Nepal Cultural Expedition

To truly understand Nepal and discover all it’s hidden secrets could take a lifetime. We are offering a taste of what can be seen in a fast moving short program. We will take in Kathmandu city,  Kathmandu valley and a tour of the farming areas around Chitwan National Park.

As with many developing countries travel in Nepal can have it’s challenges and facilities are very basic. Our trip may not appeal to everyone and those joining must have an understanding of what to expect. There are no five star hotels, luxury buses or the like.  There are one or two better hotels in Kathmandu where you may wish to spend an additional night at the end of our trip. The rooms we use are single, twin or double rooms and normally en-suite, however you should consider the standard to be more like backpackers lodges than modern hotels or modern bed & breakfast. The photographs below are indicative of the lodges & hotels we use.

It is possible to fly from Kathmandu to the to the south and at an additional cost we may choose to fly the return journey, however, the trip is meant to be a cultural experience; the road trip provides opportunities to sample local life at close quarters. The buses we use are local tourist buses. The tourist buses are reasonably maintained in comparison to others on the road and a limlited number of tickets are sold meaning you will get a seat. For a larger group we may choose to charter a private bus. The quality of vehicles, drivers and the roads can all be poor, travel by road in any developing country has a higher risk factor than developed countries and Nepal is no exception.

We are not a travel agent or holiday company, the Nepal trips are an extension to our training & development programs. For these reasons and to give flexibility to add onto or extend your trip we begin and end all our Nepal trips in Kathmandu. Travel to and from Kathmandu will be your responsibility & you must ensure you have adequate insurance. We are happy to give advise on any of these points.

The program for our journey is fast moving and involves a lot of walking and some cycling. To enjoy the journey you will need a good level of fitness. Our aim is to get out and see far more than is offered on standard tours & excursions that can be booked through any agent in Kathmandu. To a degree the program is flexible but you should be prepared for 7 to 8 hours of hard exercise each day.

If you can accept basic living for week or so, see past the littered streets and accept there is some risk attached to third World travel you should have an experience that will leave you with many fond memories and a desire to return.

Our first day will begin with an early morning walk to the religious complex Swayambhunath or as more commonly known the monkey temple. The many steps to reach the temple will give us a good appetite for breakfast. After breakfast we will take a guided walking tour of  Kathmandu, taking in the local markets, religious places of worship, Buddhist art galleries and warren of  narrow streets. We will take lunch on route stopping as and when we please. The late afternoon and evening will be time for you explore the city or relax.

Our second day will be a mountain bike trip into Kathmandu valley, you will need to be a confident rider to negotiate the Kathmandu traffic for the first couple of kilometers. Your fitness will then be tested on the hilly tracks and  trails; the views from high up looking back down to Kathmandu are spectacular and worth the expended energy. If biking is not your thing and you really don’t want to take part you can opt out of this day and spend it at your leisure.

Day three will be an early morning start to begin our road trip, with a couple of stops and not to many hold ups the journey takes about eight hours. The road is a single lane in each direction, it winds it’s way over the mountains south of Kathmandu and then generally follows the river through farming country to Saurah, the gateway to Chitwen National Park. Chitwen is famed for it’s safaris and big game. We will spend a day visiting the park but our main focus will be the villages and farms in the surrounding area.

The next four days of our program will be based from a lodge or activity center close to the Chitwen National Park and elephant breeding center. We choose this location as it has reasonable quality accommodation and facilities, however it is not our aim to join the standard tourist excurisions or simply ride around the park on an elephant.

Admittedly the big wild game  is impressive and the park is well worth a visit, which we will do on our last day before returning north. We will also try to see a local cultural show, the show is primarily aimed at tourists and is not very authentic, however the participants are extremely enthusiastic and the show benefits the local community. The communities are rich in culture, their people friendly & welcoming. The people are the real jewel in Nepal’s crown.

The next four days program will vary depending on the time of year, the weather, availability of suitable local guides & accommodation and the Nepal factor. The Nepal factor means things could change for any reason and without notice, part of this experience is learning to be flexible and to being able adapt. During our time we would expect to take a trip down a river in traditional dugout canoes, this may or may not be combined with a two day hike where we stay in a remote and very basic lodge overnight. We will take a walking tour or possibly cycling tour of the surrounding farming villages. Expect long days of hiking, cycling, boating or a combination of all.

Wherever  our journey takes us, be it in Kathmandu, on the road, during our hike or any other moment in time we will encounter the people of Nepal. The ancestors of the Nepalise come from far and wide whether it be the Sherpa’s or Tebetans from the north or the Tharu from the south, Buhhdist or Hindu, a high cast or low all are welcoming.

The Nepalise are very industrious and find creative ways to make a better life with the resources they have, sometimes with little regard for there own safety. We may come across various methods of fishing such as netting fish, catching snails by hand or as seen in the below photographs fishing with an electrical fishing rod using free electricity from the overhead cables.

Four days is not enough to properly explore the south, if you want to extend the trip we are happy to do so. However at some point in time we must leave the Tharu people of the south and make our way back to Kathmandu and home. We have a choice of either taking the return road trip or we can fly in a light aircraft to Kathmandu at an additional cost. For the adventurous traveler with additional time it possible to fly up to Pokhara and watch the sunset over Annapurna 1 before returning to Kathmandu a few days later.

The price for this trip varies depending on the group size, time of year and options chosen. We try to avoid the worst months of the monsoon but also try to time trips get to away from the UAE in the hottest months. On average for a group of  six or more the per person price is approximately US$1250.00. Please contact us to discuss options.

Nepal - Mountaineering – Trekking – Culture