NEWSFLASH - March 2009

New sponsors for EOTO
March 31st: Han-Yo, Shiela & family from Netherlands have generously agreed to sponsor the education of four children, under the Each One Teach One community project. The four children are : Salona Chitrakar, Kopila Rijal, Bishnu Rana Magar and Binita Bogati. More information is available on our Each One Teach One Project page.

Tilaurakot, soon to be listed as a World Heritage Site
March 31st: The World Heritage Committee which has the final say on whether a property is inscribed on the World Heritage List has tentatively listed Tilaurakot in Kapilbastu under the cultural heritage category. Tilaurakot is  the maternal home of Gautam Buddha, and is situated southwest of Nepal.

Lakpa Rita Sherpa Felicitated
March 30th: Lakpa Rita Sherpa, the first Nepalese mountaineer to scale the highest mountains in all the seven continents was felicitated at a program in Kathmandu. Sherpa, who is 43 years old , first climbed Mt. Everest in 1990 and has made it to the summit of the world's tallest peak a dozen times.

Himalaya Expedition 2009 - For the children of Nepal
March 29th: A 16 member international team that includes members from Scotland, England, Wales and Germany are on their way to Nepal for a three week charity expedition. The team will attempt to reach the summits of Kala Patthar and Gokyo Ri. They will then make their way to the Everest base camp. The team has a Facebook group – ´Himalaya Expedition Nepal 2009´ – where they will post updates of their expedition. The members are hoping to raise funds for the UK based charity Global Action Nepal(GAN), in aid of Nepalese children. GAN is also inviting people to run the world-famous London Marathon on April 26 this year, in support of the charity.

Tourism Policy 2065
March 27th : Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoTCA) has on Thursday unveiled the Tourism Policy 2065 after some amendments.While speaking at a press meet, Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation Hisila Yami said that the government has nullified electricity demand charge for hotels and it will also provide Rs 10 subsidy on diesel.Yami added that the tourism ministry is planning to include tourism industry in Special Economic Zones (SEZ).The government is also carrying out necessary preparation to construct a second international airport at Nijgadh in Bara district, according to Yami.

Wendy Smith : "I used to go flying with the agricultural pilots, when they were fertilizing the crops in their helicopters..."
March 26th : Wendy Smith captured the headlines last fall, when she became the first skydiver to make the highest free fall during Everest Skydive 2008. She was in Nepal recently, to plan for the upcoming Everest Skydive 2009. An accomplished skydiver and a very talented photographer, Wendy describes herself as a person who loves the outdoors and nature.Read the full interview on our blog.

First Inclusive Women's Team to Climb Everest
March 26th : As part Nepal Tourism Year (NTY) 2011 celebration, the Climbers’ Club is organising the First Inclusive International Women Sagarmatha Expedition 2011.The expedition will have women climbers from different countries, according to the club.

Nepal - Favorite place of Tony Wheeler
March 25th : A new book from National Geographic asks celebrities to name their favorite places in the world, and the answers range from Nepal to Brooklyn. Nepal was chosen by Lonely Planet founder Tony Wheeler and Brooklyn was named by fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi. Destinations mentioned in the book, called "My Favorite Place on Earth" ($22.95), include Jerusalem, mentioned by actress Natalie Portman, who was born there; Arud, in Bali, Indonesia, named by travel guru Arthur Frommer; Kauai, Hawaii, listed by Matt Groening, creator of "The Simpsons".

Regional Sub-Committees for NTY 2011
March 24th : An interaction program was organized by Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) on 23rd March to form regional sub-committees for NTY 2011.The program was attended by tourism officials and media persons.

Yoga Trek - New Product
March 22nd : With its lofty peaks, serene mountains and verdant hills, Nepal is the perfect destination for yoga and meditation lovers. Introducing yoga into the trekking experience makes up for a richer experience as the physical and mental landscape of the body and mind are opened through daily meditation, yoga and trekking. Check out Explore Himalaya's Yoga Treks @ www.explorehimalaya.com/yoga.

Japanese firm to send 3,500 Tourists to Nepal
March 22nd : For Days, a Japanese health drink company, has said that it will send up to 3,500 Japanese visitors to Nepal every year. As part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR), the company is also planning to contribute a portion of its profits to improve people’s livelihood in Sarangkot, a hill-top tourist destination near Pokhara.Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) is signing a memorandum of understanding with the company in this regard. Under this voluntary agreement, the company will be responsible for promoting goods manufactured by people of Sarangkot in Japan.

