I am going to make no bones about this from the start – this is going to be my attempt to act as an unofficial spokesman for the Nepalese tourist industry and try and let people know that Nepal is a safe, fascinating and good value place for everyone to visit.
When I was there, I made a ... Read review
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Advantages: Cheap, friendly people, amazing scenery Disadvantages: Usual problems of developing countries
I am going to make no bones about this from the start – this is going to be my attempt to act as an unofficial spokesman for the Nepalese tourist industry and try and let people know that Nepal is a safe, fascinating and good value place for everyone to visit.
When I was there, I made a promise along with the other members of my group that on my return to England I would try my hardest to promote Nepal to all and sundry. What better ... ...site, potentially read my many thousand?
There is no denying that Nepal is a country beset by problems. The vast majority of people live in poverty, there is a real problem with the cleanliness of the cities especially in Kathmandu, the government is corrupt, the traffic is appalling and begging is endemic. No one would deny this, but in my opinion the benefits of Nepal far, far outweigh any other problems, which to be fair are probably ... more
I am going to make no bones about this from the start – this is going to be my attempt to act as an unofficial spokesman for the Nepalese tourist industry and try and let people know that Nepal is a safe, fascinating and good value place for everyone to visit.
When I was there, I made a promise along with the other members of my group that on my return to England I would try my hardest to promote Nepal to all and sundry. What better way to do this I thought than on an Internet site, potentially read my many thousand?
There is no denying that Nepal is a country beset by problems. The vast majority of people live in poverty, there is a real problem with the cleanliness of the cities especially in Kathmandu, the government is corrupt, the traffic is appalling and begging is endemic. No one would deny this, but in my opinion the benefits of Nepal far, far outweigh any other problems, which to be fair are probably present in most third world cities.
The major problem with Nepal is its geography though. The country is entirely landlocked and the vast majority of the country is mountainous, save for the Kathmandu valley. This severely restricts the economic growth potential of the country – agriculture is out, heavy industry is limited etc. One thing that Nepal does have in abundance though is beautiful, natural scenery and this is what attracts the tourists that Nepal relies on so heavily.
Prior to 9/11 Nepal tourism was growing steadily and there is no doubt that would have continued, but with the downturn in world travel following that event Nepal suffered immensely. The tourist numbers have also dropped a lot due to the Maoist troubles and it seems that Nepal is perhaps though of as “unsafe”. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The most pervasive myth is that Nepal is quite a dangerous country where packs of rampaging Maoists are going to take your cash and perhaps put you in danger. Until last year there was a chance of being stopped on the trail and asked for money, but no tourist was ever hurt and by all accounts the transactions were friendly and professional. Since the Maoists have been accepted into the interim government all of these requests for money have ceased. There is still an obvious communist leaning in the remote villages, but at no time did I ever feel threatened.
Nepal also seems to have a low tourist crime rate. Considering the size of the city and the population I have felt a lot more threatened in much smaller cities. Nepalese people are invariably friendly and helpful – you are mote likely to get someone wanting to try out their English skills on you than try and steal your wallet.
Begging is a problem admittedly, both in Kathmandu and in the villages but none of this was ever aggressive and a firm no always got rid of unwanted attention.
Another preconception seems to be that Nepal is only for serious trekkers or mountaineers, but again that is incorrect. There is no getting away from the fact that 10 of the worlds highest mountains are in Nepal and that there are some tough treks, but you don’t have to do them, you can simply take a flight over Everest (I did it and it was amazing) or you could go to Pokhora and take in the amazing mountain views and perhaps do a shorter trek. There is also Chitwan national park where you have a chance of seeing one of the last remaining Royal Bengal tigers. For a country so small it certainly has a lot to do.
I was also surprised by how much it cost to get to Nepal. I was there for over three weeks and including everything, flights, accommodation, food etc I don’t think I spent that much more than I would have spent on an equivalent two week holiday to Spain or Greece.
Well that’s all I have to say. I don’t mean to sound like I am preaching or patronising anyone so if that is how it has come out then I apologise, but I am simply trying to live up to my promise I made when I was away!
