tiger mountain - ecotourism pioneers in Nepal

description:  At Tiger Mountain individual interests are encouraged and programmes are designed after discussion with every guest. Tiger Mountain remains the leader in conservation and environmental control. We have a number of different lodges and camps:

Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge - just half an hour's drive from Pokhara in western Nepal is situated on a spectacular hilltop ridge a thousand feet above Pokhara Valley with panoramic views of Machhapuchhare, and three of the world's 8,000m peaks, Dhaulagiri, Annapurna & Manaslu. The Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge sets new standards of hospitality for Nepal's second tourism destination. It has won several prestigious tourism awards including the PATA Heritage and Culture 1999 Gold Award and the Conde Nast Traveler magazine Ecotourism Award 2000.

The nineteen elegant rooms are arranged around the hilltop in hand-cut stone bungalows, blending into their surroundings. Sited to maximise the breathtaking vistas and set in private gardens, the rooms have a private veranda, adjoining bathroom and are furnished with a twin or king sized beds. Features include the highest quality Tibetan wool carpets in various traditional designs, and watercolours of the region by the British artist Luke Piper.
The main lodge is the focal point, with its cosy central fireplace, seating areas and bar, arranged around a Nepali-style courtyard. Decorated with local designs, there is an airy dining room and plenty of outdoor terraces for meals al fresco. A special feature is Colonel Jimmy's Library, containing a unique collection of Himalayan mountaineering literature and photographs belonging to the late Col. J.O.M. Roberts, the father of trekking and founder of Mountain Travel Nepal. 

Terraced and planted with indigenous shrubs, bamboo and fruit trees, the Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge emulates the local landscape. There are plenty of strategic viewpoints to enjoy a drink, or simply to meditate on the majestic white peaks. There is a secluded swimming pool, in a strategic site that reflects Machhapuchhare Mountain.

Meals focus on locally supplied foods to organic standards wherever possible. Fresh herbs and salads come from the Lodge’s own gardens. Fruits are grown in the village. Breakfast is in the English tradition and lunch is a Nepali buffet of changing authentic dishes using local spices judiciously. A discretely served continental dinner with a daily table d’hôte menu including classic French, Mediterranean and British cuisine completes the day.

Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge - in the heart of the Royal Chitwan National Park, home to a multitude of wildlife and birdlife, Tiger Tops offers a charming and stylish jungle experience.

From the lodge, discover all that the jungle has to offer, moving about on elephant-back, dug-out canoe, by jeep or on foot, always in the safe hands of our expert guides, some of whom have over 30 years of experience.

All the double rooms, which are elevated in tree-houses for spectacular views, have en suite bathrooms with solar-heated, piping hot water.

Enjoy the lodge’s Nepalese and Western cuisine; all produce is fresh and comes from Tiger Mountain’s organic farms. And the fully-stocked bar stays open until the last person goes to bed.

Tiger Tops Tented Camp - Poised above the vast grasslands between the jungle and the river and just a stone’s throw (6 kms) from the Lodge, is Tiger Tops’ idyllic and tranquil Tented Camp.

Each luxury safari tent is complete with a twin or double bed and an en suite bamboo bathroom with piping hot water.

From the Tented Camp you can explore the surrounding jungle and grasslands on elephant-back, dug-out canoe, on foot or by jeep, in the safe hands of our expert guides, some of whom have over 30 years of experience.

Nepali and Western cuisine is served at the Tented Camp and the fully-stocked bar stays open until the last person goes to bed - enjoy a drink on the elevated verandah, watching rhinos graze beneath you and the sun setting over the plains.

Tharu Lodge - just 13 km downriver from Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge, was inspired by the lifestyle and rich culture of the indigenous Tharu people. The lodge is constructed in the traditional style of the Tharu with two longhouses built from local materials. The spacious and comfortable double rooms have en-suite bathrooms with solar-heated water.

Tharu Safari Lodge offers both wildlife, cultural plus resort activities, including birdwatching, jungle walks, pony riding, tennis, badminton, swimming, ox-cart rides and walks into the villages. Elephant and river safaris are available for guests staying two nights or more.

Organic* Nepali & Western cuisine is served and the fully-stocked bar stays open until the last person goes to bed.

* all seasonal produce served at Tharu Lodge is fresh from Tiger Mountain’s Organic Farms.

