Welcome to Nepal! Upon arrival in Kathmandu a travel-to-nature Asia guide/representative will be at the airport to greet and take us to our hotel. Please look out for your name-card once you exit out of arrival area. Overnight stay in Kathmandu.

Accommodation: Hotel Manaslu

Nepal’s capital Kathmandu is a fascinating blend of old and new and the largest and most cosmopolitan city in Nepal. This morning we visit the colossal Bodhnath (Boudha), which is one of the world’s largest stupas and the most important Buddhist monument outside Tibet. It’s a beautiful worship site where the spinning of prayer wheels, prostrating pilgrims and collective chants are just some of the practices that can be witnessed. The Stupa is located in the area of ancient trade route to Tibet where Tibetan merchants and offered prayers for many centuries. When refugees entered Nepal from Tibet in the 1950s, many decided to live around Bodhnath. Hence, a complete township has developed around Bodhnath and we’ll also visit a monastery where the young monks live and study Tibetan Buddhism.

We travel on to the Newari town of Bhaktapur, which, despite its close proximity to Kathmandu, seems worlds apart. This enchanting old town is peacefully traffic free and has retained its centuries old traditions, crafts and trades. Bhaktapur Durbar Square is home to beautifully carved Malla dynasty palaces and pagodas and the cobblestone streets, temples, shrines and squares are full of character. The Newar communities of Bhaktapur are famous for their pottery making, they not only sell their products within the country but also abroad. The town is also famous for making yogurt traditionally known as “Ju Ju Dhau”, which is a local delicacy. We join a family who will help us to make clay pots on a spinning wheel. Time permits, we will also visit a family whose living is dependent on making Ju Ju Dhau.

Our final stop of the day is Patan, an old Newari city in the Kathmandu Valley, Here we’ll explore the historic Patan Durbar Square, which is home to more than 50 stunning temples and shrines and although it is smaller than Durbar Square in the centre of Kathmandu it is architecturally more refined and less commercialised. Other highlights of Patan include the Golden Gate, the statue of Yogendra Malla, Krishna Mandir, Sati Temple, Hiranya Varna Mahabiar (the golden temple) and Mahabouddha Temple. Overnight stay in Kathmandu.

Accommodation: Hotel Manaslu
Meal: Breakfast

We have today to explore more of Kathmandu. In the early morning there is the opportunity to take a scenic flight to see Mount Everest (It’s an Optional programme – this can be booked in advance or on arrival in Kathmandu; ask your Agent regarding costs). Today there will be a half-day sightseeing tour visiting Hindu Pashupatinath (UNESCO Heritage site) and its sacred temple complex on the banks of the holy Bagmati river. Here, monkeys run up and down the steps of the burning ghats (cremation), and trident-bearing Saddhus draped in burnt-orange and saffron sit serenely meditating – when they’re not posing for photos-for-rupees.

Pashupatinath, Nepal’s most important Hindu temple. At first glance, Pashupatinath might not look that sacred – the temple is just a few hundred metres from the end of the runway at Tribhuvan Airport, overlooking the Bagmati river. However, in religious terms this is a powerhouse of Hindu spiritual energy, and is closely connected to Shiva in the form of Pashupati, the Lord of Animals.
The practice of cremation in Nepal at Pashupatinath dates back to centuries. Arya Ghat, the place where the crematorium lies on the Bagmati river is the largest cremation area in Nepal. The Bagmati is a holy river and, as at Varanasi on the Ganges, Pashupatinath is popular place to be cremated.

The rest of the time is free for individual exploration. Kathmandu also offers the most wonderful and varied opportunities for souvenir shopping: clothes, trinkets, Tibetan and Nepalese handicrafts and superb bookshops. It also has a wide variety of restaurants serving some of the best food from the sub continent and you can also find wonderful pizzas and apple pie if you wish. Overnight stay in Kathmanmdu.

Accommodation: Hotel Manaslu
Meal: Breakfast

This morning we leave Kathmandu for Chitwan National park and drive on Prithivi highway which takes us on a winding paths and for a good portion of the journey along the turquoise Trishuli river.  Arriving at the gate to Tiger Tops Tharu Lodge, Tiger Tops staff will meet us with a welcome drink in the dining hall. Continue to the garden where the lunch will be waiting for us.

