Monsoon season starts in Nepal
by bijay on June 17, 2010
The monsoon season has finally started in Nepal giving a respite from the hot and humid condition prevailing before its arrival. Rain has been recorded in most part of the countries. A bit of caution: it does not rain continuously and it rains at night, in many instances, so there are several things that you can do even during this period.
Although it might be a bit difficult to travel – with slippery trails, bulging rivers – and not so fun with the fog covering the sceneries; trekking is possible even during this period. For trekking in the hills, take necessary precautions like having a raincoat, covering your backpack with plastics, taking some salt to deal with the leeches that you encounter on the way, a trekking pole for support, water treatment solutions.
This means that there are certain activities that are off limits to travelers like jungle safari in Chitwan and Bardia and some activities that are difficult to do like mountain flight, ultralight flight, paragliding. City tours are not affected. Find more about what you can do during this period in the link – seasons for travelers in Nepal.
East Asian tourists make up a significant portion of travelers to Nepal
by bijay on June 16, 2010
This article is about the report about the ever growing proportion of the East Asian tourists in Nepal published in Xinhua News Website.
The article argues that the East Asian tourists make a significant portion of travelers to Nepal – 26.5 percent of total visitors in 2009. It also mentions the increasing trend of travelers to Nepal from this region. The article gives the credit for this increase to the visitors’ increased income, wish to visit the birthplace of the Gautam Buddha and the increased air connectivity between this region and Kathmandu, Nepal.
The article also mentions the importance tourism entrepreneurs and promoters are placing on the arrivals from that regions. However, the number of guides who can speak the languages of that region is quite few and tourists will face some problem with the communication during their stay in Nepal. This area is being seriously looked into by the tourism entrepreneurs and the government and it is expected that necessary arrangements are made to handle the inbound tourists for the Visit Nepal Year 2011.
For full article, visit this link.
If you need guides who speak a particular language, use this link to find one.
Maoists’ strikes and travel to Nepal
by anamika on May 3, 2010
Maoists’ called nationwide strikes have entered the second day. The streets in Kathmandu are deserted with maoists supporters present in every intersection to stop the vehicles plying on the road. However, tourist vehicles are allowed to operate. Nepal Tourism Board has provided a shuttle service to and from the airport to help travelers reach their destinations.
If you are already Kathmandu bound by plane, you need not worry that much about the strikes. Although you might not be able to enjoy the life around here as much as the normal times, you could move around here, mostly in rickshaws, bicycles or by walking. Use as much as air service while moving around. If you intend to go trekking, then you should be able to use the domestic airlines to reach the nearest airport to the trekking routes starting point.
I must stress that tourists have not been harmed during the strikes and the organizers have given assurances about the safety of travelers visiting Nepal.
Things are uncertain and we do not know how this will play out. The chances of violence are quite few at this time and people are hoping it to remain so.
Nepal Tourism Year 2011 launched in Kathmandu
by bijay on March 2, 2010
Nepal Tourism Board has launched Nepal Tourism Year 2011 amidst a function in Kathmandu on February 26, 2010. Nepal aims to welcome a million visitors in 2011.
The event was well attended by the leaders of the political parties, industrialists, tourism entrepreneurs and the citizens. The major talking point of the event was the pledge by nineteen political parties not to call strikes and conduct other activities that might affect the the movement of tourists and the service providers.
This has given a fresh hope to the common people and the tourism entrepreneurs about the future without strikes, which has been like a daily occurrence in Nepal.
One concern that is in the minds of many tourism observers is whether Nepal has the sufficient infrastructure to handle such levels of tourism arrivals. Hope things will be worked out just at the right moment so that Nepal can benefit from the travel dollars.
Nepal sees an increase in tourists’ arrival in January 2010
by bijay on February 1, 2010
Nepal has seen an increased arrivals of tourists in the first month of the new decade. The tourists arrival by air posted a positive growth of around 19 percent year on year.
This might be down to the increased connection of many countries to Kathmandu, Nepal by air. Many airlines from the Europe, Middle East, South Asia have started their services, increased the frequency to cater to a growing number of travelers to Nepal.
With the aim of bringing a million travelers to Nepal, this is a boost for the Nepali tourism industry and the government authorities promoting travel to Nepal. Hope this increase in number could be sustained by the political stability and a good security condition.