Karnali Jungle Lodge - Set on the edge of Royal Bardia National Park, Karnali Lodge offers each visitor the chance to explore the most undisturbed wilderness area in the Terai lowlands. The Park has a rich and varied wildlife and is home to endangered species including the One Horned Rhinoceros, the Royal Bengal Tiger and the Gangetic Dolphin, a very rare species with a limited population found only in the Ganges River of Nepal and India. From the lodge one can explore the surrounding areas on elephant back, foot, jeep and boat.

The villages of the indigenous Tharu people surround the park and the jungle lodge embraces much of the Tharu architecture offering a perfect mix of nature, culture, adventure and luxury. The lodge’s double rooms are complete with en suite bathroom. There is a central dining area and Western and Nepali cuisine is served. The fully-stocked bar remains open until the last person goes to bed.

Karnali Jungle Lodge is accessible by land, by air (flight to Nepalgunj followed by a 2-hour drive) or one can raft down the mighty Karnali River into the Park itself.

Karnali Tented Camp - Overlooking the snow-fed waters of the Karnali River and situated within the Royal Bardia National Park, Karnali Tented Camp is one of the most enchanting jungle camps in Asia. The comfortable and spacious tents are complete with twin beds and en suite bamboo bathrooms with piping hot water.

Nepali and Western Cuisine is served around the campfire and the fully-stocked bar is open until the last guest retires.

As at Karnali Jungle Lodge a wide variety of activities are possible from Karnali Tented Camp from where one can explore the park on elephant back, in a dug-out canoe, on foot or by jeep.

Karnali Tented Camp is accessible by land or by air (flight to Nepalgunj followed by a 2-hour drive). Alternatively, one can raft down the mighty Karnali River to the edge of Karnali Tented Camp.

trekking: 

GENERAL INFORMATION
In 1965, the first ever trekking company was established by the late Colonel Jimmy Roberts. Since then, Mountain Travel Nepal has retained its international reputation for unrivalled excellence, catering to the trekkers every need from guides to cooks, camping equipment to personal needs.

Trekking, the meaning of which is “travel by foot along mountain trails” , can be done for just a few days or for a month or more, in the same style as exploratory or mountaineering expeditions. Whilst trekking, Sherpas serve as guides, interpreters, cooks and camp staff. Porters, horses or yaks carry all food, fuel, camping equipment and your personal belongings so that you need only carry what you might want during the day. At night either you can stay in tents or local lodges known as tea-houses and sleep in sleeping bags, all of which are carried with the trekking party.

TYPES OF TREK
Below is a list of the various types of trek available with Mountain Travel Nepal.

Full Support Treks
Full Support treks provide a charming angle to trekking in the Himalayas. Accommodation is in the form of luxury tents, which are put up at the end of each day by Mountain Travel’s expert porters who carry the equipment from place to place throughout the trek with the help of pack animals. 3-course meals are prepared and cooked for you by our trained chefs that accompany you on your trek. Fresh supplies of vegetables, eggs and meat are purchased locally wherever available. Warm water is provided for washing in the mornings and evenings.

Full Support Group Treks & Expeditions
We have several tours, treks and expeditions that we offer on a fixed departure basis. These trips are joined by trekkers from all around the world and are normally comprised of between three and ten participants. Most of the trips are guaranteed to operate with only two persons without affecting the cost.

Tailor - Made Full Support Treks
Mountain Travel Nepal designs personalised itineraries for individuals, families, and small groups of friends wishing to trek alone with full support services and at a different time to our fixed departure dates.

Full - Arrangement Tea House Treks
A number of people who trek the more popular routes prefer to combine sleeping in tea houses (which provide dormitories and private rooms) with our renowned guiding services. Those wishing to do a tea-house trek will be provided with a guide as well as a porter for your personal belongings and sleeping bags. Accommodation will be reserved at appropriate teahouses along the route. Meals are taken in the various rest houses along the way.

Part - Arrangement Tea House Treks
In the off season we also arrange guide and porter support for the more independent-minded trekker. We set you on your way with one of our experienced guides and a porter to carry your equipment.

Expedition Services
We cater for major full scale Himalayan expeditions. Our involvement can be tailored to suit the budget of the Expedition but in most cases we cut out the bureaucratic hurdles involved with obtaining permission as well as provide the support of some of our top Sherpas.

Expedition Support Treks
For major Himalayan expeditions we also organise special support treks to expedition base camps for families & supporters of the expedition members.

Recreational Climbing
Today, many of the smaller Himalayan peaks can be successfully climbed by recreational mountaineers on a relatively short holiday expedition. Considering the distances one must fly, the costs can be quite reasonable, and a small expedition to Nepal need no longer be an impossible dream. We organise short-duration expeditions to a number of 20,000-foot Himalayan peaks.

