Western Region

The city of Pokhara lies in the picturesque Pokhara Valley, an extension of the Seti Gandaki valley. The Western Region is known for its impressive geographical features, with mountains rising up dramatically to great heights, such as the Annapurna, Manaslu and Dhaulagiri ranges which all have peaks over 8,000 meters in height.

Pokhara receives a large number of tourists each year, many of whom are on their way to climb nearby mountains, or enjoy the spectacular trekking routes in the Western Region of Nepal. Other attractions in the area including the Mahendra, Gupteswor and Bat Caves, the Phewa Tal (Phewa Lake) and the awe-inspiring Devi's Falls, where water from the lake rushes over a cliff, disappearing into a seemingly bottomless hole.

The town of Tansen is also a popular holiday destination, offering breath-taking views of the Himalayas and the Terai plains, as well as many historical and cultural attractions. Trekking is an excellent way to enjoy the beauty of the Western Region of Nepal and Tansen serves as a base for trekking enthusiasts to explore the region by means of routes designed to showcase the beauty of the area, such as the route that runs along the Kali Gandaki River.

Travelers who have visited Nepal will agree that the scenery is beyond description, and even the best photograph can’t capture its true beauty. For the experience of a lifetime, visit any of the five regions of fascinating Nepal.

Eastern Region

The area around the town is primarily used for agriculture, with small rural villages scattered throughout the region. Dhankuta is located on the North-South Koshi Highway and serves as an important commercial and trading center for the Eastern Region of Nepal.

Located in the Koshi Zone of the Eastern Region, the city of Biratnagar is Nepal's second largest city, offering quite a number of attractions that tourists find appealing. Biratnagar is the gateway to the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, a peaceful haven for Nepal’s flora and fauna and a prime bird-watching destination that is visited by birding enthusiasts from far and wide. Also near Biratnagar is the Hindu pilgrimage site of Baraha Kshetra drawing Hindu devotees to worship.

Hidden Treasures in Mustang

The team discovered ancient Buddhist shrines in the network of caves. These had been intricately decorated with painted murals, the most outstanding of which is a 55-panel mural detailing events in Buddha’s life. In 2008 another expedition was undertaken and this time several human skeletons were found, which are believed to be at least 600-years old, as well as reams of manuscripts, some of which contained small paintings referred to as ‘illuminations’. Experts agree that these sacred treasures have significant similarities to descriptions said to be found in the so-called ‘hidden valleys’ of Buddhists, referred to as ‘Shambala’, which was the inspiration for the fictional Shangri-La of the 1930s novel ‘Lost Horizon’ by British writer James Hilton.

Sadly, over the centuries looters and souvenir hunters have damaged some of the ancient texts and even some of the cave walls. Nevertheless, researchers have retrieved valuable ancient manuscripts which have been remarkably preserved by the cool, arid climate of the region. These reveal a wealth of religious writings from Buddhism, as well as from Bön, which was an earlier faith of native Tibetans before converting to Buddhism. The writings suggest that Bön may have continued as the primary belief system of the people in the Mustang area for more than a century after the eighth century conversion of Tibet to Buddhism. While no-one knows for sure why these historical religious treasures were hidden in the caves, the general consensus among experts is that the kings of Mustang may have hidden the Bön sacred texts rather than to destroy them, as a sign of respect. Ongoing research will no doubt bring to light more interesting facts about this remote region of Nepal and the people who lived there.

Narayanhiti Palace

The breathtaking Narayanhiti Palace was constructed in the eighteenth century, and has been home to the Shah monarchy for almost two hundred and forty years. Its grandeur has been marveled at for centuries, and with the demise of the monarchy in May of 2008, the public has been given the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of their royal ancestors and explore the world of the privileged. The Nepal Government decided to transform the palace into a museum, to share the history and riches of the country with its people and tourists, and to conserve this vital part of the past.

The part of the palace that has been opened to the public as a museum covers an area just over forty thousand square feet, where visitors will be able to view the old furniture and art that has been in the palace for centuries. They will be able to marvel at the ornaments and lifestyle enjoyed in the walls of the palace. Valuable medals and idols are also on display, including a fleet of historical vehicles, of which one was given to the monarchy by the feared German leader, Hitler. Some items, such as the royal crown and throne are not open to viewing due to security reasons, as they are extremely valuable pieces.

The fall of the monarchy does conjure up some mixed emotions from the Nepali public. They do feel sympathetic to the royal family that had to leave their home, but are happy about a new era beginning; one without an autocratic monarchy. To tourists and visitors, the Narayanhiti Palace is a wonderful addition to the list of attractions in Nepal, and a worthy site to explore.

