Airports

Whether you are traveling to or from Nepal, or within the country, you are likely enter at least one of this amazing country’s airports. Most travelers will arrive in Nepal via the Tribhuvan International Airport located in Kathmandu. This is the only international airport in the country and handles a large number of flights from both international and local airlines. From here you will find a variety of transportation to take you to your accommodation.
Aside from the Tribhuvan International Airport, Nepal boasts a number of regional airports for quick and easy travel between destinations. These include Pokhara Airport, Nepalgunj Airport, Simara Airport, Bharatpur Airport, Dolpa Airport and Jumla Airport. Whilst you are whisked from one airport to the next, you can enjoy the spectacular landscapes for which Nepal is famous. So whether you want to explore the intriguing sights of the Kathmandu Valley or are planning to head further west for some fantastic trekking, air transport from Nepal’s airports is your quickest and simplest option.

Butterfly watching

Butterflies are beautiful colorful creatures and they have been studied in Nepal for over 150 years. In the early days of the Raj, the British residents and their subordinates took considerable interest in butterflies and managed to collect quite a number of species which they meticulously studied and catalogued. After 1950, it was the Japanese who took particular interest in collecting butterfly species through scientific expeditions. This later resulted in the establishment by Tribhuvan University of the Natural History Museum at Swoyambhu in 1974. According to official records, Nepal has 651 species of butterflies which is 3.72% of the world's butterflies. Favored by Kathmandu valley’s mild day time temperatures which hovers around 18ºC in mid-winter, there are butterflies all year round. The best seasons for butterfly watching are late March/April, mid May/mid June and late August/September. The forested areas in the valley are still remarkable places for butterflies, and they include open country near Chobar gorge and there is very little activity except for the very common Oriental Species. With the distribution of butterflies in Nepal being quite specific, about 10% of the butterflies are Palaearctic species found at above 3,000 m, and about 90% Oriental species are found around Swoyambhu, the base of the hills and forest streams at Godavari, Nagarjun, Budanilkantha and Sundarijal. The forested hilltops of Phulchowki, Jamachowk and Shivapuri, and the open scrubby bush areas of Nagarkot, Suryavinayak and Chandragiri are good areas for butterfly watching.

Bird Watching

Nepal and specially the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve in the eastern tarai is a bird watcher’s paradise. Nepal boasts of more than 850 species of birds, and a surprisingly large number of these birds can be spotted in the Kathmandu valley alone. The hills around the valley especially Nagarjun, Godavari and Phulchowki are popular birding areas and the Tauda lake on the way to Dakshinkali is fabulous for watching migratory water fowl during the winter months. In the higher Himalayan regions are found the raptors and birds of prey of which there are numerous species. The various national parks like Chitwan and Bardia harbor a wide variety of birds. But Koshi Tappu has better sightings of an incredible variety of both resident and migratory birds that come from as far away as Siberia. Nepal’s national bird is the Daphe or the Impeyen Pheasant which is found in the Himalayan region. Bird watching trips are organized by most resorts and are accompanied by experienced naturalists.

Meditation Centers

Meditation has gained immense popularity in the last decade. There are many meditation centers in and around Kathmandu. The prominent ones are listed below:Mahayana Buddhist Himalayan Yogic Institute located in Baluwater, conducts regular evening meditations and weekly dharma teachings (donation) and hosts a revolving schedule of day-long workshops and courses in Tibetan Buddhist meditation and related Tibetan arts. The center has a library and meditation room. HYI is affiliated with Kopan Monastery, north of Boudha, where it offers seven-to ten-day meditation courses during the autumn and spring. Nepal Vipassana Centre runs ten-day courses on meditation. A strict regimen is followed here throughout the course. Daily meditation begins at 4.30 am, and silence is kept for the entire ten days. To register or pick up a pamphlet on the course, visit the centre's Kathmandu office (Sun-Fri 10 am-5.30 pm) in the courtyard of Jyoti Bhawan, in Kantipath. All courses are funded by donations. Kathmandu Buddhist Centre holds introductory talks in Buddhism several times a week during the tourist seasons. It also conducts one-day courses in Buddhism and two-day meditation workshops at its premises next door to Hotel Ganesh Himal, about 200m south and then west of Chhetrapati Chowk, overnight retreats at Nagarkot, and five-day residential courses in Patan. Asheesh Osho Meditation Centre in Tahachal and its branch in Lazimpat conduct one-hour dynamic meditation sessions every morning; they are open to all and the fee is charged in the form of a donation. The third venue, Osho Tapoban Forest Retreat Centre is located in.roundings north of Nagarjun forest. There are occasional retreats as well as daily meditations and discourses. They have a city office near the Clock Tower in Kamaladi.