Advantages: cheap, friendly and interesting Disadvantages: fare away, expensive ticket
Places to visit There are a lot of things to do in Nepal. In the surrounding of 250 kilometers you have excellent opportunities for trekking in the Himalayas, in the lowlands of the Terai there is the tropical Chitwan National Park, where you can ferret rhinos in reed, feed happy crocodiles by falling in the river and see many other animals. The Kathmandu Valley is full of cultural highlights. There are three king palaces, many Hindu Temples, Buddhist ... ...Nine places are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sights. Nepali people are gentle, honest and helpful. Travelling is safe and prices are very low. When to go? The monsoon is from June to end of September. The best time for trekking is October to November. In winter it is very dry and you can see the mountain very clear, but in upper regions there is snow and it is very, very cold during the night. Good trekking conditions are form March to May, the ...
kambodscha-joe 11.01.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of General: Nepal
Advantages: Excellent cheap shops for jewelry, ornaments and lots of places to visit Disadvantages: Water shortages nearly every day
If you want to feel asthough your far away from fuss and bother, then take a trip to Nepal. I had the advantage of going there a couple of years ago to attend a friend's wedding. I stayed in Kathmandu, the capital, at my friend's parents house most of the time but took a short trip up to Nagarkot. This was absolutely fantastic because it is one of the rare views in which the peak of Mount Everest is visible. Nagarkot is also famous for its splendid ... ...We also saw several falling stars near dawn and then watched the magical effect of the mist rising from the valley below. We stayed 1 and a half days here and visited some 'mountain people' who lived in mud and straw huts alongside the mountains who were very friendly but begged a lot. There are some parts of Nepal where poverty hits you straight in the face. The average westerner could live very comfortably out there.
Although I went in February ...
cinty 11.08.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of General: Nepal
Advantages: Different, Cheap, Exciting, Adventurous Disadvantages: A poor country, so lacking in some comforts on the trek
Having just comeback from a 12 day holiday in Nepal, I would say that it is one of the best holiday venues for people who want more than just lying on the beach.
We went sight-seeing in Kathmandu, white water rafting, four days of trekking near the base of Annapurna, and had three days safari in the Royal Chitwan National part.
Kathmandu was very interesting, mainly because of the historic and religious places.
White water rafting was great fun ... ...Nepal is not very flat. However, the scenery was breath-taking, and despite the remote areas, the food and drink was outstanding - it was amazing to us that everything had to be carried in on foot.
The safari was very good as well. We stayed in the Rhino Residency Resort (?) which was excellent (especially after the relative discomfort of the trekking). We were able to see rhinos, elephants, deer and crocodiles which was great. ...
Dazzler 28.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of General: Nepal
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Advantages: Excellent crew, good food, aircraft clean and new. Disadvantages: Difficult to book
In general, there's not that many ways to get to Nepal. However, I was going to be in Delhi so I looked at the schedules from there and found that in fact there are a number of airlines, both Indian and Nepalese, flying between Delhi and Kathmandu.
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Advantages: Make the rich only richer, while providing a fantastic holiday for the worlds wealthy. Disadvantages: Does very litte to support the locals, and even puts there life at risk
at risk, and all for £3 per day. This, from a business worth £26 million is very little, especially considering the amount of work they are doing.
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Advantages: cheap, friendly people, weather Disadvantages: far, far away
the giant Aroyo shed tears, which turned into hills. He cried, because Aloya had been died, an ordinary mortal, in who he had been fallen in love. The real explanation of the form of the limestone hills is in dispute and unclear.
In Tagbilaran there are some Internet Cafes (30 Peso/hour).
From Tagbilaran you can take a tricycle or jeepney to Alona Beach at Peninsula Paloa Island (1 hour). Accommodation in a bamboo hut costs about 7 Dollars and more. It is very nice there. The sea urchins in the water are a disadvantage, you have to rent diving shoes or better swim directly from the beach. This is fussy, but possible. After hundred meters swimming you reach a coral reef, where you can snorkel and watch small fishes. In town there are some Pubs, Restaurants and a more expensive Internet Access (80 Peso/h).
For more general informations ...
