Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Pokhara, the best place to visit in Nepal

Pokhara is situated at about 827 meter from sea level, and is located 124 miles (about 200 km) west of Kathmandu and can be reached by plane in 35 minutes or in 5 hours by bus. Pokhara is the next destination after Kathmandu for many adventure and pleasure trips in and around Pokhara. Pokhara is often called the enchanting Himalayan valley with a heart of major actions and adventures.Surrounded by beautiful snow-caped mountains, with a magnificent lake of crystal-clear pure Himalayan water, all-year round pleasing weather, and friendly Pokhralis will greet you with a smile and leave you with the most unforgettable moments in your life. So pack up your bag, load your camera, and get ready for Pokhara experience! Places to Visit The Fewa (or Phewa) Lake 1.5 kilometer long, second largest lake in Nepal, offers an excellent view of the mountains and their reflections on the lake.


Many tours and trekking operators and hotels are located on the lakeside. One can easily find a place to sit back, relax and enjoy great meal while enjoying scenery here. You will also enjoy boating on the lake. Most hotels and guest houses have traditional designs and layouts which match with the surrounding views. The photo on the right is of Rara Lake, another popular lake located in Pokhara. Davis Fall, you sure will remember this snap in Pokhara!! Annapurna Range Skyline The most spectacular sight in Pokhara is the sight of Annapurna range. See the following image which shows eight important mountains of the Annapurna range. This range stretching from west to east includes Dhaulagiri, South Annapurna, Annapurna 1, Hiunchuli, Fish-tail (Machapuchare), Annapurna 3, Annapurna 4, and Annapurna 2. In Pokhara, the holy unclimbed mountain Macchapucchre (or also known as Fishtail Mountain), located in the middle of the Annapurna range, can be seen standing right in front of our nose.


Everyone in Pokhara wakes up early to greet the mountains during sunrise. The reflection of sunlight from a mountain is always a breathtaking site. You will never forget the sight of the fishtail mountain standing right before your eyes saying "Good Morning!" Pictures of Annapurna Range.


The name Pokhara is derived from the word Pokhari, which in Nepali means pond or a lake. There are about eight lakes in Pokhara and besides the the fewa lake, the other two lakes known as Begnas Lake and Rupa lake located about 15 km from Pokhara are ideal places for relaxation, boating and fishing. Get to Begnas by bus, or by a taxi, or cycle from Pokhara. Visit Begnas Bazaar for a unique hillside market experience. Seti Gandaki / Gorge Seti Gandaki and Seti Gorge are other two important places to visit in Pokhara.


The Seti gandaki flows right through the city, it runs completely underground at many places. There is a local myth that the entire land of Pokhara floats on the Seti river. Rivers in Nepal are known for their strength and the purity as entire source is from the Himalayan range. Mahendra Cave (Gufa or Gupha in Nepali) Mahindra cave is located about 10km north from central Pokhara. It is a natural site located across the Seti river pass the Batulechours village. Davis Fall Witness a unique waterfall that lies 2 Km from central Pokhara City. The water fall directly goes into a deep and narrow canal with no ends. It is believed that this deadly waterfall took the life of a tourist named David, who fell down into the canel and was never found, and hence the name David waterfall, named in his memory by the people of Pokhara. This place has many nick names like Davy's Fall, David's Fall or Davis's Fall, all mean the same thing `The Davis Water Fall' Other Places to Visit Other places to visit in Pokhara are Barahi temple, situated in the middle of Phewa lake, Pokhara Museum, Annapurna Museum, Bindhyabasini temple, and World Peace Pagoda

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

NEPAL




Nepal (Nepali: नेपाल [neˈpaːl] (help·info)) is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the north and by India to the south, east and west. The Himalaya mountain range runs across Nepal's northern and western parts, and eight of the world's ten highest mountains, including the highest, Mount Everest, lie within its borders.
Historically, what is now Nepal was made up of many small kingdoms. The modern state was formed with the Unification of Nepal by Prithvi Narayan Shah on December 21, 1768. Until 2006, Nepal was a kingdom. Nepal is now a federal democratic republic.[3] Its recent history has involved struggles for democratic government with periods of direct monarchic rule. From 1996 until 2006, there was a Civil War between government forces and guerrillas of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist).
On December 28, 2007, the Interim Parliament passed a bill and declared Nepal to be a Federal Democratic Republic. The first meeting of the Constituent Assembly officially implemented that declaration on May 28, 2008.
Nepal is a multi-cultural, multi-linguistic and multi-religious country. For a relatively small country, Nepal has a diverse landscape, ranging from the humid Terai plains in the south to the mountainous Himalayas in the north, which makes it a major tourist destination. Hinduism is practiced by a large[specify] majority of the people, but the country also has a strong Buddhist tradition; Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha Siddhartha Gautama is located in the Terai, one of the three regions of Nepal.
The capital Kathmandu is the largest city in the country. The official language is Nepali and the state currency is the Nepalese Rupee (NPR).
Nepal's flag is the only national flag in the world that is non-quadrilateral in shape. The red in the flag stands for victory in war or courage, and is also color of the rhododendron, the national flower of Nepal. Red also stands for aggression. Blue border signifies peace. Red color bordered with blue color signifies that this aggression is bordered within peace. While the curved moon on the flag is a symbol of the peaceful and calm nature of Nepalese, the sun represents the aggressiveness of Nepalese warriors. This also signifies that as long as there is sun and moon in the sky Nepal will be there.