12 best places never heard
Kathmandu: The Cable News Network (CNN) has enlisted Namje, a village in eastern Nepal, in the ‘12 best places you’ve never heard of’.
Namje village is along a series of footpaths with views of Mount Makalu, the world’s fifth-tallest peak.
The CNN stated in its comment: Recommended by Stephanie Odegard, founder and president of Odegard Inc. Works with craftsmen to create a line of hand-knotted carpets that preserve native handicraft traditions
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There are No roads to Namje. The only way to get to the Nepalese village is along a series of footpaths with views of Mount Makalu, the world’s fifth-tallest peak. Not that getting to those footpaths is easy; you’ll have to wrangle a flight from Kathmandu to the town of Biratnagar, which is itself an hour’s drive from the trailhead.Buddha Air offers daily flights from Kathmandu to Biratnagar, the closest access point to Namje (one-way $125).It’s no surprise that the place only sees a handful of outsiders a year.
Stephanie Odegard came upon it while she was searching for local women to harvest fiber for her rug company. “After my trip to Namje,” she says, “I felt like I’d never been farther away from home.”Namje’s isolation has been its saving grace. “The native Magar people live very close to nature, and there’s an incredible amount of spiritual activity,” Odegard says.
You can climb to the top of Thumki Hill and visit the sacred burial ground where the villagers, who still practice animism, worship their ancestors. Odegard suggests staying at the Hotel Himalaya and trekking the footpaths between villages to catch the stunning sunrises and sunsets (kblimbu@ntc.net.np, doubles $8).
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ILES DE LA MADELEINE, SENEGAL
(Source: CNN)
