Our blog have moved to http://blog.divineexplore.com.sg.

Insider Tips : Kathmandu - An Exclusive with Deepak

Get magnificent views of Mount Everest without trekking. Then take in the temples or shop for local arts and crafts.

By Tan Yi Hui
ST Life! Travel 1 Dec 09

When it comes to Kathmandu, Nepal, Mr Narayan Bahadur Shrestha knows it like the back of his weather-beaten Sherpa hand.

Not only does the 36-year-old Nepalese run a trekking agency based in Kathmandu and Singapore, he is also an Honorary Public Relations Representative from the Nepal Tourism Board.

“Kathmandu is much more than just a transit point for trekkers. You could shop there for exotic spices, authentic Nepalese tea and carpets,” says the Singapore permanent resident who is married to a Singaporean.

Kathmandu, situated about 1,400m above sea level, is the capital and largest metropolitan area of Nepal. The country’s history dates as far back as the 12th century and the cradle is the Kathmandu Valley, with the rich heritage of the Newari indigenous people from the region.

Here are his tips on touring the spiritual city.

CULTURAL IMMERSION
Pashupatinath Temple is the biggest Hindu Temple of Lord Shiva on the banks of the Bagmati river in the eastern part of Kathmandu. A taxi ride from the city centre to the temple takes half an hour and costs about $4. Listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site, it is renowned as one of the sacred places to observe cremations. Only Hindus, however, are allowed to enter its premises. Non-Hindu visitors can view the temple only from the other bank of the Bagmati river.

About 15km south of Kathmandu is Bungamati Village. It is a pleasant traditional Newari village dating back to the 16th century. Manay master wood carvers and sculptors live there.

Mr Shrestha says:“I would recommend this village to visitors who are interested in photography or painting.”

EXOTIC SHOPPING
Thamel, the city centre of Kathmandu, has excellent variety of shops offering items from traditional Nepalese arts and crafts, handmade clothes and pottery to jewellery and antiques. A pashmina shawl, made of fine cashmere wool, costs between $6 and $20. Carpets are a big business in Nepal and carpet weaving is a beautiful traditional art. For carpet shopping, head to Jawlakhel, located in the neighbouring Patan city, south of Kathmandu, a 45-minute drive away. Mr Shrestha says: “Nepal presents an exciting shopping opportunity for all those who love non-conventional stuff.”

MOUNTAIN VIEWS
Swayambhunath, or Monkey Temple, is a 20-minute drive from the city centre. It offers a glorious sunset view of the whole Kathmandu Valley and Langtang mountain range on a clear day. The complex consists of shrines and temples and is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal. For an even more majestic view without having to trek, check out Nagarkot, a popular area with hill resorts boasting magnificent scenery of the eastern Himalayan range, including Mount Everest, says Mr Shrestha. It is a two-hour scenic drive from Kathmandu with lots of lovely quaint houses and paddy fields along the way.

BITES AND SIPS
Bhanchha Ghar Restaurant is a Nepalese restaurant in a traditional three-storey Newari house in Kamaladi, next to a Garnesh temple. There is an upstairs loft bar where you can stretch out on handmade carpets and cushions for a drink, snacks and a cultural show. He says: “ Try to arrive before 7pm. After the show, go downstairs for an excellent set menu of traditional Nepali dishes and delicacies. When I host dinner for my guests here, we usually go for the set Nepali Thali consisting of curry chicken, bitter vegetable, wild boar meat, dhal, rice, momo, fried potato and dessert. A meal for two, including drinks and alcohol, may cost about $40.” And finally, to unwind, head down to the Himalayan Java Café in Thamel. The place offers about 100 varieties of coffee and other beverages, according to Mr Shrestha. A cup of good coffee costs around $4. He adds: “ Its range of ice-blended coffee is one the best in town.”

Bhutan : A Trekker’s Paradise

The majesty of the snow-laden Himalayan mountains, rising abruptly from the plains of the Indian subcontinent is a sight beyond comparison.

Bhutan is situated in the Eastern Himalayas to the east of Nepal and the Indian state of Sikkim and to the south of the autonomous region of Tibet. When you fly into Bhutan on a clear day from Delhi and Kathmandu, you will see 8 of the 14 highest mountains of the world, including Mt Everest, as well as a range of impressive Bhutanese peaks to the east. Silence besets the passengers on the Druk Air flight as they experience the awe-inspiring approach to Paro airport.

On a Bhutan trek, views of mountain ranges soaring to above 7000m are enjoyed in all their splendor – the lofty Jumolhari (7314m), the pointed Jichu Drakey (6794m), Thsering-Gang (6789m), Masang-Gang (7149m), Gangkhar Puensum (7239m) and many others.

