Seeking Shangri-La

Shangri-La, a fictional earthly paradise first described in the 1933 novel, Lost Horizon, by British author James Hilton. This mythical, Himalayan utopia - a permanently happy land, isolated from the outside world - is almost within reach in Nepal.

Draped along the greatest heights of the Himalaya, Nepal is where the ice-cold of the mountains meets the steamy heat of the Indian plains. It's a land of yaks and yetis, stupas and Sherpas and some of the best trekking on earth.

Thousands of backpackers and jet setters alike grab their hiking boots and make their pilgrimage to this rugged, land-locked country in search of this mystical kingdom.

Around 64% of the country is covered by mountains; one third of the total length of the Himalaya lies inside Nepal's borders and the country claims ten of the world's fourteen highest peaks.

Yet, Nepal is not just a mountain climbing, apple pie eating Shangri-La. It's also one of the poorest countries on earth. So, many visitors, drawn to Nepal by the promise of adventure, leave equally enchanted by the friendliness and openness of the Nepali people.