a press conference held in the capital on Thursday, Israeli Ambassador to Nepal Hanan Goder said, "We are very happy and excited to announce that there is now on top of the world, a monument brought from the lowest point on Earth, the Dead Sea."

He said stones from Mt Everest are already on a journey to Israel, and a similar monument will be placed on the banks of the Dead Sea.

Ambassador Goder said that the main objective of these projects is not only to promote natural beauty and cultural heritages of the two countries but also to mark the long standing and friendly relations between the two countries.

"The idea is to further strengthen existing friendly ties between Nepal and Israel and bring it to the people-to-people level," he said.

Also speaking at the function, Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation Sushil Ghimire expressed his happiness and excitement to announce the placing of monument brought from the Dead Sea at the base of Mt. Everest.

"Now we can enjoy the feelings of the Dead Sea at the highest point on Earth," Secretary Ghimire said, adding that a matching monument will also be placed near the Dead Sea next month, which will have a stone embedded on it from Mt Everest.

He also hoped that this will encourage more tourists to visit the two regions.

Mayor Litvinoff said that the successful completion of this project has brought Tamar Regional Council and Namche Bazaar "very close" and that the "two places are now friends", hinting that there will be increased cooperation between the two regions in the days to come.

This project is a follow up of a joint activity in September 2012 -- issuance of Nepal-Israel joint postage stamps featuring the Dead Sea and Mt. Everest.

Nepali ethnic architecture to be showcased in China horticultural expo

An example of Nepal's ethnic architecture will be one of the exhibits at the International Horticultural Expo in Qingdao in 2014.

Many nationally and globally renowned gardening experts have been invited as consultants for the report, Xinhua reported.

"The expo will showcase not only plants but also cultures," Li Fengli, secretary-general of the expo's executive committee, told Xinhua.

The organisers have invited international guests from all continents, representing cities, regions and nations that feature distinctive gardening characters to the expo, said the report. More than 30 international exhibitors in the International Garden will present various elements.

There will be an example of ethinc Nepali architecture, French-style village, a German beer garden, and a maze built using plants from Central and South America, among others, said the organisers.

Construction work on 13 national gardens has already begun, and 70 per cent of the construction has been completed, they said.

Food fest in Jumla

A food festival has begun in Jumla Wednesday on the occasion of the Seventh Democracy Day, state-owned news agency RSS reported. Called the 'Food Festival - 2070', this is the first such event to be organised in Karnali zone.

Different food items prepared from local crops including bean, soybean, millet and buck wheat will be put on display for protection, promotion and marketization of local and indigenous crops of Karnali, its production, availability and to ease local farmers' access to them.

Similarly, other local food items—cake and momo prepared from millet, potato chips, herbal tea, rice prepared from Jumli Marshy rice species, jam and jelly prepared from apple, Newari food items, chicken sausage, pizza, homeopathic jeevan jal and among others, are put on display.

Coordinator of the Festival Organizing Committee, Senior Agriculture Development Officer Kamalesh Tiwar told RSS that the Festival is organised with an objective of increasing income through business of different food items by protecting and promoting different food crops and encouraging local farmers to involve in production of local crops.

There are 60 stalls and 14 cultural groups registered for the festival.

A total of Rs. 316,500 has been collected for the three-day Festival, according to the Finance Collection Sub-Committee.

Nepali cultural event held in Paris

The embassy of Nepal in Paris organised a cultural event to commemorate the 64th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and France on Friday.

Ambassador Mohan Krishna Shrestha and Valerie Namihas, Adjoint Mairie of the 17th Arrondissement jointly inaugurated the event by alighting a lamp.

Guests at the cultural event included representative of the French Foreign Ministry, former ambassadors, honorary Nepalese Consul in Toulouse, diplomatic officials from embassies based in Paris, academics, representatives of NRN, France, Everest Nepali Association, Nepali Ekata Samaj, Tamu Samaj, Pakofam and Nepal Culture as well as long-term Nepali residents.

Speaking on the occasion, ambassador Shrestha expressed hope that the bilateral relations between Nepal and France would grow much stronger in the days to come and the relations will be based on mutual understanding and mutual benefit.

Similarly, Jean Romnicianu, representative of the French Foreign Ministry, maintained that bilateral relations between the two countries must have started much earlier with seminal visits and during recent times and that the bilateral relations have been developing up to "mutual satisfaction".