Most of the trekking routes in Bhutan are in the central and northern areas, known as the Higher Himalaya. Trekkers start from altitudes of around 2400m and cross passes as high as 6000m. The lower altitude winter trekking routes that range between 1300m and 1800m enable the less hardy trekker to enjoy the beauty of a semi-tropical and tropical climate.

All the treks are a paradise for lovers of flora, fauna and photography. Bhutan has close to 700 species of birds. Of these, 24 are registered as endangered species. There are 46 species of rhododendron with at least 4 found only in Bhutan. The Snow Leopard, Blue Sheep, Golden Langur and Takin are some of the rare animals that can be found in Bhutan.

The trekker will often feel transported a hundred years or more back into the past. The way of life in the countryside has changed little: subsistence farming is the norm in Bhutan and the culture is strongly influenced by Mahayana Buddhism and the rigours of living in the mountains. However, there are many anachronisms that pleasantly remind us of the present, one of them being the eloquent English skills of even the smallest primary school children who will greet you with “Hello sir, hello madam” as you approach their village.

We have a range of trekking routes suitable for the first timers, the adventurous and the hard core trekkers. Take your pick!

Best Season: Nov - Feb Low Altitude Treks (Grade 1 – 2)

11 Days Bhutan Samtegang Trek & Cultural Tour

14 Days Punakha Winter Trek

Best Season: Mar - Jun (for alpine flowers) & Sep - Nov Medium Altitude Trek (Grade 2 - 3)

15 Days Bumthang Cultural Trek10 Days Gasa Hot Spring Trek & Cultural Tour (Nov - Feb)

10 Days Bumdrak Trek with Cultural Tour

12 Days Chelila Nature Trek with Cultural Tour

Best Season: Mar - Jun and Sep - OctHigh Altitude Treks (Grade 4)

12 Days Druk Path Trek with Cultural Tour

12 Days Drakey Pangtso Trek with Cultural Tour
14 Days Dagala Thousand Lakes Trek

For more info, visit www.nepalexplore.com.

Romance in the rough

Straits Times 13 Oct 2009

Romance in the rough

By Tan Yi Hui

For some newlyweds, honeymoons are all about having an adrenalin rush in a rugged environment.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Introduction

When climbing a mountain in Nepal last year, Ms Alice Giam was floored by altitude sickness. A ruggedly handsome Nepalese man who was on the same trekking team carried her on their two-hour journey back to the safety of the base camp.

She was so moved that she would have married him right there and then if he had asked. Only thing was, she was already married to him. Ms Giam and Mr Narayan Shrestha was on their honeymoon.

For most people, honeymoons mean romance and relaxation but there are adventurous couples who literally venture off the beaten path, looking for an adrenalin rush or a rugged experience to mark their marriage.

So why do some newlyweds rough it out? Mostly, it is because they share a love for the outdoors.

Mr Shrestha runs a trekking agency in his country and met Ms Giam when she signed up for one of his tours.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Story

On a misty mountain path more than 4000m above sea level, Ms Giam is decked out in trekking gear as she stands firm in the chilly wind. It is her third day waiting for her husband to return from Island Peak, a 6190m summit in the Himalayas in Nepal.

Finally, familiar shapes appear through the mist. She strains to see if he is among the trekkers and spots him in his red jacket. She runs to embrace him, almost tripping over rocks in sheer relief and joy.This reunion scene straight out of a Hollywood movie was the highlight of the couple’s honeymoon last year.

They met two years ago on a trekking trip in Nepal. Ms Giam, a Singaporean, was a first-time mountain climber and her guide was her future husband.

Mr Shrestha, a Singaporean permanent resident, runs a trekking agency based in Nepal and Singapore.They got married last year and went on an 18-day trip to scale Island Peak. Such a trip costs about $3600 a person, including airfare from Singapore, but the couple paid only a fraction of the price because they went with their own agency.

Ms Giam quit her events planning job to join her husband’s company after the wedding.She says:” We went on a few trekking trips when we were dating, but I’m not as strong as he is and I do get altitude sickness. Two weeks before the honeymoon, I had nightmares about it. But he had been wanting to tackle the peak and since we were married, we thought, why not do it together? If I had backed out, it would have spoilt the mood.”

Sure enough, at 5000m above sea level, altitude sickness hit her. She could have descended to safety of the base camp with escorts, but Mr Shrestha insisted on carrying her down himself – a two-hour trek – before resuming his journey towards the summit.

Chuckling fondly at the memory, Ms Giam says:” Somehow, I felt like, oh, I chose the right husband.”She waited anxiously for three days for his return.

