KHOTANG, Nov 23: Preparations are going on in full-swing to launch the Mundhum Trail Visit Year 2025 on January 1 with a target of attracting at least 100,000 visitors.
The tourism-oriented campaign aims to attract at least 100,000 tourists within 2025 whilst promoting the newly explored trail that lies in Bhojpur and its adjacent districts Khotang, Solukhumbu and Sankhuwasabha.
The campaign is spearheaded by the Maiyung-Temke-Salpa-Silingchung Tourism Promotion Center.
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The trail, dubbed by Center's President Ramesh Rai as 'virgin destination' for tourists, is an off-beat road. It offers a view of a wide range of mountains such as the highest mountain in the world Sagarmatha and other towering peaks including the Kanchenjunga.
President Rai shared that the center is installing and increasing facilities such as drinking water, resting places, toilets and accommodation (homestay and guest houses) along the trail to facilitate the visitors.
Rai added that other activities such as honey hunting, Ubhauli Sakela and other cultural festivities will be organized during 2025 in different places along the route. Horse-riding, film-shooting, ultra-marathon, mountain cycling, Nachhong (Dhami) festival, Rudrakshya festival and Chakchakur festival are also included in the list of activities that can be done along the route.
According to the Member of Parliament from Khotang 1 constituency Ram Kumar Rai, the 10-km-long route is one among the 100 new destinations explored by the government of Nepal. “It is expected to aid in tourism promotion of Khotang and Bhojpur,” he said.
The local government has chipped in 30 percent, while the provincial government assisted 35 percent and the Swiss government invested 35 percent of the total cost to upgrade the trail.
The trail that starts from Tawabhangyanj bordering Khotang and Bhojpur and goes upward through various places like Temkedanda (at 3,156 meters), Salpapokhari (at 3,750 meters) and concludes at Silingchung at 4,165 meters above the sea level.
It takes around 10 days for Nepalis on average to cross the trail while foreigners could take up to 13 days to finish trekking.
It is said that one of the routes in this hiking trail was used by first Everest summiteers Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Edmund Hillary during their Everest expedition in 1953.
