Nepal, the land of diversity presents you with a wide variety of things to explore. From its natural beauty to the massive Himalayas, from UNESCO world heritage sites to the wonders of wildlife you get many things to see in Nepal.
Nepal is a paradise country having 8 out of the world’s 14 mountains, along with ancient cities and pilgrimage sites.
Furthermore, you can explore many wonderful spots where you can see the beautiful views of sunrise and sunsets.
You can also see incredible landscapes and diverse ethnic groups, rituals, and festivals of Nepal.
Mountains, jungles, medieval cities, spiritual sites, and a lot more things that Nepal offers you to see and enjoy.
Explore Natural Wonders of Nepal
If you are a nature lover, then Nepal is definitely the best place to be. Nepal is widely renowned for its natural beauty.
Nepal is indeed a blessed country with a great abundance of natural beauty. The country is full of wonderful mountains, glaciers, and pristine lakes.
Some of the natural wonders of Nepal that you would love to see:
Mountains
Nepal offers you a magnificent view of beautiful mountains. The geographical variation ranges from the snowy mountain with elevations from 5,357 meters of the Gokyo Ri to the 8,848 meters of Mount Everest.
Nepal receives a large number of visitors to the mountain regions to see the spectacular mountains. Thus, base camp trekkings in Nepal are famous all over the world.
You can trek for days to see the incredible mountains up close. It will be an amazing experience to stand at the base of Mount Everest – the world’s tallest mountain.
There are some amazing treks in Nepal that you can indulge in Everest Base Camp Trek, Annapurna Base Camp Trek, Manaslu Circuit Trek, Langtang Valley Trek, etc
There are many vantage points from where you can enjoy the panoramic view of mountains that are utterly breathtaking. Some of them are:
- Kalapathar: It is one of the best viewpoints in Nepal to witness panoramic views of Mount Everest. These views cannot be even seen from the Everest base camp itself.
- The Gokyo Ri: The Gokyo Ri is a less-visited viewpoint that lies at the elevation of 5,483 meters. You can see four 8,000 meters peaks like Mount Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and Cho Oyu from this incredible viewpoint.
- Tengboche: It serves as one of the perfect viewpoints of remarkable mountain sights. Tengboche has a panoramic vision of the Himalayan Mountains. You can see the well-known peaks like Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, etc
- Poon Hill: It is among the most visited and famous viewpoints of the Annapurna region in Nepal. It offers mind blogging and an awesome panoramic view of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Range.
Besides the trek, you can also choose mountain flight, helicopter tour, overland tour, and so on. These tours are an easy way to explore the great Himalayan views in a short time. There are many tours in Nepal that you can choose from like:
Everest Base Camp helicopter tour, Muktinath Overland tour, Muktinath Heli tour, and so on
Lakes
Nepal offers some of the most stunning lakes in the world. Some of the lakes are near to cities like Fewa and Begnas lake in Pokhara. And some of them located in the high altitude Himalayan region.
Thus, you can travel to the Himalayan region to see the most beautiful lakes in Nepal. Most of the lakes of Nepal hold traditional and religious significance.
Some of the lakes of Nepal are:
- Tilicho Lake: It is one of the most spectacular lakes of Nepal. It is the highest altitude lake in the world situated at 4,919 meters.
- Gokyo Lakes: The Gokyo Lakes are the world’s highest freshwater lake system. It lies within the Sagarmatha National Park in the Khumbu region. The Gokyo Lake system comprises of numerous lakes.
- Shey Phoksundo Lake: It is Nepal’s deepest lake which lies in Dolpa district.
- Gosaikunda Lake: Gosaikunda Lake is one of the most famous lakes in Nepal. It is a pilgrimage site and holds religious importance for Hindu and Buddhists.
- Fewa Lake: Fewa Lake is a prominent feature of Pokhara City. It is often used for recreational activities like boating by travelers.
- Rara Lake: It is the largest lakes in Nepal. The most amazing thing about the Rara lake is its ability to change to seven different colors during the light of day.
Wildlife
The wildlife of Nepal is widely spread from the lowlands of Terai to the alpine zone of the Himalayan region.
The Terai region is full of lush jungles where you can see the most exotic birds and endangered animals. The exotic animals reside in various national parks and conservation areas. The two national parks, Sagarmatha and Chitwan National park are also listed under the UNESCO world heritage.
The Royal Bengal Tiger, Wild Asiatic Elephants, and One-horned Rhinos are widely found in lowlands. While, you can encounter the Himalayan bear, wild dogs and snow leopard in the mountainous terrain.
Thus, you can go for jungles safari or travel to the Himalayan region to see the most fascinating wildlife of Nepal.
The enthralling wildlife of Nepal is one of the natural wonders that are worth exploring time and time again.
Explore UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Nepal
Nepal is a treasure land for the cultural heritage, sacred and spiritual sites.
UNESCO has listed eight of the cultural heritage of Nepal on the world heritage list.
They are:
- Kathmandu Durbar Square
- Bhaktapur Durbar Square
- Patan Durbar Square
- Boudha Stupa
- Swayambhu Stupa
- Pashupatinath Temple
- Changu Narayan Temple
- Lumbini
The heritage sites of Nepal reflect the cultural value which holds the historical importance of the country.
You can get a glimpse of rich art and culture in these world heritage sites of Nepal. Thus, you can enjoy the sightseeing of beautiful architectural structures in the world heritage sites of Nepal.
