Gandaki River

The Kali Gandaki or Gandaki River is one of the major rivers of Nepal and a left bank tributary of the Ganges in India. It is also called Krishna Gandaki in Nepal. It has a total catchment area of 46,300 square kilometers (17,900 sq mi), most of it in Nepal. The basin also contains 3 of the world's 14 highest mountains over 8,000m, the three being Dhaulagiri I, Manaslu and Annapurna I.Dhaulagiri I is the highest point of the Gandaki basin.The river is called Sapta (seven) Gandaki for seven tributaries rising in the Himalaya or further north along the main Ganges-Brahmaputra divide. These are called Daraudi, Seti, Madi, Kali, Marsyandi, Budhi, and Trisuli.

The Kali Gandaki river source is at the border with Tibet at an altitude of 6,268 m (20,564 ft) at the Nhubine Himal Glacier in the Mustang region of Nepal.  The headwaters stream on some maps is named the Chhuama Khola and then, nearing Lo Manthang, the Nhichung Khola or Choro Khola. The Kali Gandaki then flows southwest through a sheer-sided. In Kagbeni a major tributary named Johng Khola or Kak Khola descends from Muktinath.The river then flows southward through a steep gorge known as the Kali Gandaki Gorge, between the mountains Dhaulagiri (8167 m) to the west and Annapurna I (8091 m) to the east. If one measures the depth of a canyon by the difference between the river height and the heights of the highest peaks on either side. The portion of the river directly between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna I is at an elevation of 2520 metres, 5571 metres lower than Annapurna I. The river is older than the Himalayas.

South of the gorge, the river is joined by Rahughat Khola at Galeshwor, Myagdi Khola at Beni, Modi Khola near Kushma and Badigaad at Rudrabeni above Ridi Bazaar. The river then turns east to run along the northern edge of the Mahabharat Range. The largest hydroelectricity project in Nepal is located along this stretch of the river. Turning south again and breaking through the Mahabharats, Kali Gandaki is then joined by a major tributary, Trishuli at Devighat,The trisuli river is already mixed with five tibutaries named budugandaki, marshyandi, daraudi, seti and madi, then by the (East) Rapti draining the Inner Terai valley known as Chitawan. The Gandaki then crosses the outermost foothills of the Himalayas—Sivalik Hills—into the Terai plains of Nepal. From Devighat, the river flows southwest of Gaindakot town and is known as Narayani or Sapt Gandaki.

Tansen (Palpa)

Tansen, an ancient hill town, with its architecture strongly influenced by Newari migrants from the Kathmandu valley is waiting to be discovered by the tourists. Pokhara and the Himalayas, this town offers an opportunity to experience genuine Nepalese culture, away from westernized places like Thamel in Kathmandu or Lakeside in Pokhara. Old artistic Newari houses and cobbled streets shape the townscape. The town's hill, Shreenagar, allows breathtaking views of the Himalayan range from Dhaulagiri in the west to Ganesh Himal in the east.

Tansen is the district administrations headquarter of Palpa district, one out of 75 districts in Nepal, and since 1957 a Municipality. It is itself often referred to as Palpa, and its people (population approx. 13,000 in the core area) as Palpalis.

At an elevation of about 1350-m (4430 ft) above sea level the town experiences a pleasant climate throughout the year. The maximum temperature, even in pre-monsoon times, hardly exceeds 31°C (88 F) and only in December/ January the minimum temperature can fall below 10°C (50 F). The annual precipitation is about 1500 mm of which 90% falls in the monsoon season. The name of the town "Tansen" has its origin in Magar language, meaning "northern settlement". Magars are one of the ethnic groups of Nepal having their own language, culture and history, and are assumed to be the first settlers in this area. Around 600 years ago, Nepal was divided into several small kingdoms and hill states. In this region, they were known as "Bahra Magarat", meaning the "twelve regions of Magar". The percentage of Magar population in these districts is very high till today.

