Nepal
Intro Associations |
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Air Highways 7th Annual Exotic Edition features Nepal, Kingdom of the Himalayas
While our exotic editions have featured most of Africa, the Indian Ocean Islands, Asia Pacific and Caribbean, Air Highways 2002 edition includes many attractive new destinations. Consider the following option for your next business trip or vacation. See photos of the beautiful Radisson Hotel Kathmandu,
The only Hindu country in the world, Nepal offers international visitors a wide spectrum of activities from jungle safari to rafting, gentle treks to mountain climbing, cultural tours, hot air ballooning, or a cable car ride up a hill - the choice is limitless. Visitors to this Himalayan Kingdom are charmed by the local life, people, and cuisine. You may enjoy sights from atop an elephant to a helicopter, and within a hundred miles from north to south, you can experience the hot plains of the Terai to the cold air of the mountains. Nepal's rich biodiversity offers the nature lover, wildlife enthusiast, or naturalist vast opportunities for exploration and adventure. Shoppers Paradise: Another exciting prospect for visitors to Nepal is the wide variety of shopping items available in the market. You may select a Thangkha painting, a Nepalese-Tibetan carpet, Wood Carvings, Brass or Copper Vessels or Statues of the Buddha. Jewelry, Rugs, Garments, Vases, and Landscape Paintings are among other sale products. Dhaka, Hand Woven Cloth, Lokta, Handmade Paper, Khukuris, Knives, Mithila or Paubha Paintings are made locally here. Nepal has something to offer for every kind of visitor, be it a one week sight seeing tour in the Kathmandu Valley, a one month trek in the hills, or a sojourn in the flat Terai plains. You can make up your mind from the information you receive through your travel agent, a friend who has already been to Nepal, or recommendations from other reliable sources. The following outline will briefly describe the wonders of this country, interesting facts, valid information to help you decide and plan your trip to Nepal. World Heritage Sites SWAYAMBUNATH: Today, the Swayambunath Stupa is one of the oldest in South Asia and within its complex stand numerous shrines, stupas, temples, rest houses built over the years. PASHUPATINATH: Pashupatinath lies northeast of Kathmandu and is the holiest Hindu site in the Kathmandu Valley. CHANGU NARAYAN: The temple dates back to the third century and is said to be the oldest in the Kathmandu Valley. Bells decorated with dragons, bronze doors, griffins and devas adorn the temple. BOUDHANATH: One of the biggest stupas in South Asia, Boudhanath highlights the practice of Tibetan Buddhism. Boudhanath was part of the old trading route to Tibet and a focal point for offering prayers by traders passing through. Popular as Nepal's "Little Tibet", many Tibetan refugees settled around Boudhanath in the 1950s. BHAKTAPUR DURBAR SQUARE: Bhaktapur is most embedded in culture and tradition. At a height of 4,600 feet above sea level, the city has a separate entity far removed from the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu or Patan. It's like visiting a living museum where you are taken back centuries. PATAN DURBAR SQUARE: It is also known as "The City of Beauty". Patan holds temples, images, statues of historical and cultural significance. The best craftsmanship of stone architecture can be seen here. KATHMANDU DURBAR SQUARE: Kathmandu Durbar Square is popular among visitors as it is within the periphery of the capital and nearby Thamel which almost every tourist visits in Nepal. If you are staying in the Kathmandu Valley for a short while, these places are excellent for viewing Nepalese culture, religion, and architecture.
Kathmandu is an important destination with regular direct international flights from Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The Radisson chain is known for its genuine hospitality and commitment to delivering personalized service to guests. Promoted by Hotel Oriental Pvt. Ltd., Radisson Hotel Kathmandu is part of the Radisson Hospitality World-Wide chain. Radisson has earned a reputation by anticipating the needs and then exceeding the expectations of its guests, hotel owners and employees, inheriting the tradition of exemplary service and hospitality. The Radisson Hotel Kathmandu is located in a prime location in Lazimpat, adjacent to the Royal Palace. The hotel is a 15 minutes walk from Durbar Marg, and 7 minutes walk from Thamel. Each of the hotel's 164 rooms and suites is fully equipped with Individual Air-conditioning /Heating, Hair Dryers, Tea/Coffee making facilities, Iron & Ironing Board, in-room Safety Deposit Boxes, Satellite Television, full Mini-Bar and IDD telephone lines with Dataport facilities in Business Class Rooms. The Plaza Club rooms have been ideally designed to meet the requirements of the business travelers. Guests staying at the Plaza Club rooms enjoy the luxuries of a separate Executive Lounge, complimentary airport transfers in a luxury car, complimentary breakfast and happy hours at the Club Lounge. The Radisson Hotel features two full-service restaurants , The Fun Café which is the only 24 hour restaurant of its kind in Kathmandu and The Olive Garden. It also has a lobby bar, The Corner Bar. The Fun Café offers a variety of delicious cuisine's from all over the world and of course, some local delicacies as well. Some of the regular events include our executive lunch buffet, featuring a range of salads, our cook to order pastas &endash; made on our Eco-friendly convection plates. Pizzas are a favorite for lunch