Nepal

There’s another side to Nepal, a wild side, a world brimming with rhinos and elephants, tigers and crocodiles, lazy rivers and grasslands.

“Your lips are turning blue,” said the Kiwi pilot, shouting over the roaring chopper. “That’s the first sign of altitude sickness.” If the blades are turned off, the helicopter won’t start again in the thin, dry air.

Journey to the “roof of the world” and meditate on your impressions. A trip to Nepal offers even more than the opportunity to hike and trek some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet.

Nepal is a country of hidden mysteries, from its remote ancient temples to its insurmountable peaks. Alluring and exotic, the nation draws visitors to the beautiful cities of Kathmandu and Pokhara and on into the verdant valleys and foothills of the Himalayas for the matchless scenery and wildlife.

While I knew that a brief stay in a luxury resort before a hike wouldn’t give me a privileged insight into the essence of the Nepali identity, I did hope that experiencing Kathmandu firsthand might hint at the forces that influence that identity…

It’s obvious why Nepal is known as the roof of the world – it boasts 8 of the world’s 10 highest mountains, including of course the daddy of them all, Mount Everest.

Extreme sports are all the rage it seems these days. But what would it mean if you could go to the Himalayas to engage in Ultra-lite, Para gliding, Ziplining and Mount Everest Flight-seeing? As a true lover of “The Roof of the World,” I had the opportunity to experience such adventures in Nepal.