29 teams attempting Everest this season

Twenty-nine expedition teams (as of April 19) from different countries are attempting Mt Everest (8848m) -- the tallest peak on earth -- this spring.

According to Tourism Industry Division under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, 315 foreign mountaineers have received permission to climb Mt Everest.

Last year, the government had permitted 335 foreign mountaineers of 30 teams. Of them 181 had reached the summit of Mt Everest.

The spring climbing season starts from mid-March and runs through May.

Officials of the division said members of most of the expedition teams have already left for Khumbu Region for acclimatization.

The government has mobilized Rs 254 million in revenue from Everest climbing permits this season. Last year, it had mobilized Rs 270 million from climbing permits.

According to officials, royalty fee to climb Mt Everest ranges from $15,000 to $70,000 per expedition. The permit fee depends on the size of the team and route. An expedition having 15 members, for example, has to pay $10,000 per person as permit fee. Twenty-nine expedition teams from different countries are attempting Mt Everest (8848m) -- the tallest peak on earth -- this spring.

According to Tourism Industry Division under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, 315 foreign mountaineers have received permission to climb Mt Everest.

Last year, the government had permitted 335 foreign mountaineers of 30 teams. Of them 181 had reached the summit of Mt Everest.

The spring climbing season starts from mid-March and runs through May.

Officials of the division said members of most of the expedition teams have already left for Khumbu Region for acclimatization.

The government has mobilized Rs 254 million in revenue from Everest climbing permits this season. Last year, it had mobilized Rs 270 million from climbing permits.

According to officials, royalty fee to climb Mt Everest ranges from $15,000 to $70,000 per expedition. The permit fee depends on the size of the team and route. An expedition having 15 members, for example, has to pay $10,000 per person as permit fee.

EPF to provide Rs. 13 b to NAC for aircraft purchase

The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) has agreed to provide Rs. 13.5 billion loan to the national flag carrier, the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), for the purchase of two aircraft for international operation.

A board meeting of EPF approved such assistance amount to the national flag carrier after rounds to discussion. As per the decision, the will provide loan to the corporation for which the Ministry of Finance will be guarantor.

Even as the EPF had agreed to provide the loan of Rs. 10 billion to the corporation three years ago, the Fund was reluctant to lend loan to the corporation seeking government’s guarantee.

The NAC and European aircraft manufacturer had signed a revised memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the purchase of two A320-200 aircraft on April 5. The agreement was signed between NAC managing director Madan Kharel and Airbus senior sales director Sheel Sukla at NAC.

As per the deal, the air manufacturer will provide both aircraft in March 2015. However, the actual price of the jets has not been revealed. As per the previous agreement, the price of a jet is US$41.28 million.
In October 26, 2009 the national flag carrier had decided to purchase two aircraft- one narrow body and another wide body from the Airbus.

However, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the then Legislative Parliament had on December 28, 2009 recommended the government authorities including the Finance Ministry and the NAC to cancel the process for purchasing new aircraft due to controversy.

The committee had also recommended improvement in the management in the state-owned airliner before purchasing new aircrafts.

The committee had also asked the NAC to start the purchasing process from the beginning.

Nepal participates in MICE Travel Mart

Nepal participated in the MICE Travel Mart (MTM) organised by OptiMICE Events Pvt. Ltd in The Leela, Mumbai, India on April 12, 2013.

“The event is considered as a unique platform that brings together corporate purchasers and travel-service providers on a single platform wherein the corporate purchasers interact with a number of travel-service providers and get to know more about what the travel supplier has in his repertoire. It is a platform for Buyers and Sellers to exchange knowledge, build alliances and generate business opportunities,” according to Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).

The Mart was attended by almost 60 sellers, targeting the growing Meeting, Incentive, Conference and Exhibition (MICE) segment in India and included airlines, international hotel chains, outbound tour operators, travel agents, international tourism boards and the Destination Management Companies (DMCs). The buyer profile included senior management from the corporate houses, tour operators and the travel agents.

Nepal Tourism Board along with private trade partners: Yeti Travels & Icefall Adventures participated in the event.

Earth Day being observed today

Earth Day is observed across the world today with the aim of creating awareness among the masses to protect the environment.