Gupteswar Gupha

Gupteswar Gupha is viewed as sacred and a very significant site to the Hindus because a shrine to Lord Shiva was discovered in the cave. Photographs of the cave and the shrine are not permitted. Protected from the elements within the cave, the shrine is in the same condition today as it was on the day of its discovery. The name of the cave is derived from this shrine, as Gupteswar means ‘hidden god’. Visitors are also advised to wear comfortable shoes when heading out towards the cave, as there are approximately a thousand stairs to climb to reach the shrine.

The hike to Gupteswar Gupha is most definitely worth the effort, as it winds its way through the breathtaking forests that are home to champaka and sal trees. The cave consists of two main parts, of which the entrance is two meters in height and approximately three meters wide. The first cave has a few rooms that are the size of a hall and has many passageways. Some can only be explored by crawling through them, so it is not recommended for visitors suffering from claustrophobia to try the smaller passages. The shrine in Gupteswar Gupha is believed to have healing powers and many worshipers make their way to the cave each year in the hope of being healed from a variety of illnesses. The second cave is also a place of significance, as it is home to a massive stalactite named the Udder of Kamadhenu. People hold out their hands for hours trying to capture a drop of water from the stalactite. There are smaller caves surrounding Gupteswar Gupha that are also worth exploring, and discovering these ancient wonders is a very rewarding and memorable experience.

Elusive Yeti

The Yeti is known by a number of different names within Nepal and Tibet, but they all basically describe the creature as being wild, man/bear-like and above all, fear-inspiring. It is also said that anyone who sees the Yeti will die. The legend of the Yeti had already been firmly entrenched in Nepali folklore when in 1921 Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Howard-Bury led the 'Everest Reconnaissance Expedition' during which they came across footprints in the snow which he described as being "rather like those of a bare-footed man". He was of the opinion that they may have been caused by a large grey wolf which was loping through the snow in a manner that formed double tracks. But his Sherpa guides immediately identified the footprints as being that of a creature they called ‘metoh-kangmi’ – translated as man-bear snowman. It was later that same year, when journalist Henry Newman interviewed the Everest Reconnaissance Expedition Sherpas, that he coined the term 'Abominable Snowman'.

Although mention of the Yeti had been made in 1832 by trekker Brian Houghton Hodgson who explored northern Nepal, it was during the early 20th century when mountaineers started to explore Nepal’s majestic mountains that sightings of the Yeti started to become more frequent. In 1925, on an expedition for the Royal Geographical Society, photographer N.A. Tombazi reported seeing the Yeti which he described as walking upright like a human being and wearing no clothes.

In the mid 1900s interest in the Yeti reached a peak with debate being fueled by pictures of the footprints which were taken by Eric Shipton while scaling Mount Everest in 1951. These, as well as photographs taken during the Daily Mail sponsored Snowman Expedition of 1954, were discounted by experts as being ordinary tracks of indigenous animals having been distorted by the elements. Hairs taken from what was believed to be a Yeti scalp at Pangboche monastery were thoroughly analyzed by Professor Frederic Wood Jones and compared to hairs of animals found in the region. The professor was unable to determine conclusively what type of animal it had come from, which added more fuel to the fiery debate.

Elusive Yeti

The Yeti is known by a number of different names within Nepal and Tibet, but they all basically describe the creature as being wild, man/bear-like and above all, fear-inspiring. It is also said that anyone who sees the Yeti will die. The legend of the Yeti had already been firmly entrenched in Nepali folklore when in 1921 Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Howard-Bury led the 'Everest Reconnaissance Expedition' during which they came across footprints in the snow which he described as being "rather like those of a bare-footed man". He was of the opinion that they may have been caused by a large grey wolf which was loping through the snow in a manner that formed double tracks. But his Sherpa guides immediately identified the footprints as being that of a creature they called ‘metoh-kangmi’ – translated as man-bear snowman. It was later that same year, when journalist Henry Newman interviewed the Everest Reconnaissance Expedition Sherpas, that he coined the term 'Abominable Snowman'.

Although mention of the Yeti had been made in 1832 by trekker Brian Houghton Hodgson who explored northern Nepal, it was during the early 20th century when mountaineers started to explore Nepal’s majestic mountains that sightings of the Yeti started to become more frequent. In 1925, on an expedition for the Royal Geographical Society, photographer N.A. Tombazi reported seeing the Yeti which he described as walking upright like a human being and wearing no clothes.

In the mid 1900s interest in the Yeti reached a peak with debate being fueled by pictures of the footprints which were taken by Eric Shipton while scaling Mount Everest in 1951. These, as well as photographs taken during the Daily Mail sponsored Snowman Expedition of 1954, were discounted by experts as being ordinary tracks of indigenous animals having been distorted by the elements. Hairs taken from what was believed to be a Yeti scalp at Pangboche monastery were thoroughly analyzed by Professor Frederic Wood Jones and compared to hairs of animals found in the region. The professor was unable to determine conclusively what type of animal it had come from, which added more fuel to the fiery debate.