As his birthday fell on one of those days, she had prepared an apple pie for him. Laid out in candy on the pie were the words “Happy Birthday, Deepak”.

Accommodation throughout consisted of Spartan trekkers’ lodgings with “wooden walls so thin you could hear the person next door snoring””.

But Ms Giam says:” Romance doesn’t have to be about lying on the beach. It’s about the little things that you do for each other on a trip.”

She and Mr Shrestha are not done yet. They intend to hit a new high when they have children one day.

Says Ms Giam:” We’ll take our kids to Everest.”

Message from Kagbeni

Kagbeni

An sms appeared on Deepak's handphone 2 nights ago :

"Namaste Deepak and Alice from Kagbeni. We have had a fabulous trek. Hard sometimes but worth every minute. The crew is what makes all the hard parts easier. Thank you both for making such thorough arrangements. See you in Singapore. Don can bring anything you need to send to Nepal. Regards, Angie"

What wonderful news, Angie, to know that you are at the tailend of your Mustang trek(after almost a year of planning???). Today, Dhruba said you are on the way back to Kathmandu. We're sure Tin and Khrisna did a great job looking after you ladies. Can't wait to see you both and the gorgeous photos (and maybe some behind the scene stuff..keke).

Take a Moment

"Stars for a Cause" on Channel U showcased Taiwanese Linda doing volunteer teaching in Nepal. Deepak and I caught this episode together at home. Linda's experience tugged my heartstrings towards the end of the show, simply because I was watching this with a living example of village kid beside me.

Watching this episode reminds me yet again that no matter how many years we have brought individuals and schools to help the village schools and communities, there is so little we can do to help them each time. Over the years, although we have seen some results, it is still so minute when I step back to look at the whole picture.

And then I looked at Deepak.

At a tender age, he understood that his family could not afford for him to further his education even though he was able to enter Secondary stage. He heard his first English word from an English trekker in the village. He decided to move to Kathmandu city to seek a future and not burden his family financially. He seeked various jobs and finally landed as an office boy in a travel agent and worked his way up - no one can imagine the extreme hard work he put in, including sleepness nights around the clock. And then he went on to learn English, Mandarin, computer, business etc. Today, he is Managing Director of Divine International.

I am so proud of him.

I thought : What if he had never left the village and continued to herd cattles and work in the plantation?

I cried.

Tibet Adventure

Horsemen around Lake Namtso

Chih Lin, Siang Yu, Ethan and Leonard embarked on their graduation trip to Nepal and Tibet in May this year. They had intended to do a long trip to Tibet until they saw what we have on trekking in Nepal.

Deepak put together a 19-day Ghorepani Trek and Central Tibet Tour for the bubbly group. For their Central Tibet Tour, the excitement includes crossing Nyalamu pass (3800m) and Lalung La pass (5082m), Tashilunpo Monastery, Lake Namtso Drepung, Sera Monastery, Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Bazaar, crossing the Karo La (5010m) and Kamba La (4794m) Pass, Lake Yamdrok Tso (Turquoise Lake), Khumbum Stupa and Phalkot Monastery.

Over a KFC dinner last week, we were happy to learn that they are out in the working world now and reminiscing the trip has brought back wonderful memories and lots of laughter!

Looking through their trip photos, we could literally felt their excitement along the trip. I was most impressed by the shots taken at Lake Namtso and the sun tanning yaks along the beautiful shores against the backdrop of snow peaks.

Their customized itinerary is as follow while all photos featured are copyrighted with compliments from the group.


Day 1: Arrive Kathmandu
Day 2: Kathmandu – Pokhara - Birethanti
Day 3: Birethanti- Ulleri
Day 4: Ulleri - Ghorepani
Day 5: Ghorepani – Poonhill - Tikhedhungga
Day 6: Tikhedhungga – Birethanti - Pokhara
Day 7: Pokhara - Kathmandu
Day 8: Kathmandu - Zhangmu
Day 9: Zhangmu - Nayalam
Day 10: Nayalam - Tingri - Latze
Day 11: Latze - Shigatse
Day 12: Shigaste - Gyantse (3950m)
Day 13: Gyantse - Lhasa (3650m)
Day 14: Lhasa - sightseeing
Day 15: Lhasa - sightseeing
Day 16: Lhasa-Lake Nam Tso-Lhasa
Day 17: Lhasa – full day free and easy
Day 18: Lhasa – Kathmandu - Nagarkot
Day 19: Nagarkot- Kathmandu- Singapore

Click here to view photos their Tibet journey.

Click here to view other info on Tibet