Nepal is a beautiful country which has a rich culture and amazing history. It is a landlocked country which lies between the giant nations India and China. The country provides an excellent opportunity for travelers and tourists to explore it's natural and cultural beauty and have peace of mind. The ancient history and wonderful nature provide tourists various opportunities to learn and explore different aspects of this beautiful country in their own way. This wonderful country is full of amazing green vegetation, fantastic high Himalayas, diverse culture and ethnicity as well as amazing valleys. The country is full of adventure and tours for the adventure lovers. The country does not only contain the high mountains and natural beauty, but it also has to offer unique landscapes, eye-catching architectural styles, unique and diverse cultures, tribes, foods, religions which is beyond anyone’s expectation. These are the reasons which make tourist visit this country again and again. More than a million tourist visits Nepal every year to enjoy the numerous attractive and dazzling aspects of this wonderful country. The number of tourists visiting Nepal is increasing every year. The main purpose of tourists to Visit Nepal is to trek on hills and Himalayas, enjoy the high mountain, raft in rivers, enjoy the diverse traditions, rituals, cultures, foods, and way of life of Nepalese people. If you still need reasons to visit Nepal, then we have come with the top reasons why should you travel to Nepal. 1. The highest peak of the world lies in Nepal The highest peak of the world Mount Everest lies in Nepal which is the major attraction for every tourist who visits Nepal. It stands about 8848 meters above the sea level. Not only Mount Everest, there are various other high mountains in Nepal. Eight out of
Nepal is a beautiful country which has a rich culture and amazing history. It is a landlocked country which lies between the giant
The day that my friends from home came to visit had finally arrived. I picked them up from the airport and we were all pretty excited about the 2 week trek that we had planned – the Annapurna Circuit. After a couple of days in busy Kathmandu, getting our permits and shopping for the last few gadgets that we needed - or thought we’d need – for the trek, we were ready to get out of dusty Kathmandu and into the mountains. Day 1: The day that my friends from home came to visit had finally arrived. I picked them up from the airport and we were all pretty excited about the 2 week trek that we had planned – the Annapurna Circuit. After a couple of days in busy Kathmandu, getting our permits and shopping for the last few gadgets that we needed - or thought we’d need – for the trek, we were ready to get out of dusty Kathman The day of departure was my birthday but it didn’t feel much like it. We had to get up super early and meet our great guide Narendra in front of Nature Trail at 6 o’clock in the morning. We walked to the bus station together where the 6 hour long torturous bus ride to Bhulbule would begin. Let me tell you this, public buses in Nepal are not comfortable for anyone taller than say 1.70 meters. These buses were clearly made for small people. Anyways, we survived the bus ride and just after midday I believe we arrived in Bulbhule (840m) from where our trek would start. It was really hot that day and even just the 1 hour hike to Ngadi (920m) made us sweat. The small guesthouse we stayed in was beautiful and it even had
The day that my friends from home came to visit had finally arrived. I picked them up from the airport and we were
When one is on the Tamang Heritage Trail, Tamang villages are obviously the yolks of the journey. But to depart onto lesser known desolate lands is a luxury on its own – be it to face the solitude, or to find oneself nurtured in pristine nature, or just to explore the depths of our consciousness. Whatever the motive, service is rendered. Read Previous Blog: Tamang Heritage Trail, Langtang - Nagthali Part I From Tatopani, the trail ascends through a deep damp forest of old rhododendron trees. One is forgiven for getting lost in the dense forest with virtually non-existent trails. I find myself divided in various occasions, not being able to choose a path or sometimes, it is all onto me to sculpt one. Whichever path you choose, or wherever you may wander, all paths lead to a huge pointed rock at the hilltop visible throughout the forest. Brindang, a small settlement is based a little far below the rock. It is early morning, and the sunlight penetrates and glows through the dews on leaves as if each dew holds a sun within itself. After a couple of hours of huffs and puffs on the climb, Brindang is a pleasurable pause for sun basking and sweat drying. This small settlement boasts a community of 6 houses, all cluttered one after another. As with traditional Tamang settlement, each house is only a room big and shelters 6-8 members in a family. After being in Gatlang for a couple of days, I am pushed back to seriously reconsider my definitions of space per capita. Read Next Parts: Nagthali – Part II Nagthali– Part III
When one is on the Tamang Heritage Trail, Tamang villages are obviously the yolks of the journey. But to depart onto lesser known
Nagthali – a terrain unfrequented, isolated, and attired with blanket of clouds If there is one thing that pulls me back to sublimity, it is the grandeur immensity of the mountains – the width and breadth of the Himalayas – and the freedom of imagination that strolls about me when I am struck with the lightening speed of senses unaccounted. Technically speaking, there are spaces with in and with out each of us that sow the seeds of beauty in every notch of our being. Beauty is inherent for human nature, and the quest is only logically exuberant. In that very quest, I find myself straying in and around the mountains, exhausting myself to limits just to find that little space to plant impressions of beauty as I experience them. Following onto that addiction, if that word does any justice to my reverence, I embark on journeys well unplanned. Some are pure accidents, and others simply the result of poor map-reading abilities. But there are very few, if any, ‘lost track’ journeys I have regretted for. In fact, some of them have been the most rewarding and enlightening ones of all journeys. One of them being a hefty stride to Nagthali. Let’s get the facts straight first – the longitudes and latitudes. Nagthali is an uninhabited terrain on a hilltop in Langtang region that stages a close view of the Langtang, Kerung, and Ganesh Himal. A place unidentified by GPS might be difficult locating. But to make it at ease, it falls just outside the less known Tamang Heritage Trail. That’s the closest apparatus I can associate Nagthali with. However, if we intend to find it, it can be found. Read Next Blogs: Nagthali – Part II Nagthali– Part III Nagthali – Part IV
