Nepal is popularly known as the country of the Himalayas in the world, but Nepal has much more to offer. This country is home to eight of the fourteen tallest mountains and is also rich in culture and tradition and has such varied biodiversity and geography, that it might leave you with surprise. With such a small size in area, the geographical diversity Nepal has, is amazing.
You can see the majestic and glorious mountains in the Mountain region, in Hilly region, you will find varied vegetation with beautiful pine trees and hills, and in Terai, you will find the plain roads with green and dancing paddy field. In all three regions, there is not just the difference in geography; there is difference in climate, way of life, ethnicity, language, the food they eat and many other. Nepal is rich in culture and tradition, where people speak 123 different languages, follow the customs as per their ethnicity rather the tradition, celebrates the different festival lasting from one day to ten days. Nepal is equally rich in rare flora and fauna of the world, where you can be lost in the wilderness of the jungle and explore them on your own.
Visiting Nepal and limiting yourself to one place isn’t enough to know Nepal, it is not even a bit if you want to unveil the real picture of Nepal. This multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, biodiversity-rich and the home of the Himalayas, country has a lot to offer if you are willing to take. So, here are some must visit of Nepal which will help you to know in a better way.
Kathmandu
Well, you cannot visit Nepal without setting your foot in Kathmandu, not to this date anyway. Nepal’s only international airport lies in the Kathmandu. This city is an ancient one and is a center of Nepal’s history, culture art, and economy.
Kathmandu Valley came into existence after the Manjushri cut the gorge of the lake in Chovar hill with his shining sword letting all the water drain out.
As I said Kathmandu is an ancient city, it has some famous heritage that has been listed in the list of World Heritage too. It won’t be wrong to say that Kathmandu is the gate to the wide tourism of Nepal. The Kathmandu Durbar Square, Asan, Thamel, Syambhunath, Boudhanath and Hanuman Dhoka are some prominent places to visit in Kathmandu. The amazing art you will find in those heritages, the history of existence, the style of the structures, distinctive cultures and way of life of locals, the crowded streets, and all these features of Kathmandu will certainly lure to explore more.
Bhaktapur
Bhaktapur, which means Place for Devotees, is an ancient Newar city located in the east corner of Kathmandu Valley. Bhaktapur is the city with the best-preserved palace courtyard and temples. Bhaktapur Durbar Square of Bhaktapur is on the list of World Heritage Site of UNESCO too.
Bhaktapur is the best destination for those who want to explore as this place is still untouched and is preserved. It is an important city in the matter of art and culture where there are several traditional architectures, historical craftwork, and monuments, windows made with amazing skills, pottery and weaving industries, exquisite temples, beautiful ponds, rich local customs, religion culture, distinctive festivals, mystical and many more.
Bhaktapur is home of Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Nyatapola Temple, BhairabNath Temple, DattateryaTempke, Changu Narayan Temple, KailashNathMahadev Statue and several other small temples. Siddha Pokhari is another famous thing of Bhaktapur, where devotes worship the Goddess Indrayani the next day of Indra Jatra.
JuJuDhau is another thing Bhaktapur is famous for. If you are wondering what JuJu Dhau is, then it is the curd, which is so delicious and melts so beautifully in your taste buds.
Patan Durbar Square
Patan Durbar Square is in the list of the UNESCO World Heritage list and is one of the main attractions for tourists. The Durbar Square is located in the heart of Lalitpur district and holds the ancient royal palace of Malla Kings of Lalitpur.
Patan Durbar Square also a major historical place for Newar architecture. The Durbar Square floors are tiled with red bricks; there are several temples and idols in the area. The main temples of the Square are aligned opposite of the western face of the palace. Krishna Mandir, Bhimsen Temple, Vishwanath Temple, TalejuBhawani Temple and many other small temples are what attracts the tourist and the amazing art those temples. Another great attraction of the Square is the Museum in Keshab Narayan Chowk. You can see the whole area filled with locals and foreigners especially during evening time.
Pokhara
Pokhara is one of the most beautiful cities of Nepal and a really popular one. It is known for its beautiful lake, stunning scenery and the magnificent views of the mountain. Pokhara isn’t far from Kathmandu; it takes around 5-6 hours drive from Kathmandu.
As I said, Pokhara is known as the home of several beautiful lakes and rivers. Phewa Lake, Rupa Lake, Begans Lake, Khas Tal, Maidi Tal, Niureni Tal, Gude Tal, Kashyap Tal, Kamal Pokhari Tal are the popular lakes of Pokhara. Also, Pokhara has some beautiful rives like Seti Gandaki, Kali Khola, Khaun Khola, Mardi Khola, Bijayput Khola and Yami Khola.
