"EVERY JOURNEY BEGINS WITH THE FIRST STEP" -LAOTSE- Travel in Nepal Reports on visits, assessments & recommendations (Version: 19th June, 2015) Sabine Pretsch & Temba Gyalbo Tamang Tembas Nepal Trek & Expedition Pvt. Ltd.
Foreword The earthquakes on 25th April, 2015 and 12th May, 2015 have hit some of the regions in Nepal severely. Help and support for the country and its people will be needed for a long while yet. Most of the regions in Nepal (64 of the 75 districts) have only been slightly affected by the quake, or not even at all. It is possible to travel to these regions without any problem, just as before. Although little, if anything at all, has been reported in the international media, tourism will have to be "built up" again, just like many of the houses and temples. You can give active support here. Travel to this magical, fascinating country and demonstrate your solidarity with the people who live there. This is the best support you can give to Nepal and its reconstruction. As the safety of our guests and personnel is extremely important to us, we visited some of the sights, villages and trekking regions ourselves during the period of 27th May to 13th June, 2015 and on 15th June, 2015. In the following report we should like to share our personal assessments and recommendations with you. Nepal is a country worth travelling to. Namaste Sabine & Temba Tembas Nepal Trek & Expedition Pvt. Ltd. Gov. License No. 963/065 P.O. Box 25310, Lazimpat, Bungalgalli 50 Kathmandu, NEPAL Tel / Fax: 00977-1-4441634 Mobil: 00977-9841311158 / 9841893318 Web: www.tembasnepaltrek.com Email: info@tembasnepaltrek.com Skype: tembasnepaltrek & nepal-spirit Blog: www.nepal-spirit.de
1. SIGHTS / ROYAL CITIES VISITED: Kathmandu Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal and the largest of the three "royal cities" in the Kathmandu Valley. In the media there were reports that everything is lying in rubble and ashes and that the roads have been completely destroyed. We cannot confirm this. Some districts such as Swayambunath, Gongabu and Boudanath have been worse hit than others. In the localities of Lazimpat, Maharajgunj and the tourist centre of Thamel, the houses, hotels and restaurants have only been slightly affected, if even at all. The roads are packed with cars, small busses and motorbikes. The traffic is bustling with a lot of hooting. During our fact-finding tour in the "Tourist Centre of Thamel Chhetrapati - Asan Tole - Intra Chowk on 27.05.2015 and 12.06.2015 most of the shops were open. The people were going about their everyday business. In Asan Tole the women were sitting between their stacked vegetables and offering their goods.
On 15.06.2015, six of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites (Durbar Square Kathmandu, Durbar Square Patan, Durbar Square Bhaktapur, Boudanath, Swayambunath, Pashupatinath) were officially re-opened to visitors by the government. In some places, so-called Danger Zones and Safe Zones are cordoned off with barriers. "Re-opening" means that the money for admission, that had been temporarily stopped, had to be paid again. A complete reconstruction or cleanup has not yet been managed. The renovation and restoration of the World Cultural Heritage sites will take several years according to the information given by the UNESCO Office in Kathmandu. Durbar Square Kathmandu (UNESCO World Cultural Heritage) On 27.05.2015 we took a look at the Palace Square (Durbar Square) in Katmandu. The old King's Palace, Hanuman Dhoka was badly damaged. The Kastamandap, the temple that was built out of one single tree and gives Kathmandu its name, has also collapsed. The Taleju Temple, the Kumari Bahal (house of the living goddess, Kumari), the Shiva and Parvati Temple have remained intact. Similarly, the stone relief of Kala Bairava (manifestation of Shiva's wrath) has remained intact and is waiting to be admired. It is shattering to see how some of the historic temples and monuments have been damaged and destroyed. The cleanup work that was full under way at the time of our visit, gives us hope that the restoration and rebuilding will be carried out long term. Used bricks have been stacked in piles and wooden beams have been collected at another place.
Buddhist Stupa of Boudanath (UNESCO World Cultural Heritage) On 05.06.2015 we visited the Buddhist Stupa in Boudanath, the largest Stupa in Nepal and one of the largest in the world. The huge, white semi-sphere in the middle of the square proudly attracts our attention. The Harmika (Turm) is slightly damaged and is surrounded by bamboo scaffolding at the moment. The builders are diligently trying to repair it all. Due to the damage to the tower, there are no prayer flags hanging at the moment to carry wishes and prayers to the gods. Nevertheless, Buddha's eyes are always open and watching in every direction. Around the Stupa the restaurants and little shops are open and offer their Tibetan goods. The magical power of this place for recharging positive energy is present.