Nagthali – a terrain unfrequented, isolated, and attired with blanket of clouds If there is one thing that pulls me back to
Tamang Tradition The exquisite dresses that adorn the locals with their grace and delicacy have remained as a permanent part of daily lives. People still put on their typical Tibetan-style costume despite the influx of modern clothes from China. However, few youths show inclination towards fancy clothes. Among women, large round plated earrings alloyed of gold and silver are distinctive features. Lapton confirms that there is only one jeweler in Kathmandu who knows how to make those earrings, and holds the appreciation of women in Gatlang. Read Previous Blogs: Gatlang - A traveler's epitome Part II Gatlang – Part III I am invited to a ceremony of making ‘mit’ and ‘mitini’. I understand the ceremony, but have little clue of what is to come. Precursor legend follows like this. When two persons feel they have met their ‘soul friends’ in this life, they exchange gifts and promises to remain faithful friends for life. This relationship transgresses over seven lifetimes. This is a peculiar tradition of Gatlang, and has remained so for ages. ‘Mit’ is for male soul friends, and ‘mitini’ for female. Sworn, gifts exchanged, and another feast! I witness the ceremony of an American girl and a Tamang girl who bind themselves in a relationship that transcends their lifetimes. This may come as emotional undertaking for many people. And, yes it is. Spirituality is a way of life in Gatlang. Tamangs share the roots with Tibetan Buddhism and the practice penetrates the fabrics of daily life. Thing I did not witness – Tamang traditional dance. Tamang traditional dance is performed at the Community House upon the request of tourists. Men and women wear traditional Tamang dress, and perform the collective dance. Visitors are not required to pay, but it is commonly understood that donations offered will be used for
Tamang Tradition The exquisite dresses that adorn the locals with their grace and delicacy have remained as a permanent part of daily lives.
In a world where culture, language, religion, identities are bland with globalization, Tamangs have preserved their unique culture and identity over hundreds of years. We owe them appreciation in that regard. Here, time is still a product factor of sunrise and monsoon, full moon and harvest. In a place like this, something like clock flunks to command recognition for its existence. In contrast, in our modern lives, the same mechanical tick-tuck decides the pace of life – when to eat, when to sleep, when to work, when to shit. That last phrase was probably too much. If there’s anything that is moving with the pace of life in Gatlang, that is covalence and harmony between the people and nature for hundreds of years. And, their lifestyles still retain similar characteristics of the lifestyles many grandfathers ago. Read Previous Blogs: Gatlang - A traveler's epitome Part II A simple dinner with the locals – millet and potatoes, and I am set to roll out. But that was a failed quest. In glimmering light of firewood and kerosene lamps, neighbors talk about daily affairs in their language. The houses are made from stacked stones and wooden roof. That allows enough space and air for sounds to escape. Result? Neighbors five houses apart hear what one talks about in his house. I am no exception. I am hung on thin air without sleep. The twilight stricken Langtang II and Langtang Lirung (7246m) make up for the stolen sleep. Not too long, the sounds extinguish, and suddenly a freezing silence stalks the narrow alleys of the village. It’s 9:00 pm, and smoke cease to exit chimneys. We are deep asleep. It’s another 6:00 pm, and I was one of the last souls to rise. The sun gilds the flanks of Langtang Lirung, and I
In a world where culture, language, religion, identities are bland with globalization, Tamangs have preserved their unique culture and identity over hundreds of
It is neither my quirky dreams, nor my religion. But there are few things in life you know you can’t go without. You wake up with a thrust for love, lust, and morsels; and yet, you know there is something else that completes you. For me, it is the mighty mountains – the Great Himalayas. Telling stories across all-too-busy ears through photographs and events is never an easy task. Because the actual experience is far removed from the atmosphere where the story is told. As such, the story told easily becomes a third party interpretation. The intensity of the adventure is more often either diluted or spiced up to feed the need of the audience one is faced with. The harshness of the environments encountered in the journeys allows little comfort to exercise creativity in developing stories as one experience in real. One has to depend on flailing memories to account episodes and sensations during the journeys. This is my modest attempt to share such escapades and events as they unfold in the field, and entailing feelings from rather ordinary treks in the Himalayas. In this series of treks from Langtang, I do not promise to entertain you with fascinating stories from far away places. But to depict the beauty and gravity of the life that is shared by millions of people, wildlife and their environments. Read more exciting blog: Nagthali - Tamang Heritage Trail, Langtang
It is neither my quirky dreams, nor my religion. But there are few things in life you know you can’t go without. You
