Guide to Nepal Trek and Tour Adventures in the Himalayas

Earthquake survivors in Dhading have sent warm clothes to top political leaders in a symbolic protest after the local bodies delayed the distribution of winter relief in the district. They dispatched woollen caps, gloves and shawls among other materials to the leaders. A group of displaced people in Dhusha VDC handed over the winter items and a piggy bank to Chief District Officer Bishow Prakash Subedi. They requested him to hand over the materials to the political leaders. Eight months after the Gorkha quake, people are dying due to the chill in their flimsy tents as the government has failed to help them rebuild their homes. The government blames the political deadlock and the ongoing blockade of imports from India for the lack of progress in resettling the displaced people. More than 8,800 people were killed and over a million displaced in the April 25 earthquake. The Post-Disaster Needs Assessment estimated that $6.7 billion will be needed for reconstruction. The quake su...

Govt waives visa fee for Chinese tourists Chinese tourists will not have to pay visa fee to enter Nepal henceforth. In a bid to boost arrivals from the north, the Cabinet on Friday decided to waive the fee for Chinese visitors—a facility enjoyed only by visitors from Saarc countries so far. The Cabinet decision came immediately after Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa announced the new visa policy during bilateral talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Friday. The Chinese government also lifted travel advisories to its citizens travelling to Nepal with immediate effect. The advisory was issued by the Chinese consular service network in the context of earthquakes in Nepal. “This marks the tour normalization for Chinese citizens in Nepal,” read a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement. Foreign visitors have to pay $25 for a 15-day visa and $40 and $100 for 30-day and 90-day visas, respectively. “It’s a welcome move,” said Dinesh Kumar Th...

Six residential houses adjacent to the southern boundary of Tribhuvan International Airport have been deemed to be too close to the airport for safety reasons while four others are found to be in critical zone, according to a report prepared by Kathmandu Metropolitan City.A technical team under KMC engineer Bir Bahadur Khadka came to the finding after conducting an obstacle survey at Palpakpot, Koteshwor in KMC Ward no 35, which lies on the southern end of TIA.Among the buildings in the area, west of Pespicola-Jadibuti road, six were found to be on obstacle limitation surface, an area beyond the boundary of the aerodrome that must be protected from obstacles so that aircrafts can conduct safe takeoff and landing. Likewise, four buildings were found to be on the critical zone, meaning that no further physical structure can be added to them. Rest of the buildings have been cleared by the Khadka-led committee. Earlier, people living in the area had filed a complaint at parliamenta...

Dec 23, 2015- Kathmandu Valley witnessed the coldest day of this winter on Tuesday, with the mercury dropping to 1.5 degrees Celsius, according to the Meteorological Forecasting Division (MFD).  Since the start of this week, the minimum day temperatures in the Valley have hovered between 2 and 3 degrees Celsius. The extreme minimum temperature ever recorded for Kathmandu was -2 degrees Celsius on December 31, 1977. The lowest minimum temperature recorded for December last year was 2.7 degrees Celsius. “The chilling weather conditions will continue for over two weeks with more severe cold in the coming days,” said Shanta Kandel, a meteorologist at the MFD. “Kathmandu will remain cloudy for the next couple of days, which is likely to bring the temperatures down in the mornings and nights.” Though the average monthly rainfall in Kathmandu for the month of December is 13.2mm, the Valley has not witnessed rain so far. Winter in the Valley starts from mid-November, with December and Jan...

                          Trekking & Hiking in Nepal   Whether it be on beaten trails or in virgin areas, Nepal is a trekker’s heaven. The organic pace of foot travel is a wonderful way to explore untouched mountain ranges and make ageless contact with the country.   Hiking through the Himalayas offers a unique blend of physical challenge, mental relaxation, and religious elation. Retaining its dream-like quality and that indescribable attraction, which has captured the imaginations of the world over trekking through this surreal scenery offers you an unforgettable experience. It is not unusual to cross snowfields in the morning and bathe in subtropical streams in the afternoon. customary trading trails are still used by local, genuine natives, inviting you to their primitive, though comfortable cottages. The purpose of trekking is not a ...