Naturally Nepal Thursday, 02 February 2012 00:38

Culture, nature and adventure are three wonders Nepal offers its visitors. Eight of the 14 highest peaks in the world situated in the country and many Unesco World Heritage Sites offer tourists an exciting journey, finds Raynald C Rivera.

Kathmandu was extremely cold at 12 noon when we disembarked from a four-hour long flight from Doha but the people welcomed us warmly. Although we were a diverse group of seven journalists hailing from seven countries who were all based in Qatar, we had the same first impression of Nepal.

After a quick lunch upon checking in at the Shangri-La Kathmandu Hotel, we headed to our first destination – Swayambhunath also known as the Monkey Temple where we were greeted by hundreds of playful monkeys as we made our way through hundreds of steps leading to the top of the hill where shrines, temples and a stupa (a mound-like structure containing the remains of Buddha) are all located.

Nepal is known for its stupas which are used as a place for worship by the Buddhists and they can be seen in virtually all corners of the country, but the Swayambhunath stupa has gained prominence as the oldest in Nepal and one of the only two stupas included in a set of World Heritage Sites in the cultural category. The other one is the Bhoudanath stupa which is the largest in Nepal possessing a unique charm for many a tourist in Kathmandu who never fails to pay it a visit.

Swayambhunath offers a breathtaking view of the Kathmandu Valley and the snow-capped Himalayan ranges.

Kathmandu Valley is central to culture of Nepal and all its three cities namely Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur offers a fascinating galaxy of temples, palaces, monasteries, courtyards and statues erected as monuments by kings dating back as early as Medieval Ages.

The Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan Durbar Squares, which were collectively declared by Unesco as a World Heritage Site, have been well-preserved that to date still exhibit similar yet distinct characteristics which serve as reminders of the country’s glorious past.

The stone and wooden sculptures and the unique architecture of various edifices reveal the exceptional artistry and craftsmanship of the country’s artisans and artists. Bhaktapur considered the cultural capital of Nepal and a ‘living heritage’ despite the advent of modernisation has retained its ancient charm in centuries old houses with their terracotta windows and intricate wood carvings converted into stores of arts and handicrafts.

Painting, masonry, jewellery, pottery and bronze casting among others still play a very important facet of life in the municipality called the ‘city of devotees’ where the famous Hollywood film ‘Little Buddha’ was partly shot.

Famous in Patan Durbar Square is the Krishna Mandir Temple. Entirely made in stone, the said temple is the only one in Nepal with 21 golden pinnacles and contains engravings which tell stories from the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. Among other tourist attractions are the Main Chowks courtyards, Bhimsen Temple, Stone Column of King Yog Narendra Malla and the Mahaboudha which contain thousand images of Buddha.

The Kathmandu Durbar Square also known as Hanuman Dhoka was the ancient seat of Nepalese Royalty. Apart from the temple and the palace, eye-catching are the Hanuman (monkey god) statue, Big Bell, and Kumari Ghar-the house of the living goddess built in 1757.

In every Square are souvenir items such as paintings, sculptures and handicraft which one can take with him as a remembrance of the trip. Made out of wood, metals, fabric and paper and other materials the products show fineness achieved through centuries of tradition handed over from generation to generation.

A 35-minute flight from Kathmandu City is Lumbini, the birthplace of Siddharta Gautama (Buddha) and another World Heritage Site. It was not a coincidence that Nepal Tourism Board declared 2012 as Lumbini Year as one of the three treasures of Nepal; the other two are the Mt Everest and Kumari or the living goddess.

The Mayadevi Temple where the exact spot where the Buddha was born is found receives thousands of tourists every year as it is considered one of the holy places by both Buddhists and Hindu. Lumbini also has a dozen monasteries erected by various countries such as Thailand, Sri Lanka, Korea, China, Vietnam, Japan, France, Austria and Germany.

From Lumbini, we took a four-hour drive to Chitwan National Park, a Unesco  Natural World Heritage Site, which is home to over 600 plant species, 50 mammals, 526 birds and 49 amphibians and reptiles.

It is quite a treat to see the one-horned rhinoceros in the dense forest populated by more interesting creatures such as Royal Bengal tigers, leopards, deer, gaurs and wild dogs and cats among others.

A most exciting activity is a two-hour elephant safari through the forests to take the chance of seeing some of these animals in their natural habitat very much different from ones seen in cages in a typical zoo. For someone who has been living in the city for almost all his life, it is a rare and awesome experience to ride an elephant with only an expert mahout guiding the entire journey. Also a canoe ride or simply a walk in the jungle can be a rewarding and refreshing experience.

Another four-hour drive from Chitwan leads to Pokhara Valley, a hanging garden of the earth –a paradise which is a must for every tourist to visit whenever they come to Nepal. Apart from culture tours like visits to villages and museums, Pokhara, which is home for the famous Gurkha soldiers, is known for paragliding, mountaineering and other adventure activities.

As early as 5am, we drove to the hills to witness the sun cast its delicate rays beautifully on the snow-capped mountains of the Annapurna Himalayan range where 17 peaks can be seen including Annapurna, the 10th highest in the world.

A host of other adventure activities such as trekking, boating, rock climbing, bungee jumping, mountain biking, hunting, rafting, kayaking and angling could prove extremely satisfying to daring souls.

To relax after a physically demanding adventure activity, a visit to the Lakeside is simply perfect with restaurants, cafes and stores selling various items are located overlooking the lake and mountains.

But every tourist’s visit is not complete without a mountain tour to see some of the peaks in the Himalayan ranges. Aboard a Jetstream 41 aircraft, we satisfied our desire to see the Mt Everest and a host of other mountains during an exciting one-hour flight.

Truly, ‘Once is not enough’ to visit Nepal where culture, nature and adventure converge.

THE PENINSULA

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