Nepal is a beautiful Himalayan landlocked country located between China and India. It is spread in the area of 147181 Square Kilometer. On the basis of the geographical structure, Nepal can be divided mainly into three regions: The Himalayan region, the Middle Hill region and the Terai (Plain Land) region. The highest elevation of Nepal is the summit of Mount Everest at 8848m and the lowest elevation is 60m from the sea level at Terai. The climatic conditions are from subtropical to the freezing.  There’s an enormous amount of cultural diversity and natural beauty almost everywhere you turn, making it easy to find the perfect combination no matter how many days you have in Nepal.

Deciding which regions to visit primarily depends on your interests and how many days you have, and then figuring out whether you want to fly or drive between regions (or consider arranging a combination of both). Some regions, like the Terai, are also best avoided during the monsoon given heavy rains and poor road conditions. 

1. Terai Region

Terai is a low land region containing some hill ranges. Looking out for its coverage, it covers 17% of the total area of Nepal. The Terai (also spelled Tarai) region begins at the Indian border and includes the southernmost part of the flat, intensively farmed Gangetic Plain called the Outer Terai. By the 19th century, timber and other resources were being exported to India. Industrialization based on agricultural products such as Jute began in the 1930s and infrastructure such as roadways, railways and electricity were extended across the border before it reached Nepal’s Pahad region.

In Nepal, Terai is differentiated in “outer” and “Inner” Terai. The Outer Terai  starts from the southern edge of theSiwalik Hills. In Nepal, it extends to the border withIndia and includes drier, mostly cleared agricultural land. The major towns that are located on outer terrain of Nepal are: Bhadrapur, Mechinagar, Biratnagar, Inaruwa, Itahari, Lahan, Rajbiraj, Janakpur, Birjgung, Butwal and Siddharthanagar. Inner Terai refers to elongated valleys lying between the Siwalik Range and the Mahabharat range.

About the Terai Region

These valleys are known as “Duns”. Like for example DehraDun. Most of the valleys extend east-west to enclosing ranges. Inner Terai valleys historically were agriculturally productive but extremely malarial. Indigineous Tharu people had resistance towards the disease due to the presence of sickle cells present in them. Some important towns in Inner Terai are Triyuga, Kamalamai, Bharatpur, Hetauda, tandi, Tulsipur, Tribhuvannagar, Deukhuri and Birendranagar.Since the Terai region usually consists of forests it is more prone to diseases.

Tharu people have been the inhabitants of the Terai region from the very beginning. They had resistance towards malaria. After the launch of Malarial eradication program many people from the Hilly region started to migrate towards the Terai region and hence settled there. The eastern part has been occupied by castes and ethnic groups that migrated from India- the Madhesi people, a term that sometimes also includes the Tharu people. 

2. Himalayan Region

Himalayan Mountain Range lies in the northern range of Nepal as it boasts of several top mountain peaks in the world including Mount Everest . Besides Everest, Nepal also boasts of seven other mountains which are above 8000 meters of altitude. All of them including other mountain peaks like Mount Langtang, Mount Machhapuchhre, Mount Dhaulagiri, among others, form the popular Himalayan Mountain Range which has attracted attention of a lot of visiting tourists.

Nepal, hence, can be called as the center of the Himalayan region. Most of the mountain peaks here in the country have formed the basis for several trekking routes and itineraries. Nepal is hence the major Himalayan region in the world which has captured the imagination of the entire world with its unmatched beauty. Trek to Nepal with the Trek to Himalayas is a wonderful opportunity to explore more about this beautiful country with the help of trekking and hiking. 

About the Himalayas

The Great Himalayas form a climatic barrier between the monsoonal (wet-dry) Indian lowland plains and the Tibetan desert high plateau. The barren, uninhabitable highlands also are a major impediment to human travel; the turbulent rivers cannot be navigated, and their steep rocky banks make foot traffic difficult. The few passes are at elevations between 16,000 and 19,000 feet (5,000 and 6,000 meters). In the lower, forested Lesser Himalayas to the south, river valleys permit human habitation, grazing, and limited agriculture at an elevation of about 5,000 feet (1,500 meters). People of himalayan region are Tibetan Buddhist by religion. In this regard, we should know Buddhism from one general perspective and Tibetan Buddhism from another. Buddhism is a religion of renunciation, peace and non-violence which came out from four noble truths proclaimed by lord Buddha.  

There are a number of festivals celebrated in the Himalayan region. Dumje festival is considered to be most important because the monks perform to bring peace in their society. Religion plays an important role in bringing peace.  In the mountains there will be an entrance gate in a village but not in all villages. But this should be the historically oldest village in the area. The purpose of the gate is that strangers will drive off evil spirits which they carry before entering the gate. Once entered into the village we encounter a long freestanding stone wall with Tibetan Inscriptions.  

3. Hilly Region

The Hilly Region, at the middle belt of the country, surrounded by Himalayan region and Terri region at North and south occupies around 64% of the total land. This region in the North is almost all occupied by the Mahabharata range with high hills and dense forests. And below the Mahabharata range at the southern part there lies the Siwalik range which is covered by lower hills and valleys.

About the Hilly Region

The Char Kosher Jade, a dense forest that begins from Mahabharata range and ends at the border of Nepal and India in the Terri was very big and large at past but it is small at present. The hilly region in the heart of Nepal is sheltered by a heavy mass of people (about 57% of total). It is famous for fertile valleys like Kathmandu and Pokhara. The hills and Snow fed Rivers that passes across the high hills and valleys behaving as the life support system of the area. It holds half of the total population as it has been sheltered for centuries. 

This valley holds most of Nepal’s ethnic groups. But in them Newer are the original inhabitants and the creators of the valley’s grand civilization. Before some years ago, it was covered with temples and shrines which were more than houses. This valley comprises three amazing cities of great historic and cultural interest, Kathmandu; Lalitpur of Patan and Bhaktapur. The tranquility of the magnificence of the Himalayas rising behind creates a mood of peace and silence. So, Pokhara city has not only become the centre for most popular trekking and rafting targets. But also a spot to relax with the beauty of nature. The backwater regions of the Himalayas are the land of Magars and Gurungs, laborious farmers. And fearless warriors who have received worldwide fame as Gurkha soldiers.