Kanhenjunga Region Trekking

Best known for its tea, rhododendrons, good fighters, and the massive bulk of Kanchenjunga that looms over it, east Nepal is rather different from the rest of the country. It is in general more prosperous, fresher, cleaner and greener than the west of the country. In the shadow of the world's third-largest mountain lives a typically Nepali mix of people - Chhetri, Bahun, Gurung, Newar, Sherpa; there are all ethnicities here, but the indigenous Rai and Limbu people have distinct ways, clothing, appearance, language, food and drink. In the higher reaches of the Kanchenjunga region, like in all high-altitude settlements in Nepal, the prevailing culture is heavily Tibetan-influenced, and usually Buddhist. A trek around this enormous mountain is a chance to experience a wide range of people, flora, and fauna. One of the least visited of all major mountain areas of Nepal, the Kanchenjunga region offers an interesting comparison between low- and midland and the highland. The Limbu and Rai villages below the snow line are fascinating. Men from these communities have been one of the four ethnic groups recruited into the British and Indian armies. Many people believe that the exposure and cosmopolitanism this resulted in, combined with the proximity of east Nepal to the Indian educational centres of Darjeeling and Kalimpong, accounts for the progress, development and prosperity here. Limbus have special ways of weaving, distinctive jewellery, shamans, and a wonderful drink called tongba - fermented millet doused in hot water served in a covered metal container and sipped through an iron straw. Keep refilling you glass with hot water, and the fifth infusion will probably be the most potent.