In May 2015, I was traveling on top of a brick-truck through the hills of Nepal, holding on tight and taking in glances of mist between the valleys which seemed to never end. It had been a long day of traveling, stopping in different road-side towns along the way, picking up pickaxes, crowbars, hammers across different stops. I didn’t understand a word of what was going on, and I wasn’t particularly bothered by it. As the day turned to dusk, and the smell of fires cooking a hearty meal filled the air, the truck became a communal bus for villagers getting home before dark. They took turns getti ..read more

Backpacking and tourism have boomed after the Covid-19 pandemic, with many people taking this as their chance to travel after two years of being stuck at home and obeying quarantine rules. Between 2020 and 2022, Nepal received around 600,000 visitors. It is likely that most of these visitors took the chance to explore Nepal’s biggest attraction: trekking in the Himalayas. While there’s no denying tourism and travel are good for a country’s economy, I always ask myself what their effects are on the environment. As an avid traveler myself, I try to be as conscious as possible about the cult ..read more

Kristin Harila is on a mission: her goal is to climb all fourteen 8000-meter peaks in a breath-taking time of less than six months. She came close to this feat already in 2022, but in the last moment she was denied climbing permits for Cho Oyu and Shishapangma, the two final peaks missing in her quest to finish this project. This year she has started climbing the fourteen highest peaks of world all over again. Inside Himalayas met the 37-year-old Norwegian athlete during her brief stay in Kathmandu in between one mountaineering expedition and the other, in early May 2023. Inside Himalayas: Kri ..read more

In her first documentary ‘Dolpo Diary’, Prasuna Dongol encapsulates her 2017 journey to Upper Dolpa. The candidly shot documentary captured the realities of a woman traveling alone to one of the most remote areas of Nepal. Dongol’s film shows the dangers and hurdles of traveling alone to the farthest corners of the Himalayas, but still maintains the beauty of the rocky landscape and the kindness of the people who live there. I started the interview with a generic question; “Who is Prasuna Dongol?” Dongol  responded by saying that she is a very shy-natured person who has the habit of not t ..read more

Keep it rolling! The valley of Kathmandu is surrounded by hills on all sides, with river streams gushing in and out of the valley.  Kathmandu and its outskirts offer some of the most exciting and adventurous cycling trails for you to conquer. In the last few years, riding has become incredibly popular in Kathmandu. With a dramatic increase in youths riding bicycles owing to fuel shortages and price hikes, most people are turning to cycle as a sustainable energy choice. Cycling also has numerous health benefits, such as stress reduction because it helps with the release of chemicals like e ..read more

Prakriti Resort and Organic Farm was everything I needed for a relaxing, rejuvenating, and nurturing weekend away from Kathmandu, and even more. The most popular way to get to the resort is a hike from Sundarijal Bus Park, a 12-km route in which you pass multiple gushing waterfalls and massive fern-lined trails. However, driving all the way to the resort, like I did, is also possible with a 4WD.  The resort is located just outside of Shivapuri National Park in its “buffer zone”, offering an undisturbed natural area feel, and magnificent views of deep green hills topped with snow-capped mo ..read more

Nepal is known to be one of the world’s best-hiking destinations. Not only do you have access to the mighty Himalayas, but also to numberless  other peaks, routes, and surprising hiking trails. Even the popular regions of Everest and Annapurna feature so many options that you don’t know what you choose unless you’ve done a thorough research. The Ghorepani Trek and the Annapurna Base Camp Trek are perhaps the two most popular treks near Pokhara in the Annapurna Conservation Area. However, while both treks are enjoyable, they differ in some key ways. So how do you decide which route fits yo ..read more

As a photographer or a photo enthusiast, what is it that you look for when traveling to a destination? Lifestyle? Culture? Architecture? Or a je ne sais quoi that you need to feel? Regardless of what you’re looking for, Kathmandu Valley has the charisma to tempt the  photographer in you to spend hours exploring the city with a camera dangling around your neck.  At the foothills of the Himalayas, the Kathmandu Valley comprises the three ancient cities of Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur. The valley is full of serpentine alleys, bustling markets, beautiful temples, a welcome environment ..read more

I love travelling around Nepal. I have travelled up and down the country on public transport; staying with friends, in family homestays (my favourite kind of accommodation), hotels, and lodges of all descriptions. But while foreign tourists are usually willing to try out a number of different styles of accommodations, seeing them take a public bus is still a rarity. Apart from tourist buses that go to and from Pokhara or Chitwan or jeeps used by trekkers going to and from Besisahar in the Annapurna area, I almost never see foreign tourists travelling on public transport. Even in Kathmandu, it ..read more

Bardia is a district located in the western Terai region of Nepal and is known for its rich biodiversity and cultural diversity. The district is home to a number of protected areas which include Bardia National Park and many surrounding community forests home to a variety of wildlife such as the Royal Bengal Tiger, Asian Elephant, Gharial crocodiles, one-horned rhino, and many species of birds. The local community has put effort into developing sustainable tourism in the area, and the impact has been positive for both the environment and the local people. Traditional Tharu Cultural Dance of Ba ..read more