PURE AS PARADISE

  Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) will operate flights direct from Bhairahawa to Hong Kong. The national flag carrier, which currently operates direct flights to Hong Kong from Kathmandu, is preparing to operate direct flights to Hong Kong from Bhairahawa as well, with the goal of bringing the greatest number of tourists to Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, through air connectivity between Hong Kong and Lumbini. NAC also plans to operate flights from Bhairahawa to New Delhi, India, in the near future. According to NAC spokesperson Ramesh Poudel, final preparations are being made to establish direct flights from Bhairahawa to Hong Kong and New Delhi. “We have made preparation for the Bhairahawa-Hong Kong flight. It will be finalized in a day or two. We also plan to expand flight to other countries as well, including New Delhi of India,” he said. According to spokesperson Poudel, ticket bookings would be opened within 15 days from now for flights to both Hong Kon...

  A Nepali mountaineer, Prakash Raj Pandey, has successfully ascended Mount Elbrus. He reached atop and planted the national flag of Nepal on the highest mountain in Europe and Russia (5,642 metres) on June 29 at 9am, it has been said.  As part of his plan to climb highest mountains of all seven continents of the globe, he headed to Russia to climb the mountain on June 21. He is set to depart to the Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, he said.  Started with the ascent of mountains since 2016, Pandey, originally from Likhu Tamakoshi of Ramechhap district, has already successfully climbed Mt Everest, Mt Manaslu and Mt Ama Dablam. His plan is to climb Mt Everest again after completing summits of all highest mountains of the continents.

  The term Buddha is derived from the Pali root Budh, meaning  ‘awakened from the ignorance.’ The Buddha preached only about the true law of nature. He never taught Buddhism as a religion, as religion is conceived today, and the term ‘philosophy’ was not coined in those days. After his first enlightenment, the Buddha continuously preached his belief for 45 years. But he never wished to establish Buddhism as a religion.   Born in Lumbini 563 BCE, Gautam Buddha, is regarded as the founder of the world religion of Buddhism, and revered by most Buddhist schools as a savior, ‘the Enlightened One’ who rediscovered an ancient path to release clinging and craving and escape the cycle of birth and rebirth. In his teachings,  the lotus flower  represents enlightenment described in the poem. The lotus has its roots in the mud, Grows up through the deep water, And rises to the surface. It blooms into perfect beauty and purity in the sunlight. It is like the mind unfolding t...

  Trekking Agencies Association Nepal (TAAN) is upgrading its rules and regulations on trekking from April 1. TAAN states that, ‘It is compulsory for trekkers to have trekking guides hired while going to trek up in the mountains. Solo travelers as well as groups are required to hire trekking guides during their trekking duration.’ Trekking guides who have been getting less opportunities to work are happy about getting a chance to go back to the mountains. According to the trekking guides , accidents and casualties minimization and management up in the Himalayan trails is going to be better if they are accompanied by trained trekking guides who can work swiftly even during the times of emergency. Most trekking guides belonging to these Himalayan areas themselves and are experienced to work during any extremes. Their origin makes them even more skilled to become trekking guides. These people are well aware about the environment and situation of the trekking areas in general. The trek...

  Bhujung is a budding tourist destination which was originally an economic hotspot as signified by its name which means a place of transactions in the Gurung language. It has more than 400 households making it one of the largest Gurung communities in Nepal. Apart from tourism, it sees people engaging in agriculture and animal husbandry. Bhujung falls in the Annapurna Conservation Area which is home to many endangered wildlife species. The village is gifted with a great enthralling view of mountain ranges, lush hills, rivers and streams, waterfalls, old hamlets as well as culture, tradition and religion. It takes 6-7 hours to reach Besisahar from Kathmandu and costs around Rs. 600 on a local bus. You can reach  Bhujung from Besisahar in 4 hours by jeep and it costs around Rs. 500. Bhujung gaun offers Homestay which started from B.S. 2053. Visitors can experience local food, daily lifestyle, traditional culture and traditional handicraft in bhujung gaun. Major attractions for t...

