Palpa was once a kingdom in its own right and only became unified with the rest of Nepal in the 19th Century. This is an area of outstandingly beautiful countryside, with a variety of agriculture supporting the population. Rice, maize, buckwheat, animal husbandry and forestry all are evident in and around the green hills which are extensively terraced.

Situated south west of Kathmandu it is easily accessed from there by road or air, or from India through Sunauli which lies close to Lumbini the birth place of Siddhartha Gautama or Buddha. Using Palpa as a base, or a destination in itself, is a perfect way to experience a new unspoiled culture  or to access any of the major trekking routes in Nepal.

   

                                                   Aricultural scene

                                                          

                                                                                                                                          Dawn over the Himalayas                                                                   

                              Aarkhala village

 

 

                                      

Tansen                                                                             

Tansen is the district town of Palpa, it is a famous hill town situated at an altitude of 1350m with Srinagar hill behind rising to 1492m. An excursion from the town up this hill rewards one with magnificent views of the Himalayan range ( Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Machhapuchhare) and of the beautiful Palpa countryside. There are many temples to see here, market stalls catering for residents, handcrafts to buy include dhaka cloth, used to make men's traditional topis (hats) shawls, scarves and blouses, also metalware items. Architecturally Tansen echos much of the Newar traditional skills in brick work and beautiful wooden carved windows. Newari people originally came from the Kathmandu valley and still celebrate their own festivals here.