Mira Rai voted National Geographic’s 2017 People’s Choice Adventurer of the Year

Photo Credit : Lloyd Belcher

The Nepalese trail Runner Mira Rai has been voted as the National Geographic’s 2017 People’s Choice adventurer of the Year 2017. According to a press release by National Geographic, she was selected from an impressive group of adventurers whose extraordinary achievements in exploration, conservation, humanitarianism and adventure sports distinguished them in the past year. The 10 honorees were announced on Nov. 3, 2016, and the public was invited to vote through Dec. 16, 2016, for the People’s Choice Adventurer of the Year.

Rai, along with ten other adventurers, had been nominated for NatGeo's annual list that selects adventurers for their extraordinary achievement in exploration, adventure sports, conservation, or humanitarianism.

 She was on the competition along with other adventurers include, Park Protectors Pete McBride and Kevin Fedarko, Rock Climber Ashima Shiraishi, Cave Diver Krzysztof Starnawski, Celestial Circumnavigators Hōkūle‘a Team, Ocean Advocate Shannon Switzer Swanson, Kayaker Semit Lee, Paraglider Antoine Girard, Wilderness Defender Kristine McDivitt Tompkins and Mountaineer Colin Haley. The 29-year-old former Maoist soldier had garnered the highest votes among the 10 nominees.

In 2016, Mountaineer Pasang Lhamu Sherpa Akita was voted as the 2016 People's Choice Adventurer of the Year and in 2017, Mira Rai save the position for the same category for Nepal.

Congratulations Mira Rai!!! - Nepal Footprint Holiday (P) Ltd.

Domestic Trekkers Flow High in Annapurna Circuit

The world famous Annapurna Circuit trekking route has been a big draw for foreign adventurers for decades, but now the scenic walking trail in the Annapurna mountains of central Nepal has been pulling domestic thrill seekers in droves too.

According to the police office in Mustang, around 1,800 Nepali trekkers have been arriving daily since the start of the Dashain festival. The Jomsom and Muktinath trekking trails are part of the Annapurna Circuit.

Upper Mustang, Thorung La Pass, Tilicho Lake in Manang and a number of places in the Annapurna foothills are major attractions for domestic tourists. “More than a dozen reserved vehicles enter Mustang daily,” said Yogendra Yadav, sub-inspector of the Ghasa Police Office in Mustang. “This year, domestic visitor numbers have been encouraging.”

All hotels on the route from Jomsom to Mustang are packed. “This year has been really surprising. We have not seen such a big number of domestic visitors,” said Mohan Kumari Serchan, the proprietor of Hotel Muktinath in Jomsom.

Bel Bahadur Pun, an official at the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (Acap) Jomsom, said that they didn’t keep records of Nepali vacationers visiting the area, but that their numbers were exceptional this year.

Tourism entrepreneurs said that the number of domestic tourists had been increasing by the day. They added that a rise in disposable incomes was one of the major reasons behind the motivation to see one’s country.

“I have been mesmerized by the beauty of Muktinath,” said Pabitra Thapa, a local of Lamachaur, Pokhara.

“It was the experience of a lifetime. We enjoyed a lot,” she said. “I would like to visit this place again.”

Likewise, the number of sightseers travelling from Beni to Jomsom by motorcycle has risen sharply after the construction of the road.

The September-November period is considered to be the best time for trekking in Nepal due to the excellent weather and tantalizing mountain views.

According to a report entitled Travel and Tourism Economic Impact 2016 published by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the total contribution of travel and tourism to Nepal’s gross domestic product (GDP) was Rs173.7 billion (8.1 percent of GDP) in 2015, and is forecast to rise 6.5 percent in 2016.

Domestic travel spending generated 57.5 percent of direct travel and tourism GDP in 2015 compared to 42.5 percent for foreign visitor spending or international tourism receipts. Acap statistics show that foreign trekker numbers have also been rising. In August, there were 1,857 foreigners which is more than double the figure for the same period last year.

Likewise, 3,620 foreigners received trekking permits in September, up 89 percent compared to the same period last year.