as well as our famous desserts. For the weekend The Big Brunch is the best way to start the day. Both on Saturday and Sunday, the Brunch offers an incredible range of dishes, make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to savor all. The Fun Café overlooks a beautiful garden, large enough to hold cocktail parties and barbecues. The garden boasts of a waterfall and a Nepalese stage. There is a beautifully carved Nepalese window and a temple. It reflects a typical Nepali courtyard. Cultural shows are performed on the stage to familiarize foreigners to the beautiful ethnic dances of Nepal. The Fun Café is open 24 hours. The Olive Garden, arguably the best Italian restaurant in Asia, is the specialty restaurant serving authentic Italian food. The cooking is very ingredient based and of International Standards, also mentioned in elite magazines like Harpers & Queen. Specialty dishes are prepared before your very eyes, with the aroma of the cooking teasing your senses. The Chef describes his special creations, which include an exclusive menu with plenty on the plate like Herb Crusted Rack of New Zealand Lamb, home made pastas, the famous pizzas and the magnificent antipasto. The Corner Bar open from 10:00 a.m. till late night offers exotic drinks and cocktails with snacks to match. The Banquet Hall with the capacity to hold 400 pax theatre style and 800 pax for a reception with the pre function area can be divided into two parts. More so, the Hotel also has 5 meeting/conference rooms to cater to 20 - 50 pax. Roof Top Swimming Pool. The "Splash" Bar & Grill overlooks the surroundings hills & mountains with a breathtaking view. The Clark Hatch Health Club is fully equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and an aerobic studio. It includes facilities like Sauna, Steam, Jacuzzi, Massage. Radisson features one of the hospitality industry's most dynamic training programs called "Yes, I can!" that represents and translates the core of the company's service philosophy for hospitality excellence to the front-line service employees in Radisson operations worldwide. After more than a decade, "Yes I can" has become a part of the Radisson culture, creating a point of difference for the manner with which customers are served.
KENT DAVIDSON, GENERAL MANAGER Kent Davidson completed his Bachelor of Business &endash; Marketing Major from Charles Sturt University, New South Wales. He started his successful career as Corporate Sales Manager with Fairmont Resort, the multi award winning & leading regional resort in NSW. He excelled in all areas of direct responsibility and joined the Royal Pines Resort, one of Australia's largest Resort/Convention facilities, as NSW Regional Sales & Marketing Manager. In 1997, he was appointed General Manager of Seven Spirit Bay Resort, an exclusive eco-tourist retreat which in 1992 was voted Resort of the Year at the Australian Tourism Awards. During his tenure, Kent Davidson directly contributed and managed financial interests most effectively, producing the best results that the Resort had achieved since its opening. Kent Davidson began his career with Radisson Hotels & Resorts in 1998 as the Director Sales & Marketing and Executive Assistant Manager of the Radisson Hotels & Suites, Sydney. He has been instrumental in leading the Hotel to achieving strong market share and financial success. Kent Davidson was awarded and honored as the top performing Director Sales & Marketing for 2000 in Australia for Radisson Hotels. His fortuitous experience in Sales & Marketing provided the perfect opportunity to take on the leadership of Radisson Hotel Kathmandu, a relatively new 5-Star property in Kathmandu, Nepal. MR. G.D. SHRESTHA,
CHAIRMAN As a GSA for Lufthansa (LH), the dynamic Mr. Shrestha made a mark in ticketing and cargo, exporting carpets, popular items and other items from Nepal to Europe and US. The soft-spoken agent, who is now also involved closely in the hotel and aviation industry believes firmly that as a small landlocked country, Nepal had to rely on tourism and agro based industries. And these are what he did to expand and nurture. As a ticketing agent, Himalayan Travels & Tours has done well. He is also a promoter of Necon Air, the leading private airline in Nepal, which flies both regionally in Nepal as well as International flights to India. Under the Himalayan group, Mr. Shrestha has been dealing with a woodcraft company and animal feed industries, which are conducive to and required in the Kingdom. Insurance is also another strong point with the group, which employs some 2,000 persons with a son and nephew helping Mr. Shrestha. The latest trump card is the opening of the Radisson Hotel Kathmandu, in the heart of the Kathmandu city, adjacent to the Royal Palace. Mr. Shrestha, Chairman of the Radisson Hotel Kathmandu points out that this marks the entry in Nepal of an International standard hotel after 18 years, signifying the confidence that the world has in the future of tourism in Nepal. The agent-hotelier-aviation man feels that perhaps more than the Visit Nepal Year being observed last year, what will boost tourism to the Kingdom are movies like Everest & Caravans, now being shown in many parts of the world. This will sue increase interest in Nepal, he says. As if all his activities in the tourism field were not enough, Mr. Shrestha is also Hon. Consul of the Republic of Maldives in Nepal. Popular in official and tourism circles, he along with his wife travel often but keeps to his one hour/four kilometers walk every day, wherever he is. The International Airport is
Tribhuvan Intl Airport For more information, e-mail |