History

Today Nepal was unified by King Prithvi Narayan Shah of Gorkha. Before, Nepal was ruled by various ethnicities Kirats, Lichchavis, Thakuris, and Mallas. The history says that Kirats ruled Nepal during the 7th century BC. Due to lack of evidence, much was not known about Kirats, Lichchavi dynasty. Until the 12th century, Nepal was ruled by different dynasties, when Malla came ruled Nepal. Under Malla’s rule, Nepal went through a lot of changes and expanded rapidly. Temple, palaces, art, and architecture came into existence. A lot of small communities was formed with their own leader. As time progressed, by the 15th-century lot temple and palaces had been built, some of them still there categorized as UNESCO world heritage sites. In Nepal first elections were held in 1959 but the intervention by the kings dissolved the parliament and parties formed. After years of struggle and flight for democracy finally, Nepal has declared a democratic country in 2008. Being in power for more than 240 years monarchy was removed from power.

Geography

Sharing the border with two superpowers in Asia, Nepal is sandwiched between India and China. Blessed with one of the highest mountains in the world the Mount Everest and peaks like Annapurna range, Nepal mostly is covered with hill and mountain ranges, rest is known Terai region featured by forests and plains. It is home to a variety of habitats and landscapes. Approximately 80% of the population still lives in rural villages, following a simple lifestyle.

Mainly the country is divided into three regions Himal, Pahad, and Terai. Himal region consists of the mountain along with snow-capped ranges and some of the highest elevation 8,848 meters (29,029 ft) Pahad region consists of a mountain with elevation from 800 meters to 4000 meters (2,600 to 13,100 ft) in altitude. Terai region situated at an altitude of 67 meters to 300 meters (220 to 980 ft ) area mostly consists of grasslands and forest.

Culture and Traditions

Nepal is a country with diverse culture and tradition which is prevalent in their behavior and customs. Hinduism is the most celebrated religion followed by Buddhism. A small portion of the population can be seen practicing Islam and Christianity. With more than 30 ethnic groups an array of religions and dialects can be experienced. Although a variety of cultural groups can be found in Nepal, people have a sense of unity which can be seen. Still, people follow old traditions, a lot of joint families can be found and the practice of arranged marriage is still followed. Being a developing country there is a huge gap between rural and urban society. One can see people grounded to their cultural roots and favoring slow-paced and simple life in rural areas. Travelers will be mesmerized by the hospitality and friendliness of the people, who are generally welcoming. With Indian, Tibetan, Chinese and Mongolian influence you can see a lot of differences in Nepalese food, clothing, customs, and behavior, depending upon the area you are visiting.

Health and Safety

Lumle ensures every measure is taken to make sure our traveler’s holiday is safe and there is no compromise on the health of the travelers while on the tour. At the same time, the tours are fun and enjoyable so that our travelers can go back to their country with wonderful memories. We recommend that all travelers check with their government or national travel advisory organization for the latest information before departure. People leaving from the UK can refer to the below link for the latest information before they depart.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/nepal