The event is commemorated worldwide to outreach to society and raise the issue on the occasion. Like every year, the world is celebrating the 43rd anniversary of Earth Day on Monday, April 22.

The idea to observe Earth Day in the United States was propelled in 1970 by Denis Hayes who popularised it to the global level. Today, Earth Day is observed in more than 192 countries -- with the UN endorsing the day in 2009.

Chait Dashain being observed today

Devotees are thronging to temples and shrines across the country to offer prayers to Goddess Durga and celebrate Chaite Dashain, one of the important festivals of Hindus, Tuesday.

Regarded as the second Dashain, after the biggest Hindu festival of Bada Dashain, Chaite Dashain epitomises the victory of divine forces over evil
and truth over falsehood. The festival is celebrated on Chatashtami.

In Kathmandu valley, large number of devotees go to at Guheshwari, Dakshinkali, Shova Bhagawati, Raktakali, Naxal Bhagawati, Kalikasthan and Maitidevi temples.

Machhindranath Jatra begins

The exciting chariot procession of Seto Machhindranath, the god of rain, started from Jamal, Kathmandu, Thursday evening.

The chariot was followed by a platoon of soldiers dressed in ancient uniforms and muskets.

Gunshots were fired at the start of the procession and also when the chariot stopped for the night at specified locations.

The 3-day chariot procession goes through a designated route of Ason, Indrachowk and surrounding areas to Lagan in Basantapur.

A new bird 'Muse Lekchari' discovered in Chitwan

Bird experts have claimed that a new bird 'Muse Lekchari' has been discovered in Jyandala of Kaule in Chitwan district.
According to Central Regional Coordinator of the Bird Expert Association, Basu Bindari, the bird is mostly found in the Himalayan region.

It was found in the district while local Ramesh Chaudhary was taking two foreigners Stena Nelson and John Peterson in a bird observation trip.

A few days ago, a new species of bird was found in Chitwan. Of late, arrival of new birds in the district has been reported.
The bird experts said the Muse Lekchari is found in Pakistan, Burma, Bhutan, Tibet, India, and Afghanistan. With this, as many as 569 bird species are found in Chitwan as against 800 across the country

Nepal celebrating New Year 2070 B.S. Today

Nepal is celebrating New Year 2070 today. Various programs has been  organized in Kathmandu valley as a new year celebration. New Year Eve has also been supported  by different tv channels  with live programs.

Welcoming the new year 2070 various political parties including president Ram baran yadav and chairman of interim election council Khilraj Regmi has wished happiness and prosperity for all Nepali people.

Likewise U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry have extended greetings to the Nepali people on the occasion of Nepali New Year 2070 (Bikram Sambat).

Nepal needs to put more effort to attract Chinese tourists: Ambassador Wu

Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Wu Chuntai has suggested the Nepali authorities and tourism entrepreneurs to tap the immense tourism potentiality Nepal has, projecting an influx of Chinese tourists here.

Speaking at an interaction organised by PATA Nepal Chapter in the capital, Wu said so many Chinese travel all over the world Nepal could also attract more tourists by putting some extra efforts in tourism promotion. He mentioned that Chinese tourists are attracted by the friendly behaviour of Nepalis, pleasant weather and birthplace of Gautam Buddha.

Nepal earned around US$ 800 million from the Chinese tourist last year, Wu said.

On the occasion, Nepal Association of Tour Operators (NATO) president Ashok Pokharel said that Chinese tourists will increase gradually with the construction of Pokhara International Airport.

Acting CEO of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) Subash Niraula acquainted that the board has been continuously organising promotional programmes to attract tourists including the Chinese. He also urged the government and the private sector for the cooperation and support.

Garden of Dreams makes it to Time magazine

Internationally acclaimed and famed weekly magazine Time (March 25, 2013 issue) has rated Nepal’s Garden of Dreams as one of the favorite places to visit in Soul section of its Travel Special.

Its reporter Karen Leigh writes, “If you find yourself in the frenetic Thamel tourist district of Kathmandu and overcome with a need for tranquility, leave the Nepalese capital’s snarling traffic and persistent hawkers behind you and make for this lush greensward across the street from the former Royal Palace.”

“Coverage of Garden of Dreams in Time magazine has put Nepal once again in the international tourism map, and image of Nepal as a happening destination has been redeemed,” says Mr. Aditya Baral, Director and Spokesperson at Nepal Tourism Board.