Solo trekker missing for a week in Annapurna Range

Israeli national Amit Mosche Reichman, 42, has gone missing while trekking along the Annapurna trekking circuit. Reichman had last contacted friends and families a week ago and was reported to have been trekking along the Mardi Himal trekking route. Since then his whereabouts remain unknown.

"Reichman contacted his family on 17 October. Since then, he has not come in contact with anyone," said police inspector Jayram Wanta, who is a part of the search team. "Our investigation so far has revealed that he had stayed at the Fishtail Guesthouse. From where he had headed out for Mardi Himal telling the lodge staff that he would return in two hours," Wanta added.

He informed that the search team has been searching for Riechman intensely in all the possible areas and trails of Mardi Himal area that is around 5553 meters above the sea level.

"His personal belongings, which include clothes and other stuffs, are at the hotel. Though he had told the hotel staffs that he would return back in around two hours for lunch, he never showed up."

The search team has been camping in higher altitude of Mardi Himal for conducting the search. Along with them, Israeli embassy has also sent out additional members with a helicopter for assisting, he informed.

"A joint search team which includes Nepal Police, search professionals sent by the Israeli embassy, locals and tourist guides has been making every effort possible to search Riechman. But so far we have not been able to get any positive sign," said Wanta. He informed that the search operation is getting affected from time to time due to bad weather. "We have been conducting aerial and ground search, despite challenging weather. But so far we have been not successful."


Apart from the lodge staff, Riechman was spotted by another team of trekkers just few kilometers away from the lodge. But he is reported to have separated from them after a while. Since then, he was not spotted by anyone, the search team informed.

Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) records state that Riechman, who is an engineer by profession, arrived in Nepal on October 2 and has a visa valid until the end of the month. He had taken permission from the NTB, Pokhara, for trekking to Annapurna Base Camp after Mardi Himal.

Tourism entrepreneurs informed that it takes an additional day of trek from Mardi Himal to reach the high camp. As the trek above the high camp is very tough, only few tourists go for it.

"It is very tough to trek above the high camp. So many trekkers give up the quest from there. It is not possible to climb it without using expedition gear," said Milan Tiwari, a trekking guide.

Missing tourists: A challenge in Annapurna range

Just three months ago, Adina Monica Popescu of Romania who had gone missing, was found dead. Her body was found lying on the bank of Suikhola River in Ghandruk-1. Similarly, not all of the Japanese and Malaysians tourists, who were reported missing in the area in the last few months, have been found. Dead bodies of only a few of them have been recovered so far.

According to tourism entrepreneurs, around 5 to 6 tourists go missing in the Annapurna range annually. And few of them come out alive.

Call for banning solo treks
"Safety of trekkers call for trekking with professional team or guide instead of solo treks. When someone goes on to trek solo along a dangerous trail, they are prone to go missing," said Deepak Raj Adhikari, president of Western Chapter of Trekking Agency Association of Nepal (TAAN). "Therefore we have long lobbied for banning solo treks."


"When we allow solo trekkers, we not only allow them to risk their life but also put our safety measures on the stake. When a trekker goes missing, along with the suffering their family and loved ones have to go through, our trekking industry earns a bad name," Adhikari said, adding that those who go for trekking in group are far safer and at ease. He called on government agencies to introduce proper guidelines and make provisions for strictly monitoring their implementation to make trekking safer.

Wanta who has been involved in other search operations previously said that foreigners opt to visit alone in the trekking route in search for adventure but it becomes a grave problem when they go missing. "Tourists should not be over confident when in unknown terrain as it can push them and those associated with them into trouble" said Wanta while stressing on restricting solo treks.

1 Spanish Trekker, 3 Nepalese Guides Killed in Nepal Manaslu Landslide

A Spanish trekker and three Nepalese guides were killed Thursday and 14 other people were injured when they were hit by a landslide triggered by heavy rain in Nepal's northern mountains, officials said.

Government administrator Narayan Prasad Bhatta said the landslide occurred near Kerauja village, about 160 kilometers (100 miles) northwest of Kathmandu, the capital. The injured were airlifted to a hospital in Kathmandu, where 10 were admitted.

The identities of the victims were not immediately released. They were on a trekking trail heading toward Mount Manaslu.

