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Adventure &
Outdoor Activities :
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National Parks & Wildlife
Reserves |
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What’s unique about Nepal is
that a 30-minute flight
north can take you to the
highest mountains in the
world, while a 30-minute
flight south can take you to
the hot sweltering plains
where large tracts of land
are covered in sub-tropical
jungles. Much of these
jungles are preserved as
national parks and are home
to a large variety of
diverse wildlife including
endangered species.
A wonderful way to see
wildlife is to go on an
elephant safari. Other
activities include guided
nature walks, silent canoe
trips and jeep safaris which
take you to the heart of the
jungle in search of the
one-horned rhinoceros, Royal
Bengal tigers, leopards,
many species of deer,
crocodiles, etc. and an
exotic mix of birds.
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Bungy Jumping |
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Besides mountains,
spectacular monuments and a
rich, diverse culture, Nepal
also has one of the most
fascinating bungy sites in
the world. Located near the
Arniko highway that leads to
Tibet, the jump site is a
bridge that sits 160m above
a gorge through which the
Bhote Koshi river rushes
down. Standing on the bridge
and jumping off towards the
river far below, is the
ultimate experience for any
thrill seeking adventurer.
The bungy was designed by
one of New Zealand’s leading
bungy consultants. The
bridge has been especially
designed for bungy jumping
with a 4X-safety factor and
has a loading capacity of
41,000 kg or 4.5 tons.
Safety is given the highest
priority, and the entire
operation here is handled by
a bungy expert with vast
experience. After
instructions each
individual’s weight is taken
as different cords are used
for different weight
categories. Bungy is part of
the facilities of the Last
Resort, where accommodation
is availbable and other
activities offered are:
white water rafting down the
gushing Bhote Koshi,
rapelling down the canyon (canyoning)
or short treks. |
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Paragliding |
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Paragliding is yet another
adventure sport that is
gaining popularity in Nepal.
The thrill of flying off a
hilltop can be exhilarating
and a wonderful way to get a
bird’s eye-view.
Flying next to the eagles,
kites and vultures can be an
experience of a lifetime.
The view of course can be
unbelievable as you look
down on temple tops,
villages, terraced farmland,
meandering rivers and the
shining white peaks of the
Himalayas.
The best time to take off
into the air in Nepal is
from November through
February, the recommended
months being November and
December. Although it is
winter, the conditions are
milder than summer alpine
and the topography and
climate of Nepal make it the
ideal destination for such
sport. The beautiful, vast
valleys of Nepal with
subtropical conditions
provide plenty of thermals
and produce perfect “cloud
streets” which are ideal for
paragliders.
The most popular site at
present is the Pokhara
valley, which enjoys
beautiful views of the lakes
and the glorious Annapurna
range that can be seen from
anywhere. At altitudes
ranging from 800 m to 2100
m, you can enjoy
unparalleled views and the
thrill is one of a kind.
Various programs suited for
both the seasoned
paragliding enthusiast and
novices are available. For
beginners, there are
introductory courses and
tandem flights (where you
fly with an instructor), for
the inexperienced. At 6,000
ft all you have to do is let
the pilot take you through
the skies and the experience
is incomparable. All you
need is a short briefing
from the experienced pilot.
The takeoff site at Sarankot
height (1592m) is built on
the 45 m by 45m clearing cut
out of the slope overlooking
Phewa lake. With the lake
2000 feet below and the
mountains behind, you could
not ask for a more
picturesque site.
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Motor Gliding (Ultralight
Aircraft) |
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The Ultralight Aircraft
offers you a soaring
experience through the most
beautiful scenery on earth.
The BIMAN-1 is a two-seater
(passenger and pilot)
ultra-light craft capable of
a speed of 50 to 130 km per
hour. This is a combination
of an adventure trip and a
journey through nature
giving you bird’s-eye views
of the snow peaks, clear
blue lakes, deep gorges and
forests of Pokhara.
The flights operate from
Pokhara airport beginning
from September through June.
The flight takes place from
sunrise to 11 a.m. and from
3 p.m. to sunset every day
during these months. |
Packages offered are:
1. The fun flight (15
minutes): This flight takes
you over Pokhara city, Phewa
lake, near Sarangkot hill,
over the Buddha Monastery
and to the south side of the
city. This short flight will
give you a panoramic view of
the whole Annapurna range,
with a view of another 8000m
peak- Dhaulagiri, in the
distance. A great way to see
Pokhara for those with
limited time.
2. Pokhara-A bird’s eye view
(30 minutes): This fight
gives you a wider view of
one of the most beautiful
cities of Nepal from higher
up. You will fly over the
Tibetan Refugee camp and
further on to Lamachaur, on
the northern part of the
Valley. The view is awesome.