Karen Leigh further writes,” Designed in the 1920s as a private garden, its wide lawns, surrounded by bamboo, fountains and exotic tree, are the perfect place to revive after a grueling climbing(or shopping) adventure. Walk its immaculately kept perimeter paths before find a spot to lie on the grass and read a book, the sounds of the city drifting overhead.”

Built by late Field Marshal Kaiser Sumsher Rana as his private garden representing six seasons, Garden of Dreams, a neo classical historical garden was renovated and restored from 2000 to 2007, and opened for public in 2008.

Experts from Asian mountain countries commit to work together

Senior government officials and experts from ten countries met in Kathmandu this week to promote collaboration on science, education, culture, and communication to lessen the impact of climate change on Asia’s mountain countries.

The Regional Workshop on Climate Change Impacts in Asian Mountains was held by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). By organizing this event together, UNESCO and ICIMOD recognized the importance of uniting their varied disciplines in the response to climate change and fostered strategies to make this happen.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the workshop, Deependra Kshetry, Vice-Chair of the National Planning Commission of the Government of Nepal and Chair of ICIMOD’s Board of Governors, highlighted the need to integrate the climate change agenda in overall development plans and policies of mountain countries to accelerate cleaner and greener growth. He anticipated that the outputs of this meeting would contribute to government plans and programmes in Nepal.

“We have to better harness the potential of interdisciplinary strategies to mitigate the impact of climate change on mountains”, said Axel Plathe, Head of the UNESCO office in Kathmandu. Managers of World Heritage sites in 12 mountain countries of Asia were among the workshop participants.

David Molden, Director General of ICIMOD, strongly advocated not only transdisciplinary but also transboundary cooperation for sustainable ecosystems and enhanced wellbeing of mountain men, women, and children. “We have to work together for resilient mountain development - for improved and equitable livelihoods through knowledge and regional cooperation”, he said.

The workshop proposed a number of strategies for collaboration across disciplines and borders, including:

• coordinated research for better understanding of climate and hydrological processes, their impact on mountain biodiversity and ecosystem services, and associated socioeconomic linkages;

• improving human wellbeing in marginalized mountain communities by unlocking the potential of payment for ecosystem services, and encouraging governments to ensure that the benefits of mountain goods and services are equitably shared;

• development of a standardized framework for assessing vulnerability to climate change impacts;

• enhancing the capacity of teachers, media professionals, and extension specialists to understand and communicate climate change issues; and

• enhancing regional cooperation and networking in capacity building, research, and development on climate science through regional organizations such as ICIMOD and the SAARC centres of excellence.

The event, held at ICIMOD’s Headquarters from 13 to 15 March ( 2013) was one of three regional workshops on climate change impacts on mountain ecosystems being held by UNESCO to help shape the formulation of global strategies to strengthen policies on mountain ecosystems. The outcomes will also contribute to other processes such as the Mountain Partnership and Rio+20 follow-up

Nepal promoted in DTM, MATTA and Scandinavian countries

Nepal Tourism Board, along with two  Nepali private travel trade companies participated in the 10th International Tourism Fair Dhaka Travel Mart (DTM) 2013, in Hotel Pan Pacific, Sonargaon, Dhaka from 15-17 March, 2013. DTM 2013 is organized by The Bangladesh Monitor and supported by United Airways, Biman Bangladesh and Eastern Bank Ltd.

DTM 2013 remained a potential platform for showcasing the tourism products and unique destinations as well as a forum for open B2B interaction amidst the exhibitors, buyers, sellers and the visiting public in Bangladesh. Apart from the host country Bangladesh, NTOs, tour operators, airlines, hotels, resorts and other tourism service providers from the public and private sector from Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Turkey participated in the fair.

Nepal is connected with Dhaka by two airlines: Biman Bangladesh & United Airlines. Reagent Airlines a private airline of Bangladesh are planning to fly to Kathmandu in the near future. Apart from this, a growing tendency has been found among the travelers to travel by land, Bangladeshi tourists come to Nepal via land route through India from Kakarvitta entry point from Eastern Nepal.

 Likewise , Nepal  participated in Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) Fair 2013 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from March 15 to 17, 2013.Visited by 90,000 general public and 100 media persons, the fair provided a good platform for Nepal’s travel agents to sell their packages and for Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) an opportunity to promote destination as well as new tourism products.

