Recent Highlights
Everest from Base Camp (Tibet)...
The Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet...
Thorung La Pass, Annapurna Circuit...
Nepal is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of bio-diversity due to its unique geographical position and altitude variation. The elevation of the country ranges from 60 meters above sea level to the highest point on earth, Mt. Everest at 8,848 meters, all within a distance of 150 kilometers resulting in climatic conditions from sub-tropical to arctic. This wild variation fosters an incredible variety of ecosystems, the greatest mountain range on earth, thick tropical jungles teeming with a wealth of wildlife, thundering rivers, forested hills and frozen valleys.
Within this spectacular geography is also one of the richest cultural landscapes anywhere. The country is a potpourri of ethnic groups and sub-groups who speak over 93 languages and dialects. Nepal offers an astonishing diversity of sightseeing attractions and adventure opportunities found nowhere else on earth. And you can join in the numerous annual festivals that are celebrated throughout the year in traditional style highlighting enduring customs and beliefs.
The variety in Nepal's topography provides home to wildlife like tigers, rhinos, monkeys, bears, yaks, leopards and different species of insects and birds. Nepal is a home to almost 10 percent of the world's bird species among which 500 species are found in the Kathmandu Valley.
One of the fascinating things about Nepal is that in the space of a hundred miles you can go from the coldest and most bitter conditions on Earth to the sweltering heat of the North Indian Plain. Nepal has everything from the brutal wind-swept Himalayan peaks to humid tropical jungles. Most people are surprised to find that Nepal is actually the same latitude as Florida or Egypt, the extremes in temperature and climate are all due to altitude variations.
As per the latest visa regulation of Nepal, the following provisions have been made effective with regards to the revised tourist and business visa fees and changes in the current trekking permit issuing system:
Single entry tourist visa can be obtained from the entry points of Nepal or from the Royal Nepalese diplomatic missions abroad by paying US$30 for 60 days. If visitors who wish to obtain single, double or multiple reentry, they can get it by paying additional US$25, US$40 and US$60 respectively.
If the visitor, who has already visited Nepal under tourist visa, intends to come again within 150 days of the same visa year he/she can obtain entry visa by paying US$ 50 for 30 days at the entry points or at the Royal Nepalese diplomatic missions abroad.
Visitors who wish to stay for more than 60 days in Nepal can extend their tourist visa by paying the equivalent of US$50 in the Nepalese currency for 30 days from the Department of Immigration.
Business visa with multiple entry facility for the period of one year and five years can be obtained from the Department of Immigration on the recommendation of Ministry of Industry by paying the equivalent of US$100 and US$ 250 respectively in the Nepalese currency for the foreign investors.
For further details please contact :
Tourist Service Center,
Nepal Tourism Board
Brikhutimandap, Kathmandu
Tel: 4256909, 4256229, 4247039, 4256216
Fax: 977-1-4256910
The most important and simple thing you can do to prevent serious illness in Nepal is to arrive properly immunized. Antibiotics and other medications are available in Nepal without a prescription and at a fraction of the cost of the rest of the world. You do, however, need to know the chemical name (not the brand name) of what you want, as well as the dosages and side effects.
Nepal has seen many rulers and ruling dynasties. The earliest rulers were the Kirantis who ruled from 9th century B.C. to 1st century A.D. Legends and chronicles mention that the Indian Emperor Ashoka had come to Nepal and visited Lumbini, the place where the Buddha was born, and where he erected a huge stone pillar to commemorate his visit to that spot.
The Kirant's were replaced by Licchavi's who, according to the earliest evidences in inscriptions of the 5th century A.D. found in the courtyard of Changunarayan temple which is about 15 km north east of Kathmandu, ruled this country from 1st century to 9th century A.D. This period is noted for the many temples and fine sculptures built around the Kathmandu valley.
The Licchavi's were followed by the Thakuri's, then came the Malla dynasty. The Malla's ruled focusing mainly on the Kathmandu Valley which has been the residence for most Nepali rulers from time immemorial. No other part of Nepal is as rich in cultural heritage as Kathmandu. Thanks to the exceptionally talented crafts-men, who dedicated themselves to construct the many temples and statues, we have seven world heritage sites in the Kathmandu Valley itself.
In the 14th century A.D. King Jayasthiti Malla established a rigid social order. His grandson tried in every way to protect his country from suspected enemy states. Unfortunately, all his efforts were fruitless, everything went beyond his control and the country eventually divided up into 50 small feudal states including the three major ones in the valley.
Then came the Shah dynasty. King Prithvi Narayan Shah who annexed small principalities including three states in the Kathmandu Valley and unified Nepal in a single kingdom. Recognizing the threat of the British Raj in India, he dismissed European missionaries from the country and for more than a century, Nepal remained in isolation. During the mid-19th century Jung Bahadur Rana became Nepal's first prime minister to wield absolute power. The Rana's were overthrown in a democracy movement of the early 1950s.