Buddhist Stupa of Swayambunath (UNESCO World Cultural Heritage) The Buddhist Stupa of Swayambunath is enthroned on a hill, 2 km from the tourist centre of Thamel. When we wanted to look at the area with the Stupa on 12.06.2015 it was not accessible. We were merely able to stand in the lower area and watch the cleanup work which was in full progress. Women were carrying bricks that were still usable in bast baskets on their backs. Some of the small white stupas are covered in cracks.
Due to the enormous heat, the monkeys had tremendous pleasure diving in the monkeys' swimming-pool and competing with each other. As during every visit, we tried our luck throwing coins in the copper vessel of the World Peace Fountain/Well. After the monument had officially been opened again for visitors on 15.06.2015, Temba visited the Monkey Temple once again. The devastation was still to be seen and made one feel very sad. The Stupa itself was not damaged. One of the two white Shikara temples at the side had collapsed. The little shop huts surrounding the monument and also the monastery where pugas (divine services) took place, had been destroyed..
. Durbar Square Patan (UNESCO World Cultural Heritage) Patan, also called Lalitur, the town of beauty, is the second largest royal city in the Kathmandu Valley. Two historic temples (Changu Narayan, the oldest temple in the square) and Hari Shanker were completely in ruins. Some of the temples were slightly damaged or weakened in their construction to such an extent that supporting beams have been mounted. Pieces that had broken off were collected and stored in the inner square of Patan Museum. At a later date, the broken pieces of the temple are to be restored by traditional artist craftsmen. The plans for reconstruction and restoration of Durbar Square in Patan provide for implementing an earthquake-resistant construction. The ancient charm of this historic city is still prevalent.
Durbar Square Bhaktapur (UNESCO World Cultural Heritage) When we inspected Durbar Square in Bhaktapur on 05.06.2015 we immediately noticed that the gate at the main entrance was no longer there. The King's Palace looks relatively tidy. Some of the temples have to be supported. On Taumadhi Square, Nepal's highest temple, the Nyatapola, stands in all its glory. As also the festival chariot that is hauled through the streets in April, and had not yet been disassembled into its individual parts. It is possible to visit Dattatreya Square and the Pottery Market. Many of the temples that were restored between 1974 and 1987 in the course of the German-funded Development Project, are intact. In the small, winding alleys all the brick houses have collapsed.
But nevertheless, Bhaktapur now looks like a large, 'live' museum. During our visit we sat on the benches in front of Shiva Guest House and watched the people on Durbar Square. Afterwards we devoured the world's best yogurt (juju dahi) in little earthenware dishes, that is made in Bhaktapur - a refreshing pleasure in the heat of the day.
Nagarkot From Nagarkot the entire panorama of the famous peaks of the Himalayan Range can still be marvelled at, with their particular flair during sunrise and sunset. During our visit on 05.06.2015 we discovered that a large part of the local hotels and restaurants were undamaged and in operation.
Pokhara Pokhara lies approx. 200 km west of Kathmandu at an altitude of 884 m. The relaxing atmosphere of Lake Phewa and the fascinating views of the holy mountain, the "Macchapuchhre" (6,993 m), invited us to linger for a while. We had a very pleasant stay in Pokhara from 07.06. - 10.06.2015. We visited the hotels we work together with, had some delicious meals, paddled with a boot across Lake Phewa, went to see the World Peace Stupa and explored the short trekking route from Kande to the Australian Camp and to Dhampus. A real holiday for relaxing and taking a break. Life in Pokhara is the same as always the houses, hotels, restaurants and shops are not damaged in any way. There are no makeshift homes or tent tarpaulins to be seen. Everyone is living in their homes the town and surroundings have not suffered any damage. The only thing that is missing and evident from the streets that look totally empty, are the tourists.
Bandipur Bandipur, the earlier Newar trading town, lies between Kathmandu and Pokhara at an altitude of 1,030 m. Since we had heard in the Nepalese media that the village was devastated, we wanted to see this for ourselves during our visit on 10.06.2015. One wonders again and again, how and where the media sometimes get its information from. The houses, hotels and restaurants in Bandipur are neither shattered nor have they collapsed. One can feel the ancient flair of this little village with its Newar architecture and traffic-free alleyways..
