An unbelievable adventure where you meet both mountains and plains.
This multi activity trip includes a week long trek below Mt. Everest, a sensational white water rafting on class 2-4 Trishuli River, guided wildlife Safari in Royal Chitwan National Park, guided tours of cultural centers of Kathmandu Valley and an optional easy downhill mountain bike ride through picturesque villages on the outskirts of Kathmandu.
Flying to Kathmandu along the northern border of Nepal on a clear day is itself an exciting and memorable experience as exotic panoramic view of snow-capped Himalayan peaks sprawls before you. We meet you at airport and escort you to your hotel. .
We begin our sightseeing tour with a visit to Boudhanath - the largest stupa in Nepal and a center of Tibetan culture in Kathmandu. The stupa is designed like a giant mandala (a representation of a Buddhist cosmos). Our next destination is Pashupatinath Temple, which is dedicated to Hindu deity Lord Shiva and is regarded as the most sacred Hindu shrine in Nepal. Here you can witness cremation ritual of Hindus at ‘Aryaghat’, the cremation area of the temple. Then you head to Patan which lies 5 km away from Kathmandu Valley on the South-East. Patan is one of the three medieval cities in Kathmandu and a destination for connoisseurs of fine arts. We take a tour of the Patan Durbar Square - a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located in the square is the Patan Museum (originally a Malla palace), Krishna Mandir- a stone temple of Lord Krishna with its 21 spires and bas-relief art depicting scenes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana epics, Royal Bath or 'Tushahity' and surrounding Hindu and Buddhist temples. .
On the flight to Lukla, we will be sightseeing the most mesmerizing beauty of sparkling snow-capped Himalayan peaks. Soon after landing at Lukla, we meet the entire trekking team. With thorough briefings on the trekking details, we begin our journey. Lukla lies at 2900m. We walk past Chablung crossing a stream along the steep route. As we head northwards, lush forest stretches flauntingly. Further descents lead to a wooden bridge over the Kusum Kangru Khola. The trail to Kusum Kangru at 6367m is physically challenging and very difficult. En route, we may encounter yaks and also witness a hamlet at 2250 meters on the bank of the Dudh Koshi being partially worn out by floods. As our destination does not end here, we continue treading along the trails. More scattered houses and stream come on our way. Finally, we reach Phakding where we stay for overnight. .
From Phakding, we cross and re-cross the river on high suspension bridges. Beyond Monjo is the entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park which was set-up in order to protect and preserve this fragile mountain environment. We then ascend quite steeply to Namche and along the way, if the weather is clear, catch a first glimpse of Mt Everest in the distance. Namche is the main trading village in the Khumbu and has a busy Saturday market - a meeting place for the traders from the lowlands and the Tibetan yak caravans. .
Heading away from Namche Bazaar, we walk past the airstrip at Syangboche. Following the rock-strewn winding trail, we eventually enter picturesque village of Khumjung. We then spot several beautiful houses. There is a gompa at the top end of town. Local villagers generally seek medical assistance from a hospital built by Sir Edmund nearby the village of Khunde. We conclude the trip of the day as reach Khumjung. .
Heading east, we pass a large chorten and then descend to a bridge across the Dudh Koshi at Phunki Tenga. From the river the trail ascends through a forest of pine and rhododendrons, before arriving at Tengboche Monastery. The views here are truly awesome, from the beautiful Ama Dablam to Lhotse and Everest at the head of the valley. Camping at Tengboche gives us opportunity to gain more insight into the culture, tradition and custom of local community .
We indulge in an exquisite excursion around Pangboche. Visits to monastery can be quite a spiritual journey for us. Savoring the most fabulous views of Ama Dablam, we trek along the challenging trail. After the excursion we return back to Tengboche for the night stay. .
We walk through the forest to Phunki Tenga. As we enter Phunki Tenga, we will spot several water-driven prayer wheels. Bading goodbyes to Everest and Lhotse, we stride along the rock-strewn path. We may encounter thar and lammergeyer on the way. Thereafter, we further descend to camp by the river at Chumoa. .
On this final day of trekking, we follow Dudh Koshi back down to Lukla. We can have a farewell party with the Sherpa guides and porters amidst the scintillating views of undulating mountain ranges. We may also sample some chang, local drink and try Sherpa dancing. .
After early breakfast, we fly to Kathmandu. Rest of the day is free for independent activities. .
After an early breakfast we drive from Kathmandu to Kuringhat for about 3-4 hrs. We begin our rafting after a thorough briefing on safety measures by Guide. Initially, water current becomes notably swifter as our raft maneuvers towards narrow tranquil pools of clear turquoise water of Trisuli River. Gradually, we may get splashed by occasional large rapid (can be avoided depending on your preference). We conclude our Rafting at Mugling and drive towards Chitwan National Park to participate in Jungle Safari excursion. .
Chitwan National Park offers a unique and exceptional wildlife experience, being the home to several rare species, in particular, the one-horned rhinoceros and Royal Bengal Tiger; and also leopard, bear, wild boar, deer, bison, crocodiles etc. We surrender to the pure pleasure of jungle activities. Safari excursion includes wildlife safari, jeep safari, canoeing and bird watching. Unlike African animals, those in Chitwan tend to be rather solitary and shy, but the chances of sightseeing these are very high owing to the expertise and experiences of experienced guides. .
Fully loaded with memorable wildlife experience, we drive to Kathmandu. .
On this day, we can pursue any activities that we fancy. We can go for shopping, sightseeing, roaming aimlessly around the city or we can simply lie idle at our hotel taking complete rest or bike ride through picturesque Nepali country side to witness the culture and lifestyle of rural Nepal. .
As the trip has come to an end, we depart from Kathmandu. .
The meeting and handling was very good and efficient. The hotels were all very good and the transportation was fine. Samir was very helpful and friendly.
We work with the motto "Tourism for Development". Explore Himalaya Community Service Project was conceived to empower underprivileged segments of Nepal.