| The
City of Devotees : 
ITINERARIES We present here our standard itineraries
designed for specific time frames that are available to our visitors. These are
by no means comprehensive, and we shall be only too glad to design for you itineraries
to suit your time frame and budget in whichever area you may want to visit. Please
do not hesitate in contacting us. SIGHTSEEING ITINERARI
Kathmandu Valley -6 Days Culture Day 01 Arrive Kathmandu
PM: Kathmandu City and Swayambhunath Day 02 AM: Bhaktapur
City and Thimi PM: Patan City and Tibetan Handicraft Centre Day 03
AM: Mountain Flight PM: At leisure Day 04 AM: Dakshinkali,
Shesh Narayan Chover Gorge PM: At leisure Day 05 AM: Pashupatinath
and Boudhanath PM: At leisure Day 06 Full day at leisure
till departure transfer Book
This Tour/Trek Kathmandu & Pokhara - 5 days Culture and Excursion
Day 01 Arrive Kathmandu PM Kathmandu City and Swayambhunath
Day 02 Transfer by flight to Pokhara PM: Pokhara Sightseeig
Day 03 Transfer to Kathmandu by car PM Patan City and Tibetan
Handicraft Centre Day 04 Bhaktapur City and Thimi PM: At
leisure Day 05 Full day at leisure till departure transfer. Book
This Tour/Trek Kathmandu
and Chitwan - 6 days Culture and Wildlife Day 01 Arrive Kathmandu
PM Kathmandu City and Swayambhunath Day 02 AM: Drive to Royal
Chitwan National Park PM: Elephant Safari Day 03 Full day
Jungle and Wildlife activities Day 04 AM: Jungle and Wildlife
activities PM: Drive back to Kathmandu Day 05 AM: Dakshinkali.
Enroute see Shesh Narayan Chovar Gorge PM: At leisure Day 06
Full day at leisure till departure transfer Book
This Tour/Trek
Best
Nepal Tour, Trekking, Rafting, Jungle Safari with Mountain Flight Day
01 -- 25 June--Arrive Kathmandu PM Kathmandu City and Swayambhunath Day 02
-- 26 June -- Kathmandu to Sundarijal by drive and walk up to Chisapani Day
03 -- 27 June -- Full Day Trek Chisapani to Nagarkot Day 04 -- 28 June --
Drive back to Kathmandu and Further to Kurintar for Rafting and Hotel Check in
Chitwan Natinal Day 05 -- 29 June -- Full day wildlife activities in Chitwan
National Park Day 06 -- 30 June -- Drive Back to Kathmandu Day 07 -- 01
June -- Transfer to Airport for mountain flight and after everest mountain flight
drive to International airport for final departure.
Book
This Tour/Trek Dakshinkali and Sheshnarayan
The drive is romantic. You leave the valley, pass the gorge called Chovar that
Manjushri made with his burning sword of wisdom. Past terraced fields and ochre
huts, past forests, past a pool said to be filled with legendary treasures of
a Snake King, past idyllic villages and verdant valleys and then suddenly almost
floating in the river is the open-air shrine of Dakshinkali, where four gilded
serpents canopy an image so old it could have been carved by time itself. Here
sacrifices are made to the Mother Goddess Kali so that on Tuesdays and Saturdays
the river runs red with blood. To propitiate Kali, is to have ones boons answered
and to propitiate the much venerated Dakshinkali or Kali of the south is to bring
good fortune to the family. Incongruously atop a nearby mountain is a Buddhist
monastery curtained in prayer flags so that the blood shed in the river is not
seen by the shrine itself. The monastery is one that overlooks nearby Shesh Narayan
where Hindus and Buddhists alike come to worship. For Hindus it is where the beloved
Krishna rested after an epic war and was fed with milk that dripped miraculously
from a rock shaped like the teat of a cow. For Buddhists Shesh Narayan becomes
Pharping, where the ascetic Guru Padmasambhava is said to have battled evil and
triumphed. Call it Pharping or Shes Narayan, but find here clear pools of water,
which barely conceal the remnants of a prehistoric temple, find here fine carving
in stone of Kings and Queens and Gods and Goddesses and find here a newly built
monastery embellished with scroll paintings and religious artifacts from Tibet.
