It’s not uncommon these days for some among us to take helicopters for events, pilgrimages or even joy rides. Many feel the experience justifies the cost. So here are some new helicopter tours recently launched in Nepal.
Helicopter Tour to Everest Base Camp
Fast becoming extremely popular is this 5 hour trip from Kathmandu to Mount Everest and back again. Taking in several iconic sights and landing at three locations, this tour is available all year round on a ‘per seat’ basis or by chartering the whole helicopter. Being that these helicopters are adapted to high altitude and are therefore small, there are only 5 to 6 passengers on each trip. This makes every flight seem a luxurious adventure.
Exhilarating High Altitude Airport, Everest Base Camp and Breakfast Overlooking Everest
While the heading above is basically the itinerary, let us explain a bit more. Departing in the early morning the helicopter flies over the Kathmandu Valley, small villages, foothills and into the Himalayas. It then lands at the Tenzing Hilary Airport at Lukla, the gateway to the Everest Region. This landing is simply to refuel but it gives passengers time to get their first lung-full of that mountain air before climbing back on board and heading into the region proper.
Down below the Sagarmatha National Park gateway can be seen, as too can the trekkers making their way slowly up the trail towards Namche Bazaar. Being the biggest and main market town, Namche today has many decent hotels, restaurants and cafes where trekkers and climbers can relax before or after their expeditions. For those on the helicopter, photographs can be snapped as you are flown over the town and on to other exciting destinations such as Tengboche Monastery. Tengboche is home to monks who play host to the Mani Rimdu Festival annually around October. If you plan to charter a helicopter, you might want to consider this time of year.
The highlight of the trip is considered a visit to Everest Base Camp. Here it is possible to view the Khumbhu Ice Falls and many other glaciers. Being that the ground here is actually more ice than soil, the helicopter does not land in the precarious location but takes you to the safety of a nearby ridge. Kalapattar stands at 5,645m and provides you with the most awe-inspiring views of Everest and the surrounding mountains. This 360 degree panorama is likely to be the most wonderful sight in the world, unless you can climb to the summit of the great mountain itself. On Kalapattar the helicopter allows you to disembark for some stunning photos and footage and astounding memories.
Just short of being as amazing is the view from your breakfast table. High in the mountains, again with stunning views of Everest and its neighbours, sits a hotel with the most amazing location. Every room has views of the mountains, and the outside dinning terrace has the views, the atmosphere and the chill like nowhere else.
Combine a Trek with the Helicopter Tour
For those who would love to trek in the Nepal Himalayas but don’t want to spend two whole weeks doing so, the solution could be combining part of the classic Everest Base Camp Trek with a return journey by helicopter. This definitely gives the best of both worlds and takes the strain out of the trek. Magical Nepal, who offer the above mentioned half day helicopter tour to Everest Base Camp, have also launched 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 day treks which incorporate a pick up from different locations around the region, such as Tengboche, and return to Kathmandu by helicopter. Bearing in mind the normal trek is 14 days, this shortened itinerary makes a lot of sense.
Helicopter Tour of Everest Base Camp costs around USD 1175 per person. Chartering the helicopter may be cost effective if you are taking your loved ones. It is recommended to book well in advance and at that time you can discuss your needs with the agency. Of course, both the pure helicopter tour and the trekking/ helicopter combination can be combined with a business trip or a recreational trip to Nepal. If recreational, there is certainly a number of other interesting sights of a historic, religious and entertaining nature to see in the country.