Nepal

Nepal is defined by its epic topography, formed by the ongoing collision between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. This has created three distinct belts that run parallel to its borders with China and India known as Himal, Pahad and Terai.

The Himal is Nepal’s portion of the Great Himalayas. The tallest mountains on the planet, Everest (or Sagarmāthā in Nepali) and seven other peaks breach 8,000 meters. The hiking up here on rugged trails amid fluttering prayer flags and stupas is spectacular. Snow-covered rocks provide perfect camouflage for the ghostlike snow leopards that hunt up in this rarefied air.

Green mountains beneath the snowline with great valleys carved by powerful rivers make up the middle belt known as the Pahad. This region has been a cultural crossroads for centuries and it's here that you’ll find fascinating cities such as Kathmandu and Lalitpur where ancient Buddhist and Hindu temples sit amid 21st century buzz.

To the south, the Terai is an area of rolling foothills and fertile lowland plains stretching to the Indian border. A rich mosaic of jungle, wetlands and savannah, protected areas such as those of Chitwan and Bardia Nationals Parks are the perfect environment for Bengal tigers, Indian elephants, sloth bears and greater one-horned rhinoceroses.