Kathmandu, 18 November: The knees, tired from continuous walking, were not moving uphill at all. However, the march of Acharna Karki of Chitwan did not stop. In front of her willpower to reach the foothills of Mardi Himal, her tired body and only her neck could not stop her. She went on a trek with her family and friends to celebrate Tihar festival in the Mardi Himal region. She said, “even if the body is tired, the more you walk, the closer the mountains will add more energy to the body.”
Karki said that it was the first time that she had the experience of walking. In recent times, the culture of going out on leisurely walks has started to develop. From the young generation to the old generation, they have started enjoying the walk. Karki chose Mardi ‘Trek’ as her destination as she could not wear Tika during Tihar. When she returned after the walk. She said that she got the opportunity to experience something different with the natural scenery. “While walking, I could feel the peaceful atmosphere of the forest”, she said, “Where can you find such natural peace in a city full of noise?” Karki said that trekking is necessary once a year if possible. She believes that it will benefit both physical and mental fitness.
Karki’s friend Sapna Thapa completed the first trek by reaching Mardi Himal base camp. She said that because she does not have time for herself in the struggle of work, family and daily life throughout the year, she went on a walk to make good use of her free time. What about going uphill in the beginning? A negative feeling was created. After seeing others post their photos on social networks like Instagram and Facebook after walking, gradually her passion for walking grew. When she completed the Mardi trek. After that, the idea of walking and visiting has changed. Narrating the experience of the first trek, she said, “It is not just about climbing the mountain, but one can learn and see many useful things from the life of the people seen during the journey.”
Pragya Dahal from Biratnagar prefers to see Nepal’s geography directly. She plans to visit the country’s tourist destinations as much as possible. Dahal, an employee of the bank, said that domestic tourism is the first choice as it will help in the promotion of domestic tourism. “Walking is also necessary to understand the geography, art, culture and civilization of our country”, she said, “When we walk, it helps the livelihood of the local community. The economy will improve.”
Bimal Bhattarai of Baneshwar goes on a trekking every year with his children. He said that he takes his two daughters on trips to teach them the importance of domestic tourism and culture. Suvima Bhattarai, who went on a trek with her father, recorded in her diary what she saw and experienced during the journey. Studying in class 12, she later thought of publishing a book based on that diary. As much as you read about mountains and hills in books, it is his experience that you need to travel to get a real feel for them. The moment when Zuka bit his hand during the Mardi trek became a miracle for her. She had heard of lice before, but how does it bite and what happens after the bite? didn’t know According to Bhattarai, one has to walk outside the room to feel nature directly. “Where else could you watch the life of a lice by sitting somewhere and looking at a mobile phone?”, she says, “I consider trekking as an open school for learning and experiencing.”
Aghar Dahal of Dang, who hiked Mardi Himal on the occasion of Tihar, says that hiking is suitable for keeping the body fit and refreshing the mind. Taking the help of a motorcycle while walking around the house, he dared to reach the Mardi Himal base camp at an altitude of 4,500 in three days. Everyone used to say that you can’t climb a mountain. So he had little ego. It was determined that I would leave by climbing the mountain. No member of his family, who grew up in the Terai, has yet gone for trekking in the Himalayas. Dahal says, “I tried and succeeded. Walking teaches patience to achieve the goal.”
Maya Gurung, a hotelier from Mardi, says that recently the business is dependent on domestic tourists. “The culture of Nepali traveling with their families has started”, she said, “It is also easy to entertain Nepali.”
According to Rajkumar Tamang, president of Mardi Himal High Camp, who has been running hotel business in the Mardi Himal region for 12 years, there is a possibility of long-term stability in tourism due to the increase in domestic tourists. 74 hotels are operating for Mardi Himal trekking. Foreign and Nepali tourists come to Mardi trekking to see nearby Machhapuchhre Himal, Mardi, Annapurna Himalaya and other scenery together. According to the statistics of Nepal Tourism Board, a total of 124 thousand 393 foreign tourists have entered in October.
Compared to the previous year, this year there has been an increase of 6.4 percent during the same period. Maniraj Lamichhane, director of the board, said that the attraction of domestic tourists is also attractive. Sagar Pandey, president of Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAN), said that it is natural that the attraction of domestic tourists has increased recently. He said that the traveling culture has developed and people have started spending as they have started earning income. President Pandey believes that the increase in domestic tourists will help the regional economy, but foreign tourists are the main source of growth for the national economy.
