Pokhara

                                         Pokhara

 Pokhara (900m) has boomed over the years into a sprawling but still pleasant town of a considerable size. It was once a sleepy village surrounded by rice fields and some very dense jungle. Lakeside is the main tourist area, where hotels restaurants and shops are found. Three are not many historic sites in pokhara but it does have an old bazaar steer and the pokhara mountain museum. High above the placid pewa lake is the peace pagoda. Tibetan refugee camps are located around the town and to the southeast is the narrow ravine of Devi’s falls. Sarangkot is a spectacular vantage point to watch the sunrise or sunset on the Annapurna ranges, untainted brooding and standing sentinel over the valley 

                            

Mustang explorer

 A kingdom within the kingdom, mustang lies on the leeward side of Himalayan range just out into the Tibet highland plateau to the north of pokhara and Jomsom. This isolated arid region has remained untouched for centuries.
 In the capital of lo-monthang, Gompas and omnipresent prayer flags performing their eternal ritual, a trip into mustang is bound to be one of self-realization, inspired by the ancient Buddhist culture. This area can be trekked all year round regardless of season. However there is usually 30cm to 40cm of snow in However there is usually 30cm to 40cm of snow in winter. This of course adds to the challenge of the adventure.
                                  Mustang explorer
 Day 1    Full day sightseeing to Kathmandu & patan city evening – trek Briefing
Day 2  Fly Kathmandu – pokhara or by bus to pokhara
Day 3 fly Jomsom from pokhara. Start 10 day trek
Day 4 Jomsom – kagbeni
Day 5 kagbeni –Tangbe or chhomnang
Day 6 chhomnang – Giling
Day 7 Giling – Tsarang
Day 8 Tsarang – Mustang
Day 9 Mustang (Lomanthang)
Day 10 mustang – Tsarang
Day 11 tsarang – Tange
Day 12 tange- tentang
Day 13 tentang – muktinath
Day 14 muktinath – Jomsom
Day 15 fly jomsom /pokhara and Kathmandu
Day 16 Half day sightseeing of Bhaktapur

This trip begins with a fligh from Kathmandu to jomsom via pokhara. People wishing to include the Annapurna region with their trek into Mustang can start their trek from pokhara to Jomsom and the south passes along the bank of the kaligandaki River towards kagbeni. On the route, the trail crosses the villages of tangbe samar Geling and reach Tsarang that is considered as one the most interesting place of the trip.
 In ancient ( about 800 years old) tsarang, a set of human hands remain, said to belong to the site’s master builder. According to the legends, the king cut the builder’s hands off to prevent them from constructing another master piece to river it. We thaen arrive in the walled capital, lo manthang”, dominated by old Buddhist monasteries, on the return Journey we visit muktinath One of the holiest temples for Hindus. Then we follow the route to

Himalayan Smile Treks and Adventures Pvt. Ltd.

Email: sales@himalayastrek.com|info@himalayastrek.com

Seven Corner Road | Thamel | G.P.O.Box No.13216 | Kathmandu | Nepal

Tel: 977-1-4700386 | 977-1-4700446 | Fax: 977-1-4701336
Skype: himalayan.smile.treks
Web: www.himalayastrek.com | www.himalayansmiletrek.com

jomsom from where we fly to pokhara and back to Kathmandu.

TAAN organizes introduction meet with tourism stakeholders

Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN) organized an introduction meeting with different government agencies and other tourism stakeholders on November 6.The meeting was organized to introduce the new executive committee of TAAN with stakeholders of Nepali tourism industry. Representatives from the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Nepal Tourism Board, Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), Nepal Academy of Tourism and Hotel Management (NATHM), Nepal Trust for Nature Conservation, and Tourist Police were present at the program.Speaking at the program, Govinda Bahadur Karki, director general of Department of Tourism, said there is a need to explore and promote new areas across the country. "Similarly, there is a need to update existing trails to make trekking safe. We are looking to work with TAAN in this direction," he added. Stating that Nepali tourism industry is passing through difficult times, he said the government and the private sector should work in tandem for early recovery of tourism industry.