Witness Festivals and Cultural Celebrations
Nepal is also known as the colorful land of vibrant festivals.
Each community has its own set of unique culture, traditions and so their festivals. And many of the festivals have been celebrated for centuries.
Most of the festivals have religious importance. And some of them are basically based on the important events from ancient mythology and epic literature.
More than a hundred festivals are annually celebrated throughout the country. Some of them are:
- Dashain: Dashain is the major festival of Nepal and celebrated for 15 days. This most auspicious festival is a celebration of the victory of good over evil.
- Tihar: It is a five-day-long festival. It is a celebration of lights dedicated to Goddess Laxmi to unfold social joy throughout the country.
- Teej: Teej is a Hindu festival celebrated by women. Married women fast for the longevity and prosperity of their husbands. Whereas, unmarried women fast hoping for a good husband. Women celebrate this festival by singing and dancing.
- Buddha Jayanti: Buddha Jayanti is a celebration to mark the birthday of Lord Buddha. People visit Swayambhunath, Boudhanath, Lumbini and other stupas during the day. The beautifully lit butter lamps make these holy sites look more magical in the evening.
- Indra Jatra: This festival is an honor to Lord Indra. It is mainly celebrated for 7 days in Kathmandu Durbar Square. The major attraction of this Jatra is the chariots of Goddess Kumari, Bhairav, and Ganesh.
- Chhath Parva: Chhath Parva is a four-day festival celebrated by the natives of the Terai. People celebrate this festival by worshipping Sun God and thanking him for nourishing life on earth.
- Fagu Purnima or Holi: It is the festival of colors and is fully enjoyed by playing with colors and water.
Besides these, there are many festivals that people celebrate in Nepal. So, you can join and unite in the celebration of festivals of Nepal.
No matter what time of the year you visit Nepal, it will grant you a rewarding and vibrant festival experience.
Explore Art and Architecture of Nepal
Nepal is truly a blessed nature with an astonishing array of ancient temples, monuments, and palaces. The art and architecture of Nepal have been deeply influenced by religion and cultures.
You can encounter a number of various woodcarving and stone sculptures around its backstreet. In cities like Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur, you will discover the magnificent architecture at every turn.
Architecture
You can see the three categories of architecture in Nepal which are:
Newari Pagoda Styled Temples
Newari Pagoda temples are the main features of the Kathmandu valley. The temples are generally square in design and inspired by pyramid-shaped mountain peaks. Some pagoda style temples are also rectangular and octagonal.
The distinctive features of this style of temples are the tiered roof, which may have one to five tiers. Like Nyatapola Temple at Bhaktapur, Kumbeshwar Temple at Patan have five tiers.
The most popular sites to observe these pagoda patterns are the Taleju temple of Basantapur, Kasthamandap in Kathmandu valley. Kumbeshwar temple, and many temples around Patan Durbar Square. Popular Nyatapola temple, Dattatreya temple, and Changu Narayan temples in Bhaktapur Durbar Square.
Shikhara Styled Temples
Shikhara Temples are heavily influenced by Hindu culture. The main feature of these temples is the tapering, pyramidal tower and surrounded by smaller towers.
In Nepal, this type of patterned temples can be widely seen in the Patan Durbar Square area which is a famous Krishna temple. And the spire of Mahaboudha Temple in Patan, Vatsala Durga temple in Bhaktapur is an excellent example of this.
Buddhist Gompas
The monastery and nunnery for Tibetan Buddhist are also known as Gompa’ by the locals. You can see numbers of Gompas across the mountains.
Art
The artworks of Nepal include paintings, an art of making a god. Other arts include literature, music, dance, theatre, and so on. Some of the artworks of Nepal are:
Paintings
Like architecture, the artwork also ranges from the Thangka paintings to the Newari Paubha paintings. Mithila art is one of the distinct forms of a colorful painting of eastern Terai.
- Thangka Paintings
Thangka paintings are very authentic handwork of Nepal which reflects the Buddhist culture. The paintings have the color mixed with gold and silver.
- Newari Paubha Paintings
Paubha is a traditional religious painting made by the Newari people of Nepal. Paubha depicts deities, mandalas or monuments, and is also used to help the practitioner meditate.
- Mithila Art
Mithila art is purely linked to religious ceremonies, marriage, and its consequences. These paintings are typical art of Maithili women.
Witness Typical Music and Dance
In the countryside, most villagers have their own dance forms and music. Some traditional music instruments like bansuri (flutes), Madal (drums), and cymbals enliven festivals.
Nepali dance styles are as numerous and varied as Nepal’s ethnic groups. They range from the stick dances of the Tharu in the Terai to the line-dancing style of the mountain Sherpas.
The masked dances of Nepal are also very famous. From the Lakhe dance performed in Indra Jatra to the masked Hindu dances of Nava Durga in Bhaktapur, there are a variety of dance forms popular among different ethnic groups.
Final Words – Things to See in Nepal
Nepal is one of the most beautiful places in the world. It is a piece of heaven on Earth. Once here, you will find many things to see in Nepal.
Nepal is mostly associated with mountains and hiking. But there are plenty of other cultural and natural attractions to visit and explore.
From medieval cities to beautiful lakes, mountains, and varieties of amazing things to see in Nepal.
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