Interaction with Thai tour operators

An interaction programme was organized on June 28, 2005 with twenty Thai Tour Operators who came here for FAM tour to share their experiences during their stay in Nepal . Ms. Neeracha Wongmasa, team leader of the group said Nepal has more tourism products to offer to Thai tourists. Portraying Nepal as a safe destination she further expressed her willingness to promote Nepal among Thai tourists. Speaking on the programme Mr. Tek Bahadur Dangi, Chief Executive Officer of NTB, said that he believed the visit of Thai tour operators would add up new milestone in tourism promotion of Nepal to Thai people. Mrs. Nandini Lahe Thapa, Director of NTB said the cultural proximity between Thailand and Nepal is instrumental in promoting Nepal as an ace destination.

The Thai tour operators visited Nepal between June 25-29, 2005 . Thai tour operators trekked from Shivapuri to Nagarkot and visited different places within the Kathmandu valley.

Nepal Week in Singapore organized

Honourable State Minister of Education of Singapore, Mr. Chan Soo Sen inaugurated the week long "Nepal Week in Singapore" on June 28, 2005 at the Park Hotel Singapore amid the grand function, which is being organized by Nepal Tourism Board in partnership with Rojina Nirvana Cultural Centre in connection to promote Nepal as a prime tourist destination for Singaporeans. In his address to the inaugural assembly, which comprised of diplomats, expatriates, travel-trade and media representatives, Mr. Chan stressed on the need for further strengthening the existing ties between Nepal and Singapore , so as to foster a better understanding of respective culture, people and heritage. Well versed about Nepal , he very confidently declared that Lord Buddha, Mt. Everest and the bio-diversity of Nepal could serve as strong incentives for the Singaporeans to visit Nepal .

Likewise, Mr. M.N. Swami, Honorary Royal Nepalese Consul to Singapore highlighted the diverse tourism possibilities of Nepal . Mr.Binay Prakash Shrestha, Director, NTB showcased presentation of Nepal to the august gathering, which was highly appreciated and generated a fair amount of queries pertaining to Nepal .

The visitors than inspected the various exhibition stalls showcasing Nepalese handicrafts, hand-woven fabrics, herbs, spices etc.

Cosmic Air to fly Kolkata and Vanarasi

Within a year of operation of flights to India , Cosmic Air, Nepal 's leading airlines is expanding its service to other parts of India . Cosmic has published its flight schedule to to Kolkata and Vanarasi effective from July 8, 2005 . It will fly to Kolkata thrice a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Similarly, every Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, thrice a week, Cosmic Air will fly to Vanarasi-Hindu pilgrimage site of India .
The airline currently operates flights to Delhi and Dhaka from Kathmandu . The airline is also planning to fly to other cities in India such as Mumbai, Bangalore , Lucknow and Bodh Gaya in near future.

Rice Planting Festival celebrated

Pokhara Tourism Council organized the Rice Planting Festival for the second time in Pokhara on June 29, 2005 . Rice Planting Festival (Ropai Jatra) is the rice planting ceremony in which participants perform plowing and planting on the field. Farmers do planting and ploughing by singing folk songs.

This Festival is celebrated every year on Ashad 15(June 29) as a symbol of end of planing period. This year a few tourists participated in the festival and took part in running competition on muddy paddy field in Pokhara. Folk song competitions, planting rice competitions and several other entertaining games were organized during the festival. All participants were fed with curd, bitten rice, rice pudding and chapattis. This festival was also celebrated in the various parts of the country.

The day also marks the end of the planting of paddy. It is a special day for the Nepalese as it is celebrated as one of the important agricultural practices in the country- that of planting paddy. This is also the time when the farmers sing the 'Asare Geet' or the Songs sung while planting rice in the Nepali month of Asar. These songs enumerate the joys and sorrows of the farmers.

For the first time June 29(Ashar 15 of Nepali month) was observed as National Paddy Day. The government last year took the decision to observe the day 15 Ashad as National Paddy day.

NATO organizes interaction program to rebuild Nepalese tourism image

Nepal Association of Tour Operators (NATO) organized an interaction program on ‘Rebuilding the Image of Nepalese Tourism through Embassies Abroad' at Soaltee Crowe Plaza on 24th June 2005 . The program that was attended by high dignitaries from both Nepal and foreign diplomatic offices was aimed at mobilizing Nepalese diplomatic missions abroad more effectively to promote Nepalese tourism.