Valerie Parkinson : "Always wanted to have a go at Everest!"
March 20th : Valerie Parkinson became the first British woman climber to summit Manaslu (8,163m), the eighth tallest peak in the world, without supplementary oxygen last fall. Just back in Kathmandu from UK, for an Everest expedition, Explore Himalaya caught up with Valerie (on 19th March 2009) to talk about her love for adventure.
Read the full interview on our blog

New Product - Peekye Trek( Lower Everest)
March 20th : One of the most beautiful areas and one still largely off the tourist route is that of Peekye mountain (4070m). The peak is regarded as the protector of a Sherpa village, Golla.The village lies at an altitude of 3060m, and is dominated by a range of snow-capped mountains: Gaurishankar, Karylung, Numbur and Katanga. The village has a vibrant religious life, thanks to the four small monasteries belonging to the Nyingmapa school of Tibetan Buddhism.The months of March and April are a wonderful time to visit the area. The forests then show off their rhododendrons, magnolias, wild orchids and edelweiss. At this time of year too, a great Sherpa festival takes place: the Dumje, when the monks perform sacred dances (cham) in the monastery courtyards.For more information visit our Peekye Trek page.

Three new airlines in the pipeline
March 19th : Three new airline companies are planning to launch their flights in Nepal. Guna Group, which has invested in various sectors like housing, finance and entertainment, is preparing to inaugurate "Guna Air" on the occasion of Nepali New Year 2066. The group is planning to start domestic flights by purchasing two aircrafts from  Buddha Air. Similarly, Air Kasthamandap is also carrying out necessary homework to launch its maiden flight from the upcoming New Year. The third venture is being funded by Britain-based Non-Resident Nepalis (NRNs) .

Bahrain Air flies to Nepal
March 19th : Bahrain Air made its maiden flight starting Tuesday, making it the fifth Gulf -based airline to fly to Kathmandu. The airlines which is the first privately owned national airlines of the Kingdom of Bahrain, will fly to Kathmandu three times a week and will make four weekly flights to Kathmandu from March 30th . The Airlines aims to have daily flights to Kathmandu in October.

Nepal's Everest on National Geographic's Best New Adventure Travel Trips
March 18th : National Geographic Adventure has unvieled its 25 Best New Adventure Travel Trips for 2009.Topping the list for adventures in the Asian continent is Nepal's trip to Everest.The magazine mentioned Nepal in the Best of Adventure category in its list of destinations, equipment and people that will inspire Adventure Travel for 2009.

Sponsors for 5 children - EOTO Community Project
March 17th : Bart Liong Le and friends from Netherlands, whose trek to Kanchenjunga in 2007 was organized by Explore Himalaya (Kanchenjunga 2007 Team) have generously decided to sponsor the education of five kids under the Each One teach One Community Project. The names of the selected children are:Keshab Adhikari , Sobha Ghale, Srijana Magar,Damodar Poudel and Binita Bogati.
Reference at: http://www.explorehimalaya.com/eachone-teachone-project.php

Russian Climbers to climb Annapurna West Face via a new route
March 15th : The Russian climbing duo, Valery Babanov and Victor Afanasiev, are aiming for a new route on Annapurna’s West face this spring. The climbers plan to arrive in Kathmandu on March 17th, and then spend 2-3 weeks acclimatizing on Anna’s south face. According to the climbers their goal is to climb a new route up the face, in alpine style.

New Product - Wet & Wild Adventure
March 15th : This is a fun-filled all multi- activity adventure trip that takes you canyoning, rafting and kayaking over Trishuli, a powerful Himalayan river, plus bungy jumping , a free fall over the Bhote Koshi gorge. For details :http://www.explorehimalaya.com/wet_wild_adventure.php.

NATTA Opens Information and Media Centre
March 13th : Nepal Association of Tour & Travel Agents (NATTA) has set up an information and media centre at its Secretariat located in Gairidhara, Kathmandu. This centre is working on preparing a comprehensive tourism database, publicize the tourism fairs and festivals, update the website and publish e-bulletin on a regular basis.