The mighty Annapurna ranges
(over 8000 m) and the
Fishtail Mountain seen from
above is simply
unbelievable.
3. Sky Trek (1 hour): If you
have trekked around Nepal,
this will complement the
trip. This flight takes you
over Pokhara city, Phewa
lake, Sarangkot hill, over
the Buddhist Monastery, the
Tibetan Refugee Camp and
past Lamachaur to the north.
Flying at an altitude of
9,000 ft above sea level,
you will fly close to the
Fishtail Mountain, and over
the hidden Seti Valley. This
is one flight you will not
regret making as you will go
back with memories of
glorious views. |
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Mountain Flight |
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You may have trekked through
most of Nepal and been up
close to the mountains. But
you have not seen rows and
rows of snowy peaks. Take a
mountain flight to catch the
astounding spectacle of
range after range of
mountains stretching to the
horizon that seems to end
with a chain of mountains--
all this from the comfort of
an aircraft seat. The pilot
takes you close to and over
the mountains providing an
enchanting view of the
majesty of the Himalayas.
This spectacular flight
takes off from TIA airport
in Kathmandu and brings you
back in about an hour.
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Hot Air Ballooning |
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The hot air balloon tour is
a new attraction in Nepal.
It offers an hour of thrill
floating high over Kathmandu
with a bird’s-eye view of
the whole valley as well as
a panorama of the majestic
Himalayas.
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Cable Car |
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The Cable Car takes you on a
thrilling 15 minutes
spiritual ride steep uphill
to the Manakamana Temple
(The temple of the wish
fulfilling Goddess) offering
you a spectacular view of
the river valley and the
Himalayas. Legend has it
that Goddess Manakamana
fulfills all wishes of the
devotees. It is a cultural
experience and a unique look
into Nepali people’s faith
in religion. People from all
casts and religions flock to
the temple to have their
wishes fulfilled. For the
more adventurous travelers,
there is also an alternate
route that follows the
traditional trail leading
steep uphill for about 5
hours of stiff trek to the
hilltop temple of Manakamana.
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Golf |
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Though the golf in Nepal
began in 1917 this sport
gained noticeable popularity
only in the recent years.
Gokarna Forest Golf Resort (GFGR)
is Nepal’s first and only
international standard 18
holes gulf course. There are
other gulf clubs around
Nepal offering 9 holes gulf
course. |
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Mountain Biking |
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Mountain biking is a
challenging and at the same
time fun way to explore and
discover the hidden
treasures of Nepal. It can
take you to areas that see
little tourists, where
traditional rural lifestyle
has remained unchanged for
centuries.
Throughout any biking trip
whether in Kathmandu valley
or anywhere else in Nepal,
the fabulous view of the
snow capped mountains and
emerald valleys, lakes and
terraced fields will not
fail to amaze you. It also
takes you on a rewarding
journey of discovery where
the lifestyle and culture of
different ethnic groups of
Nepal (there are over 60
ethnic groups) will
fascinate you. Further more,
you can interact with the
ever smiling and friendly
people.
Biking tours can be a scenic
day trip or a much longer
one. For those biking
enthusiasts, we can even
arrange a real adventure on
bikes from Lhasa, the
Tibetan capital to the
Everest Base Camp through
starkly beautiful Tibetan
terrain crossing over 17,000
feet high passes. |
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Pony Trek |
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Pony trek is a great way to
experience the Nepal
Himalayas without too much
stress. It is especially
catered to those who want to
avoid the strain of daily
hiking and also for those
who long for a respite from
the tiring treks. Pony treks
can be arranged for most
trekking routes in Nepal. It
can be a full-length pony
trek or short treks
depending on where you want
to go and how long you want
to be on the saddle. |
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Boating |
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Nepal has some beautiful
scenic locations for
boating. Pokhara’s Phewa
lake is the most popular
destination for travelers
wanting to indulge in
recreational boating. It is
the second largest lake in
the kingdom, which measures
roughly 1.5km by 4 km and is
the most easily accessible.
It’s eastern shore,
popularly known as the
lakeside, is the tourist hub
of Pokhara. Begnas Tal and
Rupa Tal are two
alternatives which are less
crowded and extremely
beautiful lakes, located 15
km from Pokhara along the
Pokhara - Kathmandu road.
Both these lakes offer some
splendid boating
opportunities.
Boats are on hire on an
hourly basis or you can hire
it for the entire day. Your
can either row around
yourself or hire a boatman,
the former being definitely
a better option, especially
if you intend to relax or
take an short excursion to
the village across the lake.
At Phewa lake you have many
choices: paddle driven
boats, row boats or sail
boats. The latter is a
recent development, but a
great way to relax and enjoy
the tranquility of the lake.
It is worth the money you
spend. Another choice before
you is whether you want a
fiber body sailboat and the
wooden ones. |
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