Our recommendation: We can recommend a sightseeing tour and a stay in these localities. in some places, however, the visitor must be aware of the fact that much of the rubble has not yet been completely cleared away. For our part, we are unable to estimate just how long it will take until all the clearing away has been completed..
2. PLACES AND REGIONS THAT CAN BE VISITED: At the time of presenting this information it was not possible for us to visit all these places and regions ourselves. In the following you will find the sights, places and regions that have remained intact and which, in our view, can be visited and looked at. Hindu burning-ground in Pashupatinath (UNESCO World Cultural Heritage) The most important Hindu temple in Pashupatinath is located on the bank of the holy River Bagmati. Besides the religious activities, public cremations take place daily. Chitwan National Park (UNESCO World Cultural Heritage) Chitwan National Park lies in the southern part of the Terai. There are more than 500 one-horned Asian rhinoceros to be observed in the park as well as a large number of other wild animals. The visit to the village of the local Tharu community (ethnic population group) rounds off the visit. Bardia National Park (UNESCO World Cultural Heritage) Bardia National Park in the southwest is still 'nature pure' and not so frequently visited by tourists. Lumbini Lumbini is the birthplace of Lord Buddha and historically one of the most significant towns in Nepal. Lumbini lies in the western part of the Terai region, approx. 20 km from the Indian border. Kirtipur The historic town of Kirtipur lies on a hill, approx. 8 km southwest of Kathmandu. The many old shrines, temples and monuments in Kirtipur are really worth seeing. Panauti The Newar village of Panauti lies south of Banepa and stands out with its mediaeval urban structure with its narrow alleyways. 3. TREKKING REGIONS: The trekking regions have been affected to a varying extent. Here, we would like to present our assessments for carrying out trekking tours in the different regions. Trekking tours can, in our opinion, be done in the regions marked green. We would not advise any trekking tours to be carried out in the regions marked red during the coming autumn season. Annapurna Trekking can be done in the Annapurna region. The hiking tracks are intact, just as before. The tea lodges are only very slightly damaged, if at all, and the owners are delighted to receive a large number of visitors, as this means that they are then able to cover their cost of living. As far as we can judge, the following treks/tours can be carried out. Annapurna Base Camp Trek, Mardi Himal Trek, Annapurna Round Trek, Poonhill
Trek, Jomsom Muktinath Trek. Everest The Everest region was hit mainly by the second earthquake. Many of the damaged houses have already been renovated in this region. The hiking trails from Lukla are passable and walkable. In order to be able to start off on the treks in Jiri (Everest Jiri Trek) and Dolakha (Rolwaling Trek), the badly destroyed region of Sinduphalchok has to be passed through.. As far as we can judge, this will not be possible in the coming season, nor is it to be recommended. As far as we can judge, the following treks/tours can be carried out. Everest Base Camp Trek and Everest Gokyo Trek. Tamang Heritage Trail The Tamang Heritage Trail lies on the opposite side of the Langtang Valley. The stretch can be used for trekking. The people have already started repairing the damaged houses. We are of the opinion that his trek could be carried out in the coming season. Upper Mustang The Upper Mustang region has largely been unaffected by the earthquake. This region can also be accessed well during the monsoon season, as it lies in the rain shadow of the Himalayas. We had a tourist group in Mustang at this particular time, that carried the tour right through to the end and did not even notice the earthquake much at all themselves. It is already possible to carry out this trekking tour at the moment. Lower and Upper Dolpo The Dolpo region is not affected. Since this region also lies in the rain shadow of the Himalayas, it is possible to carry out tours during the monsoon season. It is already possible at the moment to carry out tours in the Lower or Upper Dolpo. Limi Valley Limi is a remote valley in the northwest of Nepal on the border with Tibet. This region is not developed or frequented by many tourists. It is possible to travel through Limi Valley and it can similarly be chosen for trekking during the monsoon season. Kanchenjunga The Kanchenjunga region in the east of Nepal has not been affected by the earthquake. Nevertheless, a terrible landslide occurred a few days ago in Tablejung (starting point for the trekking tour). The landslide was triggered by very strong rainfall and many of the houses were simply washed away. We can only hope that no further landslides are triggered during the monsoon season. For this reason, we cannot recommend going on this trek during the coming autumn.