After the lunch we will have a chance to settle in to your rooms and explore the lodge grounds – our large swimming pool beckons temptingly and it is easy to while away a sunny afternoon swimming and reading with a cool drink in hand. After tea and biscuits in the main area, we take a stroll to the Narayani river with our resident elephants and one of our naturalists and watch the family of elephants bathe and frolic while you enjoy your sundowners. Return to the lodge for hot showers and cold drinks before dinner. Overnight in Chitwan NP.

Accommodation: Tiger Tops Tharu Lodge (Luxury Camp)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Special Note: Depends upon the availability & advance booking accommodations at the Lodge are allocated. Alternatively Luxury Camps are allocated. This is because they only have 12 rooms at the lodge.

Breakfast is served al fresco beneath our shady mango trees – fresh fruit , yoghurt , eggs and bacon to get the day off to a perfect start. After breakfast, prepare for a river safari in the Narayani river. The outing commences with a nature walk or bullock cart ride through the riverine forest, followed by a scenic float down the river. Cruising on the wide expanse of the river, pockets of rapids propel the boats along as gentle waves lap at the sides. Sitting inside a hand – carved boat , keep your eyes peeled for a variety of birdlife and wildlife . Top of the list is the endangered fish – eating Gharial crocodile and its more sinister relative , the Marsh – Mugger.

A Nepali – style lunch will be served back at the Lodge , after which we might want to head to the hammock with our book for relaxation. Later in the afternoon , when the weather is cooler and the animals become active, meet with our naturalist for a jeep safari in the national park to get a taste of the jungle. Don’t hesitate to ask questions . Our naturalist are extremely knowledgeable on the animals and the history of Chitwan National Park. During the safari you will encounter wildlife such as different species deer, birds , monkeys , and the endangered one – horned rhinoceros and hopefully the elusive Royal Bengal Tiger.

Accommodation: Tiger Tops Tharu Lodge (Luxury Camp)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning after another leisurely breakfast, our luggage will be loaded aboard our vehicle ready to transfer us  the approximately 5- 6 hours scenic drive to Pokhara.

We then travel east from Nawalparasi on the main highway, turning off at the town of Kawasoti in Nawalparasi district just beyond the western edge of Chitwan National Park. Here we visit the Pithauli Vulture restaurant on the outskirts of the village of Laukani to see the different species of Asian Vultures and ongoing vulture conservation work. This is the first community-managed vulture feeding station (and vulture information centre) in the world, developed with funds from the United Nations

Development Programme/GEF/Small Grants Programme, the International Trust for Nature Conservation and the RSPB. When Pithauli was first established in August 2007, there were fewer than 20 nests of White-rumped Vultures in the area, but this number steadily increased to more than 100 in 2019.

After visiting Vulture restaurant, we continue to Pokhara. Pokhara is the gateway to the magnificent Annapurna Range, which boasts five mountains over 7,200 m and has one of the Himalayas most distinctive mountains Machhapuchare with its unique ‘fishtail’ peak. The local people believe Machhapuchare is sacred to the god Shiva and therefore is off limits to climbing. Arriving in the afternoon, there’s time to relax and perhaps take a stroll around the lakeside market. Overnight stay in Pokhara.

The Pithauli Vulture Restaurant Chitwan National Park
Nepal is home to nine species of vultures. But five of them, including the white-rumped vulture, experienced a catastrophic population collapse of more than 99 percent in the span of just 20 years. Most species are now critically endangered and risk extinction.

In the 1990s, the scientific community determined the raptors were suffering kidney failures because of an anti inflammatory veterinary drug used on cattle, called Diclofenac. In regions where few people eat beef due to cultural persuasions, farmers would leave dead dairy cows in the fields for the birds to pick clean. As the birds ate, they got sick and died in massive numbers.

Scavenger birds play a vital role in the ecosystem, helping prevent the spread of disease and pathogens into the wider environment. Nepal’s government banned the use of Diclofenac in 2006, and the non-profit Bird Conservation of Nepal, with international support, established several vulture “restaurants” with an aim to preserve and rebuild the species.

In Nepal, through the efforts of Bird Conservation Nepal and the local community Volunteers, the goal is to have the restaurants managed by nearby communities so that any profits stay local. In return, people are happy to bring their old and unproductive livestock to a place that will look after the animals until they die. For Hindu people, cows are sacred animals and the killing of one is punishable by law in Nepal (Subramanian 2011).

There are seven community-run sites where the raptors are regularly provided safe meat untainted by harmful drugs, allowing them an opportunity to thrive and repopulate. All the reserves have applied a Pithauli, Nawalparasi district push towards ecotourism.