Addressing the program as the chief guest, Honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs Ramesh Nath Pandey stressed upon an establishment of more dynamic and commercial wing in the missions abroad to meet the challenges of economic diplomacy. “They should be manned by appropriate personnel through our joint corporation,” he said. Economic diplomacy cannot be conducted in isolation and here lies the importance of coordination between concerned government agencies, between government and private sector, and between private sectors themselves.

Guest of Honor, the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Mr. Buddhiraj Bajracharya expressed his commitment to provide all necessary supports to strengthen the diplomatic missions so that they can play a proactive role in the promotion of tourism through their diplomatic offices. “Let us sit together and discuss what we need to do to build consumer's confidence and regain the image of the country,” he said.

Mr. Sushil SJB Rana, Secretary at Ministry of Culture Tourism and Civil Aviation stressed upon the need for coordination between the ministries, tourism offices and private sector to activate Nepalese diplomatic missions abroad. “An integrated approach in mobilization of the Nepalese diplomatic missions can help bring more tourists in this beautiful Himalayan Kingdom .” He said.

President of Nepal Association of Tour Operators (NATO) Mr. Basant Raj Mishra, in his power-point presentation on the theme, highlighted the importance of mobilizing diplomatic missions for the promotion of Nepalese tourism. “Had the diplomatic mission abroad and concern government bodies been serious, the industry would have achieved success like other countries, facing similar problem in the past,” he said adding that the Nepalese diplomatic missions need to be aggressive to change the negative perception of consumer and foreign tour operators. Since, Nepalese Diplomatic missions are the one located close to the consumers and international tour operators, they have a major role in rebuilding the positive image of the industry and the country as a whole, he said.

Sri Lankan Ambassador to Nepal Grace A Asirwatharn, shared Sri Lanka was able to rebuild its image by espousing many imperative measures within the country and through the Embassies abroad by various constructive and result oriented programmes. She said that Sri Lankan Tourism industry experienced a significant growth, because of their strong and effective marketing strategies and effective utilization of diplomatic missions.

Bandipur Bandipur is an ancient trading town of quaint streets and charming atmosphere. Situated on a ridgetop south of Dumre, it lies 135 km out on the Kathmandu -Pokhara highway. It is very accessible with only a 20-minutes climb up a new asphalt road from Dumre. While the other trading posts of the Nepali hills have modernised, Bandipur retains its age-old cultural attributes. It still has its temples, shrines, holy caves, innumerable festivals, and a Newari architecture that harks back to the Kathmandu Valley for what it is today.

Bandipur used to be a Magar kingdom long before Prithvi Narayan Shah, the great embarked on his conquest to unify Nepal . Bandipur fell fairly quickly as it is in close proximity with Gorkha and in later centuries was settled by Newari traders from Kathmandu Valley who brought art, culture and architecture that have remained intact in the bazar. On a wide saddle at a height of 1005 m (3500 ft.) overlooking the Marsyangdi river valley, Bandipur provides an unrivalled view of the Himalayan panorama (including the range of Gorkha Himal). The surrounding hills are ideal for hiking, along trails that drive one through tribal villages, verdant forests, ‘power places', and hilltop shrines which once doubled as fortresses.

The hillocks that surround Bandipur provide an unparallel panoramic view of the Himalayan to the north. The observer is able to take in a 300 km march of the Himalayan chain, and it is actually possible to see the curvature of the earth on the snowline of this parabola. Far to the east, the range known as Jugal actually stands directly to the north of Bhaktapur in Kathmandu Valley . Westwards, the main ranges that are on view include Langtang, Ganesh Himal, Gorkha Himal (which is the closest, and include Manasulu, Himalchuli and Baudha peaks), the Annapurnas, Dhaulagiri and Kanjiroba.

How to get there/ Accomodation:

The best way to Bandipur is to arrive by mid-day at Dumre Bazaar from Pokhara or Kathmandu , and to hike it up. You can also take a bus or a jeep via the link road. The walking trail, however, allows you to retrace the ancient trade route used by the great and the small alike to reach Bandipur kings and warriors, traders and porters. The climb is actually not very long it is all of three hours of easy hiking. Passing through rice paddies, the trail soon enters a forest that is full of bird song. The trail skirts the great cliff below Bandipur, passes through a Magar village, and emerges on top at Tundikhel. From here, it is ten minutes' of level walking to town itself.

Bandipur has a mountain resort hotel at one end of Tundikhel. For a flavor of the old settlement and its life rhythms, the visitors can stay at one of the beds- and breakfast places which have recently opened their doors in the old Newar houses. Guide services are available to help visitors explore the town and surrounding hills. From Dumre Bazaar you can be connected by the fast coaches, which will have you in Pokahara or Kathmandu by evening.