  An arrangement has been made for allowing only three visitors of a passenger to enter the Tribhuvan International Airport to see off and welcome. TIA Spokesperson Teknath Sitaula said the Airport Security Committee took the decision in this regard in view of possible air safety risks following the increasing crowd at the domestic and international terminal building premises. He shared that such a decision was taken after problems surfaced in the management of traffic as well as the risk of accident heightened and the passengers started facing problems following the huge crowd at terminal buildings. The International terminal witnesses an enormous crowd till 10:00 pm from the evening. Family members and relatives of passengers used to gather to see them off. Thirty air service providers including three Nepali have been operating international flights at TIA while 20 air service providers including 11 helicopter companies towards domestic.

  Hindu devotees across Nepal are celebrating the Harishayani Ekadashi festival today. The festival is observed on the first day of the four-month holy period of Chaturmas by fasting and worshipping Lord Vishnu, one of the prominent Hindu deities regarded as the protector of the universe. Ekadashi or the eleventh lunar day of Shukla Paksha or the bright fortnight of the month of Asar is marked by rituals such as worshipping Lord Vishnu, reciting the Holy Scriptures relating to him and chanting Lord Vishnu-oriented hymns, among others. On the day of Harishayani Ekadashi, Hindus plant Tulasi/basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) on their yards, which they worship as a form of Lord Vishnu for the next four months till the day of Haribodhini Ekadashi, the concluding day of the Chaturmas. It is believed that by worshipping the oxygen-rich plant basil, Lord Vishnu grants his devotees their wishes.  The Chaturmas, a period from the 11th day of the waxing moon of the month of Ashadh (Ashadh...

  The Chitwan National Park (CNP) has banned commercial jungle drive (safari) inside the Park from July 1 till further notice.       The Park banned jungle drive, in view of forest track inside the Park might be damaged, small streams inside the jungle might be flooded, roads might be obstructed due to fallen trees and there might be human casualties during the monsoon, the rainy season.      A notice issued by the CNP Administration mentioned that the operation of other tourism activities including boating has also been restricted.      Information Officer of CNP, Ganesh Prasad Tiwari, said 65 jeeps have taken permission from CNP to operate jungle drive in the park. A total of 32 jeeps have taken permission to conduct jungle drive in the Park from Sauraha, 15 from Kasara, nine from Meghauli, two from Ujauli, five from Amaltari and one from Madi, he shared.      With the beginning of the monsoon, tourism activities co...

 The five-star Kathmandu Marriott in Naxal has received a "Triple A" grade from the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development. After a continuous week-long quality test by the department's staff, Marriott received the best grade possible. On June 12, 2023, the department issued the certificate. For food safety, the department has given a triple A rating. This denotes that the food at Marriott is considered to be "VeryGood." Triple A is rated as Very Good, followed by B, C, and D, which are all rated as Satisfactory.

  The state minister for culture, tourism, and civil aviation, Sushila Sirpali Thakuri, asserts that it is not difficult to land big aircraft at Pokhara International Airport. She said that after Sichuan Airlines' Airbus A-319 aircraft flew directly from Chengdu-Tianfu International Airport in China to Pokhara International Airport on June 6, now any foreign airline in the world will fly directly to Pokhara International Airport while speaking at the closing ceremony of the Nepal-China Friendship Dragon Boat Festival 2023 in Pokhara. The message that can be filled out has been made available, she said. According to her, the arrival of the Pokhara ship from China marked the start of a significant and vital work for the operation of the airport. She said that arriving straight through the Nepal China Friendship Dragon Boat Race Festival program is a matter of happiness and that it is crucial for Nepal's recently finished Gautam Buddha International Airport and Pokhara Internation...

  Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Sudan Kirati, has said that the relationship between Nepal and China is historical. Inaugurating the Nepal-China Friendship Dragon Boat Race Festival here today, he opined that the event has added a new brick to bilateral relations. The Festival is organized at the joint initiation of the Embassy of China in Nepal, the Pokhara Metropolitan City and the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).     The Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation said the Nepal-China ties which are age-old are cordial so far and expressed the confidence this friendship festival organized in the tourist city of Pokhara would further deepen the cultural and people-level relations between the two countries.      Stating the Festival has made a new beginning to make the ties with China stronger, he urged Chinese nationals to visit Nepal. "I want to invite the respected Chinese nationals to come for a visit to Nepal. We are eager...

