The best of Nepal trip that covers three major towns of Nepal is a quick outlook of Nepal’s cultural, natural and wildlife treasures. Kathmandu valley, a landmark of ancient civilization offers incredibly fascinating craftsmanship of native Kathmanduians, who dwelled in the valley during ancient and medieval ages. Pokhara, the most beautiful bride adorned by Mother Nature herself, is best opted urban destination for awe-inspiring Himalayan views including the virgin mountain, Fishtail and massive Annapurna Range. Besides the city of Lakes and Caves, Pokhara is the starting point for major treks to Annapurna Region. Chitwan is a wildlife hub. The first wildlife park also the UNESCO World Heritage Site for wildlife conservation. Chitwan National Park is a protected home to Royal Bengal Tiger and One-horned Rhino. Wildlife Safari atop a giant Asian Elephant and canoeing over Rapti River for birding and spotting ghariyal crocodile and gangetic dolphins is fabulous experience at Chitwan.
Shah family from Britain Ajit, Nina and Nikhil had great experience with us during their Best of Nepal Tour this autumn. Here we have few lines quoted by the family on the Best of Nepal Tour and our services.

Fishtail Lodge in Pokhara is wonderful; excellent food, friendly hotel staffs and the incredible views of mountains from the room, the best memory of our trip. We would recommend the hotel to every traveler to Pokhara.
The services of Explore Himalaya were excellent. Sabin, our tour officer was always on time and went beyond expectation to let us use his mobile sim for our phones. Guides, transportation and staffs were just amazing throughout the tour.
Sabin and Pushpa looked after us very well and made our Nepal Trip very enjoyable. We rate Explore Himalaya with five stars.

 

An ideal family holiday, Wonderland of Himalayas is a composition of diverse activities of Nepalese highlights, which offers glimpses of every touristic attractions of Nepal. The soft and low altitude trek to Poonhill Ghorepani in Annapurna Region is the prime highlight of this holiday in Nepal. Allowing enough time in the typical hamlets of the region, in order to dig more into rural culture is an interesting part of the trek. During the trek you get to witness magnificent oak and rhododendron forests as you ascend to alpine meadows that afford spectacular views of the Annapurna Range. After the trek, a completely new activity for your holiday is designed. Wildlife Safari at Chitwan National Park atop a giant Asian elephant is considered one of the best wildlife activities in Asia. Encountering with several wild animals and spotting hundreds of species of birds are the major highlights at Chitwan. The mountain flight at the end of the tour is just like a sweet dessert. Mountain Flight takes you to the snow dominant Everest Region, where the gigantic peaks soar up to the sky.

Two Australian families, Welchs and Symmons recently explored the wonderland of Himalayas. Two weeks long holiday in Nepal made them fall in love with the country. Paul Welch after the completion of the trip wrote some sentences about their experiences during the holiday in Nepal.

Trekking was wonderful. Especially Rupen and the boys were very good. Jeep Safari at Chitwan and spotting sloth bears and several rhinos were very interesting and the Mountain flight was excellent opportunity to view the scenic nature.

Explore Himalaya’s service was excellent. Sabin, our Tour Officer was very attentive and took good care of us. Hotels and transportation were very good- reliable and comfortable. The team of Explore Himalaya is an outstanding and highly recommended team. We would rate their service with five stars and recommend Explore Himalaya to all the travelers to Nepal.

An incomparable trekking adventure that absorbs all the best parts of Khumbu Region, Gokyo Valley Trek takes you to incredible ‘Gokyo Lakes’ and legendary ‘Everest Base Camp’. The traverse through demanding Cho La Pass 5420m- the pass joining Gokyo Valley and Khumbu valley as well as day hiking to Gokyo Ri 5340m for the incredible views of Himalayan giants including Everest, Cho Oyu, Lhotse, and Makalu among others are prime highlights of Gokyo Valley Trek. The Gokyo Valley Trek also includes the beautiful close-up view of Everest from Kala Pattar 5545m. The views of numerous smaller peaks and amazing glaciers from Gokyo Ri and Kalapattar are the bonus rewards of the trek. The off beaten trek famous for natural beauties very well blends with the cultural aspects of the region. The prosperous Sherpa and Tibetan culture of the region can be well observed in the mountainous hamlets and monasteries within it. Besides, the very friendly and kind nature of the natives living in highland Himalayas is genuinely a boosting factor to overcome the challenges a Gokyo Valley Trek.

Ms. Annette Schmidt and Mr. Benny Schmidt from Denmark through our exclusive country partner Kipling Travel were on Gokyo Valley Trek. They skipped the Everest Base Camp part, however the trek was amazing. They also added the cultural sightseeing tour in Kathmandu. Here we have few sentences said by Schmidts after the completion of their holiday in Nepal.

