Going on Nepal holidays from India is fairly easy as the two countries are connected via air, road and rail. Several Indian airline companies operate flights to and from the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu from Delhi and Mumbai. Only one train runs between the two nations from Raxaul in Bihar to Parsa in Nepal. Once in Nepal, tourists can see various museums, historical sites and national parks. Trekking is another good activity as there are a lot of trails that can be taken to different valleys, peaks, lakes and mountainous villages. Indulging in the local culture is perhaps the best way to experience the life and understand the country. The culture here is heavily influenced by the original Hindu inhabitants and the Buddhist, who came here from India and Tibet. Sampling the local dishes will elevate the joy of holidaying here to unprecedented levels and give tourists a new perspective of the culture and lifestyle of this landlocked nation.

 

Dominant Cuisine

 

Dal-Bhat, typical of the hilly areas, is the national and most widely consumed dish. Bhat means rice, which is soaked in water and then boiled or pressure cooked. Dal is a mildly spiced soup made from different types of lentils and legumes. Its traditional accompaniment is tarkari, a vegetable dish, which may be dry or curried. Green leafy vegetables, radish, potatoes, beans, tomatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, pumpkin or any other vegetable can be used to make the tarkari. With the advancement in agriculture techniques, new grains are also being cultivated and consumed. Wheat is used to make a flat-bread, called roti while buckwheat, maize, millet and barley are used to cook porridge. Fruits, grown in the region, such as orange, lime, lemon, pear, bayberry and mangoes are also an important part of the diet. Due to the relatively less agricultural feasibility during winters, the hilly people resort to eating meat of animals like hens, buffaloes, yaks, fish and wild boar. Another popular side to the main dishes is natural yoghurt, made fresh every day.

 

Other Types of Cuisine

 

Food from the Tibet Autonomous Region of China is also widely enjoyed by Nepalis due to the presence of a large number of Tibetans in the nation. Barley is their most important grain and its flour is used to make breads like balep. Tsampa, a dish made from roasted barley and salted tea, is also a prominent food item. This type of food is usually cooked in butter, made from the milk of yaks. Meat forms an important part of their diet and is obtained from yaks, goats and sheep. These people also consume some world famous preparations like thukpa soup and momos. The Thakali people, living in the Kali and Gandaki valleys, eat food similar to that of the hilly region, though with a much larger intake of meat.

 

A more complex and spicy cuisine is that of the Newar people of the Kathmandu valley. As the valley is more fertile than the mountains, more grains, vegetables and fruits are grown here, which imparts the Newari food its own distinction. The food of the Terai and plains is heavily influenced by North Indian and Mughlai styles of cooking and includes a large amount of marine creatures like crabs and prawns along with snails, in some regions. Holidays to Nepal can be utilised to sample this rich diversity of culinary items. For more about Nepal tours and holiday packages @ http://www.holidayindia.com/nepal-packages