Machhapuchhare Model Trek opened in Kaski district
by anamika on December 15, 2009
At the time when roads are encroaching on the pristine trekking areas especially in the Annapurna region of Nepal, a model trek route has been opened in the Kaski district, near Pokhara. Minister of State for Tourism and Civil Aviation Shatrughna Prasad Singh Koiri inaugurated the Machhapuchhare Model Trekking trail amidst a function in Pokhara last week. The trekking trail covers seven village development committees – Lahachowk, Ghachowk, Machhapuchhare, Rivan, Lwangghalel, Dhital and Sardikhola VDC – in Kaski district.
The trail can be completed in 3 to 14 days of trekking and starts from either Hemja or Kharapani of Sardikhola. This accommodation of the Machhapuchhare trek route is a combination of home stay at lower altitude locations like Mishra, Deprang, Lwangghalel, Tarku and Tushe and camping at higher altitude locations like Hile Kharka, Khumai, Tilicho Kharka, Meshrum Kharka, Lalka.
The route is being managed by local Machhapuchhare Tourism Development Committee after being handed over by the Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) Pokhara Chapter.
Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research – North South (NCCR N-S) has developed the new trail in consultation with the trekking operators and the local community.
More than 2.5 million rupees has been invested in preparing the infrastructures for the trail like porter shelter, trekking trail, drinking water, camping sites.
This is a good news for the trekking enthusiasts who are attracted to Nepal to try the new trekking trail and also for the local community of that region to host the guests.
New airlines to fly to Nepal
by anamika on December 14, 2009
Indian private airlines SpiceJet and Kingfisher are planning to fly to Nepal from the summer of 2010.
SpiceJet is a budget airline that was operating domestically in India for the last five years. SpiceJet has appointed Zenith Travel as the General Sales Agent (GSA) with immediate effect. The airline is expected to start service in the Delhi Kathmandu sector from June 2010 on a daily basis.
Kingfisher Airlines, a airline catering to premium class of travelers, is expected to start service from either Banglore or Mumbai via New Delhi from end of July 2010.
This is a good news for the Nepali travel entrepreneurs as it will surely bring more visitors to Nepal, crucially for the Nepal Tourism Year 2011. This has been possible due to the revised Air Service Agreement between the government of Nepal and India in September 2010.
Now the hospitality industry in Nepal should prepare itself to better cater to the needs of the surge of tourists visiting Nepal so that they can have a worthwhile experience to share with their friends and families. Otherwise we are going to lose in the the medium and long run. Are we prepared for that?
Nepal to host travel symposium to attract LGBT visitors
by anamika on December 10, 2009
US-based Community Marketing Inc., a leader in gay and lesbian market research, has teamed up with human rights organization Blue Diamond Society, and a number of private tour operators to host an LGBT tourism symposium on February 26 in Nepal. The event, supported by several Nepal-based tourism organizations, is the first of its kind in Asia. Although the program has not yet been announced 200 representatives of travel and tour operators, airlines, and journalists are expected to show up. Officials are hoping for a huge influx of LGBT tourists. Nepal legalized homosexuality in 2007 and has introduced a slew of new laws that will further protect gay men and lesbians.
Article courtesy of Global Cocktail
Contract of hotels inside Chitwan National Park extended
by anamika on December 2, 2009
The government of Nepal has decided to extend the contract of the seven hotels which were operating inside the Chitwan National Park by three years. The government has came to this conclusion after the row in the contract extension surfaced several months back leading the closure of the hotels and resorts.
This is a good news for travel industry in Nepal and a boost to the Nepal Tourism Year 2011. The hotels and resorts inside the park provide an unique experience to the tourists who visit the Chitwan National Park. Although those hotels could not cater to the tourists in the peak season, the resumption of service should clear the confusion surrounding the fate of the hotels. The services of those hotels are expected to resume shortly.
flydubai to start flight between Dubai and Kathmandu
by anamika on November 27, 2009
flydubai, the first budget airline of Dubai, will start direct flight service between Kathmandu, Nepal and Dubai, UAE from December 15, 2009. This is the eleventh destination for the airline.
The airline will offer four flights per week (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday) between the destinations. The airline flies to destinations in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asian region.
This should help people who travel to Nepal find better air connectivity and should promote the flow of people between these two destinations and other destinations, particularly in the middle east. Nepali migrant workers, particularly in the UAE will benefit from the cheap airfare offered by the airline. This will also help meeting the target of hosting one million visitors to Nepal during Nepal Tourism Year 2011.
