HIGH MOUNTAIN

TOP WALKING DESTINATION: NEPAL

W HEN THE best is this accessible, why settle for the rest? Nepal has had a tough few years following the huge earthquake in 2015 that caused massive damage to the capital Kathmandu and devastated high mountain villages with poor transport links. But this country is indomitable in spirit, and today Nepal is as welcoming to (and in need of) tourism as it's ever been.

It's every bit the mystical high mountain kingdom you'd expect it to be: prayer flags, shining temples, the sound of gongs echoing around the peaks from high-tucked villages. Nepal is a true feather in the cap of anyone who wants to experience the world's highest country.

The Himalayas in all their grandeur are here, and treks are available for anyone who wants to get up close and personal with Earth’s loftiest mountains.

In order to feel that you’ve ‘done’ Nepal, there's certain sights and sounds you should look to take in, such as mooching through Kathmandu’s buzzing Thamel district, or staying in a traditional tea house lodge along a high mountain trail, where hospitable locals offer a window into Himalayan life. And no trip would be complete without a visit to a Buddhist temple. And the walking? Spellbinding. From jungly lowlands where tigers still roam, to the high-altitude base camps of the greater Himalaya, Nepal has it all.