  Himalaya Airlines (H9) is pleased to announce the launch of scheduled flight operations between Kathmandu and Beijing. The new service will provide a convenient and efficient travel option for passengers seeking to explore the dynamic cities of Beijing and Kathmandu. The airline strongly believes that the resumption of this flight route will be a significant boost to both Nepalese tourism and trade. The Kathmandu-Beijing-Kathmandu route has commenced on June 24, 2023, operating every Saturday. Nepal's Ambassador to China, H.E. Mr. Bishnu Pukar Shrestha, boarded the first flight, representing the growing friendship and cooperation between the two nations. His presence also symbolized keen attention from the Government of Nepal towards the betterment and tourism growth of both the sectors. Passengers can thus embark on their journey to Beijing with Himalaya Airlines, experiencing the Himalayan warmth and hospitality. The first outbound flight, H9 665, departed from Tribhuvan Intern...

Nepal-China Friendship Dragon Boat Race Festival is being inaugurated today. For the first time in South Asia, the Dragon Boat Race Festival, which is going to be inaugurated today at Fewatal in Pokhara, will last for two days.  The festival is going to run for two days on Friday and Saturday. During the first international flight in Pokhara, the Chinese players who came to Pokhara by Sichuan Airlines flight will demonstrate their skills. A Chinese team of 120 people has come to Nepal on Wednesday to participate in the festival.  According to the organizers, eight teams including 4 Nepali and 4 Chinese will participate in the competition and there will be a competition of 200 and 500 meters. The festival, which is going to be jointly organized by the Tourism Board, Chinese Embassy in Nepal and Pokhara Metropolitan City, is co-organized by Pokhara Tourism Council and China Overseas Association. According to the organizers, the first team in the competition will receive a prize ...

  The 'Nepal-China Friendship Dragon Boat Race Festival' is set to take place in Pokhara on Friday and Saturday, marking the first time such an event will be held in South Asia. The tourism sector anticipates that hosting the boat race in Phewa Lake will attract an influx of Chinese tourists to Nepal. As part of the festival preparations, the boat brought from China is currently being tested in Phewa Lake. The festival is jointly organized by the Nepal Tourism Board, Chinese Embassy in Nepal, and Pokhara Metropolitan City, with the Pokhara Tourism Council (PTC) and Nepal-China Overseas Association serving as co-organizers. A total of 120 participants from Nepal and China will take part in the festival, competing in eight boat races spanning 200 and 500 meters. Chinese officials have announced a cash prize of Rs 30,00,000 for the winners. The Chinese players arrived in Pokhara on Wednesday to participate in the competition. Alongside the boat races, the festival will feature cul...

  After six months of official operation, a commercial aircraft from an international destination arrived at Pokhara Regional International Airport (PRIA) on Wednesday morning. The plane landed at the airport with passengers but departed empty to Kathmandu. The aircraft arrived in Pokhara carrying guests who are participating in the Nepal-China Friendship Dragon Boat Race Festival, scheduled to be held in Pokhara next Friday and Saturday. Yashoda Subedi, spokesperson for PRIA, informed that there were 84 passengers on board the 158-seat Airbus A319. The aircraft departed from Pokhara to Kathmandu at 11:00 AM without any passengers. The Chengdu-Pokhara flight was a chartered flight, with passengers traveling only one way. "There were no passengers on the aircraft when it flew from Pokhara to Kathmandu," Subedi confirmed. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) stated that the aircraft would carry passengers from Kathmandu to Chengdu on a regular flight basis. Despite the ...

