Namaste! Are you looking for a destination that combines nature to breathe and cultural wealth? Nepal is for you! Discover the 11 most beautiful places to visit in this country!
Many are the ones who cannot place Nepal precisely on a planisphere. This is understandable. This small country is, historically and geographically, tight in a pond between two giants, India, to the south, to the east and to the west, and China, to the north. Yet, despite its small size, Nepal is a country with treasures. On the cultural level, this country of history has been impregnated by the Hindu and Buddhist influences, giving birth to architectural wonders. Naturally, Nepal is home to the highest peaks in the world, beautiful valleys and vast fertile plains, where many animal species live. Strong sensation lovers will also find their account! Nepal, we know him badly. It is thought to be too small to have an interest in visiting it. Serious mistake! The biggest mistake in this country is that we have never finished discovering it!
Jewellery from the Kathmandu valley to the picturesque mountain villages, from the Chitwan tigers to the yacks of the Annapurnas massif, the most peaceful or intense treks, from the Bardia jungle to the points of the Himalayas, the list is long! Discover some of these most beautiful places...
1. Kathmandu
Photo credit: Unsplash – Lesly Derksen
It would be a shame to visit Nepal without spending a few days in Kathmandu, a destination to great must-sees ! Located at an altitude of 1,350 m, the capital of Nepal is classified as the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Whether you’re passionate about history, in search of relics or you like to stroll and find good business, you’ll find your happiness!
Come and discover the former Royal Newarie City and its Durbar Square (city centre), where there are superb temples, impressive palaces and imposing pagodas. Perhaps you will have the chance to see the Hindu living goddess, the Kumari! If you continue your walk to the North, don’t forget to lose yourself in the maze of streets in the tourist area and bouillonnant of Thamel , where you can enjoy a typical meal, take a drink, spend the evening or simply stroll. More to the west, you can reach by bus, by taxi, or by foot for the most motivated, the splendid white stupa Swayambunath one of the oldest Buddhist sites in Nepal. It's also called the Monkey Temple.
In the sunset, the panorama on Kathmandu is worth a visit! If you have the foolishness of grandeur, the stupa of Buddhanath , located in the east of the city is the largest in Asia! Finally, come and experience a striking experience by attending a cremation on the Hindu site of Pashupatinah, located in the east of the city, on the banks of the sacred river Bagmati.
2. The Kathmandu Valley
Continue your discovery of Nepal by three other UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Spend a night at night Patan , located six kilometers south of Kathmandu, to visit the impressive Durbar Square of the former royal city, the museum, the stupas and the old quarters.
Also have a day to relax in the peaceful and picturesque medieval city of Bhaktapur , located 13 kilometres east of the capital.
From there you can reach the Hindu temple of Changu Narayan . If you have the chance to find yourself in Bhaktapur in April, for the new year of Nepal (the Bisket Jatra), you will discover quite singular traditions, such as a gigantic tank that devalues the alleys or erections of a mast of more than twenty meters, whose fall symbolizes the passage to the new year!
3. Nagarkot and Dhulikkel
Photo credit: Flickr – Neil Young
If you want to admire the roof of the world, you hit the right door! Nagarkot and Dhulikkel are known to offer a breathtaking view of the Himalayas chain, and especially on Mount Everest. Are you early? It's perfect! The panorama will be even more impressive!
4. Pokhara
Photo credit: Flickr – Madhushree Narayan
Want to vent while enjoying the benefits of urban life? Pokhara is made for you. Located 200 km west of Kathmandu, it is the second city of the country. At the same time dynamic and peaceful, Pokhara will seduce the most sensitive, by its poetic, and the most cherished, by the range of activities it offers.
Take a walk Lake Phewa , walk to the pagoda of peace and paragliding flight, between sunrise in front of the Machapuchare and rafting descent, Pokhara has not finished surprising you!
5. The Pokhara Valley
Photo credit: Flickr - ::ErWin
Do you like to get out of the beaten paths? Come and discover the village Bandipur located between Pokhara and Kathmandu. You can easily reconcile the culture side, enjoying the beauty of the Newary temples and traditional houses, the nature side, hiking in the surroundings, and the adventure side, trying to paragliding or canyoning. Your choice!
A few kilometers from Bandipur, stop by Gorkha the birthplace of the king who founded modern Nepal. The village is charming and ideal for living to rejuvenate, far from the affluence of the capital. Located between Bandipur and Gorkha, the Manakamana temple damaged after the earthquake of 2012, but whose renovation is now over, offers a breathtaking view of the Pokhara valley.
6. The Annapurnas massif
Photo credit: Unsplash – Iqx Azmi
Nepal is the trekker temple. It would be a shame to visit the country without reviving, if only a day. It's for all tastes. From Pokhara, it is possible to leave on the assault of the of the Annapurnas .
From the Poon Hill trek (5 days), to the Annapurna Base Camp (11 days), to the famous Tour des Annapurnas (18 days), you can satisfy the beginner hiker, like the seasoned trekker. You will walk rice fields in terraces, cross forests, pass through small villages where time seems to have stopped, discover remote temples, cross rivers, explore snowy paths, to reach the high spheres!
If you think you don’t have the equipment to hike, most agencies rent or understand it in the trekking price. In addition, it is best to avoid hiking in the rainy season from June to September! These aspects are to be taken into account for any type of circuit.
7. Langtang National Park
Photo credit: Unsplash – Sergey Pesterev
Located north of Kathmandu, on the Tibetan border, Langtang National Park gives access to beautiful trails, just over an hour from the capital. Here again, you can find a whole range of treks, shortest in the longest, easiest or more demanding. For those who wish to pursue the adventure, it is possible to join Tibet! Better trekking during the dry season, unless you want to become the prey of the leeks or love to devalue the trails!
8. The Everest
Photo credit: Unsplash – Toomas Tartes
Are you thirsty for challenges? The deniphered forts didn't scare you? If you want to kill the sky and rub yourself at the highest peak of the world, it is possible to get on the assault the Everest up to his base camp.
The starting point of this legendary Himalayan trek is located in Lukla , that we fly from Kathmandu. For those who prefer to build their forces, while living an exceptional moment, it is possible to fly over Mount Everest. Guaranteed chills! The best trek and overflight period runs from September to November, as well as from April and May.
9. Lumbini
Photo credit: De Damian Pankowiec / Shutterstock.com
You want to mix history and religion? Not far from the Indian border, come to the origins of Buddhism by visiting the village of Lumbini , known as the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha. This is where many Buddhists come on pilgrimage.
10. Chitwan National Park
Photo credit: Unsplash – WeRoad
No, in Nepal, there are not just mountains! We also find the jungle. It is often ignored, but Nepalese wetlands are the refuge of several thousand wild animals.
The Chitwan is located southwest of Kathmandu, at nine hours bus from the capital. Plan to stay for at least two days, in order to be able to walk on the back of elephant or attend the bath of these pachyderms, go looking for unicornal rhinoceros, tigers and daims, or make a pirogue tour to observe crocodiles. Better be accompanied by a guide! The region of Terai is also a region of traditions. You can visit Tharus villages and discover local culture.
11. Bardia National Park
Photo credit: De PACO COMO / Shutterstock.com
If you have time, come and walk in Bardia National Park located southwest of Nepal. This park has the advantage of being much less tourist than the Chitwan Park, because it is more difficult to access. If it is impossible to say that you will see a Bengal tiger there, it is certain that you will have more chances to see one on this site.
And what were your most beautiful memories of Nepal?
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