Bhatta said rescue efforts were delayed because of bad weather and helicopters reached the victims hours after the landslide. The area is not accessible to cars.

Trekking season in Nepal begins in September, when the monsoon rainy season normally ends. However, this year it has continued to rain.

Himalaya Airlines to launch flights to Colombo on Oct 1

Himalaya Airlines announced on Tuesday that it would be launching scheduled commercial flights between Kathmandu and Colombo on October 1, re-establishing direct air links with Sri Lanka after more than three decades.

The newly established carrier, a China-Nepal joint venture, will operate three weekly flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays using 158-seater Airbus A320 aircraft. The flight will depart from Tribhuvan International Airport at 11:30 am and land at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo at 15:15 pm local time. The return flight will leave at 16:15 pm local time and arrive in Kathmandu at 20:15 pm.

The airfare for the three-and-a-half-hour flight has been set at Rs 29,191 one way (including taxes). A return ticket costs Rs 50,041, according to the airline.  

Himalaya Airlines had received permission to operate charter flights to the island country last April. The planned direct service is the first time that scheduled commercial airlines have been allowed to connect Colombo since the 1980s.

“We reviewed the passenger traffic on the route and saw that it has potential two-way traffic demand,” said Vijay Shrestha, vice-president administration, of Himalaya Airlines. “Direct air connectivity will help both countries to promote trade and tourism.” Sri Lanka is the third largest tourist source market for Nepal after India and China. Despite the earthquakes and trade embargo last year, arrivals from Sri Lanka rose significantly to 44,367. In the previous year, 37,546 Sri Lankans visited Nepal.

Only 2.5 percent of the arrivals or 1,089 visitors came by air, a trend attributed to lack of direct flights between Nepal and Sri Lanka. According to government statistics, 97.5 percent of the Sri Lankan visitors entered Nepal overland from Bhairahawa to visit Buddhist sites in nearby Lumbini. A survey entitled Visitors Survey and Observation has shown that 72.6 percent of the visitors spent only half an hour sightseeing in Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha in southern Nepal.

“After the start of direct flights, we expect more travellers to visit Nepal and stay longer,” said Raju Bahadur KC, commercial general manager of Himalaya. “Currently, travellers have to spend a whole day to reach Nepal or Sri Lanka by flying through India, Malaysia, Thailand or even Dubai,” he said. “Besides, the airfare is also reasonable.”

KC said that the scheduled flights would also benefit the thousands of Nepalis working in the Maldives. “We have estimated that nearly 10,000 Nepalis are currently employed in the Maldives.”

National flag carrier Nepal Airlines, in its previous avatar as Royal Nepal Airlines, used to operate direct flights to Colombo during the 1980s. But the carrier suspended operations following an armed movement by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sri Lanka. There have been no direct air links between the two countries since then.

Plans to establish direct flights on the Kathmandu-Colombo route were revived during the 18th Saarc Summit held in Kathmandu in November 2014. Subsequently, the Sri Lankan government officially applied for authorisation to conduct daily flights between the two countries with Colombo-based carrier Mihin Lanka planning to start services. In March 2015, the Tourism Ministry had issued an operating authorisation to the carrier. But the proposed services did not happen.

US Secretary of State John Kerry is to Trek Nepal

United States Secretary of State John Kerry has expressed his interest to make a visit to Nepal.

Secretary of State Kerry articulated his intent in a meeting on Tuesday with Minister for Foreign Affairs and leader of Nepali delegation Dr Prakash Shran Mahat. Minister Dr Mahat is presently in New York in course of attending the 71st General Assembly of the United Nations.

"I wished to visit Nepal last time when I was on India trip. But, I could not make my visit arrangement due to hectic schedule. I will visit Nepal on any opportune time in future. The US is ever ready to provide assistance to Nepal's efforts for her development and prosperity", Secretary of State Kerry noted.

Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Mahat shared that the US Foreign Secretary had expressed his interest to have a trekking on one of the tourist destinations of Nepal.