Apart from those beautiful lakes and rivers, Pokhara is rich in temples, church, and monasteries too. Tal Barahi Temple, Bindhyadini, Sitaladevi Temple, Bhadrakali Temple, Kumari Temple, Kedareshwar Mahadev Mani Temple, Matepani Gompa, World peace pagoda, Monastery (Hemja), Nepal Christiya Ramghat Church (first church of Nepal) are some of the religious sites of Pokhara.
From Pokhara, you can see the beautiful view of mountains like Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, and Machhapuchre. Mahendra Cave, Chamere Gufa (Bat Cave) and Gupteshwor Cave are the popular caves of Pokhara. Another attraction of Pokhara is David’s fall, which is the deepest waterfall located in the south-west of Pokhara.
Lumbini
Lumbini is the birthplace of Lord Gautam Buddha. Buddha was born on 623 B.C in Lumbini. Undoubtedly it is the most sacred pilgrimage site for Buddhist and a place to pay a visit, I mean, visiting the birthplace of Lord Buddha is once in lifetime experience.
There are several other monasteries in the area by different countries like India, Myanmar, Thailand, and others. The area is spread in the area of over 1.95 hector. Another attraction of Lumbini is the Ashoka Pillar, which was built by the great Indian Emperor Ashoka himself during the time of his visit to the birthplace of Buddha back in 249 B.C.
Janakpur
Now, you must even if you are of different religion and different nationality, but you must have heard of Lord Ram and Sita. Lord Ram is considered as the incarnation of God Vishnu. Janakpur is the place where Ram and Sita got married, making this one of the sacred pilgrimage sites for Hindus. During that time King Janak used to be the king of Janakpur and Sita was his daughter.
Thousands of pilgrims visit Janakpur years; however during Ram Navami festival, the place gets flooded by devotes as this is the place where Ram and Sita got married.
Mustang
Mustang is one of the most popular tourists as well as a holiday destination of Nepal. Mustang is an ancient forbidden kingdom of Nepal, bordered by Tibetan plateau and sheltered by beautiful peaks like Dhaulagiri and Annapurna.
Mustang is rich in natural beauty, the ancient cultures, and a historical culture which was forbidden for foreigners till 1992. Mustang has some unique festivals like Tiji Festival, beautiful monasteries, diverse flora and fauna, and lifestyle which are still untouched by the world.
Langtang Valley
Langtang lies in the region of Himalayas of Nepal. Apart from its breathtaking natural scenery, Langtang is famous for Langtang National Park. People living in this region follow the primitive way of living. Majority of the inhabitants are Tamang. The National Park has about 25% of its area covered by forest which includes pine, oak, maple and various types of rhododendron. The wildlife of park includes Himalayan Black bear, red pandas, rhesus monkey and the goat-like Himalayan tahr and there are stories of Yeti sightings too.
Your visit to Langtang will let you discover the magnificent views of the Himalayas, the diverse flora, and fauna and the cultural heritage. Trekking, white-water rafting and climbing are another popular activity of the area.
Gosainkunda Lake
Gosainkunda is famous as both religious and tourist destination. Gosainkunda is one of the important pilgrimage sites of Hindu. The water of Gosainkunda Lake is considered holy and of particular significance during the festival of Gangadashahara and Janai Purnima when thousands of pilgrimage pays visits from Nepal as well as India.
Gosainkunda is a famous trekking route too as the trek adjoins the Langtang Valley. During your trek to Gosainkunda, you will witness the beautiful valleys, delightful forest and majestic views of the Himalayas.
Panch Pokhari
Panch Pokhari is a group of five Hindu holy lakes which is also the 9th highest altitude wetland in the world. Panch Pokhari is located at the Sindupalchowk District of Nepal. It is also a famous trekking destination. Many Hindu, as well as Buddhist pilgrims, visit Panch Pokhari during the festival of Janai Purnima. You will experience the rich culture, natural beauty, and witness the excellent views of the mountain.
Tilicho Lake
Tilicho Lake is located at Manang district at an elevation of 4,919 meters and is one of the highest lakes in the world. Tilicho Lake is popular with pilgrims as well as tourists. It is the destination of one of the most popular side hikes of Annapurna Circuit trek.
Now, talking of religious significance, Hindus believe that Tilicho Lake is the ancient Kak Bhusundi Lake which is mentioned in the epic Ramayana making it the significant pilgrimage site for Hindus. Also, Tilicho lake is the one of the highest ever altitude scuba dive.
Sagarmatha National Park
Sagarmatha National Park is the protected area in Himalayas of Nepal which ranges from the elevation of 2,845 to 8,848 meters at the summit of Mount Everest. The park offers you the best landscapes views, rich vegetation, diverse fauna which includes 118 species of birds and excellent views of the Himalayas.
