Nepal

Nepal is home to eight of the world's fourteen highest peaks, so trekking is an obvious draw, from the well-trodden routes around Everest and Annapurna to quieter trails through Mustang and the Tsum Valley.

But the mountains are only half of Nepal's story. Hindu and Buddhist traditions sit side by side throughout the country, nowhere more visibly than in Kathmandu, where ancient temple courtyards and stupas stand a few streets from modern cafes and guesthouses.

The food runs from hearty mountain dal bhat to delicate Newari specialities, and Nepali hospitality is often named among the warmest anywhere, an impression that grows stronger the further travellers get from the main tourist circuits.

Down in the flat Terai lowlands, national parks like Chitwan and Bardiya hold Bengal tiger, rhino and elephant, while a growing network of homestays offers a far closer look at rural Nepali life than any lodge can.

Highlights

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Trek to Everest Base Camp or around the Annapurna Circuit, passing through Sherpa villages and high mountain passes
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Explore Kathmandu's Durbar Square and Boudhanath Stupa, centres of Newar architecture and Tibetan Buddhist life
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Spot rhino and Bengal tiger on a jeep or canoe safari through Chitwan National Park
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Watch the sun rise over the Himalaya from Sarangkot or Poon Hill, near Pokhara

Hidden gems

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Stay in a village homestay in the mid-hills or Terai, sharing meals and daily life with a Nepali family
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Trek through Upper Mustang, a former Tibetan kingdom of red cliffs and walled monasteries near the Chinese border
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Visit Bardiya National Park, a remote reserve in the far west with a strong tiger population and far fewer visitors than Chitwan
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Raft the Sun Kosi or Trishuli rivers, running through gorges few visitors see from any road