Introducing the great land Nepal to foreigners seems quite easy, but how many of us have an intimate knowledge of our motherland?

“Trekking and exploring our own nation seems to scare us!” says Bhim Bahadur Basnet (Sardar), a senior trekking guide.

“The irony is that thousands of tourists pay thousands of dollars to walk through Nepal’s stunning landscapes and it costs us nothing, but I’ve seen hardly any Nepali tourist visiting these places in the 20 years of my career, and it’s a terrible shame,” added a frustrated Sardar.

A five-hour drive and a two-day walk from Kathmandu will bring you to the picturesque and spiritual Gosainkunda and Langtang Valley. In a day, you will be able to walk the paths that Siddhartha Gautam once trod on in his search for nirvana. Not many of us know, but the place where the Gurkhas first displayed their courage to the world — Nalapani — now lies in neighboring India.

“While tourists are awestricken by our country, we Nepalis feel inferior being a citizen of this country,” says Ankur Prasai, a trekking guide en route to ABC (Annapurna Base Camp).

“We envy the flash and dash of the lifestyle of the developed nations, and overlook the unparallel development of nature’s evolution in Nepal. We prefer to go on leisurely trips to distant countries, but do not explore our own home,” adds Prasai, equally disappointed that Nepalis are not familiar with their own country.

“Nepal lacks the infrastructure and security for a safe journey. The college is responsible for the safety of the students, and convincing the parents is one of the greatest problems,” said Robin Acharya of Campion College when City Post asked him the reason for choosing India for the annual winter trip for its graduating batch.

“We not only share our border with India, but also its culture; and visiting India is easy and we feel secure there. From historical places and scenic beaches to great journeys on Indian Railways, it is the best place to spend a winter vacation. It is our home away from home. Nepal is quite an inaccessible place compared to India, and it’s not worth risking the safety of the students,” he added.

“I’d really love to go to the Annapurna region, but none of my friends were enthusiastic about doing a tedious trek. And the college too seemed to be extra cautious. The India trip was fun, but only because of the company of my friends; the rest of the journey was very scary,” said Sumina Karki of Campion College, recently back from a visit to India. She added that she was harassed, treated with prejudice and her nationality looked down upon. One of her friends (Geetanjali Dewan) was even molested on a train.

“For the first time in my life, I felt the pain of racial discrimination,” she adds.

On the other hand, Dewan didn’t seem to be much affected by the incident, and still feels that it was a great trip. “The beaches and the bars of Goa are simply great,” she said. “However, the next time I am taking the plane and avoiding the local trains.”

Visiting foreign countries has become a high school rite of passage in Nepal. And while outbound tourism is taking off, domestic sightseeing is at the bottom of the list.

“Nepal is one of the safest destinations in the world,” said Basnet. “Its scenic beauty is complemented by the hospitality of the people. Except during the time of the Maoist insurgency, we haven’t heard of any tourist — Nepali or foreign — being robbed, harassed or involved in a violent act. Good air services provide rescue in case of emergencies. The safety issue is just a myth. If things were as dangerous as they are made out to be, do you think all those western celebrities and bureaucrats would be traveling in Nepal?”

“If you haven’t seen your country, then you don’t even know your own mother, and how shameful that is!” exclaimed F Freddie, ECA Coordinator of Shuvatara School, when asked why they chose to take their students on trips across Nepal and not to some foreign country as per the trend.

“Persuading the parents was the biggest hurdle, and everything was fun after that. Our school made this move to make our students understand their own identity and show them the country they were born in. Going to foreign countries is quite easy for them, but if not for us taking the risk, then probably they’d never get to discover their own land,” said Freddie, explaining the reasons behind assuming responsibility for their affluent students, and above all, taking them on a trip during the off-season. 

Shuvatara School organized a 12-day trek to Jomsom and Muktinath for 80 senior students for Rs 12,000 per head. Not only did they get to see one of the most spiritual and scenic places in Nepal, the trip injected much-needed cash into the local

economy. 

Kripa Dangol, one of the students who went on the trek, said that it was one of the best experiences in her life. “I went to places that my grandparents can only hope to visit. I felt the spirituality that they always talked about. I would choose to explore my country any day instead of going on a comfortable vacation abroad,”

she said.

“My visit to America has been greatly overshadowed by the trip to Muktinath,” said Praakrit Pradhan, another student.

“When most of us only stare at the mountains from Kathmandu, I actually got the opportunity to touch some of them. Of course, it was strenuous; but it was the most luxurious thing for our soul,” added Praakrit.

Everyone is constantly searching for that “mystically marvelous” destination, while for us Nepalis it is just a few days and a little effort away.

“Janani Janmabhumischa Sworgadapi Gariyashi.”