Imagine if you could break free from life's daily routine and work pressure to go to the perfect getaway for a few days of relaxation and rejuvenation, golf, enchanting forest walks and time close to nature.
How about if this getaway was a place where 35 percent of its land is covered with lush greenery, 848 species of birds tweet in perfect harmony, 319 species of exotic orchids embroider the urban landscapes and 500 species of butterflies flutter around the forest.
This place is located in southern Asia, the country of the world's highest peak: Nepal. A recent four-day trip to Katmandu unraveled various bits and pieces of Nepal's mystical beauty. Gulf Air organized the trip by bringing a group of journalists from various publications in the Middle East to Nepal. With their daily flights to Katmandu, they aim at increasing the number of visitors from the Middle East and specifically from Bahrain and the east coast of Saudi Arabia.
The journey began with our arrival in the Gokarna Forest Resort, once the private Royal hunting grounds of the kings of Nepal. A quite peaceful haven set between ancient towering trees ensuring refreshing mountain air, the legendary Nepalese hospitality and the spirituality of the Himalayas for the guests.
Throughout the year, the weather at the Gokarna Forest Resort is always 3 degrees less than the city. It is at its best during autumn - which is the resort's peak season.
The resort has 65 deluxe rooms and suites and 16 cottage rooms set beside a century-old hunter's lodge. The rooms are designed to international standards of style and comfort and equipped with all the facilities one could expect. And the ever-smiling faces of the resort team makes one feel at home.
Currently, the resort runs under the name Le Meridien Katmandu Gokarna Forest Golf Resort and Spa, explained the general manager Vikram Singh. Yet due to its eco-conscious environment, the resort will discontinue its affiliation with Starwood Hotels and Resorts.
"With effect from Nov. 1, 2008 the Resort will be known as "Gokarna Forest Resort", said Singh. "We are already in the process of expanding and fine-tuning the team, and with this added strength, we move into the future with renewed energy."
For the guests to start the day fresh and rejuvenated, the resort offers daily yoga classes from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. free of charge. Then there are a variety of activities to choose from to occupy the day.
The resort is a well-known destination for many golfers as it is one of the world's most spectacular golf resort courses set within 470 acres. Spread over 140 acres, the 6,715 yard par 72 course boasts the only Bent grass greens on a 18-hole course in South Asia. To experience total wellness and relaxation, the Harmony Spa combines therapeutic care within a natural environment impossible to recreate elsewhere.
Included are a variety of courses, emphasizing Ayurvedic treatments - the traditional Hindu system of medicine, which is based on the idea of balance in bodily systems and uses diet, herbal treatment, and yogic breathing - and serenity massage rooms for individuals and couples. The health club encompasses Apsara, the Beauty Treatment center, an indoor temperature-controlled pool complex, luxurious changing rooms each with a sauna, steam room, and Jacuzzi. The large well-equipped gym, the finest in the country, overlooks the forest through large picture windows.
Aside from indulging oneself within Harmony Spa or playing golf, other activities within or close to the resort include forest walks and scheduled picnics within the forest, bird watching and visiting places of worship within Gokarna Forest.
For sightseeing lovers, Nepal has four world heritage sites, seven UNESCO monuments in Katmandu Valley and eight of the world's 14 highest peaks. The Pashupati area is one of the UNESCO world heritage sites that the group of journalists visited. It has a depository of ancient idols, manuscripts and inscriptions. Another destination was Thamel, which is a popular tourist destination and has a vibrant ethnic culture.
Another two world heritage sites the group visited were Patan Durbar Square where the Patan Museum is and Bhaktapur Durbar Square. The museum displays the traditional sacred art of Nepal in an illustrious architectural setting. Its home is an old residential court of Patan Darbar, one of the royal places of the former Malla kings of the Katmandu valley.
One cannot go to Nepal and not experience the Everest flight. It would be like going to Paris and not visiting the Eiffel Tower or going to Cairo and not seeing the Pyramids. The flight is an hour of breathtaking scenic beauty of the mountains. A sparkling clear journey across the world's highest peaks: Mount Everest, Lhoste, Makalu, Cho-Oyu, to name just a few including the Tibetan Plateau.
But if you missed the flight, do not worry. You could easily take a ride to Nagarkot - which is only an hour's drive from Katmandu city. At an altitude of 2,165 meters, Nagarkot is a village perched on a ridge and known for its panoramic view of the Himalayas. The Club Himalaya Nagarkot Resort has a rooftop for unrestricted views allowing visitors and guests to enjoy the spectacular mountains and the sunset above the clouds. Apart from its natural beauty, Nagarkot also inherits a historic significance as a place from where strategies were developed during the unification of Katmandu valley and the war with Tibet. The resort has 52 appealing and comfortable rooms, conference and meeting halls, health club with indoor heated pool and many other facilities.
Prior to leaving Nepal, a visit to the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) was a must. Laxman Gautam, manager of PR and publicity, and Diwakar Rana, manager of tourism marketing and promotion, took us on a journey explaining why is Nepal an attractive destination for many Westerners. Trekking, river rafting, kayaking and canyoning and mountain bikes in the rugged Himalayan terrain are some of the activities to experience in Nepal - which was demonstrated by NTB in an exciting presentation.
Within the Tourist Service Center premises, the Nepal National Ethnographic Museum offers an exhibition of Nepal's multiethnic, multicultural, multireligious and multilingual nation. There are 93 ethnic groups in Nepal, 103 spoken languages and dialects, over 3,000 temples and 1,200 monasteries and lamaseries. The museum highlights 11 different ethnic communities: The Thakali, the Sherpa, the Tamang, the Gurung, the Rai, the Limbu, the Chepang, the Jyapu of Newar Group, the Magar, the Sunwar and the Tharu.
For instance, the Brahmans known as Bahun are the inhabitants of almost every district of Nepal. The population of the Brahmans is estimated to be 13 percent out of the total population of Nepal. They are culturally very rich.
Pack your bags, book your tickets and head to one of the richest countries in the world. You need not worry about a visa. You could easily obtain one upon arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport, Katmandu.
Everywhere we went to, Nepalese greeted us by folding their hands, smiling and saying, "Namaste." Nepal was truly an enchanting sanctuary and an ultimately spiritual and reviving experience.
