The Annapurna Conservation region is the most geographically and culturally diverse protected area anywhere in the World. Nowhere else in Nepal can one meet and experience such a wide variety of human culture. There are seven ethnic groups living and working the region, from Hindu farmers to Tibetan Lamas. Due to the extremes of elevation the region contains a remarkable diversity of flora; from sub-tropical lowland forests of oak, bamboo and rhododendron in the south to the high alpine meadows and windswept desert plateaus in the north, bordering Tibet.

For many their journey to Nepal would not be complete without a glimpse of the highest mountain on Earth.   For some it will be enough to view Everest from the Kathmandu valley rim on a clear day, it is also possible to sit in the comfort of a plane seat for the experience. Others however settle only for a more intimate meeting with the last earthly rung on the stairway to the heavens. The Everest Region is within Sagamartha National Park established in 1976 it lies some 120 kms North East of Kathmandu and covers an area of 1,148 sq. kms of the Himalayan ecological zone U.N.E.S.C.O. listed the Park as a World Heritage Site in 1979. The park is largely composed of rugged terrain and deep gorges within an elevation of 2845m in the South to 8848m, the summit of Everest in the North. The vegetation at lower levels is dominated by silver fir, birch, rhododendron and juniper trees, at around 4500m the forest gives way to Juniper and rhododendron scrub. The park contains a variety of mammals, Himalayan thar, musk deer, the Himalayan red panda and the Himalayan black bear are all native to the park.

The Langtang Valley is a beautiful alpine region to the North of Kathmandu bordering Tibet . Langtang offers a wilderness experience without the sometimes arduous travel involved. The Gosainkund and Helambu regions lie to its south, these can be combined with Langtang to make treks from 7 days to 21 days. The area was designated Nepal's first Himalayan National Park in 1971, it is inhabited by Tamang people whose religious practices, language and dress are much more similar to those of Tibet than to the traditions of their cousins in the middle hills. A journey to the Langtang valley offers an opportunity to explore the Tamang villages, climb small peaks and to visit glaciers at a more comfortable altitude than other trekking regions