Nepal is the meeting place of two different religions - Hinduism and Buddhism, tow races, Caucasoid and Mongoloid and tow civilization Indic and Sinic. The population has a variety of ethnic groups each with its distinct identity. Polygamy is stilled practiced in some area of the country although legislation banned it in the sixties.
When entering rooms in Nepalese home it is polite to remove shoes. While some westernized Nepalese might not be dong it, the best thing is to watch what other are doing. Many Hindu temples do not permit westerners to enter but they are quite free to watch from outside. Always walk clockwise around Buddhist stupas, chortens or mani walls. Every body remove their shoes and any items made from leather such as belts and bags before entering a Buddhist or Hindu temple.
Public displays of affection are not good manners nor should one swim naked in rivers and lakes. In the northern hill area, polyandry, the custom of a wife having more than one husband, was also practiced till recently. On the other hand, the Gurung group has an institution called Rodihgar intended to bring people together before they contemplate marriage. Widow re-marriage was not socially acceptable in some groups. An ethnic group such as Brahmin's were prohibited for drinking alcohol and sometimes follow vegetarian restrains and amongst Brahmin families a man first met his wife on that day he got married. The Sherpa's have remarkably free and easy moral code.
Hinduism and Buddhism constitute two major religions of Nepal sharing between them some 86.5 and 7.8 percent of the total population respectively. Both these co-religionists are bound together by a sense of fellow- feeling and bonhomie particularly displayed in their worship of common deities and joint celebration of many festivals belonging to ether religion culture Buddhism was introduced in Kathmandu valley by Emperor Ashoka of India around 250 BC. Later, around 8th century AD, the ancestors of the Sherpa's emigrated from Tibet bringing with them a from of Buddhism. Known as Ningmapa Gurung's, Tamang's, Serpa's and Newar's in kathmandu valley also follow Mahayaa Buddhism and the famous temple of Swayambhu in Kathmandu and the “Golden Temple” or the Hiranya Varna Mahabihar in Patan are visited mainly by Buddhist Newar's.
A few people have adopted a complex blend of both Hinduism and Buddhism known as Bajrayana, which is mainly practiced in Kathmandu valley. A remarkable feature of Nepal is thus the religious homogeneity that exists, particularly between the Hindu and Buddhist communities. Apart from the Hindu's and Buddhists, Muslim (3.5%) forms the third largest religious group. There has also been an increase in the number of Christian' in Nepal in recent years, which number around 40000 although their proportion in the population is less than 1 percent and 1.2 percent of other religion.
Nepal has a population more than twenty million, made of different faces and tribes, living in different regions wearing different costumes and speaking different languages and dialects. The Sherpa's live mainly in the mountain of eastern and central Nepal, in particular in the Solu Khumbu region at the foot of Nepal Trailblazer, the Sherpa's are probably the best known Nepalese ethnic group originally from Tibet, they settled in the area about 500 years ago. The Sherpa's also known as “the tigers of the snow” live in the Himalaya region up to an average altitude of 4570m. Bahun's and Chhetri's are simply the two highest castes; the Bahun's and Chhetri's are spread generally over most parts of the Kingdom. The progeny of Bahun men and hill women were considered Chhetri and a number of high status families from other hill groups have also adopted Chhetri status, so some do have Mongoloid tribal ancestry. All Bahun's and Chhetri's are Hindu. The Newar's constitute and important ethnic group in the capital valley Kathmandu. The Newar's of the Kathmandu valley are a good example of the result of this Himalayan melting pot. The Gurung and Magars live mainly in the west and on the southern slopes of Annapurna, Himalchuli and Ganesh Himal mountains. The Magars and Gurungs also often work as Gurkha soldiers. The Rais, Limbus, and Sunuwars inhabit the slops and valleys of the eastern mid hills and many have migrated to the eastern Terai. Larger number of people find employment with Gurkha regiments. Tamangs are one of the largest Tibet – Burman ethnic group in Nepal. Around half the Himalayan zone of Nepal is inhabited by Tamangs.
Many Tamangs have been influenced in their dress by both western and Newari styles. Traditionally, women wear a colorful wraparound skirt, a blouse, jacket and scarf. On important occasion they wear chunky gold or brass ear and nose rings set with semiprecious stones. Men wear loincloths or the traditional Newari pant, short – sleeved jackets and topis. Both men and women wear several miters of cloth wrapped around the waist.
The Thakali's live mainly Kali Gandaki valley in central Nepal, the Thakalis are a Tibeto Burman people who have become the entrepreneurs of Nepal. Originally Buddhist, many pragmatic Thakali's have now adopted Hinduism. The actual number of Thakali's is very small.
Tharu's, Yadavs, Satar, Rajvanshi's, and Dhimals are spread generally in the Terai region. Tharu's are one of the larges ethic group in Nepal.
Recent Highlights
Everest from Base Camp (Tibet)...
The Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet...
Thorung La Pass, Annapurna Circuit...