Enquiring about the situation of Nepal following the promulgation of constitution in Nepal, US Secretary of State Kerry had expressed his best wishes for the political parties of Nepal to work together for institutionalizing democracy in the country.
Source: RSS

Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN) organized 'Organic Agro Tourism' in Kathmandu

Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN) organized an interaction on 'Organic Agro Tourism' in Kathmandu on Friday.

Inaugurating the program, Minister for Agricultural Development Gauri Shankar Chaudhary appreciated TAAN's efforts to promote organic farming and establish linkage between organic farming and tourism. "If promoted well, it can benefit both tourism and agricultural sector," he said, adding: "While farmers can get more benefits from tourism, the tourism industry will get high-end tourists as organic agro tourism is a niche tourism product worldwide.” He also promised all possible support to TAAN to promote organic agro tourism.

At the program, TAAN also declared that it would take needful initiative to promote organic tourism along popular trekking trails like Kanchanjunga, Jaljala-Makalu, Jiri-Everest, Langtang-Helambu, Upper Mustang and Upper Dolpa, among others.

Similarly, TAAN President Chandra Prasad Rijal said the workshop was a part of TAAN's efforts to share information among major stakeholders like the tourism ministry, agriculture ministry, ICIMOD, WWF Nepal and NTNC, among others, who have been working to promote sustainable tourism in the country. "Organic agro tourism is the next big thing in global tourism market. By certifying our tourism areas organic, we can bring high-end tourists from all over the world here," he said. "It not only makes farmers richer, but also boosts our economy by discouraging import of farm products." Stating that our farming technique is already organic, Rijal said: "We only need to brand it and promote it effectively in the international market."

Similarly, TAAN Treasurer Lila Baldab Dahal said the workshop was a part of TAAN's efforts to establish linkage between agriculture and tourism. "Only some lodge owners are getting benefits from tourism in major trekking areas of the country. By promoting organic tourism, we want more local people to get benefits from tourism," he said, adding: "The government should help farmers for organic certification and find market for their products."

 In his presentation, TAAN Executive Member Pemba Sherpa 'Sherpa' talked about the benefits of organic tourism not only to human health but also to national economy. "By promoting organic farming, we can earn precious foreign currency as the world market is looking for organic tourism products," he added. He also said promotion of organic agro tourism will help promote Nepali farm products in the world market. "Tourists will see Nepali farming technology themselves and promote it throughout the world through word of mouth publicity. It will help both agriculture and tourism sectors," he added.

Organic food stalls were the major attractions of the program. Organic products ranging from walnut and Marsi rice from Jumla, apples from Dolpa, beans from Humla, sea buckthorn juice from Bajura and lentils of Chitwan were the major attractions of the program. Stalls selling organic fresh vegetables, tea and coffee, honey, chestnuts, brown rice, and eggs, among others, went out of stock in no time.

Representatives from tourism, forest and agriculture ministries; Department of Tourism, Department of Agriculture, Nepal Tourism Board, WWF Nepal, ICIMOD, NTNC, different travel trade associations, among others, were present on the occasion.

Firms dealing on organic farm products like Organic Sansar Nepal, Himgiri Eco-Friendly Agricultural Cooperatives, Dolpo Organic Farming Management Committee, Organic World and Fair Trade, Bliss Raw Café, Himalayan Organic Garden, Crystal Earth and Organic Farm House had set up stalls at the program.

News Source: Myrepublica

Nepal advertised on Brussels buses - Tourism Promotion

About 20 buses have started operating Nepal advertisement showing the natural and cultural diversities of Nepal on the roads in the Belgium Capital city. With the initiative of Nepali Embassy in Belgium and Mission of Nepal to European Union in collaboration with JCDecauz, a Belgium advertising agency to promote Nepal Tourism through the advertisement from August 16 to 29.

The Embassy provided four pictures received from Nepal Tourism Board to the agency for the attractive advertisement on the buses. The pictures have messages - Welcome to Nepal, birth place of Lord Buddha, Naturally Nepal: Once is not enough, Mount Everest: Top of the world, Nepal’s unique treasures and Nepal: Always attractive and safe destination for tourists among others.

This type of advertisement could convey the messages about the safety tourism in Nepal and promote Nepal Tourism, the Embassy hopes.