Nepal

Nepal is a Himalayan country where the world's highest mountains fall away to subtropical lowlands. Nepal's Himalaya holds eight of the world's ten highest peaks, Everest among them. Its heart is the Kathmandu Valley, where the Durbar Squares of the old towns of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, together with temples and stupas, are UNESCO-listed. Here you wander brick courtyards past Newari woodcarving and craft workshops.

On the valley rim, Dhulikhel looks out over a Himalayan panorama on clear days, while Pokhara faces the Annapurna range across Phewa Lake. In the south stretch the Terai lowlands and Chitwan National Park, also on the UNESCO list: jungle, tall grasslands and rivers home to the Indian one-horned rhinoceros, Bengal tigers (rarely seen), gharials and a wealth of birds, explored by jeep, canoe and on foot with a guide.

Food is hearty: dal bhat (lentils with rice), momo dumplings, Newari dishes and spiced masala tea. Autumn (roughly October–November) and spring (March–May) are usually the clearest seasons for mountain views and the main ones for travel. The monsoon runs roughly June to September; winters are cool in the valley and mild in the Terai. Nepal suits travellers who want mountain scenery without hard expeditions, lovers of culture and architecture, couples, wildlife and bird enthusiasts, and families with older children.