Are you planning to travel this summer? Do you think the airfares are too high? If you answered yes to these two questions then here are few important things you could do to make travel less expensive.

1. Book Early:

Booking early is probably the biggest factor in getting cheap tickets. Book your tickets as soon as you know when you can travel. The sooner the better! Tickets booked in advance are almost always cheaper than those booked just a few days or weeks before the day of travel because the cheaper seats sell out very quickly.

2. Flexibility:

As much as possible try to be flexible by a few days; cheaper seats may not be available on a certain day. If you could provide flexible travel dates (+/- few days) you will increase your chances of getting a cheaper ticket.

3. Avoid Weekends:

Weekend travel on most airlines is slightly more expensive. Typically weekend travel will cost -0 more. The best time to travel is in the middle of the week.

4. High Season:

Almost all airlines have a high season and a low season, and this varies from airline to airline. Prices are significantly higher during holiday seasons and the airlines designated high seasons.

5. Leave the Rest to us:

Relax & Be Assured!

If you have considered all of the above criteria then you can relax and fill out our booking form online at (www.tickets2Nepal.com) and be assured that we will get you a fare that will make you want to travel to Nepal frequently. Imagine how cool that would be!

Please let us know if you have any questions about traveling to Nepal, and we will respond within 24 hours.

Happy Traveling!

Getting to Dingla was not easy! It involved our first flight returning back to Kathmandu from half way, me getting on-board an aircraft that resembled a toy plane, clutching my seat during the entire flight, and finally landing on an unpaved (grass and red mud) runway. But it was all worth it at the end. Ever since I landed in Tumlingtar (the regional airport that serves Dingla), I was awed by what Nepal looks beyond Kathmandu. Thoughts about nature, rural life, under-development, and peace never left me.

Far away from my urban lifestyle and even farther away from technology, I felt very uncomfortable at first. As time went by I started to adapt to my surrounding, I felt a peace of mind that is elusive in most modern urban societies. I felt at peace and my mind was not restless—I felt like I was in Shangri-la.

People say travelling is a great experience and a great way of learning. And travelling to Dingla for me was indeed a great experience. After coming back to Kathmandu I miss Dingla sometimes. I miss sleeping on the floor of a hut, listening to the birds sing, waking up at 4AM to get water, bathing in the spring, and walking up and down the hill for almost everything.  Everyone should visit places like this once in their lifetime, experiencing such a place is transforming and eye-opening. Imagine going back in time to a place untouched by modernization. Dingla is one such place where time has stood still for decades; a place where your soul will be touched and mind rejuvenated to return to life in the metropolis.

Note: This article was submitted to us by Dilasha Basnet, who recently traveled to Dingla with her family. It is also the article for our debut June newsletter.

So you want to travel in Nepal huh ?

Nepal is a country that will stun you on many levels. Its variety of landscapes, cultures and people, offer a wide variety of activities for travelers to get engaged in. In many travel reviews, Nepal regularly comes in the top 10 places to visit before you die !

Here are some general ideas on what to do in Nepal, if you are clueless (I doubt you will be if you are in Nepal)

• Trekkinghills in Dolpo
• Mountaineering
• Sightseeing
• Adventure travel
• Cultural
• Recreational Activities
• Religious tourism
• Gambling
• Others

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Here is a rough guide of best times for tourists /travelers to visit in nepal. Nepal usually has beautiful weather all around and has primarily 5 seasons. Winter , spring, summer, monsoon (rainy), autumn (fall).

Summer (June to September)

Also the torrential monsoon rainy season. Usually people go to rain safe areas like Mustang and Dolpa for trekking. The greenery of the hills and the plains make it an unique time to appreciate the beauty of nature. An interesting event is held throughout the country near the end of June to mark the importance of farming in Nepal where travelers can experience the sowing of paddy samplings, mixed with the fun of mud throwing at each other and enjoying Dahi Chiura -Â yogurt and beaten rice.

Rhododendron

Rhododendron

Sightseeing the temples, stupas and architectural heritages of the Kathmandu valley, namely the Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur Durbar Squares.

Bungee Jumping takes place every Wednesday and Saturday.

Festivals like Gai Jatra, Nag Panchami, Krishnastami are held during this time.

Autumn (October to November)

Most popular tourist season and arguably the best all around weather in Nepal. Major festivals like dasain, tihar, chhath and Eid are held during this time. A good time to go for allaround cultural and nature experience.

Ideal for for trekking to all the routes available in Nepal like the Everest Base Camp Trek, Annapurna Circuit Trek.

This season is also ideal for rafting and kayaking, mountain flights, paragliding, parahawking, ultra light flight, mountain biking, bungee jumping, Â jungle safari in the Chitwan National Park and Bardia National Park.

Mountaineering expeditions are also launched during this time but the season is not as popular as the spring.

Sightseeing the cultural and religious heritages of the Kathmandu valley can be organized.

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Where to go in Nepal? That is always the first or second thing in a traveler’s mind! There are many exciting places in Nepal where you can visit. We have broadly categorized the interests of travelers who visit Nepal:

* Are you going trekking?
* Are you going Mountaineering?
* Are you going Sightseeing?
* Are you going to do adventure activities? like rafting, paragliding, mountain biking, bungee jumping, jungle safaris and much more.

