By-Markus Kohlpaintner
A few months ago we have decided to visit Nepal. We have prepared for this journey very carefully, including two visits to the tropical institute where we have received numerous vaccinations against tropical diseases, and a good personal consultation with respect to other health risks and the food situation. We have started our trip in Kathmandu where we spent two days visiting ancient palaces and temples, and then had a long checklist of locations to visit:
Bandipur, a lovely mountain village where we stayed in a super-cozy hotel
Pokhara where we stayed in the Himalayan Deurali Resort
Jomsom, a small village in the Annapurna mountains where we stayed in another very cozy hotel
The Lower Mustang region where we visited a Buddhist temple 4.000 meters above sea level and had breathtaking views of the Himalayas
Tatopani where we enjoyed some natural hot springs during our travel through the Kali Gandaki Canyon
Pokhara again where we visited numerous interesting places, and took a boat to a temple island on the Phewa Lake
Lumbini, the home of dozens of monasteries and temples
Chitwan where we spent two days on safaris through the national park
After two exhausting weeks of touring the country between 11th and 27th or March, we returned to Kathmandu, where we have visited some more locations in Bhaktapur. Our return flight went on March 29th.
Travelling through Nepal was a deeply impressive experience where we learned a lot about the country, its nature, the people, and their culture. In this context we want to give a huge shout out to Trek Mania Nepal - www.trekmanianepal.com. During our preparation phase, the manager Devaraj Dhakal (E-Mail: dhakaldevaraj@gmail.com / Whatsapp: +977 985 1053470) was extremely helpful in planning our itinerary. He made all hotel / lodge reservations for us and organized the cars as well as drivers and our guides. During our stay in his Kathmandu hotel, Devaraj and his team was always available, and he took very good care of us to ensure that we enjoy our stay.
Another huge shout out goes to Tika Dhakal, our guide and constant companion during the round trip. Tika is the best guide that anybody could wish for. During our trip, he really took care of our well-being, was communicative and just very nice and gracious in every way. Tika also took care about everything when we spontaneously decided to leave Lumbini a day earlier and get to Chitwan earlier. We really felt that we were in good hands. If you should be interested in an adventurous journey through Nepal, Tika Dhakal will be happy to be your guide. He can be contacted directly via E-Mail: tikadev@hotmail.com / Whatsapp: +977 984 1697572.