During the invasion of Muslims into India, numerous kings and clans escaped from there to the northern hill areas. In the late 15^th century, they entered the Himalayan region. Some of them conquered the local kings and established their own states. The former Sen - Dynasty of Palpa, founded by Rudra Sen, had its roots in those days. Under the reign of his son, Mukunda Sen (1518 - 1553), the kingdom of Palpa reached its largest expansion and Tansen became its capital. The kingdom of Palpa spread as far as the Koshi River in the east, Gorakhpur in the south and today's Gulmi and Kaski districts in the west and north. Mukunda Sen, though unsuccessful, attacked Kathmandu valley too. After ruling thirty-five years, he resigned and spent the rest of his life as a saint.

In 1806, after a lot of political unrest, the kingdom of Palpa, which until then had been independent, was annexed into the kingdom of Nepal and was then administered by a governor, appointed from Kathmandu.Political changes in Nepal brought up changes in the administration too. Today the head of Palpa district is the CDO (Chief District Officer) and Tansen is one out of 58 Municipalities in Nepal.

Chitawan National Park

A visit to Nepal remains incomplete without seeing the beauty of the Terai. And Chitwan is the best place to do so. The Royal Chitwan National Park, established in 1973, provides a great wildlife experience with its rich flora. The wildlife and the landscape are not as breathtaking as those found in Africa but still, the experience will stand out.Chitwan is only 150m above the sea level. The place gets steamy from March-June, with peak temperatures reaching 43°C in the shade. Short grass makes Feb-May the best game-viewing season, but the autumn months are gorgeous, with Himalayan views, and in winter (December-January). The monsoon season (July-August) is intense, with pounding rain, swollen rivers, and luxuriant vegetation. While the rain isn't constant, the humidity is all pervasive. 

The flora and fauna of Chitwan makes it a great place for nature lovers. Chitwan has over 50 different species of mammals, 400 different species of birds, and 65 different types of butterflies in its hardwood Sal forests, riverine vegetation, and "elephant grass" savannah. More than 70 different species of grass grow here.The most famous wildlife in Chitwan is perhaps the single-horned Asian rhinoceros. A few decades ago, their number had fallen to less than 100, but recent count puts them at 400. These animals have thick armor like hide that is hard to penetrate even with a bullet.A fully grown animal can be as tall as 180cm. In spite of army protection for these animals and severe punishment for harming them, rhino poaching is still a problem as every organ of the animal carries some (probably superstitious) value. The horn fetches about US$10,000 per kilo and is believed to be an aphrodisiac. The dung can be a laxative, the urine cures tuberculosis and asthma. The blood can help cure menstrual problems. The hide keeps away evil spirits. And so on.

Chitwan has about 150 Bengal tigers left of the one time 3000 or so. Though poaching is a serious threat, the real threat for these majestic animals is the gradual loss of its habitat. A male tiger requires almost 60km space, and a female one requires a third of it. Chitwan is simply not big enough to handle many tigers. It is rare for one to actually see a tiger, though looking for one is an interesting part of the trip.

Gauri Sankar

Gauri Sankar lies near the western edge of the Rolwaling Himal, about 100 kilometres (62 mi) northeast of Kathmandu. (It is almost directly between Kathmandu and Mount Everest, and is visible from Kathmandu.) To the west of the peak lies the valley of the Bhote Kosi, the western boundary of the Rolwaling Himal. To the north lies the Menlung Chu, which separates it from its sister peak Menlungtse. To the south lies the Rolwaling Chu, which leads up to the Tesi Lapcha pass, giving access to the Khumbu region. It is in the district of Dolakha, a very welcoming district of cultural diversity and breath taking natural sights. The main headquarter of which is just in a blink of 136 kilometers east of Kathmandu.  

The first attempts to climb Gauri Sankar were made in the 1950s and 1960s but weather, avalanches and difficult ice faces defeated all parties. From 1965 until 1979, the mountain was officially closed for climbing. When permission was finally granted in 1979, an American-Nepalese expedition finally managed to gain the top, via the West Face. This was a route of extreme technical difficulty. The permit from the Nepalese Ministry of Tourism stipulated that the summit could only be reached if an equal number of climbers from both nations were on the summit team. John Roskelley and Dorje Sherpa fulfilled that obligation.

