| For many the idea of a holiday usually conjures up | | | | personally felt that this trekking was not too arduous. |
| images of relaxing beaches and crystal clear sea, but | | | | Although you do need a certain level of fitness, we |
| if you have a sense of adventure and feel more like | | | | got just the right balance of rest and exercise, |
| you need a challenge there are lots of stimulating | | | | walking between 4 and 6 hours a day. |
| alternatives. After searching for companies who | | | | To keep us on out toes, our next adventure |
| specialised in adventure holidays on the internet, I | | | | involved a couple days white water rafting on the |
| came up with a thrilling option, a trip combining | | | | Seti River. In brief, this involves negotiating river |
| sightseeing, trekking, rafting and jungle safari in Nepal. | | | | rapids and obstacles in a rubber boat with a team of |
| The trip started in Kathmandu, a fantastically colourful | | | | up to 8 people. By this point I had made some firm |
| vibrant city which at 4400 ft above sea level, feels | | | | friends who I still keep in touch with now. The Rivers |
| like it is on top of the world. The mountains | | | | are graded from easy to practically impossible |
| surrounding Kathmandu are incredible and the views | | | | depending on the size and the intensity of the rapids. |
| from the many stunning temples are a sight to | | | | The Seti runs through a wonderfully isolated area, |
| behold. The temples Swayambhu and Pashupati are | | | | with beautiful jungle and many easy rapids. |
| definitely worth a visit and are both World Heritage | | | | It was great fun and an adrenalin fuelled team |
| Sites. | | | | challenge to stay in your boat whilst encountering the |
| Our next step was an overnight stay in Bhahtapur | | | | rapids. I loved the songs around the camp fires in the |
| before travelling west 198 km west to the lakeside | | | | evenings, once a village tribe joined us and danced, it |
| village of Pokara. This was quite a bus journey and | | | | was a unique experience. |
| the amazing scenery made up for the lack of | | | | Our last stop was the Chitwan National Park, for a |
| comfort. Pokara is very popular with tourists and | | | | spot of jungle safari. This is the oldest national park in |
| travellers; it boasts impressive falls, caves and the | | | | Nepal, established in 1973, and granted status of a |
| stunning ranges of Annapurna, Manaslu and Dhaulagiri | | | | World Heritage Site in 1984. Rich in Flora and fauna, |
| with peaks over 800 m. The Lake Phewa gives the | | | | the park is home to the Bengal tiger and one of the |
| village a peaceful feel; lots of artists are drawn to | | | | last populations of single horned Indian Rhino. The |
| this area for the magnificent scenery. From Pokara | | | | jungle walks were exhilarating especially riding |
| we embarked upon our 7 day trip to the foothills of | | | | elephants and we were lucky enough to see the |
| the Himalayas. | | | | famous Rhino. It is certainly a breath of fresh air to |
| A trek in Nepal enables you to directly experience | | | | take an adventure holiday, I would recommend it to |
| the Nepalese culture, way of life and different ethnic | | | | all my friends and arrived back at my London desk |
| mixes. Our Sherpa, Chok-pa, was very helpful and I | | | | feeling physically sated and mentally refreshed. |
