First aid, rescue workshop

By A Staff Reporter

Jacques Beaume, a member of the French Federation of Rescue in High Alps and the founder of ‘La Maison de Nepal,’ in a press meet last week informed journalists about the free-of-cost first aid service and rescue in the high mountains programme.

In order to give continuation to his first ever campaign which was started last year, this year, it was started  in march.

Since the first aid and rescue courses are of great importance in a mountaineous country, the Alliance Francaise, Kathmandu and French Federation  assisted to hold these programmes this year.

Beaume’s private and corporate friends in France have been helping the project by providing ultra-modern equipment and materials to conduct these programmes.

Sizzle up!

By A Staff Reporter

Hotel De L’ Annapurna started the two-week Sizzler Festival from 7th April at the Coffee Shop. There are a wide variety of mouth smacking sizzlers to choose from in both vegetarian and non vegetarian delights.

For the non-vegetarians there is everybody’s favorite Chicken Shaslik. Or the Tawa Murgh and Crispy Pomfret, all of this served on a bed of rice. For these who want something different, there is the Stuffed Chicken served on a bed of pasta.

The vegetarians have the Navaratan Paneer, Tawa Paneer and Hot Eggplant to choose from, again served on a bed of rice. Also available are the pastas with your choice of sauce to choose from. So sizzle up your day.

Travel.com to promote tourism

By A Staff Reporter

To promote Nepalese tourism industry and to make people around the world aware of fascinating destinations in Nepal through Internet, Thamel.com Pvt. Ltd, a newly established company has started a brand new web-site at the world wide web.

The newly developed Internet site can be browsed at www.thamel.com for informations, statistics and maps of touristic destinations of Nepal. Inaugurating the web-site, Ministry for Tourism and Civil Aviation Tarani Dutta Chataut said that tourism can not be developed without the help of information technology.

While pointing to the decline of tourists arrival due to termination of Indian Airlines (IA) flight to Nepal Minister, Chataut said that Nepal’s tourism industry is going through a difficult time. “To promote tourism industry all sections of the society should cooperate” .

Speaking on the occasion Pradeep Raj Pandey, Chief Executive officer of Nepal Tourism Board, said that in the present scenario  tourism industry is highly dependent on information technology. “Such web-sites targetted at tourists, are sure to contribute to promotion of country’s tourism industry”.

More than 30 years ago, when tourism industry was at its initial stage, Thamel was hardly known. But along with the development of  tourism industry, this place has made a special impact on the visitors. “It is the local people of the area, who has played a key role for development of Thamel,” said Karna Sakya, a well known  hotelier and a member of National Tourism Council.

Addressing the inaugural function, Hari Man Lama, Executive Director, Thamel.com Pvt. Ltd, informed that in near future the company plans to start a similar web-site for the promotion of Pokhara, another famous destination in Nepal.

Pampering of body and mind luxuriously

By A Staff Reporter

The Fulbari Resort will soon have Spa Fulbari as its newest landmark in luxurious pampering of the guests’ minds and bodies through various soothing treatment. This makes The Fulbari Resort - the first and the only “5 Star Deluxe Resort Hotel” in Nepal, outside the Kathmandu Valley, and the only one of its kind in Pokhara -  to have the first comprehensive spa in all of Nepal, if not South Asia. Henceforth the  new name of the property shall be The Fulbari Resort & Spa.

Spa will add new attraction to the Fulbari Resort.

Spa Fulbari will be a handsome and complementary addition to the invigorating and rejuvenating health farm that already exists at The Fulbari Resort.

Spa Fulbari will be managed by Abacus Design of Thailand whose executives signed the management contract with The Fulbari Limited during the first week of April 2000.

Founded in 1976, Abacus Design is today recognized as a leading Thai design company, specialising in superior hotels, resorts and restaurants.

Spa Fulbari will be completed by September 2000, and its supervising Executive Director will be Kornchanok Kavayapanik, a proven expert in spa development and management along the Swiss and Bali traditions, which are currently in vogue.

Spa Fulbari and Abacus Design will operate on equal-profit-sharing basis, according to Prarob Mokaves, advisor to The Fulbari Limited.

Spa Fulbari’s exotic ingredient will be its water. The fresh water is drawn from The Fulbari Resort’s subterranean sources at the Green Canyon above the Seti Gorge in Pokhara. The Fulbari Resort was the first in Pokhara to tap fresh ground water at the depth of 250 meters underground. This unique ground water will form the basis of the pampered luxury treatment.

Attack on Tiger Mountain resort sends alarm bell ringing

By A Staff Reporter

Tourism entrepreneurs in Pokhara have denied that those who were involved in the robbery at the Tiger Mountain Lodge in Pokhara are the Maoists.

“They could be robbers or other criminal elements,” they say. The police have not yet arrested anyone in relation to the robbery.

According to a RSS report, several dozens of armed persons had barged in the hotel at about 10 P.M. last Wednesday and made away with Rs. 300,000 in cash, one computer, one printer, two cameras and a binocular.

The cash was kept for the salary of the hotel staff.

The hotel lies at an isolated spot about 6 kilometres north of the Prithvi Raj Marg at Kandani Danda and has 20 rooms.

But whoever might be involved in the robbery, the modus operandi was similar to that of the Maoist. They came in a sizeable number and shouted Maoist slogans as they looted the resort. Tourism entrepreneurs were shocked by this attack on one of their properties.

A source in Pokhara said the ‘robbers’ had warned the hotel that they were coming for not giving the ‘donation’ money.

If it is the job of the Maoists, this is the first time, the Maoist have targeted the tourism sector, the country’s principle foreign currency earner.

Despite the country reeling from the Maoist’s insurgency movement, the country’s tourism sector has, so far,  remained largely intact from this menace. However, many are also surprised by the indifferent attitude opted for by the members of the tourism industry.

But like pointed out by another expert in the field, the recent incident could send a wrong and panicky signal about the tourism industry. This should also be avoided, he rightly said.