Naturally Nepal Evening Organized at ITB 2009 , Berlin
March 13th : The 47th International Tourism Exchange (ITB 2009) started in Berlin, Germany from March 11th with more than 11,000 exhibitors and over 180 nations from around the globe. The Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) along with seventeen private tourism entrepreneurs of Nepal are participating at the ITB 2009 , led by Mrs. Hisila Yami, Minister for Tourism & Civil Aviation . NTB organized a special program, 'Naturally Nepal Evening' to promote 'Nepal Tourism Year 2011' and celebrate the 50th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between Nepal and the Federal Republic of Germany on the evening of 11th March. More than 200 international media, tour operators and non-resident Nepalis from Germany participated in the event.

Talk on resuming direct flights to Germany
March 12th : Foreign minister Upendra Yadav met with German acting federal foreign minister Guenter Gloser in Berlin and discussed bilateral issues on 11th March.Apart from the bilateral issues , the two ministers also talked about the resumption of direct flights between the two countries to promote Nepal as a tourist destination among German travelers.

Race to raise awareness on GLOF( Global Lake Outburst Floods)
March 11th : Young Sherpa conservationists are organising a race on June 18 2009 to draw attention to the devastating effects of Global Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) in the Himalayas. The Beat the GLOF Action Run will be the highlight of the Imja Tsho Action Event 2009, and has been initiated by Nepali mountaineer  Dawa Steven Sherpa. The race will demonstrate that even the fastest runner cannot escape from a GLOF, a flood which is caused when lakes formed by melting ice burst their natural dams. Imja Tsho is the fastest growing glacial lake in the Himalayas, and is located along the most popular trekking routes to Mt. Everest, posing a threat to mountaineers and local residents.The event will include ' Khumbu Festival' promoting the Sherpa people and their culture.

Women in Tourism Sector Felicitated
March 9th : At a program held on 8th March 2009, Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation and Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) jointly felicitated female personalities who have made special contribution in the Nepalese tourism sector. The felicitation program was organized to mark the 99th International Women's Day. Among the honored women personalities are Soni Rana (pilot), Krishna Tamrakar (travel journalist),Ambika Shrestha (tourism entrepreneur ), Chandrakala Kiran(first woman Secretary of Ministry of Tourism) , Nimi Sherpani (mountaineer) and Menuka Shrestha (educationist specializing in tourism).

Nepalese Women Climbers set to conquer the 7 Summits
March 8th : A group of 10 Nepalese women mountaineers, who had successfully scaled Mt. Everest in 2008, is all set to conquer the seven summits, the highest mountains of the seven continents. The female mountaineers announced their plans at a press conference held in Kathmandu on 7th March. Their mission would begin in August this year and they would climb the highest mountains of all seven continents within two to three years.The group includes Shushmita Maskey, Shaili Basnet, Nimdoma Sherpa, Maya Gurung, Poojan Acharya, Usha Bista, Asha Kumari Singh, Nawang Futi Sherpa, Chunu Shrestha and Pema Diki Sherpa.Their ages range from 18 to 31 years.So far, only one Nepalese climber, Lhakparita Sherpa, has scaled the seven summits.

Ilam as Destination for Tea tourism
March 6th : Ilam's tea farmers are working to promote the district as a destination for tea tourism. Efforts to develop tea tourism began in eastern Ilam, and now farmers of northern Sankhejung have also joined the campaign. Tea tourism allows visitors interested in tea to learn everything about organic tea production while letting them experience the local rural lifestyle.According to reports, tourists from Canada and the Netherlands besides domestic visitors with an interest in tea have already started coming to Ilam.

Direct Air- Service between Nepal and Sri lanka
March 3rd : Sri Lanka and Nepal have signed an agreement to launch direct air service between the two countries today. The agreement was signed during the bilateral talks between President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is in Nepal on an official visit, and Nepalese PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal, at the latter’s office in Singha Durbar this morning.

NAC to operate direct flights from Kathmandu to Mumbai
March 2nd : Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), the national flag carrier, is set to resume direct flights from Kathmandu to Mumbai this April. The airlines had stopped direct flights between Kathmandu and Mumbai two years back, due to inadequate flights.NAC will operate the185 -seater Boeing 757 aircraft on the Kathmandu-Mumbai route three days a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Destination Thailand Expo
March 2nd :The Royal Thai Embassy in Kathmandu in collaboration with Thai Airways International and Tourism Authority of Thailand’s New Delhi office is going to organize, ‘Destination Thailand’ on March 8.Thailand is fast becoming a preferred destination in Asia for medical and wellness tourism in term of its value for money and quality of service rendered to patients, according to a statement issued by the embassy. The main purpose of the exhibition is to showcase Thailand Medical Tourism as well as other attractions.