Nepal is a small country, about 140 miles by 500 miles, located north of India and south of Tibet. (About the size and latitude of Cuba.) Closed to westerners until the 1950s, it is an ancient country of pilgrimage sites and trade routes dating back more than 3,000 years.
Nepal is best known as the home of the Himalayas. These mountains captivate the attention of people worldwide and motivate most visitors to Nepal. The peaks worshipped locally as the abodes of Gods challenge human perspective and remain forever in the memory. Mountains so immense that they dwarf anything created by the hand of man, some covered in ice and others naked spikes of black rock, soar seemingly above even the snow.
Were it not for the most spectacular mountains on the planet, Nepal might be known for history, art and architecture. For Kathmandu was a cultural center in the time of the Buddha (500 BC), and pilgrims' trails from India are literally worn into the rock in places. Nepal and the Kathmandu valley in particular are rich in religious art and architecture, and there are three ancient cities, Kathmandu, Bhaktipur (the City of Devotees) and Patan, to explore.
Nepal's southern border area is jungle forest, full of elephants, rhinos, tigers, monkeys, deer, water buffalo, crocodiles, and innumerable species of birds. The Chitwan National Park has several fine jungle camps located on the edge or just inside of the park, which are well worth a visit for anyone interested in animal life.
And with more than 25,000 feet of altitude change in 140 miles, Nepal's white water rafting is wonderful. Day trips and whitewater overnights are readily available, and longer rafting expeditions can be arranged.
Nepal at a Glance
Summer (March-August)
Monsoon (June-August)
Winter (December - February)
Autumn (September-November)
Monsoon:
Mostly rains at night, making the following days crispy clean and fresh. Most of the northern belt of the Trans-Himalayan zone is rain-shadowed and ideal for trekking.
National Bird:
Impean Pheasant (Danfe)
National Flower:
Rhododendron-Arboreum (Lali Gurans)
National Flag:
World Heritage Sites (Cultural):
1. Swayambhu
2. Boudha
3. Bhaktapur
4. Changunrayan
5. Pashupatinath
6. Kathmandu Durbar Square
7. Patan Durbar Square
The only country in the world where Seven World Heritage Sites are situated within 20 kms. of radius.
World Heritage (Natural):
1. Everest National Park (1148 sq.kms.)
2. Royal Chitwan National Park (932 sq. kms)
National Parks:
1. Royal Bardia National Park (968 sq.kms.)
2. Langtang National Park (1710 sq. kms.)
3. Shey - Phoksundo National Park (3555sq. kms.)
4. Rara National Park (106 sq. kms.)
5. Khaptad National Park (225sq. kms.)
6. Makalu - Barun National Park (2330 sq. kms.)
Wildlife Reserves:
1. Sukla Phanta Reserve (305sq. kms.)
2. Parsa Reserve (499sq. kms.)
3. Koshi-Tapu Reserve (175sq. kms.)
Conservation Areas:
1. Annapurna (2600sq.kms)
2. Makalu-Barun (2330sq kms.)
Hunting Reseve:
Dhorpatan (1325 sq. kms.)
Endangered Species:
Tiger, Rhino, Snow leopard, Clouded leopard, Red panda, Brown bear, Asamese macaque, Gangetic dolphin, Wolf, Wild elephant, Giant horn-bill, Swamp deer, Wild yak, Nayan, Tibetan antelope, Black buck, Four horned antelope, Musk deer pigmy hog, Haspid hare, Pangolin, Gharial, Indian bustard, Saras crane, Impean pheasant, Python.
Travel Notes
Visa:
Available at Royal Nepalese Embassies & Royal Nepalese Consulates abroad or on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.
Currency:
1US$=62.60 Nepalese Rupees (March 1998)
Time:
Nepal Time is 5 Hours 45 Minutes abead of GMT.
Air Accessibility:
Direct flights from London, Paris, Frankfurt, Doha, Osaka, Shanghai, Moscow, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Karachi, Bombai, Delhi, Calcutta, Paro, Dhaka, Lhasa, Varanasi.