Chitwan National Park
Chitwan National Park is the first national park of Nepal and is in the list of World Heritage Site of UNESCO. Chitwan National Park is the best place to discover the amazing biodiversity where 700 species of wildlife, 68 species of mammals, around 600 species of birds and varied vegetation can be found. Also, you will encounter the distinctive ethnic group of Nepal, Tharu Community, who have isolated themselves from the world and prefers to live in a primitive way. Where is the better place to study such biodiversity and explore such a unique culture?
Everest Base Camp
Everest Base Camp trek is one of the major attraction for tourists visiting Nepal. Going up to the base camp of the Mount Everest is undoubtedly a worthy adventure. This trek will take you up to the elevation of 5,364 meters. This journey will certainly give you the magnificent views of those glorious mountains, but apart from that, you will also get to discover the beautiful valleys, villages and small towns on the way. Lukla, Namche Bazaar are small towns that give you a closer look at the like of people and the ecstatic feel ever, say it is the beauty of that place. Kala Patthar is another famous detour which gives the closer look of the Mount Everest.
Annapurna Circuit Trek
Annapurna Circuit trek will give you the best views of Himalayas as this trek is within the Annapurna mountain range of central Nepal. The trek is equally adventurous and exhilarating where you will pass the highest point at Thorung La pass (5,416 meters). The breathtaking scenery of mountain includes Annapurna I-IV, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, Gangapirna, Tilicho Peak, Macchapuchhre, Pisang Peak, and Paungda Danda.
Annapurna Circuit Trek often gets voted as the best long-distance trek in the world. It is a trek that every adventure and nature lover wants to accomplish.
Nagarkot
Nagarkot is best known as one of the most scenic spots in the Bhaktapur District. Located at the distance of 28 km from the Kathmandu International Airport, Nagarkot is at an elevation of 2,000 meters/7,000 ft. It offers the spectacular sunrise view of the Himalayas which includes Mount Eve rest and other peaks of the Himalayan range of eastern Nepal. It also offers the best panoramic view of Kathmandu. Nagarkot is a famous spot for locals to hang out with friends and family and trekking for tourists.
Illam
Illam is the heaven of Eastern Nepal. Illam is most famous for the magnificent landscapes, natural scenery, diverse agricultural economy and tea production. This place offers the peaceful walk in the tea garden, the chance to discover the unique cultural set, delightful views of the forest, distinctive bazaar, the best place for a picnic, horse/pony ride, and the excellent sunrise view from Antu Dada.
Boudha
Boudha is a stupa in the Kathmandu valley with massive mandala making it one of the largest spherical stupas in Nepal. It is on the list if the World Heritage Site list of UNESCO and one of the most popular sites. Undoubtedly it is one of the famous pilgrimage sites for Buddhist and always filled with locals and tourist.
Swayambhunath
Swayambhunath is the ancient religious architecture situated in the top hill of Kathmandu. According to the history, Manjushri has a vision of the lotus at Swayambu, and later he cut a gorge at Chovar draining all the water from the lake. That lotus got transformed into a lake, and the flower became the stupa.
Swayambhunath is also known as the Monkey Temple and as the name suggests there are many monkeys in the area. Those monkeys are considered holy and believed to have transformed as a monkey from the head lice of Manjushri. Swayambhunath also has a unique architecture in the temples and stupas.
Located at the top of the hill, Swayambhunath offers the best view of the whole Kathmandu Valley.
Pashupatinath
Pashupatinath is the most famous and sacred site for Hindus. Pashupatinath is also in the list of World Heritage Site if UNESCO and is located at the bank of the holy river, Bagmati. Pashupatinath worships Lord Shiva, and there are hundreds of temples in the area. Every day hundreds of devotees visit the temple to offer their prayer to the God, and during the festival of Maha Shivaratri, around 1 million visit here from the different parts of the world.
Phuksundo Lake
Phuksundo Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes of Nepal which lies at an elevation of 3,611.5 meters in Dolpa District. This beautiful lake also has religious significance with more than 20 stupas in the southern belt and one gompa in the east side of the lake. You can find the traditional Tibetan culture in that area.
Dhulikhel
Dhulikhel is located at the Kavrepalanchowk district and about 30km southeast from the Kathmandu. From Dhulikhel, you will see the perfect panoramic views of mountain peaks, and when the blue haze covers the lower portion of the mountain, they look like they have been floating. You can also so bird watching and butterfly watching from various points in Dhulikhel Municipality.
