Adventure. The highest place on Earth. Unbelievable scenery. Nepal can promise all of those things.
“After years of turmoil, the magical Himalayan nation of Nepal is welcoming visitors once more.”
http://www.cntraveller.com/guides/asia/nepal/nepal/where-to-stay
It just so happens that fall, along with spring is one of the best times to travel to Nepal. Conde Nast Traveller listed it as one of their prime places to go in November.
“With the monsoon only recently finished, the countryside is green and lush, the air is sparkling clean and the Himalayan views are near perfect. For obvious reasons this is also the high tourist season but in recent years, due to the political problems, even Nepal’s ‘high season’ has been pretty quiet.”
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/nepal/weather
Nepal is one of the poorest countries on earth, and small regions of Nepal rely heavily on hikers and tourists passing through. Tourists are often amazed at the friendliness of the Nepali people, and fall in love with the region.
“…Nepal is an amazingly diverse country that offers something for everyone. One journey through this land is rarely enough. The first thing many people do after a visit is start planning the next one.”
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/nepal
Mt. Everest is more accessible than ever. While there has not been an intense boom in tourism in the area, travelers have not failed to leave their mark. Now it is common to see trash on the trails of Everest, and the environment is somewhat suffering.
“One Nepalese ecologist says ‘There are now three religions in Nepal — Hinduism, Buddhism, and tourism.’ The influx of tourists has had dramatic effects on the environment and on the local communities who come into contact with the tourists.”
http://www.scribd.com/doc/2257986/Nepal-Tourism
Although Conde Nast Traveller and Lonely Planet are encouraging people to make the pilgrimage to Nepal, other sites warn that the region is still unsafe and not yet ready for tourists again.
“The Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the potential risks of traveling to Nepal and urges caution when traveling in that country. The Department of State remains concerned about the security situation in Nepal.”
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_927.html
When you find places that sound nice on travel websites, also check sites like travel.state.gov to make sure they are really safe. Thereafter, you can make the informed choice of whether a visit to the location is worth the risk.
Abby Ott | Reporting 