Trekking:

Trekking

There are many popular places for trekking or hiking in Nepal. The most popular trekking routes are the Everest Base Camp trek, Annapurna trek (Annapurna Circuit, Jomsom Trek and Annapurna Base Camp Trek ). Lantang and Helambu trek are also popular. Trekking to the Lo Manthang, Upper Dolpo are restricted and you need a permit from the government agencies which you can get for an extra fee. Some Places to be in are: trekking-1 Everest Base Camp. Villages along the Annapurna Circuit trek Gokyo Lake (near Mt. Everest) Annapurna Base camp Shivapuri Hiking (around Kathmandu)

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Heritages
Bhaktapur Durbar Square has one of the best collections of the finest medieval arts of Nepal. There are many beautiful temples, palaces and buildings in the Bhaktapur Durbar Square which are examples of superb architecture. These include The Lion Gate, The Golden Gate, the 55 window palace, the statue of Bhupatindra Malla, Nyatopola temple, Vatsala Temple, Dattatraya temple, The Art Gallery, Pujari Math, Bhairav Nath temple, The Shiva Parvati Temple and the Pashupatinath Temple. Dattatreya Temple, built by King Yaksha Malla, is the oldest temple structure in Bhaktapur Durbar Square.

Temples
The Lion Gate was built by King Bhupatindra Malla in the 17th century. The Lion Gate is guarded on each side by huge statues of lions and by two stone statues of Lord Bhairab and Goddess Ugrachandi. It is said that the sculptor who made these statues had his hands cut off so that he could not duplicate these masterpieces. The Golden Temple, which was built by King Ranjit Malla, has an image of Goddess Kali and Garuda (the mythical man  bird) at the top. It is embellished with various mythical creatures and nymphs with marvelous intricacy. The Golden Gate is also the entrance of the 55 window palace and the Taleju Temple. A group of four temples at the western end of the Durbar Square, namely Rameshwar Temple, Badri Temple, Krishna Temple and Shiva Temple, are referred to as the Char Dham.
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*Please print out the itinerary for a better read since this is a long article.*

Annapurna Trek on the way to mustang

Anapurna Circuit Trek starts from Besisahar in Lamjung. There are direct buses going from Kathmandu (6 hours), Narayanghat and Pokhara (five hours). It takes around 16 to 18 days to complete the trekking in this route. The Thorung La pass at an elevation of 5416 meters is the highest point during the trekking. October to November is the best season for the trekking. The route is very inhospitable between mid December to mid March due to snow in the Thorung La pass. The trek ends in either Naya Pul, where the Jomsom trekking starts, or in Beni. Good precautions need to be taken doing this trek as bad weather during any time of the year can put the trekkers and porters at risk.
annapurna-trek-on the way to mustang

There are tea houses along the route for food and accommodation. But during the peak season they are generally overcrowded. You need to pay Rs. 2,000 (around US$ 20) as the entry fee to the Annapurna Conservation Area.

Day 1: Besisahar to Bahundanda
From Besisahar the trail descends and follows the gentle slope of the Marsyangdi Khola and reaches Khudi. Khudi is at an altitude of 830 meters. The trail then reaches to Bhulbhule (840 meters) from where Himalchuli and Ngadi Chuli (also known as Manaslu 2) mountains are seen. The trail passes through Ngadi and climbs to Lampata (1135 meters). Then the trail reaches Bahundanda, which is at an altitude of 1310 meters. Bahundanda has several hotels and shops and a public telephone booth.
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Palace
Patan Durbar Square has an excellent collection of fine pagoda temples, stone statues, water spouts, bronze gateways, images of guardian deities and intricate wood and metal carvings. Patan Durbar Square Complex houses the royal palace of the former royal family of Patan. The royal palace, also known as Chyasim Deval, is believed to have been built by Malla kings in the 17th and 18th centuries. Several of Patan’s finest temples are in a straight line down the left hand side of Durbar Square, facing the palace.

Temples
Some of the famous temples of Patan are the Krishna Mandir, Krishna Temple, Taleju Bhawani, Bhimsen Temple, Vishwanath Temple, Uma Maheshwar temple, Jagannarayan Temple (Char- Narayan Temple), Bhai Dega Temple and Hari Shankar Temple.

The three storied Krishna Mandir was built by King Siddhi Narsingha Malla in the 16th century. Krishna Mandir, which is devoted to Lord Krishna, is one of the best examples of stone architecture in Nepal. Scenes from Mahabharata and Ramayana (holy Hindu epics) are carved on the walls of the Krishna Mandir.
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You will find a number of places to stay along the major trekking routes. The Annapurna Circuit and Everest Base Camp treks have excellent tea houses along the stops on the routes. The lesser trekked places may have dorm sized or open rooms in which you have to bring your own sleeping bag.

Please refer to the Popular Treks in Nepal for comprehensive information about treks in Nepal.

Travelogue of the trekking trip to see Mount Everest up close on December 2005.

(The traveler is Ujwal Thapa – CEO, ExoticBuddha.com)

Day 1:

I got a ticket to Lukla from a local travel agent (referred by a friend) in Kathmandu. Cost me about (It costs around $ 120 at the moment for the tourists).

Took one of the early flights out. (There are different rates for natives and for foreigners). As usual, had a bit of delay before the start, because ofweather. They say, Lukla has one of the most dangerous looking airports in the world. They certainly weren’t wrong. The runway actually slopes down right into a cliff to a ravine possibly a thousand feet below

I was taking the hike alone (at least till Namche bazaar- the hub for all Everest trekkers) and then meeting my doctor friend who was stationed there.

Everything started smoothly and by 10 in the morning I was in Lukla. It wasn’t as cold as I expected. This was in the beginning of December. I took my bag and the stopped by a bakery shop (yes, one in a line of many bakeries such as german, Italian, swiss along the way it seems its quite a business over here). Had coffee and some fresh german bread (at least that’s what I was told it was).

At the end of the day, I reached up to Monjo (2800 meters or 9240 feet). Most people stay further back at Phakding. But I thought I should save the distance for the strong climb of the next day up to Naamche bazaar. The Food at the lodge was okay, nothing worth remembering. Accommodation is bare minimum but for a weary traveler its nothing to complain about.
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