Among many good memories from our holiday to Nepal, the view from Gokyo Ri was out of this world!!!. As well as, the sightseeing tour of Bhaktapur was a great cultural experience with the outstanding guide.
The service of Explore Himalaya was exceptional. Staffs were very informative and helpful. Hotels we stayed in were wonderful. Transportation was good and our trek guide, Balu was always there for us. We would love to trek with him again. Rating the services of the company we would rate it with five stars.
We had a great adventure and to the fellow travelers we recommend to use Explore Himalaya.

The sleeping posture of Lord Vishnu in a Cosmic Ocean

Nine kilometers North from the main hub of Kathmandu City lies the temple of Budhanilkantha which is believed to be self emerged. The temple lying at the base of Shivpuri Hill has a floating deity Bishnu, one of the major Gods of Hindu trios. The sleeping posture of Vishnu which is called Jalasayan with his legs crossed on a bed of large 11 hoods serpent is strangely divine in itself. His four hands holding the four symbols of Lord Vishnu, the conch shell, the disc, the club and the lotus flower is gigantic in size floating in relatively small pool supposed to be cosmic ocean by Hindu devotees.

During Haribodhini Ekadashi which normally falls during late October or early November of Georgian Calendar, Hindus believe that Lord Vishnu who sleeps on the cosmic ocean wakes up and on that day thousands of devotees throng to Budhanilkantha to offer prayers to Lord Visnhu. Touching the legs of this sleeping deity on that day is considered very religious as per the Hindu belief.

Here we have few photographs of Budhanilkantha captured during the Nepalese New Year.

The sacred pond from where the new year can be best started

Crowd, hard to control

Butterlights and incense sticks everywhere

Gods of every religion like flowers

A senior citizen probably wants to know the future of her family

Patience to touch the feet of Lord Vishnu

One common thing in Hindu temples- Ladies in red attires

Gods lives there, where poor live or vice versa 

Explore cultural tours in Nepal

It has been 12 years that world’s best photographers and photographic wildlife safari leaders teamed up to facilitate photographic tours in the world’s most fascinating photographic destination- Orxy Photography is one of the best to travel with on the photography tour. One of the award winning photographic leaders Marius Coetzee was recently on a FAM Tour to Nepal with Explore Himalaya.  He calls himself a cultural freak and he never researches about the place he is visiting the first time on an educational trip. “Any bad experience of a particular traveler shared on travel sites doesn’t make that destination awful so I ignore the travel reviews posted in any site in order to have an open mind about a destination and ensure the best possible future tour for my clients” say Marius Coetzee. Marius and Alan during a short conversation with us after the completion of the FAM Tour shared their experiences of Photography FAM Tour to Nepal 2014. Here we have a shorter version of the conversation with Marius Coetzee photo gallery on Nepal Photography Tour.

EH: How was the tour?

Marius: Its been incredible. To be fair, I knew it was going to be great but it has certainly raised my expectation. The country was great. Alan had an emergency incident at Chitwan but the medical care was excellent. We could not have asked for more. You guys have been great and Bishant [Tour Guide] was great. All in all its been a first class experience in a country that is on many people’s wish-list.

EH: As you guys were on a photography tour, do you think Nepal is a potential destination for photography tour?

Marius: Without a doubt, Nepal is a great destination to tour and photograph. Cultural aspect of the country is amazingly out of the world. For me Nepal is an incredible country that I can sell with the close eyes.

EH: What do you say about the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu?

Marius: Kathmandu is completely unique. It is just giving so much that there are plenty of stuffs to see and photograph here in Kathmandu.

Alan: Unlike any Indian city, Kathmandu is beautiful. It is full of hidden gems. You could walk pass places and not know where you are. You go down the passage way and you find fantastic temples and fantastic colors. It is a superb city.

EH: How do you rate the services you guys experienced during the tour?

Marius: Everything was great. Whenever people are on the tours to new places, food is one of the major concerns. Everywhere in Nepal the options of food were plenty. We had western food throughout the tour. Food services, hotels, transportation, guides and everything else were just great.

A holy book

Water still runs here in ancient Dhunge Dhara

Patan Durbar Square

A wise thing to do in a warm sunny day

Giant creature, giant shadow

Cremation considered holiest in Nepal- Aryaghat Pashupatinath

Tons of medieval treasures captured

Clay Pottery- Artists joy

He knows how to grab mass attention

Afterall the earth is round

A cool retirement

Kathmandu- a city of festivals

You are a tiger statue but I am real so why fear?

Artist passion to create something beautiful

The best view of peaceful Boudhanath

Household and religious activities inseparable in Nepal

A door opens to a treasure shop

We dance with the breeze

A view anyone would love to pay

I sell walking- Enthusiastic mobile marketeer 

Explore Photography Tours in Nepal