Kathmandu, Nepal
Perched high in the Himalayas on the roof of the world, Nepal has long been regarded as a mysterious country steeped in history and legend. For many years it remained cut off from the rest of the world adding to its attraction for many would-be visitors. It has even been suggested that Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley was the inspiration for the fictional mountain paradise “Shangri-La” in James Hilton’s 1933 novel, Lost Horizon. Today most people know Kathmandu as the capital city of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal but the name also refers to the large area set within a bowl-shaped valley.
