Nepal Tourism Board Travel Update - 17th March

Known for unlimited number of festivals, the season of the festivals this years has begun with Mahashivaratri- Night of Lord Shiva celebrated on March 8 this year. Thousands of devotees from different parts of Nepal and India thronged into the Pashupathinath Temple in Kathmandu enthusiastically to pray for long life and prosperity. To follow the rituals carried out by their fathers and forefathers for many years, all devotees travelled all the way to Kathmandu by buses with a hope to have a glance of Pashupathinath.

So far, apart from small hiccup, nobody has reported to have faced any kind of problem while travelling by surface. Flights are operating daily to different destinations within Nepal including Pokhara, Lukla, Chitwan, Lumbini. Cosmic Air has recently added third Fokkar to its fleet for extending its network to different destinations in India and Nepal.
Air Sahara resumed its flight from March 15, 2005 after a short break with a promise to link Kathmandu with different parts of the world through its recently opened network in South East Asia.

Thamel now looks vibrant with the movement of tourists. Wining and dining is a serious sport in Thamel. Thamel harbours more than two hundreds pubs and restaurants - from cultural nights at star hotels to down-to-earth trekker's joints. Tuborg to the local rice-beer. Bloody Mary to High Altitude Punch. Thamel offers one of the most extensive menus of cuisines in Asia. Mexican tacos to Japanese teriyaki. Tired of hanging around Thamel, pop in to Casinos at five star hotels -night never ends there.

Moreover, it is specially advised to book holiday tour in Nepal through registered travel/tour operators for guaranteed service.

To effectively respond the problems tourists and tourism entrepreneurs in Nepal and abroad may come across, Nepal Tourism Board has taken a holistic approach to address these problems by running its Media Center 24 hours which is manned by efficient staff effective from February 23, 2005. The Center is supported by Crisis Response Action Unit already established to facilitate the tourists. In order to better facilitate tourists and tourism entrepreneurs, the Nepal Tourism Board has strengthened Media Centre with extra manpower and Direct Hotline Number to respond the queries and to take necessary initiatives for prompt action. The staff on duty is available at Direct Hotline Number 977-1-4225709 round the clock. Inquiry can be made through fax or email at 977-1-4254298 or mediacenter@ntb.org.np.