Winter is festival time in many parts of India – for example in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan. One of the most popular festivals is the Jaisalmer Desert Festival, which is held each year in January or February. In 2012, the dates of the festival fall on 5 – 7 February. Continue reading
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Rural Olympics in India
Every year on the first weekend in February, the small town of Kila Raipur in Punjab is turned upside down for three days with the annual Kila Raipur Sports Festival – popularly known as Rural Olympics. The festival has existed for over six decades, and meanwhile is drawing competitors from around the globe. The festival sees more than 4,000 participants and is watched by around 1 million spectators each year. Continue reading
Update on Prince Harry Climbing Mount Everest
In January big news were reported that Prince Harry was planning to join the charity Walking With the Wounded to Mount Everest, after trekking to the North Pole with them last year. Today, the Telegraph reports that the Prince was forced to pull out of this expedition, due to his military and other commitments. His schedule in 2012 with his first solo tour, celebrations for his grandmother’s Diamond Jubilee and and the London Olympics doesn’t leave enough space for an expedition to the Himalayas in spring. Despite these disappointing news the expedition of the wounded servicemen will still take place, and we wish them all the best on their way to the peak.
If you’d like to get a glimpse of Everest in 2012 as well, and maybe meet the charity on their way to the highest peak in the world, contact us.
Hindu Temple Going Green
Tirupati Temple in Tirumala, Andrha Pradesh, is India’s richest shrine and now investing in green technologies. Surrounded by seven hills and lush forests, this temple is one of the most important Hindu temples in the world – and now also one of the greenest. Continue reading
Joining Our Team Is Linda Douglas
We are delighted to welcome Linda Douglas to our team, who will be heading up our brand new yoga retreats and yoga expertise. Linda is an established Yoga Teacher who has been inspired by learned international yoga teachers. She is committed to continuous self-practice and travels to India on a regular basis in order to connect with the source of yoga. In Edinburgh, Linda runs her Inspiral Centre for Yoga Health and Lifestyle. Continue reading
Open Evening – Nepali Language Class Review
After a break for christmas we returned on January 25th with a Nepali Language class for our first open evening of the new year. Olly and Isha put together a few key phrases and words that they thought would be helpful for tourists. Three of the attendees that evening are travelling with Himalayan Footsteps to Nepal in March and commented at the end of the evening how useful it was. Continue reading
Focusing Life on the Stars
Astrology plays a significant role in life in Nepal. It originates from the Vedas, which were written thousands of years ago and form the most important scriptures for Hindus. Continue reading
Swayambunath and a Living Holy Man
The Buddhist temple Swayambhunath is part of the World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu Valley. It lies on a hill above Kathmandu, and offers splendid views over the capital. A large tribe of monkeys guards the temple, which brought it the name “Monkey Temple”. 365 steps lead up to the temple, representing the 365 days in a year. Continue reading
Sherpas, Himalayan Supermen
Sherpas are probably the best-known ethnic group of Nepal. They are famous for their strength and adaptation to life at high altitudes. Often they are pictured as nearly superhuman, that can run up mountains with infinitely large loads on their backs. But who are those mysterious people really? Continue reading
Which Travel Adapter in Nepal?
Because Nepal is a developing country you will actually find 3 different types of plug sockets. Below I’ve put pictures of what they look like and labelled them with the name of the type of adapter that suits each one, however to ensure you are prepared for any eventuality we recommend purchasing a universal travel adapter or make sure you have adapters for all the sockets below.
India Travel Adapter:
Dalai Lama to Visit Scotland in 2012
His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama will pay a visit to Scotland this year. At the End of June, he will tour three Scottish cities: Edinburgh, Dundee and Inverness. His visit starts in Edinburgh, where he will arrive in the afternoon of 21st June. On Friday 22nd June at 9.30am there will be a public talk at Usher hall, marking the highlight of the 20th anniversary of The Edinburgh Lectures. The talk will be themed “Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World”. Tickets are available from the Usher Hall for £10, £15 and £25 (plus booking fee).
Rabbi David Rose, Co-Convener of The Edinburgh Inter Faith Association and Co-Chair of The Conference of Edinburgh’s Religious Leaders said: ‘We are again delighted to welcome the Dalai Lama to Edinburgh and Scotland. As a beacon of tolerance, commonsense and morality in our world, this pre-eminent religious leader does us a great honour in again gracing our city. The diverse faiths of the city eagerly await his presence and his inspirational words.’ Continue reading
The World’s Cheapest Cars
India’s streets are known for the millions of rickshaws and motorbikes that take the country’s huge population to work and leisure. As many families can’t afford a car of their own, car manufacturers saw their chance to expand their market by building super-cheap cars.
Super Sherpa on the Great Himalayan Trek
Apa Sherpa, the man who holds the world record in climbing Mount Everest a stunning 21 times, is back in Nepal. Again, he wants to raise awareness to Climate Change and its impacts on the Himalayan environment. This time though, he is not going to climb Everest. Teamed up with Dawa Steven Sherpa, his old climbing partner, he will cover more than 1,050 miles on the Great Himalayan Trail. Continue reading
Bhutan Travel now Easier than Ever
Travelling around the secluded kingdom of Bhutan has just become easier than ever. Two airports in the central and far eastern part of the country have just opened to encourage visitors to see more than just the western part of Bhutan. Continue reading
Guest Column: Great Himalayan National Park is Nominated to Become an UNESCO World Heritage Site
It’s an exciting time for the Himalayas as the Great Himalayan National Park has just been nominated to be the second UNESCO site in Himachal Pradesh, after the Kalka Shimla railway track. UNESCO has accepted the nomination and will evaluate the national park for the honour in early 2012. Continue reading
Prince Harry to Climb Everest in 2012
After his expedition to the North Pole, Prince Harry is now all set to climb Everest in 2012. Again he wants to raise money for the charity Walking With the Wounded, like on his most recent expedition, in addition to his commitments in the Army, his grandmother’s diamond jubilee, his first official solo tour and the Olympic games in London. Continue reading
Open Evening: Nepali Language Class
In January we have a fantastic opportunity for lovers of languages: Our Open Evening will be a Nepali Language class! Whether you are travelling to Nepal soon, or just interested in learning some basic phrases in a new language, do come along! Continue reading
Best Time to Travel to Nepal
When planning holidays, often the choice of a destination depends on the weather in the country at the time of travel. No one wants to spend their holidays in a blazing heat of 40 degrees, or unable to go anywhere because of torrential rains. Here’s an overview of the weather in Nepal to help you plan your holidays: Continue reading
Visit Lumbini Year 2012
After the official Visit Nepal year 2011, the government of Nepal now announced the official Visit Lumbini Year 2012. Lumbini is the historic birthplace of Lord Buddha and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is hoped, that the Visit Lumbini Year will send Buddha’s message of peace and harmony across the world in a new way. Continue reading
Where to Spend New Year in Nepal
On travel forums often the question pops up where is the best place for travellers to spend New Year in a country. For Nepal, this question can be answered with Pokhara: For 13 years now the town has been celebrating a street festival at the end of December, at which visitors and locals celebrate together. Continue reading
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Nepali Language Class
25 January 2012
Himalayan Footsteps 406 Morningside Rd.
Nepal
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Straddling the majestic Himalayas, Nepal is a truly amazing country
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