Cow-caretaker . Ecotourism is a priority goal for Bird Conservation of Nepal, whose members come from local villages. ‘We want to conserve the biodiversity and promote the ecosystem by keeping the vultures safe,’ says Khusi. ‘And support the community.’

Accommodation: Mount Kailash Resort
Meal: Breakfast

Early this morning we drive (approx. 45 minutes) to World Peace Pagoda with a packed breakfast. The World Peace Pagoda is a massive Buddhist stupa, situated on the top of a hill on the southern shore of Phewa Lake. Besides being an impressive sight in itself, the shrine is a great vantage point which offers the spectacular views of the Annapurna range, Phewa Lake and Pokhara city. We then take a scenic two hour walk back to Pokhara via Raniban forest crossing the suspension bridge and enjoying wonderful views of the lake and mountains en route. We reach Lake Phewa and enjoy a boat ride.

This afternoon we visit a Tibetan refugee camp and a local school before heading to Matepani monastery to watch the monks daily prayer. Overnight in Pokhara.

Accommodation: Mount Kailash Resort
Meal: Breakfast

Today is a free day for us to explore Pokhara on our own and/or participate in optional activities such as paragliding, ultra-light flight, zip line, bungy jump, mountain biking, cycling, boating and horse riding, or if you prefer, simply relax down by the lake. Overnight stay in Pokhara.

Accommodation: Mount Kailash Resort
Meal: Breakfast

After leisurely breakfast we drive to Sundari Danda, Begnas Lake. Our hotel “Begnas Lake Resort & Villas”- located 12 km east of bustling Pokhara town lies this wondrous paradise. Surrounded by pristine Nature. Just the ideal setting for our long-deserved escape to another world!

We will enjoy pure, unadulterated Nature. In this healing and life-nourishing environment, we can experience the Himalayan Nature Spa that offers a wide range of classical Ayurvedic activities such as Yoga, meditation, as well as soothing and rejuvenating massage conducted by an experienced team of Ayurveda experts. Swimming in the Begnas lake is something refreshing and great fun.

Alternatively, there are several interesting village trails cris-crosing the Begnas area offering possibilities of day hikes for us from 2-6 hours depending on one‟s interest.

Accommodation: Begnas Lake Resort & Villas
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Note: All above mentioned activities at the resort are OPTIONAL and can be booked with us in advance.

This morning we take the short flight (approx. 30 mins) back to Kathmandu and in the afternoon we explore more of the city. During our half an hour flight, weather permitting, the view of the mighty Himalayan range, including the Annapurna, Ganesh, Manasulu etc. will be a life time experience.

Our sightseeing today includes the Buddhist Stupa of Swayambhunath with a wonderful view of the Kathmandu Valley. Swayambhunath is a Buddhist Chaitya said to be more than 2000 years old and perched on a hillock 77 metres above the valley floor. Offering a bird’s eye view of the Kathmandu City, it has eyes painted on it which are to represent the all-seeing eyes of Lord Buddha keeping a watch on the human behavior. Some of the Tibetan exiles in Nepal live nearby the Stupa.

From Swayambhunath we head to Kathmandu Durbar Square where there are over 50 temples and monuments, predominantly designed from the time of the Malla Dynasty. We’ll also see the living goddess KUMARI, the young girl considered the Hindu Living Goddess, worshipped by Nepali Buddhists and Hindus as the manifestation of the goddess Durga.

Then we get off the beaten track, taking an exciting rickshaw ride (optional & only if Rickhshaws are available ; alternatively we take a walk and equally exciting) from Hanuman Dhoka to Thamel through narrow alleys where we’ll see scenes of everday life, local shops selling Nepali spices and souvenirs, pious people revering deities and others involved in selling fresh fruits & vegetables, home made pie and tea. We will enjoy our last day in Magical Kathmandu with an evening walk around the Thamel market where you can pick up some last minute souvenirs. Thamel is a myriad of banners, signs, music shops, bakeries, internet cafes, restaurants, bars, hotels, shops of all imaginable varieties and eccentrically clad backpackers. After time to freshen up at your hotel, enjoy a tasty dinner whilst watching a traditional dance performance depicting the various religions of Nepal and farewell. Overnight stay in Kathmandu.

Accommodation: Hotel Manaslu
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Transfer to airport for your homeward-bound flight.

Meal: Breakfast