by Lesli Heron
Nepal is an adventure seekers playground. Where else in the world can you go for a trek, paraglide, balloon ride, bungy jump off one of the world’s highest falls, bird watch, go for a safari in jungles home to one-horned rhinoceroses and royal Bengal tigers and still canoe or kayak in white water rivers or even try to ascend the world’s highest mountains? Nepal has travel choices not offered in many other destinations.
It seems you cannot go to Nepal without trekking some of the ancient pathways hidden in the barren Himalayan Bhots. In fact, most tourists throng to Nepal for this very purpose. In addition, Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world, along with six of the ten tallest peaks in the entire world, lies in Nepal’s terrain making it ideal for trekking and mountaineering.
Although more active excursions tend to be the norm for visitors in Nepal – trekking, cycling, and mountain climbing – there’s no reason to shy away from some of the cultural aspects of Nepal if you are a little more couch potato than outdoor thrill seeker. Temples and palaces dating back to 10th century AD, beautiful pagoda-style monuments in the Kathmandu valley, magnificent Buddhist stupas, art and architecture in the capital, Kathmandu, and festivals like the Kumari Jatra and Bisket Jatra are just some of the sites to see when not trekking. Nepal presents a myriad of attractions to tourists and locals alike – ranging from its scenic beauty and well preserved culture to the adventure opportunities throughout the country.