In the same year, a British-Nepalese expedition climbed the long and difficult Southwest Ridge to the south summit (7010m). Though they did not make the long additional traverse to the main summit, their climb was a significant achievement in itself.

The Himalayan Index lists only two additional ascents of the main summit of Gauri Sankar. The second ascent was made in the spring of 1984 by Wyman Culbreth and Ang Kami Sherpa, via a new route on a ridge on the southwest face. The third ascent (and the first winter ascent), in January 1986, was by South Korean Choi Han-Jo and Ang Kami Sherpa.

Devghat

Devghat is a town located at the junction of the Sapta Gandaki and Krishna Gandaki rivers in Central Nepal and is one of the holiest places in Hindu mythology as well as a holy place for Hindu gods. Lying 7 kilometres from the city of Narayangarh, 20 kilometres from Sauraha and 150 kilometres southwest of the capital Kathmandu. The area boasts many natural features due to its geography and climate including tropical forests, wild animals and birds.  Dev ghat is home to various temples and caves of Hindu gods, goddesses, and saints including Goddess Sita's cave, Bashistha Cave, Radha Krishna Temple, Galeshwor Temple, Sita Ram Temple, Laxmi Narayan Temple, Shankaracharya Temple, Bageshori Temple, Laxmi Narayan Divya Dham, Maula Kalika Temple, and Bishwa Shanti Dharmashala among others. Mahesh Sanyas, Hari Hara, Sharana Gati, Galeshwor, Radha Sarbeshwor Bhajan and Yogi Narahari Nath are ashrams where various religious activities are performed all year round. In Makar Sankranti, hugemelas (gatherings) are observed each year making it one of the largest religious melas in Nepal. The date when this festival started remains unknown. Hindu pilgrims bathe at the junction of the Krishna Gandaki river well-known for its rare 'Saligram Sheela (holy stone), which Hindu devotees worship as Lord Vishnu which are in India. 

Devghat is in a modern transitional stage of development. It has three high schools, one post-graduate college, three retirement home projects, one ayurvedic health station, part of Bharatpur medical college, the guest house of B P Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital etc. Volunteers from various health organizations provide free health check up camps on a regular basis. A historic suspension bridge connects the Tanahun and Chitwan districts of the town.

The government of Nepal has established Devghat Area Development Committee for the integrated development of this area while the non-resident Nepalese Association has established a project to construct 200 retirement homes in the Chitwan district of the town.

A proposed Saptagandaki hydropower plant is in the pipeline for construction. It is expected that living standards in the area will improve if the project goes ahead.

Sarangkot

Sarankot or Sarangkot is Village Development Committee in Kaski District in the Gandaki Zone of northern-central Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 5,060 persons residing in 1,010 individual households.

The village is located on a mountainside ridge at an altitude of 1600m with panoramic Himalayan views. From Sarankot, on the northern direction we can see Dhawalagiri in the far west . Annapurna range is visible when the weather is clear on the same side. On the southern direction the village overlooks the city of Pokhara and its lake on the north-western outskirts of the city.

Lukla

Lukla is a town in the Khumbu area of the Solukhumbu District in the Sagarmatha Zone of north-eastern Nepal. Situated at 2,860 metres (9,383 ft), it is a popular place for visitors to the Himalayas near Mount Everest to arrive. Although Lukla means place with many goats and sheep, few are found in the area these days.

Lukla contains a small airport servicing the region, and a variety of shops and lodges catering to tourists and trekkers, providing western-style meals and trail supplies.

From Lukla, most trekkers will take two days to reach Namche Bazaar, both an interesting village and an altitude acclimatization stop for those continuing on.

Lukla is served by the Tenzing-Hillary Airport. Weather permitting, twin-engined Dornier and Twin Otters make frequent daylight flights between Lukla and Kathmandu. Lukla Airport has a very short and steep airstrip, often compounded by hazardous weather, resulting in several fatal accidents. It has been called the most dangerous airport in the world.