Nepal is all about the great outdoors. Whilst you can’t really get much more ‘great outdoors’ than the mighty Himalayas, Nepal’s diverse geography also encompasses lush valleys, rolling hills and steamy jungles. Over the past few years, as adventure travel in general has got more and more popular, people have started to take full advantage of this great outdoors with a huge range of activities ranging from fishing and trekking to white water rafting and bungee jumping.
Nepal’s potential as a land of adventure was truly realised in the 1950s with the first successful ascents of Mount Everest – still today ascending from Nepal’s southeast ridge up to Everest’s summit is the more frequently used route. And whilst here at Asia Inspirations we’ve yet to have a client ask us to organise them an Everest climb, there are plenty of other options for those looking to dabble in Nepal’s great adventures.
Nepal is well known for its fantastic trekking opportunities and you don’t even have to be a diehard rambler to do it! Whether it’s an easy day hike around Pokhara or a full on trek in the Annapurna region, there are hikes for all levels (don’t forget the altitude must be bared in mind) that can take in both the beauty of your surroundings and the rich and extensive culture of the people who call the mountains home.
With its epic rivers of varying ferocity rushing down from the mountains, Nepal offers world class rapids for white water rafting. There are grades of river for all levels, so you can pootle along on gentle jade waters watching an almost undiscovered world go by or enjoy the rush of something a little rougher. As most of Nepal’s rivers that are rafting suitable are in the sub-tropical lowlands it is possible to raft year round except for during the monsoon season. There are even easy day trips available from Kathmandu.
Whilst walking will always be the best way to explore and experience Nepal’s great outdoors, biking through it is a pretty good alternative. And it’s not all struggling up mountains – there are plenty of places to explore that are a little gentler, around the Kathmandu Valley and in the sub-tropical Terai for example. If you want to get out on some proper mountain terrain, Pokhara is easy to get to, incredibly scenic and great biking.
By no means the last adventure activity that Nepal offers (it would be a very long read to talk about them all) but one of the most relaxed is safari. The Terai region of the country is covered in grassland, savannah and subtropical forest providing a home for a huge amount of wildlife including Bengal tigers and one-horned rhinos. Chitwan is the one of the best known national parks in the whole of Asia and has plenty of safari options, some of which are for the more adventurous at heart. These include canoe trips, by elephant, jeep safaris and jungle walks, each giving a different view of your surroundings and (hopefully) plenty of wildlife to tick off the list.
So whether you like your adventure adrenaline-fuelled or are just looking to get off the tourist trial and try something new, Nepal has plenty of amazing options to help you explore its great outdoors.
We have plenty more information about Nepal here. If you feel that you’d prefer to visit Nepal on a group tour, visit Wendy Wu Tours for a wealth of options.