Myths & Folklores

Perhaps nowhere on earth myth features so prominently in the beliefs of the people as it does in Nepal. For Nepal has millions of myth-ridden gods and goddesses, mighty snow-clad mountains - some of them the very embodiment of the gods and goddesses themselves. Added to this, are the rivers and valleys - each of them dotted with a legendary myth of their own. Not even the planetary system in the universe escapes these myths. In- deed myth in Nepal amounts to a lively legend which manifests itself in the folklores of its diversified ethnic commu- nities. That is why even a layman in Nepal is a great story-teller, be it a part of a myth he has heard or something of his own coinage.

Nepali Cuisine

There are different types of Nepali food depending on the region the kind of food belongs to but most Nepali s have Dal (lentil soup), Bhat (steamed rice) and Tarkari (curried vegetables). It is often accompanied by aachar (pickles). Curried meat is popular, but since meat is expensive people save it for special occasions. Tibetan influences increase as you go north and perenial favorites like momo s (steamed or fried dumplings stuffed with meat), are widely available. As we move towars the south Indian influences are seen in the food. Most Nepalese do not use cutlery to eat but use their right hand.Daal-Bhat: The taste of Daal and Bhat vary, depending on the cook. It always tastes wonderful with aachar. It is often available in restaurants.Rotis: They are flat pancake-like breads made of wheat or rice flour. They are available in restaurants and can be eaten accompanied by Daal and curry.Dhedo: The most average Nepali people have this as a meal. It is made of different kinds of flours, ranging from wheat to millet, which is boiled until thick.Halaal Food: Halaal food is available in some of the restaurants and localities of Kathmandu catering to Muslims visitors. The Five star and Four star hotels in Kathmandu provide halaal food on request. Moreover, in small restaurants and eateries in Jyatha, Thamel (Near Tibet Guest House) and in localities near Jame-Masjid and Lazimpat in Kathmandu, Halaal food is being served. In Pokhara, Halaal food is provided on request by restaurants along the Phewa Lake and in Resorts and Star hotels .

Music and Dance

Nepali classical music has its origins in the Rig Veda. Later, the metrical chanting of its hymns found its expression in the songs of Sama Veda. Since then classical music has been a part of the Nepali music sphere. The tradition of playing classical music has been handed down from generation to generation. The classical structure of a melody is known as Raga, and there are hundreds of Ragas either played on musical instruments or sung according to seasons and time. The 24 hour period is divided into 8 segments of 3 hours each and each Raga is restricted to a particular time frame in order to produce the desired effect. At times, some branches of these ragas composed of songs are incorporated in dances. Small groups of itinerant minstrels namely Damais and Gaines have become an integral part of the Nepali folk culture. Traditionally, Gaines go from door to door singing folk songs accompanying themselves on the Sarangi (a local violin-like instrument) as this is their profession. They travel from place to place telling tales often related to past events. The Damais play various instruments including the Sahanai (a kind of trumpet). Traditionally, they have been playing in ensembles where many instruments are played and were mostly engaged to play for weddings. For such events, the Damais play Panchai Baja (Sahanai, Narsinga (trumpet-like instrument), Damaha (drum), Dholaki and Tyamko (a small drum)). But music is only a part time job for them as they earn a living from tailoring. Folk music in Nepal thrives throughout the country and they are as diverse as the ethnic groups themselves. The Newars of Kathmandu Valley are the main exponents of classical dancing. They have kept alive the traditions of performing masked dances during their many colorful festivals. Such dances are often of a Tantric nature with the dancers being possessed by various gods and goddesses. The Lakhe dance is of particular interest and in Bhaktapur the colorful Mahakali masked dancers perform during the Indra Jatra festival each year. Masked dances are also performed by monks in the numerous monasteries around Nepal. In fact some treks are timed to coincide with festivals where masked dances are the highlight. Each year many tourists arrive in Thyangboche and other places to observe the popular Mani Rimdu festival. Mani Rimdu is unique to the Himalayan regions but other masked dances do take place around Katmandu as well especially during the Tibetan New Year. The Tharu people of the tarai have their own stick dances that can mesmerize spectators while the Gurungs have a unique drama-like dance called the Ghantu where young girls go into a trance. The dance speaks of their heritage and depicts past events that are of historical significance. These are also sometimes performed especially for tourists.Musical instruments There is evidence in the form of ancient stone statues indicating that Nepali music was alive even before the time of the Kiranti and Licchavi dynasties. 7th century inscriptions show the existence of a well-organized musical team (ensemble) even during that era. There are many musical instruments mostly made from local resources. Nekoo, made of the horn of a water buffalo, is believed to scare away evil spirits when played.