But find mostly here a sylvan calm. Changu Narayan
Arguably the oldest temple site in the valley, Changu Narayan is ten
kilometer away from Bhaktapur, and perched delicately atop a hill has commanding
views of the valley. The old temple is gone. Some say a clestial earthquake felled
it. What remains are the inscriptions from the 5th century AD talking of miraculous
happenings and of a King called Manadev II. View Over the Hilltops.
Dhulikhel, Nagarkot, Kakani, Phulchowki, Godavari
The sunsets in Nepal are spectacular just as sunrises are dramatic. Three perfect
viewing points perched on the run of the valley, offer panoramic views of majestic
mountains catching fire at dawn as the sun rises or lingering in a symphony of
colors at dusk. An unforgettable experience. Dhulikhel, 30 kilometers away from
Kathmandu offers sweeping views from Cho-Oyu in the east to the Annapurnas in
the west. A half hour walk to an temple, Bhagwati, makes the trip back much more
exciting. Nagarkot, thirty two kilometers from Kathmandu, is a drive on a road
that snakes through the peaceful countryside, clusters of villages, tall pine
forests and downs of grass. From here on a clear day you can see all the way to
Everest. Kakani is reached via the Balaju Water Gardens and is a thirty two kilometer
drive away from Kathmandu. Kakani offers breathtaking views of Ganesh Himal, Langtang,
Himalchuli and Manaslu. Each place has its addicts. All three make Himalaya viewing
at sunset forever memorable. Pulchowki-Godavari, at 9050 feet above sea level,
Pulchowki towers above in Kathmandu valley and is the highest point on the valley
wall. The base of Pulchowki sweeps into the Royal Botanical Gardens where flowers
and butterflies and running brooks and a natural calm impresses itself on the
mind as does a wide variety of Himalayan birds. Nearby is an early AD temple which
tradition has as the source of the river Godavari. A buddihst shrine caps
Phulchowki and a jeepable road winds through Rhododendrons and pine forests, to
it. From here spectacular views of the valley and the high Himalayas.
Chinese Border The Chinese border trip to Kodari's
Friendship Bridge over the Bhotekosi is not unlike a journey to the edge of the
earth, for this is the ultimate point in the Kingdom from where it is possible
to glimpse Tibet, the land of numerous legends and possibly the last of the 'Forbidden
Territories' in the world today. A pleasant drive along the Sunkosi River snakes
through the shifting scenes of mountainous terrain, rushing waterfalls, natural
hot-springs and scattered Sherpa villages. This is the lowest mointain pass to
Tibet. Kodari can be reached in a little more than four hours, leisurely, unusual
attractions like the visit to a typical Tibetan village, Khasa, where photography
is forbidden. Aside from viewing the typical Tibetan rural life, a stamp on your
passport from the Tibetan Border Patrol. A combination trip to Dhulikhel
at sunrise would make it unforgettable. Kathmandu
& Chitwan - 6 days Culture and Excursion Day 01
Arrive Kathmandu PM Kathmandu City and Swayambhunath Day 02
AM: Transfer by Flight to Nepalgunj and drive to KARNALI TENTED CAMP PM: Wildlife
activities Day 03 AM: Full day wildlife activities Day
04 AM: Full day wildlife activities Day 05 AM: Morning
transfer to Nepalgunj for flight to Kathmandu Day 06 Full
day at leisure till departure transfer Book
This Tour/Trek Kathmandu
& Chitwan - 7 days Culture and Wildlife Day 01 Arrive