Among 23 national tourism organizations who participated in the fair, NTB’s stall stood out for a unique decoration with a picture of Nyatapola temple on the top and Buddhist prayer flags across the stall. It was found that Malaysians are keen to travel in Nepal for leisure and soft adventure activities besides a chunk of Buddhist and Hindu population being interested in pilgrimage. General public seemed more concerned about the availability of halal food in Nepal. Good air connectivity between Kuala Lumpur and Kathmandu has given a confidence to the visitors.

Similaly, Nepal Tourism Board organized the first ever Nepal Sales Mission in the Scandinavian countries of Norway, Sweden and Denmark on March 12, 13 & 14, 2013. Eight leading tour operators and hotels from Nepal participated in the Sales Mission according to NTB.

Japanese climber Yuichiro Miura aims for Everest record

An 80-year-old Japanese mountain climber who has had heart surgery four times is heading to Mount Everest to try for a third ascent of the world's highest peak and will become the oldest person to reach the top if he succeeds.

Yuichiro Miura climbed to the summit of the 8,850 metre (29,035 ft) mountain in 2003 and 2008. He skied down Everest from an altitude of 8,000 metres (26,246 ft) in 1970.
Miura and a nine-person team will climb up the standard southeast ridge route, pioneered by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay when they became the first people to reach the summit in May 1953.

"The record is not so important for me," the white-haired Miura told Reuters in the Nepali capital, Kathmandu, before setting out for the mountain.
"It is important to get to the top."

The record for the oldest person to climb the mountain is held by Nepal's Min Bahadur Sherchan, who reached the summit at the age of 76, in 2008.

A doctor specialising in heart ailments is in the team to keep an eye on Miura's health. The group hopes to summit in May.

Miura has skied down the highest mountains on each of the seven continents, and is merely following family tradition. His late father, Keizo Miura, skied down Europe's Mont Blanc at the age of 99."If you wish strongly, have courage and endurance, then you can get to the summit of your dream," said Miura.

He already has a new dream. He wants to ski down Cho Oyu, the world's sixth highest mountain at 8,201 metres (26,906 ft), also in the Himalayas."Maybe, when I become 85 years old, and if I stay alive, I want to climb and ski down Cho Oyu," Miura said. "It is my next dream."

About 4,000 climbers have been to the top of Everest and about 240 people have died on its slopes.

'Icefall Doctor' Sherpa no more

A highly experienced climber Mingmar Sherpa has died in the Khumbu Icefall while setting ropes for the upcoming climbing season.

Mingmar Sherpa, 45, known as an "Icefall Doctor," was a member of a team responsible for maintaining the route up Everest.

The head guide for Alpine Ascents International Mountain Climbing, Mingma Sherpa was descending from Camp II when he slipped and fell into a crevasse. The death is the first of the year on Everest, following a 2012 season that became one of the deadliest in recent history. - Agencies

Spring climbing and trekking season begins In Nepal

The streets of Kathmandu are bustling with traffic today as the spring climbing and trekking seasons get underway in the Himalaya. Over the next few days, hundreds of mountaineers and backpackers will descend on the capital of Nepal before setting out for the country's legendary hiking trails and unmatched alpine settings. For many, this will be a trip of a lifetime, taking them on a grand adventure into the very heart of the Himalaya. And for a select few, it is the chance to stand on top of some of the highest mountains on the planet.

For most of these visitors, the first stop on their journey is to the Thamel District of Kathmandu. This popular tourist destination is home to most of the city's hotels and it is a great place to grab that last piece of gear you need before heading out into the mountains. Gear shops line the streets in this crowded and noisy part of town but not all of them are completely honest about the products they sell. In fact, if the deal on that North Face jacket or sleeping bag that you've had your eye on seems too good to be true, it's probably because it is actually a cheap knockoff. Sure, it may survive the trip but don't expect it to perform well or hold up over time.