Similarly, TAAN Treasurer Lila Baldab Dahal said TAAN cannot ensure safety of trekking workers if Trekkers Information Management System (TIMS) is not implemented as it covers their ricks. "I would like to draw the attention of the tourism ministry and NTB in this direction," he added.Likewise, TAAN President Chandra Prasad Dahal said all stakeholders should work for development and promotion of tourism industry. He also pledged to address all genuine demand of trekking workers. "Trekking is our common agenda. We should work to make trekking safe," he told tourism workers. He also drew the attention of government toward other burning issues of Nepali tourism industry.Office-bearers of travel trade associations like Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), Nepal Travel and Tour Agents Association (NATTA), Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA), Nepal Association of Rafting Agents (NARA), Restaurant and Bar Association of Nepal (REBAN), Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN), Society of Travel and Tour Operators Nepal, Tourist Guides Association of Nepal, Trekking Guides Association of Nepal, Village Tourism Promotion Forum Nepal, Nepal Canyoning Association, Journalists Association for Tourism-Nepal, Kathmandu Environment Education Program, and Thamel Tourism Development Committee, among others, also participated in the program.On the occasion, representatives of different organizations congratulated the new executive committee and wished for its successful tenure. They also pledged all possible support and cooperation to the new executive committee.

JAT Nepal felicitates new executive committee of TAAN

Journalists Association for Tourism-Nepal (JAT-Nepal) on Monday organized a program in Kathmandu to congratulate and felicitate newly elected office-bearers and executive committee members of Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN).

JAT Nepal President Devi Prasad Panta congratulated President Chandra Prasad Rijal, Senior Vice President Tashi Lakpa Sherpa, 1st Vice President Tej Bahadur Gurung, 2nd Vice President Ram Prasad Sapkota, General Secretary Karna Bahadur Lama, Secretary Mukti Pandey, Treasurer Lila Baldav Dahal and Joint Treasurer Krishna Man Shrestha as well as Executive Committee Members Sarita Lama, Ngawang Nima Sherpa, Devi Pandey, Rudra Jung Adhikari, Wangchu Sherpa, Basudev Lamsal, Dambar Bdr Adhikari, Taranath Lamichhane and Pemba Sherpa by offering khadas.

Speaking at the program, JAT Nepal 1st Vice President Shiva Shrestha welcomed and congratulated office-bearers and executive members of TAAN and urged the association to support 'Journalists to Journalists' (J2J) campaign initiated by JAT Nepal for effective tourism promotion through mass media.

Hailing the role of media in tourism promotion, Karna Lama, general secretary of TAAN, said the second meeting of TAAN Executive Committee has decided to form 'Trekking Tourism Journalists Welfare Fund'. "A team led by our Executive Member Devi Pandey will prepare working modality and guidelines of the fund," he added.

Similarly, Chandra Prasad Rijal, president of TAAN, said TAAN would work with tourism journalists for development and promotion of tourism industry. "Tourism recovery is possible only through concerted efforts of government agencies, different travel trade associations and media personnel. We will work to forge consensus for that," he added.

Founding President of JAT Nepal Hari Raj Joshi said the industry should treat journalists as a friend. Similarly, JAT Nepal President Devi Prasad Panta urged the new TAAN leadership to interact with media on a regular basis.
                  

Festivals

                                   Festivals

Being totally within the Buddhist zone of Nepal the Tsumvalley inhabitants participate in all the regular Buddhist festivities losar Buddha’s birthday Guru Rinpoche’s birthday and the various cham dances. A celebration called panda occurs in the village of yarcho above chumling  in February while a version of mani similar to the one in samagaon, is celebrated in Ripchet village during April. Ngungne is widely celebrated across Tsum in nile chhule phurbe, Rachen, Mu and piren phu. The festivities of Nara (khangsar Ladrang ) are help in chhokang paro and at the isolated cliff clinging monastery of chi phu.

 All the main monasteries have a festival in t he early monsoon called Gumba Dhupa chhe ji. The riotous Dharchyang horseraces are help in Upper Tsum in late September into October. Around the same time is the Gumba Ngile Ladrang. Also in the autumn, a celebration takes place at milarepa’s cave that is unique to the valley according to local homestay people. Nara Jhong takes place at Gonhgye monastery above chhule in late November. The twin villages of Ngakyu- leru hold the Nga ladrang Nara in December.

                         

Jack fruit

                                           Jack fruit

 It has a rough warty bark which when cut exudes a milky juice. The tree has largish leaves and produces yellow- green flowers between December and march. The fruit is an important food being very nutritious.

The fruit is easily recognized being large beavy and warty. They may often be seen in markets and smell strongly when ripe.