Nepal.

The mountains were so wild and so stark and so very beautiful that I wanted to cry. I breathed in another wonderful moment to keep safe in my heart.

- Jane Wilson-Howarth

Dal Bhat power, 24 hour.

The two of us don't always agree on everything (peppers, for example). But there is one thing we can both wholeheartedly agree on: Nepal is our favourite country in the entire world.

Six weeks here on our first trip felt a lifetime too little, yet we trekked the Annapurna Circuit, relaxed in Pokhara, navigated Kathmandu's craziness, and searched for tigers in Chitwan. It was beautiful, adventurous, and undoubtedly epic.

Nepal's mountains, jungles, medieval cities, spiritual sites, heavenly food, and super friendly people quickly had us enchanted. We’ve been back since, and even got engaged in 2019 at the Poon Hill summit!

But what really makes Nepal so dear to our hearts is the intangible. There's a deep spirituality here. You can feel it the minute you step out into the chaos of Kathmandu, in the prayer flags that flutter messages of peace, in the genuine warmth of the people you encounter. There's a real magic to travelling in Nepal, a kind we're yet to experience anywhere else.

Mountains. It's clichéd to talk about Nepal's epic landscapes, but they're reason enough to visit the country.

But as if having the heights of Everest wasn't enough, Nepal had to serve up another 7 of the world's 10 tallest mountains and some of the best hiking and mountaineering imaginable.

Then, it gifted the world the chilled-out lakeside town of Pokhara (a perfect setting to relax in after your hard mountain trek), the birthplace of Buddha at Lumbini, the steamy safari plains of Chitwan, the ancient royal cities and warren-like streets of Kathmandu, and warm, welcoming locals. It's almost like it knew exactly what nirvana looked like...

In all seriousness though, don't put off your Nepal travels any longer - make this the year you stand on the shoulders of giants, and finally come to understand the meaning of 'Dal Bhat power, 24 hour'.