You will find several temples in Dhulikhel that depicts traditional Newari craftsmanship. There are several old Hindu shrines and Buddhist stupas in the old city of Dhulikhel. The Narayan Temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna, and it has a yellow metal roof. There are other temples too including Harisiddhi Temple and Bhagwati Temple dedicated to the Goddess Bhagwati and is in pagoda style.
Tengboche Monastery
Tengboche Monastery is also known as Dawa Choling Gompa or Thyangboche Monastery situated in the Khumbu region. It is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery of the Sherpa community. This monastery is the largest gompa in the Khumbu region of Nepal and is situated at 3,867 meters. This monastery is in the area of Sagarmatha National Park and gives you the magnificent panoramic view of the beautiful mountains Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Tawache, and Thamserku. Tengboche is the Sacred Sites Trail Project of Sagarmatha National Park. It is a circular trail that covers ten monasteries in the clockwise direction and ends at Tengboche.
Khaptad National Park
Khaptad National Park is the protected area of Far-Western Region. This National Park has a landscape which consists of moorland, streams and steep slopes. There are 567 species of flora which chir pine-rhododendron forest, oak forest and Himalayan fir-hemlock-oak forest and alder forest in the riverine areas.
There are 23 mammals, 23 amphibians and reptiles and 287 birds. Leopard, Himalayan black bear, musk deer, and wild dog are symbolic mammal species of the park. Impeyan pheasant, white-rumped vulture, and peregrine falcon are the symbolic species of the park.
Bhote Koshi
Bhote Koshi is also known as Poiqu in Tibet, and it is the upper river course of Sun Koshi. Bote Koshi is famous for both rafting and kayaking. Bhote Koshi is the steepest river rafted in Nepal, with a gradient of 15 minutes per kilometers. Bhote Koshi bungee jump is also the most thrilling experience one can get and has been described as the “ultimate experience.” Bungee Jump takes place in the 160 meters above the Bhote Koshi.
Bhote Koshi River carves a steep and direct drop at the top that gradually eased to more places streams and calmer pools which has 46-km runs at the Lamosungs dam. It would be best to go for Bhote Koshi river if you are looking for some most thrilling adventure.
Rara Lake
Rara Lake is one of the most popular lakes in Nepal. No doubt the lake is beautiful, it also has religious value. Rara is the biggest and deepest freshwater lake in the Nepal Himalayas and lies at an altitude of 2,990 meters above sea level.
Rara Lake is the main feature of Rara National Park and has unique flora and fauna with are very rare and vulnerable species. Beautiful scenery surrounds the lake, and as the lake is situated at a very high altitude, you will see the lake is surrounded by Rara National Park with delightful pine, spruce, and juniper forest. The magnificent view of the Himalayas you can see while rowing the boat is not something you can find anywhere.
Now talking about the religious importance of the lake, it is believed that god Thakur shot an arrow to open the passage of the lake to reduce the damage caused by flooding. You can find a Thakur Baba’s Temple in the southeast corner of the Rara Lake.
Bardiya National Park
Bardiya National Park is the largest and most undisturbed national park in Nepal. The park was established in 1998, and it covers an area of 968 km2. Bardiya National Park is one of the major attraction for tourists visiting Nepal as it provides a chance to witness a wide variety of wildlife and fauna.
You can find the beautiful and delightful forest of grassland, savannah and riverine. The recorded flora of the park is 839 species of flora. Thanks to the wide vegetation of forest, it provides excellent habitat to 642 faunal species.
The park is habitat for 125 recorded species of fish. Also, there are mugger crocodiles, 23 reptiles, and amphibian species. Not only this, but the park is also home to 53 mammals which include Bengal tiger, one-horned rhinoceros, and Gangetic dolphin. There are also 407 species of birds including lesser florican and sarus.
So, if you want to explore the vast biodiversity and enjoy the nature, then Bardia National Park is the very right place to pay a visit.
Suklaphanta
Suklaphanta lies in the south-west of Nepal in Kanchanpur district of Mahakali zone. The major attraction of Suklaphanta is Suklaphanta National Park. The park was established in 1976, and it covers an area of 305 km2. The park is very rich in flora as well as fauna.
There are around 700 species of flora which includes 553 vascular plants, 18 pteridophytes, 410 dicots and 125 monocots. The large and open grasslands and wetlands around the lakes of the park have provided a habitat for a wide range of fauna. There are 28 species of fish, 12 species of reptiles and amphibian in the rivers, lakes, and ponds of the park. There are 46 species of mammals including Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, and swamp deer. Total 423 species of birds has been recorded from the park.
With the very wide availability of wildlife and flora, your visit to Suklaphanta will give you an opportunity to explore the species and plants you have never seen, and you will also get to know the culture of western Nepal, which are very distinctive, from the language to lifestyle.