Why visit western Nepal?

Western Nepal has always been among the most underrated tourist destinations since the beginning of Nepal tourism in the 1950s despite of it’s richness in mountains, lakes and dense forest of wildlife reserves in the south where you can get a chance of seeing Royal Bengal Tiger.

RAHUL AWASTHI 

The lands of Far West are full of vivid color and culture. You can experience Tibetan culture in the northern part, Hindu culture in the mid mountains and Tharu culture in the south. Along with that there are some remarkable tourist attractions that worth your time.

Here is a list of a few tourist attractions in western Nepal.

Api Himal – Api Nampa National Park

Api Himal with the height of 7,123 meters is the highest mountain in the western region of Nepal. Api is exceptional in it’s rise in comparison to the local terrain. The surrounding valleys are significantly lower than those surrounding much higher Himalayan peaks. It was first climbed in 1960 by the Dolsha Alpine Society of Japan, since then it has been a hub for mountaineers in western Nepal.

Rara National Park

Rara Lake is one of the most pristine and the deepest lake of Nepal with the depth of 2,999m. You can go camp by the sparkling water surrounded by green hills on all the sides, covered in juniper trees. For a closer view of the lake and mountains, you can hike to nearby hills or you can just walk around the sparkling water looking for rare flora and fauna available in the region.

Rara National Park is home for more than 500 different kinds of flora, 240 species of birds and 20 species of mammals. Talking about the lake, Snow Trout is the only fish varieties recorded in the lake so far.

Banke National Park

Being established in 2010 AD, Banke National Park is one of the newest national parks in Nepal. Surrounded by Rapti River on the south and Babai River in the north, this park links itself with the Bardia National Park which further connects to the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in India. Banke National Park hosts some wildest short hiking trials as well. One can simply walk around the park and explore some rare wildlife. Moreover, hiking in the fresh air far from the city will give a break to your lungs.                                                                                               

Khaptad National Park

Khaptad National Park provides one of the most thrilling hiking experiences with paths covered by beautiful rhododendron and oak forests which is home to a lot of wildlife species including Bear, Leopard, Common Langur, Musk Deer and more than 260 species of birds. Due to its biological diversity and natural beauty, this area is known as the ground-heaven by the locals.

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