PHOTO: The Himalayas are the backdrop of Geringer Global Travel Discover Nepal by Helictoper program. (Photo of the Pokhara area in Nepal couresy of SITA India)
There is more than one way to get to the top of Mount Everest.
Only a few people will be able to trek to the top of Mount Everest at some point in their lives. But for the rest of us, a small aircraft could cut that mountain down to size and let us look down at the world's tallest peak as if it were our own footstool.
Geringer Global Travel's new 15-day Discover Nepal by Helicopter itinerary is an attempt to combine adventure and cultural immersion with luxury and comfort. Although the program spares clients the chore of climbing Mount Everest, it is still challenging, not for the faint of heart.
The program begins and ends in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal and a place whose name is almost synonymous with "exotic." After a mind-jarring morning ride in a small airplane over Mount Everest, guests will go on a sightseeing tour of Kathmandu and that evening will have dinner with a mountain climber at Rub Doodle restaurant.
Transportation between the main stations of the trip is by helicopter, from Kathmandu to Chitwan to Pokhara and back to Kathmandu.
During three nights in Chitwan National Park, participants will experience an elephant safari, nature walks, boat rides, bird watching, a jeep safari and a ride in a traditional bullock cart pulled by oxen.
In Pokhara, Nepal's third largest city, guests will stay at Tiger Mountain Pokhara, 1,000 feet above the Pokhara Valley with the Himalayas in the background.
While there, the program includes a three-night trek through the forests and villages of the Nepalese countryside, with a visit to a school and a meeting with the local people of Birethati, Tanchok, and Lumle villages.
The final two days are dedicated to taking it easy in Dhulikhel at the Dwarika's Resort Dhulikhel. The hotel has great views of the Himalayas as well as yoga and spa treatments. While there, guests can take a 4x4 drive from Dhulikhel to Namo Buddha to see terraced farmlands in the mountains.
The program is priced from $10,965 per person double occupancy.
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