Kathmandu PM Kathmandu City and Swayambhunath Day 02 AM:
Drive to Kurintar for Rafting Day 03 AM: Continue Raft and
tranfer to Chitwan National Park Day 04 Full day wildlife
activities Day 05 After lunch drive to Kathmandu PM: At leisure
Day 06 AM: Dakshinkali, Shesh Narayan and Chovar Gorge PM: At
leisure Day 07 Full day at leisure till departure transfer Book
This Tour/Trek Kathmandu
& Pokhara - 8 days Culture and Wildlife Day 01 Arrive
Kathmandu PM Kathmandu City and Swayambhunath Day 02 AM:
Drive from Kathmandu to Chitwan National Park PM: Full day wildlife activities
Day 03 Full day wildlife activities Day 05
After lunch drive from Chitwan to Pokhara Day 06 From Pokhara
fly to Kathmandu Day 07 Patan City and Handicraft Centre
PM: Bhaktapur City and Thimi Village Day 08AM: Dakshinkali,
Shesh Narayan and Chovar Gorge PM: At leisure Day 08 Full
day at leisure till departure transfer Book
This Tour/Trek
Bhaktapur Still
medieval, untouched by the Twentieth century is the Heritage Award winning city
of Bhaktapur, founded in the 8th Centurys. It has gathered myths and treasures
along it's walk down history. The Gods are everywhere, in wayside shrines that
emblazon the narrow streets that snake its way through old bazars into the Bhaktapur
Darbar Square. Here are creations of consummate artistry. A golden gate so rich
with carving that it is said to be Nepal's finest treasure, a palace of 55 exquisite
wooden windows built by the King whose golden likeness sits atop a pedestal against
small pox, to propitiate the dead, and stairways guarded by stone lions that lead
to nowhere, because an earthquake in 1934 destroy much beauty that the city cherished.
Two other squares, as rich, more beautiful than the Darbar Square, blaze jewet-like.
Taumadi Square boasts the incredible temple of five stages, and a perfectly proportioned
temple to the God Bhairab whose head is believed to be enshrined in it. A walk
through busy bazaars away is Dattatreya Square, where a wondrous temple to the
Trinity of Hinduism rises proudly embellished with golden conch shells, symbols
of the Gods, and a golden finial. Abutting it is the filligreed 16th century Pujari
Math, where priests lived. Here in a wealth of windows is the famed Peacock Window
of Bhaktapur. Preserved in medievalness, Bhaktapur-a City of farmers,
is a meander in the Seventeenth Century. Amid green terraced fields is a village
that once protected Bhaktapur from the incursions of unfriendly neighbors. The
terra-cotta village of Thimi is now famed for its pottery, its mask making and
its garden of green vegetables has earned it the sobriquet of 'The salad bowl
of Kathmandu'. It is difficult to walk away from Thimi without a papier mache
mask, the originals of which adorn the lordly mask dances of Bhaktapur. And it
is more difficult to resist a terracotta elephant, however fragile, to remind
one of the wonder that is the Valley of Kathmandu.
Trisuli, Nuwakot, Kakani A drive of some
45 kilometers of constantly changing scenery brings you to the beautiful Trisuli
River Valley. The ancient settlement of Trisuli fringes both banks of the river
itself. The river takes its name from the Trisuli, or Trident of Lord Shiva, which
is said to have been thrust into the flanks of that mighty mountain range, from
which gushed forth the icy waters of the Trisuli river. In recent times, the name
Trisuli has been associated with the Capital's hydro electric power supply.
A ten kilometer uphill stretch will bring you to the ancient township of Nuwakot.