  Pokhara International Airport will finally have international flights. The Chinese airline company Sichuan Airlines received permission on Friday to operate a chartered flight from Chengdu Airport in China on June 21. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) is also in talks with the company about frequent flights to Pokhara. A plane from Sichuan will arrive in Pokhara bringing athletes who will compete in the 'Boat Race' tournament. This will be Pokhara International Airport's first international flight. The Pokhara International Airport inaugurated on January 1, 2023. Only domestic flights have taken place since then. According to the CAAN, the A-319 plane that landed in Pokhara from Chengdu on that day will fly from Pokhara to Kathmandu. Sichuan Airlines has daily flights from Kathmandu.

  Binayak Shah, President of the Hotel Association Nepal (HAN), said the hotel's occupancy rate is only 20/22 percent. Shah stated that in order to recover, occupancy needed reach 38 to 40 percent. He stated that refinancing and restructuring will take another year. Indian tourists to Nepal have a spending limit of 30,000.He proposed raising it to one lakh rupees.He suggested allowing tourists from Bangladesh and SriLanka to conduct transactions with their own currency. President Shah additionally suggested increasing the cap of $300 per day that tourists can spend.

  The ban on Nepalese aircraft has been maintained by the European Union (EU). For the past eight years, the EU, a political and economic body of 28 European countries, has banned Nepalese planes from flying over their skies.  Last week, in a new public report, Nepal's air service was continued on the EU's safety list (blacklist), which is published every 6/6 months. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Nepal's airspace is secure. However, Nepal has not been taken off the "Safety List" by the EU. A separate organization for air service providers and regulators has been advocated for by the EU. Despite the government creating and advancing a law, it failed to pass. It has been mentioned that the budget for the upcoming fiscal year will divide the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN). All domestic airlines, including Nepal Airlines, Himalaya Airlines, and other airlines that fly internationally, have been included to the safety list...

  The Gandaki province government will present their claim to the Annapurna and Manaslu protection areas. This has been declared in the fiscal year 2023/24 policy and program. It is stated that the province government will take steps through policies and programs to bring the Annapurna Conservation Area project and the Manaslu Conservation Area project under its jurisdiction. The province has claimed these projects, which are now being managed by the Federal Government's Ministry of Forestry. The provincial government has stated that it will work with the federal government to take management of the old airport in Pokhara. The province government claims that by bringing the airport under its jurisdiction, it will be protected, promoted, and used.

  Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) aircraft arrived in Bhairahawa from Malaysia on Tuesday. The aircraft of Nepal Airlines Corporation arrived in Bhairahawa for the first time from Malaysia on Tuesday. The NAC's 158-seat narrow-body ship, 9N AKX, arrived at Bhairahawa at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Thirty-one of the plane's 97passengers disembarked at Bhairahawa. The remainder traveled to Kathmandu. Tourism Minister Sudan Kirati personally arrived in Bhairahawa to greet passengers as the NAC launched its first Malaysia-Bhairahawa flight. Passengers will disembark at Bhairahawa, and the plane will fly to Kathmandu. According to reports, the Malaysian tourism entrepreneur who visited Bhairahawa would visit Lumbini before returning to Malaysia via Kathmandu. The NAC offered a promotional air rate of 11,000 rupees in the May, along with the travel between Malaysia and Bhairahawa. The NAC is currently offering one-way tickets to Malaysia-Bhairahawa for 31,000 and 56,000 to Kathmandu. Gaut...

  Former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh of India, Jagdambika Pal, viewed Nepal could attract Indian tourists devising necessary plans and programmes.       CurrentMember of Parliament (Lok Sabha) Pal said so during his recent visit to Butwal in Rupandehi district where he came to inaugurate a cable car that links Butwal and Palpa.      Stating that Nepal possesses tremendous unique possibilities in tourism in terms of religion, culture and nature, he expressed that Indian tourists should be attracted to Nepal through tourism-targeted programmes. He observed, "Uttar Pradesh alone has over 240 million populations. Nepal does not need to go far and away to find foreign tourists if only Nepal could attract Indian tourists in every possible area."      He viewed that the Lumbini cable car installed in Butwal would be a draw for Indian tourists apart from Nepalis. "Since Uttar Pradesh of India is adjacent to some districts in the Terai b...