Nine Reasons to Visit in Nepal for 2020
The land of mountains and some being the highest on this globe, Nepal is a place where the culture grows over you. The people are warm and welcoming, and the local cuisine is delicious to say the least. Wildlife here is awe inspiring, and in short, the land locked nation has something best for every traveller to experience and enjoy. If you are heading out for wellness vacations, think of Nepal as your destination to be. There are many reasons as to why you should consider this land locked kingdom your next wellness vacation and retreat. Here are nine reasons as to why you should visit Nepal in 2020. Please read on and be well-informed.
EXPERIENCE DIVERSE CULTURE
To over more than thirty five ethnic groups, Nepal is home to them. Each of the ethnic groups has its own language to speak, own beliefs they retain, and their very own festival and art as well. For example, if you take a look at the Newar tribe, they are known to be the earliest occupants of the Kathmandu valley. They still till date speak their own language, which is Nepal Bhasa or Newari. They also observe their very own Nepali calendar called Nepal sambat, festivals such as Swanti- a five day lavish feast which highlights the role of women in their homes. When you visit Nepal, you get to come out of your comfort zones and immerse your senses into the varied culture and beliefs this nation has.
YOU GET TO EXPLORE AND DISCOVER HERITAGE SITES
Nepal is home to two of the most fascinating UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites. And if you are an art and architecture lover or a lover of historical sites, Nepal, especially Kathmandu Valley and Lumbini would not disappoint you. The spiritual soul of Nepal, Kathmandu Valley is where you would find plenty of temples and even Buddhist monasteries, stupas too. When you head to Lumbini, which is where Lord Buddha was born, it would be an enchanting and a delightful experience, and an enlightening one too.
PEOPLE ARE WARM AND FRIENDLY
The people in Nepal are very warm and friendly, and welcoming too. For them, guests are honored as God, and they will always go out of their way to make you feel comfortable and at home. Wherever you go in Nepal, they will always serve you with hot tea and you will be offered help whenever you need it. Ask anyone about the hospitality of the Nepalese people and they will tell you how warm and embracing it is. No wonder, people who have been to Nepal before, come back because of the people of Nepal.
SAVOUR THE LOCAL CUISINE AND DELICACIES
It is all because of the cultural diversity and the geographic vastness, Nepal cuisine is rich and famous, and very unique. The delicacies here served are lip smacking and mouth watering, and most of them are influenced though by its neighbours India and China, however, the cuisine is unique and fresh. Cuisines that you must try out are, Dal Bhat, which is lentils mixed with rice and a topping of curried veggies. This is the national dish of the Nepalese people and is found in almost all restaurants and eateries across the nation. It is served thrice a day. Then you also have Nepalese dumplings or momos, which is a very popular snacking option. This is a snack which is served with a tangy tomato sauce and has fillings of veggies or meat. Other delicacies on the list that you must try are aloo tama, chatamari and dheedo to name a few.
YOU GET TO ENJOY ADVENTURE SPORTS
Nepal may look like a very small country when you see it on the world map, but it has a very diverse topography. It has the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest, and also the deepest gorge in the world, Kali Gandaki Gorge. This is what makes this tiny landlocked kingdom of the mountains a paradise for those who love adventure sports. Nepal has around eight out of the ten highest mountains in the entire globe, and hence mountain trekking is synonymous to this place. Some of the most famous mountain trekking base camps for you to check out are the Annapurna Base camp, the Manaslu, the Langtang and the Mustang. Apart from trekking, there are other adrenaline powered activities that you can try as well, such as mountain biking, white water rafting, rock climbing and snow skiing. You can also try sky diving and bunjee jumping as well, or para gliding and hot air ballooning too.
YOU GET TO EXPERIENCE THE WILDLIFE
Nepal is known to be the ‘Amazon of Asia‘ and is perfect for you if you are a wildlife enthusiast. The lowlands of Nepal are where all the action is, where you get to explore a large range of animals in their wild habitat. The most popular national park is the Chitwan National Park, which is a WORLD UNESCO Heritage listed site. Here you get to see the one horned rhinos, the mighty Royal Bengal tigers, leopards and crocodiles, sloth bears in the wild, elephants, monkeys and deer, and around five hundred or more species of birds. Apart from this place, you also can see other beautiful national parks and well-kept reserves, such as the Bardia National Park, which offers plenty of wildlife watching. When you head to the highlands of Nepal, you can expect to see snow leopards and blue sheep, red panda and yaks too.
YOU WILL EXPERIENCE PEACE AND TRANQUILITY
Nepal may not be a very prosperous place, but it is a place if you are looking for peace and tranquility. A tour of the country in itself is a journey inward. Nepal brings to you a charming ambience which is quite laid back, and is no where to be compared to the comforts most developed nations provide. The countryside of Nepal is what will mesmesrize you the most. Even a leisure walk around the neighbourhood of Thamel, Kathmandu would give you much peace and respite that you have been looking for. If you are looking to laze around and unwind or relax, Lake Pokhara is the place to be.
VALUE FOR MONEY IS WHAT YOU GET
Lonely Planet has listed Nepal as the ‘best destination’ to be at. If you are traveling on a budget, Nepal would not disappoint you. Every eatery and restaurant out in Nepal is reasonably priced and the accommodation too is quite cheap here to say so. Even the adventure sports and trek trails that you go on are good value for money, as compared to those in developed nations where the price is quite high. So think about Nepal as your go to destination, if you are traveling on a budget.
THE PLACE OF YOGA RETREATS
Nepal yoga retreats are tucked in the lush green hills of the well-known Kathmandu Valley, most of them of course. Most are even surrounded by beautiful temples. At these retreats, you get to have wholesome organic foods, and practice yoga, mantra chanting too and you get to have the yoga philosophy explained to you as well as guided meditation too. Nepal is a place where anyone who wants peace, tranquility, solitude and healthy food (ayurvedic diet), yoga training and peace of mind from the inward perspective, can come. This is a place to come and calm your senses, and find ones own grounding. Everyone’s needs would be fulfilled and the retreat centers here are very flexible in accommodating you as well.
In a nutshell…
Nepal has so much to offer, see and do that it would take more than one journey to fulfil and experience. If you have been to Nepal before, and would like to add more reasons as to why you should visit this nation, please do write in.