Langtang Gosainkund Helambu Unfortunately, it will not be possible to carry out the Langtang and Helambu Trek during the coming autumn season. The Langtang trekking route as from Bamboo Lodge is not passable at the moment. The village of Langtang was simply washed away by an avalanche of rock. Most of the villages (such as Thulo Shafru, Lama Hotel, Brabal) are rather damaged and many of the houses have collapsed. It will take quite some time until the route has been restored again. In the Nepalese press, there is already mention of reconstructing the trail from Shafru Bensi to Langtang. We cannot recommend this route. The danger of further landslides occurring, particularly during the monsoon season, is high. The Helambu region has similarly been affected and many of the houses and lodges are damaged. We cannot yet estimate the extent to which the reconstruction of the accommodation possibilities will be carried out in this region by the time the autumn season starts. We have planned to visit the Helambu region very soon, in order to make our own picture of what it looks like. The route from Shafru Bensi via Thulo Shafru and Shing Gompa to Gosainkund and back to Dhunche (Gosainkund Trek) is passable. A large number of tea houses/lodges are intact and can be used. This route is also possible in combination with the Tamang Heritage Trail. Manaslu As far as we can judge, it will not be possible to go on the Manaslu Round Trek during the coming autumn season. The villages lower down such as Arughat, Sotikhola, Machhakholagaon to Philim are devastated. The epicentre of the first earthquake was in Gorkha, i.e. in the close vicinity of these villages. The trekking routes are partly blocked by landslides. Possibly, further landslides are to be expected during the monsoon season. The restoration of the trekking infrastructure and reconstruction of the houses will certainly take some time. Tsum Valley According to our assessment it will not be possible to go on the Tsum Valley Trek during the coming autumn season, either. At the beginning of this tour the same villages (i.e. Arughat, Sotikhola, Machhakholagaon to Philim) have to be passed through as on the Manaslu Round Trek. 4. INFRASTRUCTURE The main roads in Kathmandu and in Kathmandu Valley can be used without any restrictions. The 174 km long Prithvi Highway from Kathmandu to Pokhara is in the same condition as before the earthquake. Certain sections of this stretch had partly been repaired at the end of last year. No other damage has been caused by the earthquake. This single-track road is always jammed by a large number of heavy lorries bringing goods into the country from India. We had a pleasant drive in a private car from Pokhara via Bandipur to Kathmandu with an extensive 'dal bhat' lunch break.
The other main axes of transport communication and internal main roads, i.e. Mahendra Highway (east/west connection), Siddharta Highway (Lumbini to Pokhara) and the Tribuvan Highway (Kathmandu to Birgunj) are also intact and passable. The Greenline bus transport has already resumed its operation for quite a while, and as always, covers the daily routes:- Kathmandu Pokhara Kathmandu, Kathmandu Chitwan Kathmandu, Pokhara Chitwan Pokhara. 5. AIRPORT KATHMANDU The international airport in Kathmandu is in operation and all the flight connections are running regularly, as planned. Long waiting times for entering the country and applying for a visa do not have to be expected upon arrival. 6. DOMESTIC FLIGHTS Domestic flights are running without any hindrance or limitations. It is also possible at the moment to book tickets at short notice. We went on a very pleasant domestic flight with Yeti Airlines from Kathmandu to Pokhara. We sat on the 'right' side but unfortunately we were unable to see the Himalayan range due to a thick layer of clouds. 7. HOTELS All the hotels and guest houses that we work together with in Nepal are in full operation, intact and safe. During the last four weeks we personally visited the accommodation in Kathmandu, Nagarkot, Pokhara and Bandipur. We know from the hotels in Chitwan National Park, Bardia National Park and in Lumbini that they can similarly be booked without any restrictions.
We hope to be able to support you with our information, notes and recommendations when organising a trip to Nepal. We are gladly at your disposal per email should you have any further queries and over the telephone if you wish to talk to us personally. We should like to point out here, that this report is just a 'snapshot'. The reconstruction process has already begun and is subject to constant development and change. The Nepalese people are experts at improvising and in the art of living. In two to three months the picture will certainly be looking quite different again. After the monsoon at the beginning of the autumn season, we shall be publishing an updated version of this documentation. NAMASTE No guarantee can be given for the completeness of the information, advice and recommendations stated here. The contents serve exclusively for informational purposes.