After a day or two in Kathmandu, its time to head out to the Himalaya themselves. For those traveling to Everest, that mans a short flight to the mountain village of Lukla and the infamous Tenzing-Hillary Airport, named after the two men who first successfully summited the world's tallest peak. Others will depart KTM for Pokhara, a city that grants access to the Annapurna Trekking Circuit and three of the highest mountains in the world - Dhaulagiri, Manaslu and Annapurna itself.
Most trekkers will spend a couple of weeks hiking through the Himalaya, spending their days on breathtakingly beautiful trails and nights in local teahouses. Those quaint inns offer comfortable accommodations, tasty food and shelter from the frequently changing weather. A trek to Everest Base Camp takes roughly 10-12 days to complete depending on the selected route and speed. The entire journey is a blend of adventure, culture and Buddhist spirituality that also just so happens to take place in one of the most spectacular settings on the planet.

For the climbers the journey is a much more difficult and demanding one. Their arrival at Base Camp is just the start of their adventure and over the following six weeks or so, they'll spend most of their time acclimatizing to the altitude, honing their mountaineering skills and moving up and down the mountain. They'll push themselves to the absolute physical limit, all the while keeping their eyes on the weather, just to get the chance to stand on the summit for a few brief – but glorious – minutes.

Traditionally, the climbing and trekking seasons begin as the snows of winter recede and end with the arrival of the Monsoon in early June. During those few brief months, the various teahouses and base camps will be crowded with mountaineers and adventure travelers who share the camaraderie of the trail. It is an experience unlike any other and one worth taking for those who enjoy their travels to be off the beaten path and bit more active

Nepal marks 80th anniversary of first flight over Mt. Everest

Nepal is marking 80th anniversary of two Scots airmen flying over the Mount Everest on two Westland Wallace biplanes for the first time in human history.

For a group of people who went on a sightseeing trip to commemorate the first flight over the highest mountain on Earth, here on April 3, it was fun and excitement, thanks to the progress the aviation industry has made. It was an adventure filled with danger for the two airmen 80 years ago.

The one-hour flight took the group of people close to peaks such as Gauri Shankar, Nuptuse, Lhotse, Amadablam, Makalu and Mt. Everest. Sightseeing flights to Himalayan Mountains are one of the major attractions that Nepal's tourism industry has to offer to wealthy foreign tourists.

"This is a very special day to commemorate the first flight to the Everest 80 years ago today. At 10:05 a.m. my grandfather was one of the two pilots to fly over the summit of the Mt. Everest," said Charles Douglas-Hamilton, grandson of Lord Clydesdale, one of the pioneering pilots.

The flights, which made international headlines at the time, broke new records at sustained flight at 33,000 feet, stated a press statement issued by BAE systems. BAE systems Regional Aircraft is the direct descendant of Scottish Aviation, a company founded by the two pioneers Lord Clydesdale and David Mclntyre.

Yeti Airlines, which organized the commemorative flight has a fleet of seven Jetstream 41 aircraft manufactured by BAE Systems and runs commercial flights for sightseeing of the highest mountain.

Ghode Jatra being observed today

Ghode Jatra, a festival of horses, is being marked by organising a special program at the Army Pavilion, Tudikhel in the Capital on Wednesday.

Legends say that this festival came into existence as a celebration of the victory over a demon named Tundi, who resided over the meadow, which is known as Tundikhel at present.

Because Tundi was a terror amongst people, when he died, people rejoiced by dancing with horses on his body.

It is believed that the clamour of horses' hooves on Ghode Jatra at Tundikhel keeps the demon's spirit at bay.

Although parade of the horses is the major attraction of the festival, numerous events-cultural programs, motorcycle displays, and gymnastic performances-are staged on the occasion.

The government has provided a public holiday in Kathmandu valley on the occasion of Ghode Jatra.

Nepal-India military expedition to Mt Everest flagged off

The joint expedition of the Nepal Army and the Indian Army to the Mt Everest was flagged off on Tuesday.

Chief of Army Staff Gaurav Shumsher Rana flagged off the expedition amid a ceremony organised at the NA headquarters. General Rana handed over the flags of Nepal and India and the two armies to the leaders of the expedition. He maintained that the joint mission signified the cordial military relations between Nepal and India.

The joint expedition, which will head for the Everest base camp on April 11, comprises 14 NA personnel and 20 climbers from Indian Army.

Apart from climbing the world’s tallest peak, the 70-day joint expedition will also involve in cleaning works on the slopes of the peak and participate in a 64-km high altitude marathon race.

Bhaktapur prepares for Bisket Jatra

The stage is all set for the Bisket Jatra festival here in the ancient town of Bhaktapur, state-owned news agency RSS reports.