Perched on a hilltop, Nuwakot provides views of the surrounding river valleys,
and insights into the-daily lives of the hill people. Here also is the majestic
18th century palace of King Prithivi Narayan Shah, the founder of the present
Shah DYnasty and the unifier of Nepal. On your return, the serene sweep of
the Himalayas is visible, lightly brushed with the deepening tones of approaching
sunset. This is best observed from Kakani. Bajra
Barahi, Lele The tour of Patan's ancient city can be extended further
south into the hinterland of medieval villages. Here on the old trade route to
India are the villages of Chapagaon, the temple of Bajara Varahi and the small
township of Lele with its Saraswati Kunda, a natural reservoir dedicated to the
Hindu Goddess of Learning, Saraswati. The Bajara Barahi temple stands in a small
wooded park some nine and a half kilometers distant fro Patan City. As it's name
implies, it is dedicated to Varahi, an incarnation of Vishnu in the form of a
wild boar. By reason of its picturesque setting, it has become a popular picnic
spot. The village of Chapagaon presents a typical picture of rural life in the
Kathmandu valley, and also affords the sort of panoramic Himalayan views which
only the southern end of the valley can offer. Lele itself is yet another medieval
township, but nevertheless one which enjoys a special distinction. A little beyond
is a natural reservoir of fresh water to which both sacred and magical properties
and attributed by valley dwellers. It is believed that immersion in its waters,
early in the morning, will confer the power of speech and understanding, even
upon those who have always lacked them. Local belief has it that the level of
the Saraswati Kunda will always remain the same throughout the seasons of the
year besides being warm on the coldest of winter days and cool at the height of
summer. Bajra Jogini, Sankhu The temple
tour of Pashupatinath and Boudhnath leads eastward to the preserved rural village
of Sankhu, by driving across the sacred Bagmati river and the Gokarna Royal Game
Preserve. Sankhu is a religious site celebrated in legend, where Hindu devotees
throng to immerse themselves in the purifying waters of the Sali Nadi during the
Nepalese month of Magh (December-January) each year. From Sankhu itself, a few
minutes walk uphill brings you to the temple of the Jogini known to the Buddhist
devotees as one of the greatest Jogini temples. Scenic views of the wide Manhora
River can be enjoyed from here, which is as popular with holiday makers as it
is with the devotees. On the way back from here, there is a choice of alternatives.
One one either walk to Changu Narayan Temple, after crossing the Manhora River,
or one can drive back and visit the Gokarna Safari park and observe the wildlife,
including antelopes and deer which frequent this stretch of afforested game reserve.
From October to May each year, Nepal's National Airline, RNAC, offers you a unique
experience. Seated in the pressurized comfort of a modern aircraft, you may witness
the breathtaking majestic grandeur of the Eastern Himalaya from a distance of
no more than 20 kilometers. This early morning flight of one hour's duration will
show you eight of the ten highest peaks of the world, all of them exceeding 26,000
feet and including Mount Everest. 'The rooftop of the world'. A certificate to
the effect that you were one of the fortunate few to be greeted on that day by
Mount Everest herself will serve as a cherished memento of the trip. Kathmandu
and Trek around Pokhara - 10 Days Day 01 Arrive Kathmandu
PM Kathmandu City and Swayambhunath Day 02 Transfer by flight
to Pokhara, met by trek crews and commence trek Suikhet. Day 03 Full
day trk to Dhampus Day 04 Full day trek to Naudanda Day
05 Trek to Pokhara and check in at hotel Day 06 AM:
Pokhara City PM: At leisure Day 07 Transfer by flight to
Kathmandu PM: At leisure Day 08 Bhaktapur City and Thimi
Village PM: Patan City and Hand Craft Centre Day 09 AM: Dakshinkali,
Shesh Narayan and Chovar Gorge PM: At leisure Day 10 Full
day at leisure till departure transfer
Book
This Tour/Trek Old Unchanged and Prehistoric Kirtipur
and Chovar The
settlement of Kirtipur straggles the hilltop with a stupa at one end and the ruins
of a Hindu temple at the other, Kirtipur embodies the perfect blend of two religious
existing side by side in perfect harmony. And it is around Hinduism and Buddhism
that the people of Kirtipur live their lives of weaving masonry and carpentry.
Here the shuttle of the looms vie with the sawing of wood, and the mixing of mortar.
