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Binding: PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 915 EAN: 9781858288994 Edition: 5 ISBN: 1858288991 Label: Rough Guides Manufacturer: Rough Guides Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 561 Publication Date: October 28, 2002 Publisher: Rough Guides Release Date: October 24, 2002 Studio: Rough Guides Editorial Review: Product Description: INTRODUCTION Nepal forms the very watershed of Asia. Landlocked between India and Tibet, it spans terrain from subtropical jungle to the icy Himalaya, and contains or shares eight of the worlds ten highest mountains. Its cultural landscape is every bit as diverse: a dozen major ethnic groups, speaking as many as fifty languages and dialects, coexist in this narrow, jumbled buffer state, while two of the worlds great religions, Hinduism and Buddhism, overlap and mingle with older tribal practices. Yet its a testimony to Nepali tolerance and good humour that theres no tradition of ethnic or religious strife. Unlike India, Nepal was never colonized, a fact which comes through in fierce national pride and other, more idiosyncratic ways. Founded on trans-Himalayan trade, the dense, medieval cities display unique pagoda-style architecture, not to mention an astounding flair for festivals and pageantry. Above all, though, Nepal is a nation of unaffected villages and terraced countryside more than eighty percent of the population lives off the land and whether youre trekking, biking or bouncing around in packed buses, sampling this simple lifestyle is perhaps the greatest pleasure of all. But it would be misleading to portray Nepal as a fabled Shangri-la. One of the worlds poorest countries, it suffers from many of the pangs and uncertainties of the developing world; development is coming in fits and starts, and not all of it is being shared equitably. Heavily reliant on its big-brother neighbours, Nepal was, until 1990, run by one of the last remaining absolute monarchies, a regime that combined Chinas repressiveness and Indias bureaucracy in equal measure. Its now a democracy, but a very precarious one. Political freedom has done little to improve the lot of the average family, while corruption and frequent changes of government have led to widespread disillusion and spawned an intractable Maoist insurgency. Travel within Nepal isnt straightforward or predictable. Certain tourist areas are highly developed, even overdeveloped, but facilities elsewhere are rudimentary; getting around is time-consuming and often uncomfortable. Nepalis are well used to shrugging off such inconveniences with the all-purpose phrase, Ke garne? (What to do?). Nepal is also a more fragile country than most culturally as well as environmentally so its necessary to be especially sensitive as a traveller. Average Rating:
 Rating: - excellent travelling companiongreat guidebook. Describes in detail the good, the bad and the ugly of Nepal. The language section was extremely useful. A few hours spent learning some useful greetings and phrases will pay off tenfold upon arrival in Nepal. Being able to bargain or ask for directions in the native language is a lot of fun and much appreciated, especially since most travellers do not take the time to learn anything more than "Namaste." Rating: - Wonderfully comprehensive and thorough. Written with heartThis book has given me comfort and a wealth of information about what I would like to do and see in Nepal. Having a well planned trip in advance is smart and this book will probably tell you everything you need to know about anything, and more. Food, health issues, places to stay, sights, special points, etc. Definitely worth the investment. Rating: - Excellent, Practical GuideI just returned from Nepal using this guide. The book was very well-written with lots of practical advice-- everything from how to book an airline to what kind of diahrrea you may have picked up. Very accurate information re. hotels, modes of transportation, etc. Useful vocabulary list. Rating: - Wonderfully useful book for travels in NepalThe best thing about this book is its vast coverage; especially those places off the beaten track. It has a lot of practical information and despite being 2 years old now, it was still fairly accurate. Other travel books attempt to be encyclopedic about Nepal,... documenting everything without prioritizing the places that people actually do visit. David's book goes into a lot of detail about places of interest, both historical and practical info. For example, the book had an excellent section ... Read More Rating: - Absolutely AccurateWhile in Nepal last year I found this book to be exactly what I needed to get around as easily as possible. I usually use Lonely Planet Guides when traveling, but in this case - the Rough Guide is superior. Now if I can only get it back from my friend.... |
