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For
centuries, Nepal has been cultivating a rich
cultural heritage. This multidimensional legacy
encompasses various ethnic, tribal, and social
groups which each contain differing styles of
music, art, language, literature, philosophy,
religion, festivals, food and drink.
Nepal is a landlocked country of South Asia
that’s situated in the Himalayas, and
is the world’s only Hindu kingdom. It
shares its borders with the People's Republic
of China (Tibet Autonomous Region) and India.
The population of Nepal mainly consists of Tibeto-Burmans
from the north and Indo-Aryans from the south.
The giant bordering cultures that are adjacent
to Nepal have had a great impact on Nepal’s
own traditions and society, and Nepal’s
different regions have adapted these foreign
practices to fit their own indigenous requirements
(based on topography, available resources and
climate).
With eight of the highest peaks in the world,
Nepal is home to some of the most outstanding
achievements in the world of mountaineering.
For many decades these dauntless and breathtakingly
beautiful icy mountains have posed a challenge
to those who dare, and there are some 326 peaks
in Nepal open for mountaineering today. These
mountains have long been a mystery to Western
civilization, and until recently they were still
relatively unexplored by travelers. Even today,
vast areas of the Himalaya range are still untouched,
and the mountains remain a source of fascination
and inspiration for people from all over the
world. Himalaya ("Him" means snow
and "Alaya" means abode), the abode
of snow and the Gods, extends about 2500 Kilometers,
and the Brahmaputra (Assam) in the east and
Indus river in the west demarcate the length
of the Himalaya range. It is 300 km wide and
rises nine kilometers above sea level.
VSN
has selected the following beautiful working
places for volunteer placement. Volunteers
are welcome to choose one of these locations,
as connections there have already been established
with VSN, but VSN can also arrange volunteer
opportunities in many other parts of the Kingdom
of Nepal.
Kathmandu
The Kathmandu Valley lies at the crossroads
of ancient civilizations of Asia, and has at
least 130 important monuments, including several
places of pilgrimage for the Hindus and Buddhists.
The cities of Kathmandu, Patan, Bhaktapur, Kirtipur
and Chobhar are located in this valley, and
each displays excellent examples of Newar art
and architecture. The valley is the cultural
and political hub of Nepal, but this melting
pot of traditions and different Nepali ethnicities
still manages to have a Newar culture that exists
very vibrantly. There are 218 square miles of
land, situated 4400 ft above sea level; with
three historic, artistic and cultural towns
(namely Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur) that
together form what is known as the `Kathmandu
Valley'. The valley was awarded the status of
a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the year
1979, and is the hub of Nepal's traditional
culture and art. Nepal’s capital city
is a place for rest, relaxation and sightseeing,
and it offers many services (including international
airlines, hotels, health services, etc). Our
volunteer placement (the rural Gothatar village)
is located approximately 10km southeast of Kathmandu,
just outside the busy center of the city.
Dhulikhel
Dhulikhel is situated at an altitude of 5,500
ft above sea level, 30 km east of Kathmandu
on the Kodari Highway and is a 90 minute drive
from Kathmandu. It is a typical Newari town
surrounded by nearby Tamang villages, and is
set on a hill top, enveloped in copper soiled
terraces with magnificent views of the central
Himalayan peaks. Dhulikhel is well known for
its beautiful sunrise and for the number of
trails that lead along the north ridge of the
town. These short day treks are a good way to
get a glimpse of Nepalese village life. Dhulikhel
also has several ancient temples dedicated to
Sweta Bhairava, Hari Siddhi, Shiva and Narayana,
each with an interesting story of how and why
they were built. The city offers a complete
panoramic view of the snow-capped ranges from
Karyolung in the east to Himalchuli in the west
and is a magnificent place to see the sun rising
across the wide Himalayan range.
Kaski
(Pokhara)
Pokhara valley is located at the very center
of Nepal and is dominated by the peaks of the
Annapurna mountain range. The town of Pokhara
(913 meters), is only fifty kilometers from
Annapurna 1 (8,091 meters), and the sharp decline
of six thousand meters within the short distance
of only twenty-nine kilometers gives the region
a dramatic and breathtaking landscape.
Pokhara
is one of the most popular tourist spots in
the country and is next only to Kathmandu
for adventure and pleasure trips. This is
the place to start major trekking expeditions
to the Himalayas. Pokhara is situated about
827 meters above sea level, and is located
124 miles (about 200 km) west of Kathmandu.
The town can be reached by plane in 35 minutes
(there are daily flights out of Kathmandu)
or in about 6 hours by bus. Pokhara has good
hotel facilities and provisions for trekkers.
It is often called the enchanting Himalayan
valley, and the heart of major actions and
adventures. Surrounded by beautiful snow-caped
mountains, a magnificent lake of crystal-clear
and pure Himalayan water, all-year round pleasing
weather, and lovely and welcoming people,
Pokhara is a place to have unforgettable experiences.
Phewa,
Rupa and Begnas are the most famous lakes
in the valley, while Khaste, Dipang and Mardi
are some smaller lakes that are situated further
away. Sporting activities like canoeing and
swimming are conducted on Phewa Lake, along
with angling carp fish. On a small island
in the middle of the lake is a temple dedicated
to Varahi, and devotees can go about their
worship there, undisturbed by the lake sports
and the occasional barbeques on the lake’s
edge. The floor of the valley is made up of
a layer of gravel that is cut into intricate
terraces and deep canyons by various tributaries
of the Seti River. Pokhara is full of interesting
places to visit such as the Seti River Gorge,
which flows some ninety-one meters below ground
level, Davis's Fall (called Flatie Chhango
in Nepali) ,where the cascading water vanishes
underground, and Mahendra Cave, where one
can see stalactite and stalagmite formations.
VSN
has placements in both rural and urban areas
of Pokhara, and volunteers may take part in
our orphanage and rehabilitation center, health,
construction, or environmental programs.
Solukhumbu
One
of our placement areas is Salleri, Solukhumbu.
This region is home to the world famous Sherpas
and the highest peak in the world (although
Salleri itself is a little south of Mt. Everest).
Solukhumbu offers a combination of natural beauty,
culture and adventure that make it a life changing
destination. Mixed communities and cultures
can be observed in the small villages of this
area, and it’s also an excellent place
to go trekking and exploring. Salleri, the headquarters
of this district, lies 2, 240 m above sea level,
and there are no bus services so we have to
walk or fly to reach the final destination.
It takes four days (1 day by bus to the end
of the main road and 3 days walking).There is
also an airstrip in Phaplu, so if you fly to
Phaplu you do not have to walk far to get to
the placement area. At district headquarters
in Salleri, there is one hospital with 15 beds
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