The Bisket Jatra is a famous festival with cultural and historical significance which commences with the start of the Nepali New Year, every year. It is celebrated for eight nights and nine days.

This year, the festival begins on April 10. The Bisket Jatra is among the many cultural and religious festivals celebrated in the country.

On the first day of the festival, the chief deity, Bhairavnath, and the Betal deity are installed on a three-storey temple built in the Pagoda style mounted on a chariot. This chariot is then towed from the premises of the Five-storey Temple to the ancient Thane (Upper) and the Kwane (Lower) streets of the town. The festival formally commences with the pulling of the chariots of the Bhairavnath and the Bhadrakali deities.

The date and timing of the Bisket Jatra festival is determined as per the solar calendar. This festival has been celebrated since the time of the Lichchhavi period. The festival gets its name from the two words Bi Sit in the Nepal Bhasa language which translates as 'the snake is dead'.

Homestay training concludes in Bhaktapur

A week-long homestay training has been concluded in Bhaktapur.

The training was run with an objective of providing necessary information for the operation of homestay facilities at Nagarkot, a tourism hub of Bhaktapur.

The training was organised by the Nagarkot Community Homestay Rural Tourism Management Committee with the help of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), Bhrikutimandap, technical support of the Eco-Tourism Society and participation of the Nagarkot VDC Office, RSS reported. The training was provided to locals of Banstola village at Nagarkot-2,

Chairman of the Committee, Suraj Banskota, told RSS that the training was provided to villagers as they are to operate the first home-stay facility formally in Bhaktapur from the Nepali new year 2070 BS.

He said infrastructure has been prepared to keep 23 tourists at 13 houses of the village for the same.

A total of 28 people including 18 women participated in the training where different information about language, housekeeping, garbage management, welcoming guests and providing food were provided.

A cultural team has been formed for Khaijadi Bhajan, Ghanse songs, Teej songs prepared for welcoming tourists.

Tourist arrivals decline by 2.1 pts

The tourist arrivals declined by 2.1 percent to 62,442 in March compared to the same month last year.

According to the figures released by Immigration Office, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), however, arrivals from the Asia, other than SAARC have registered positive growth of 20.4 percent with China up by 35.7 percent, Japan (+6.9 percent), Malaysia (+122.3 percent), Singapore (3 percent) and Thailand (0.1 percent). SAARC region observed negative growths from all the markets.

Tourist arrivals from European region showed overall positive growth of 1.2 percent with arrivals from major tourist generating markets such as the UK, France and the Netherlands up by 21 percent, 18.6 percent, and 8.3 percent respectively.

But the arrivals from Germany, Switzerland Spain were down by 12.9 percent, 48.8 percent and 30.1 percent respectively compared to the same month last year.

Meanwhile, tourists from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and USA have registered strong growths of 66.6 percent, 26.4 percent, 25.5 percent and 17 percent respectively.

A total of 56,902 foreign tourists departed from TIA in March 2013.

The number of Nepalis arrivals stood at 65,461 while 88627 Nepalis departed from TIA in March 2013

TAAN to explore new trekking routes in Humla

Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) is set to explore new trekking routes in Humla district.

A team of TAAN is leaving for Nepalgunj on April 2 to explore new trekking routes in the district, said TAAN.

The seven-member team led by second vice president of TAAN Rana Bahadur Khadka includes videographer, report writer, photographer and cartographer. A 19-member group will provide logistics support to the exploration team.

“The team will fly to Simikot airstrip from Nepalgunj and start trek toward Hilsa – the bordering town along Nepal-China border. Then it will enter Mugu district and return to Nepalgunj via Talcha airstrip. The trip is expected to be completed in 23 days.” said the agency.

“We are exploring new side trails for the Great Himalaya Trail. We will explore and recommend a new trekking itinerary for the Humla-Mugu region,” Khadka said. “We will also prepare map of the area plus a documentary trip to promote the area.”

The exploration trip is organised by TAAN and supported by GHT Development Programme under the SNV Nepal.

“We will also hold interactions with local stakeholders in the area. These interactions will help us get feedback and suggestions from the locals,” he added.

Last year, it explored Lumba-Sumba area in the Kanchanjunga region, Lower Manaslu in the Manaslu region and Dolpo in the mid-western region.