Once Kirtipurians were soldiers who resisted a concerted attack on their citadel
for months. It is said they were protected by a child's toy tiger that was possessed
by the spirit of Bhairab-God of Terror. In the middle of Kirtipur stands a beautiful
Bhairab temple protected statuary of an earlier age. A little away from Kirtipur,
is a narrow improbable gash in a mountain wall through which a river rushes. Chovar
Gorge is said to be the cut that was made by Manjushri's sword when the Saint
drained the valley of turquoise lake that filled it. A Hindu legend has it, that
it was not Manjushri's sword but the beloved Lord Krishna who hurled a thunderbolt
at the unyielding mountain wall and created Chovar Gorge. The thunderbolt turned
into a stone Ganesh, now enshrined in a small temple. Banepa-Panauti
Once the capital of a city state, today Banepa is famed for its weaving
on its traditional handlooms. A medieval township set in a verdant valley east
of Kathmandu, Banepa is a few minutes away from the village of Chandeshwari which
has a beautiful temple dedicated to the Goddess Durga. So beautiful is Chandeshwari,
and its people so hospitable that early Everest expeditions that set of from Bhaktapur
would spend their first night in the village. From Banepa and from Sanga set atop
Kathmandu's valley walls are unparalleled views of Annapurna, Manaslu, Ganesh
Himal and the Langtang Himalayas. Panauti, a rough track away is a 15th century
township with more temples than dwellings. Picturesquely set on the confluence
of the Roshi and P unyabati Rivers, Panauti is best known for its carvings on
a 12th Century temple and as a pilgrimage place where the devotees cleanse themselves
in the confluence according to rites dictated by history. The
Holy Trinity Pashupatinath, Boudhnath and Buddhanilkantha Three shrines,
sacred, serene, steeped in antiquity shine with a rare beauty in the valley of
Kathmandu. To see them is to visit the very heart of all that is holy to the Nepalese.
The Hindu Holy of Holies is dedicated to the Lord Shiva in his aspect as
the protector of all Animals and birds set with consummate artistry on the banks
of the holy Bagmati River. Pashupatinath with its double tiered gilt roof and
its heavily carved silver doors, is where Hindus by the millions converge. To
bathe in the Bagmati River here, is to absolve the self of sin. To die with one's
feet in the sacred river is to escape the perpetual cycle of birth and rebirth
that Hindus are doomed to. Above Pashupatinath is a wooded hill which houses ascetic
in search of life everlasting. And it is said that in the not too distant past
the Gods and Goddesses of Hinduism frolicked here. Around the pagoda roofs of
Pashupatinath a wondorous welter of rest houses and shrines and monasteries have
blossomed over the years. To go to Pashupatinath, is to find peace.
The mantras of Mahayana Buddhism refer to a jewelled lotus which surely is Boudhnath,
one of the world's biggest stupas. Said to contain the relic of the Amitabha Buddha,
Boudhanath with its Golden Finnial, its all seeing eyes, and the ring of terracotta
tresure troves around it is a place of particular sanctity. Here mule trains from
Tibet and caravans laden with preciousness, rested. Here are monasteries carried
over the high passes from Tibet. Here are inns as old as the caravans and here
are re-incarnate Lamas who chant the sun into the sky and who pray as darkness
falls. Many legends attach themselves to Boudhnath and we will unfold them for
you as we wander around the 'Stupa of a million dewdrops'. Worshipped by
Hindus and Bhuddist alike, the 5th Century image of the sleeping Vishnu, the Preserver
of Life, is a particularly fine example of Lichhavi Art. It would seem that the
master sculptors' hands were possessed of divinity for' a play of water perhaps,
the chest of the 30 foot diety seems to breath in the tranquil rhythms of sleep.
Set in the didst of a pool, the statue is perfectly reflected in the water that
cradles it. At the time of Buddhist festivals, the shrine is hung with fluttering
prayer flags for Vishnu is Avlokeshwara to the Buddhist. |
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