Over the years, Asia has become my most traveled destination. From all the countries I have visited within this continent, Nepal turned out to be the greatest adventure. Crossing its borders after a short night, exhausting walk uphill with our heavy backpacks and lengthy waiting at the border control was an indication of a worthy adventure ahead of us. Narrow muddy roads lined by steep falls on one side and massive green hills on the other recharged our energy and increased our adrenaline. Starting the day with a massive landslide, fording the river, broken bus and its “expert” repair by four Nepali men was only the beginning of our local adventure. Here are the 3 most exciting tourist attractions in Nepal that I strongly recommend to all the adrenaline fans.

However, if you prefer less adrenaline adventures, rather read my blog on 7 Worth-Seeing Places to Visit in Nepal.

Our first ride on the roof of a bus, which is so typical for Nepal, brought us unexpected excitement. Together with my brave friends, I climbed on the back of the roof and sat in the defined area to get off 30 minutes later with a little draft in both ears, lots of mess in both eyes, sore hands and unforgettable views etched in my memory. For the biggest enthusiasts (including me of course!), this became the most common and favorite means of transportation within the country. New adrenaline adventures came with every new ride on the roof top. From driving at 70km/h, climbing uphill the serpentine road, sudden braking, to breaking rear view mirrors and avoiding electricity cables and tree branches. Fortunately, it was back home when I realized the real danger threatening us with every bending before these obstacles.

Rafting on the river Trisuli with official difficulty class 3+ (we had class 4 due to flood season; maximum is 5) is another extreme activity you must experience. It is one of the main tourist attractions in Nepal. After we got equipped with the necessities such as helmets, life jackets and paddles, instructions followed. I think it was the scariest part of the whole rafting. At least for me. When I was trying to process information about what to do when 1) the boat tips over and you stay trapped underneath, 2) the water current takes you more than 20m away from the boat, 3) the whirlpool pulls you under the water; my whole life flashed in front of my eyes. I tightened my jacket and helmet to the maximum, clutched the paddle convulsively and hooked my feet inside the boat tighter than a tick. And I was ready.

I don’t remember exactly the station we left from or what our destination was, but we made the 25km route on the water in two hours. Since we were young sporty people in the boat, we enjoyed those two hours conquering the biggest and most horrifying rapids. Some even two-three times. Our joy of successfully passing each difficult section encouraged the guide to choose similar or even more challenging rapids. Since we failed to tip the boat over (despite our poor-to-none rafting experience or chaotic paddling at the beginning), we got the opportunity to jump out of the boat and swim around the quieter waters. Comfortable swimming with the current got replaced with frantic effort to get back into the boat, which was more difficult than the actual rafting. Lunch waiting at the bank was our reward for successful defeating the wild.

The guaranteed flight to Mt. Everest was one in a lifetime experience. Local travel agencies keep offering it in various price ranges. You can find information also at the Buddha Air website. In theory the trip works as follows. A car picks you up at your hotel at 4:30am and drives you to the airport to make sure you’re on time for your flight at 7:30am and ready to enjoy the full one hour of breathtaking views on the world’s highest peaks.

The reality came little differently. We arrived at the airport one hour earlier, passed security check without any complications and then spent three hours at the gate waiting to board the plane. It doesn’t depart per schedule; it depends on when the staff announces it. That’s just how it works here. It is tricky to understand the English announcement that even a native speaker wouldn’t get. If you decide to ask on the departure time, they will answer “in 20 minutes.” That’s what they told us. Several times, every 20 minutes. And finally, when you are lucky and the weather is good, you will see Mt. Everest in all its glory. If not, the whole procedure will repeat the following morning. If you’re not lucky again, you have one last chance left. Third time’s the charm.

We had to undergo this process twice because of the rough weather conditions. First time we made it only to the departure lounge, second time up in the air. Only 19 people fit into the little Buddha Air plane (the smallest plane I‘ve ever flown with). Seats form single rows on each side, so everyone is seated by the window for the best view. One by one you can also check the view from cockpit. However, all we could see were the tops of Mt. Everest and Lhotse. The rest was well hidden in the thick clouds. Nevertheless, those feelings you are experiencing in the clouds are hard to describe.

Love & happy travels,
RLT

P.S.: If you have any questions that popped up in your head during reading, different experience or suggestion, please share it in a comment below 😉