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Day 1: Join tour Kathmandu
Arrive Kathmandu, check into hotel.
Overnight Comfortable Hotel (H++)
Day 2: In Kathmandu
This morning we have arranged a walking tour visiting the bazaar and the Durbar Square area, the centre of old Kathmandu. Much of the day to day life of Kathmandu takes place in the bazaar: a fascinating mixture of people selling fruit, vegetables and spices; potters spinning their wheels to produce small household bowls and containers for temple offerings; devotees visiting their favourite gods at temples and small shrines dotted along the sides of alleyways; rickshaw wallahs honking their horns and the ever present sacred cow wandering amongst it all. In the afternoon we plan to visit the Temple of Pashupatinath on the banks of the Bagmati River, the holiest Hindu shrine in Nepal and also Bodnath, the largest stupa in the country and a destination for Buddhist pilgrims from all over Nepal.
Overnight Comfortable Hotel (H++) Included meals: Breakfast
Day 3: Drive to Nagarkot
In the morning we visit the almost perfectly preserved city of Bhaktapur, also known as 'Bhadgaun or 'City of the Devotees'. Bhaktapur feels more like a huge medieval village with its potters wheels and its many intricate stone and wooden carvings. We then continue to our lodge at Nagarkot on the Kathmandu Valley rim. Sunset views from Nagarkot back across the valley to Kathmandu are very impressive.
Overnight Lodge (H+) Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4: In Nagarkot
Thirty five kilometres east of Kathmandu and at an altitude of 2,174 m, Nagarkot stands on a ridge between the Kathmandu valley in the west and the Indrawati valley in the east. We make a pre-dawn walk from our lodge to a nearby hilltop along the ridge to catch a spectacular sunrise over the Himalayas, and then return to the lodge for a late breakfast. There are many other possibilities for short walks during the rest of the day, perhaps to visit our near neighbours who are mostly farmers raising crops of fruit, vegetables and grain,, the snow capped peaks of the Himalaya providing an awesome backdrop.
Overnight Lodge (H+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5: Drive to Kurintar on the banks of the Trisuli River
We make a morning departure to drive out of the high Kathmandu valley and descend to the foothills where we overnight at the much lower altitude of about 262m. As we leave the valley we will have views of the Ganesh, Manaslu and Annapurna ranges of the Himalayas. En route we have the option of a half-day's whitewater rafting on the Trisuli River -. (No previous experience required. Includes all permits, services of experienced river guides, helmet, life jacket and lunch.) As the rafting finishes at the beach just below our accommodation, those who do not wish to raft may relax by the hotel pool.
Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6: Visit Gorkha. Walk to local villages.
Next day we make our way to the small hill bazaar of Gorkha (1 1/2 hour's drive) where the surfaced road ends. The town which gave the feared Gurkha soldiers their name was also the place from which King Prithvi Narayan Shah set out to unify Nepal in the 18th century. A walk up to the ridge on which stands his old palace fort is well worth the climb. The view over the surrounding Annapurna and Manaslu ranges is spectacular.
Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7: Drive to Pokhara
In the moring there is an option to visit the nearby Manakamana Temple (1302m) using Nepal's only cable car imported from Austria and inaugurated in 1998. Local people call the goddess the 'wish fulfilling deity' and the temple is a popular pilgrimage site. Afterwards, we continue our journey on to Pokhara situated beside Lake Phewa Tai beneath the Annapurna range.
Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast
Day 8 to 9: In Pokhara
On our first morning, we take a walk through some small Gurung and Chettri settlements, to a ridge above Pokhara. . From this ridge there are spectacular views of the mountains making up the Annapurna range which at this point are only 48km away – from Dhaulagiri in the west to Annapurna II in the east The rest of the day is left free to explore the tranquil town of Pokhara, perhaps taking a boat trip on the lake, or simply sitting back and admiring the breath-taking beauty all around. On our second day we'll visit the Mountain Museum housing expedition memorabilia and information on ethnic groups, flaura and fauna. We'll also visit Tashiling, a long established settlement of Tibetan refugees. We spend some time here watching wool being sorted, dyed and eventually made into Tibetan carpets which are exported all over the world and then visit the village's Buddhist monastery.
Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast
Day 10: Drive to Chitwan National Park
We drive from Pokhara to Mugling then follow the Naryani river to Naryanghat into the flat Terai region of Nepal very close to the Indian border We reach the roadhead for our jungle lodge and then change to landrover or dugout canoe, depending on the season and height of the river we need to cross. It will take approximately another 45 minutes to reach the lodge in its solitary jungle settling inside the National Park. Once a private hunting ground, Chitwan is now a National Park with thick tree cover and tall elephant grass sheltering a wealth of animals. In January the local people are permitted to enter the Park to cut the long grass for roof thatching.
Overnight Lodge (H+) Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 11 to 12: In Chitwan National Park
Throughout your stay you will be kept busy during the day (except for a couple of hours around lunch time ). Activities available in the Park include elephant back safaris searching out the one-horned rhino, birdwatching, jungle walks and drives and dugout canoe trips along the Rapti River:
Elephant Safari: This is the best (and safest) way of searching for game in this park. Though the elephant may make quite a noise pushing its way through the dense jungle the other animals know that it poses them no danger and seem to completely ignore it..
Canoeing: (Dependent on the water level). Float silently down the Rapti river in a traditional dugout canoe spotting many varieties of water birds.
Nature Walks: In the company of trained native naturalists you can walk along trails in the less densely forested parts of the park.
Bird Watching: More than 350 species are to be found here: an early morning walk near the river to visit our birdwatching tower will reveal many especially kingfisher.
Alternatively you may wish to visit the nearby small lake which supports a lot of birdlife as well as several marsh muggers – a non vegetarian variety of crocodile.
Again, a trained naturalist will help you get the best enjoyment and interest from these excursions. However it's not all hard work. The lodge staff prepare good meals and there is a long break in the middle of the day. You can read or relax in a deck chair in the shade of a Sal tree.
Overnight Lodge (H+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 13: Drive to Kathmandu
We drive back to Kathmandu Alternatively, if you don't fancy the drive, you may wish to take an optional 30min flight from Bharatpur to Kathmandu in a small, 17 seater aircraft. (Please note that if you take the optional flight and it does not operate due to unforeseen circumstances, you will then be responsible for the transport costs back to Kathmandu.)
Overnight Comfortable Hotel (H++) Included meals: Breakfast
Day 14: In Kathmandu
In the morning there is the opportunity to take a flight into the Himalaya (optional, weather permitting), with outstanding views of the Everest region. Local airlines operate this flight every morning. The flight lasts 45 mins and flies initially from west to east towards Everest before turning back to Kathmandu. So those on the left of the plane get good views on the outward leg and those on the right get them on the return. Why not finish the tour with an optional visit to Swayambunath. Perched on a hilltop, the stupa is known as the 'monkey temple' because of its resident group of very inquisitive monkeys.
Overnight Comfortable Hotel (H++) Included meals: Breakfast
Day 15: Tour ends Kathmandu
Included meals: Breakfast