Film Location Service
For film and television production companies wishing to film in the Himalayas or the Indian subcontinent, we, together with our sister company Adventure Travel Nepal, can handle all the arrangements. The BBC, Central TV, Yorkshire TV, The Discovery Channel, Survival Anglia, Bernardo Bertolucci and Cathay Pacific have all had their arrangements handled by ourselves.

School Expeditions
We also offer a complete Himalayan treks & expedition service to schools. We can advise on the appropriate region and destination in the Himalayas to suit the school's objectives. We will handle all the arrangements, supplying detailed itineraries, comprehensive information booklets and equipment lists.

Special Interest Treks
Many individuals or organisations want to arrange a special interest trek which is precisely tailored to suit their particular interest. These trips might be culturally orientated or specifically for bird watching and the like. Together with our associate companies we are also able to provide trek leaders with expert knowledge on specific subjects.

Quid Pro Quo For Trekking
It is up to the trekker as to what sort of trek he/she would like to do and this can be discussed with Tiger Mountain’s expert team of advisors when you come to book your trek. Trekking does involve an element of fitness and obviously, the more strenuous the trek, the better it is to be fit. People of all ages, standards and abilities trek through the Himalayas – whatever your specifications, Tiger Mountain can fulfil them.

What to bring?
1. Binoculars add greatly to your enjoyment of wildlife viewing.
2. Personal medical requirements and insect repellent
3. We suggest that guests travel light, bringing only one small suitcase or duffel bag.

When to Come?
Mid September: post monsoon, warm humid days (20o C or 70o F)
October to January: Cold nights (5o C or 42o F), warm days (20o C or 70o F). Mountain views are spectacular during this season and is the most popular time to visit Nepal.

February to April: Generally warm weather with cool evenings. There are numerous spring flowers and wildlife viewing is excellent. This is the best time for bird watching as there is some overlap of winter and summer migrants.

May to June: Hot days (30/40o C or 100o F) but wildlife viewing remains good and orchids are in bloom.

Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge & Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge operate: from mid SEPTEMBER to mid JUNE

What to wear?
Dress at the lodges is completely casual both during the day and in the evening. Jungle colours such as beige, brown, khaki and green are least disturbing to the environment and therefore most appropriate. Comfortable safari cloths and shoes made for easy walking are recommended.

For visits during March to September and early October light summer clothing is needed and raingear is useful. During November to February sweaters and warm jackets are required for the mornings and evenings.

Note: Our shops at the Lodges have a selection of safari shirts, shorts, T-shirts, sunhats etc.

about Nepal: For some its home to the mother of universe; Mount Everest and the great mountaineers, for others it’s the land of brave Gurkha soldiers. Some love it as the only Hindu kingdom or the birthplace of Lord Buddha. For whatever reason one love the country, Nepal is the land of tremendous beauty and diversity.

This small Himalayan Kingdom Nepal, which occupies just 0.1% of the earth is very rich in terms of bio-diversity. Its home to 2% of all flowering plants in the world, 8% (848 species) of the total birds in the world, 4% of mammals on earth, 11 of 15 butterfly families found in the world (500 species), 600 indigenous plant families and 319 exotic species of orchids.

The elevation ranges from 70m above sea level; Kanchan Kanan to 8848m above sea level; the world’s highest point – Mount Everest. The unique variation has given Nepal a varied ecosystem, thick tropical and alpine forests swarmed with diverse wildlife, great peaks of the world, frozen valleys, deep gorges, mysterious canyons, fast and furious rivers, running hills and cool and calm lakes.

Nepal has a population of 23 million people, with more than 40 different ethnic groups speaking 70 different languages. Nepal bags a colorful array of vibrant cultures, exotic traditions, feasts and festivals lined up every month, unique and wonderful art and architecture and the warm hospitality that people share with each other.

All these have made Nepal a living museum that people cannot resist to explore.

Namaste! & Welcome to Nepal….

contact & pricing details: If you need any information about our service or any query related to travel to Nepal then please feel free to contact us. We are pleased to serve you with the detail information. You can contact us by various way:

by post:
You can sent your queries by post at
Tiger Mountain
Gongabu, Kathmandu
NEPAL
G.P.O Box 242

by Telephone:
Our telephone number is +977-1-4361500

by Fax:
Our fax number is +977-1-4361600

by Email:
Our email address is info@tigermountain.com 

www.tigermountain.com 

The view from Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge