Is one of the most beautiful places on earth getting too dicey for travelers?
A few weeks ago I was interviewed by an Italian travel magazine on where to find the best international travel bargains. In an interesting juxtoposition of questions, they asked me what my favorite country was that I had been to and then asked if any country featured in my book was now maybe too dangerous for travelers. The answer to both questions was “Nepal.”
For years, I’ve been telling people it was one of my favorite places in the world. Despite the troubles they’ve had, I would still go there tomorrow and I would still do the wonderful three week trek on the Annapurna circuit. After all, problems in a country always sound worse on the news than they are on the ground, especially compared to the situation outside your own front door. Lately though, the situation has crossed the line from “be careful” to “maybe think about going somewhere else.”
In the past, the Maoist rebels created a lot of trouble for the government and killed plenty of people in the name of communism. (What decade are these people stuck in?) Never mind that Mao’s policies have been denounced even by the Chinese and communism in its Maoist form only still exists in North Korea and Cuba–two countries that have seen their output and wealth collapse after Russia stopped propping them up.
While the attacks in the past were often bloody and dramatic (whole police stations wiped out, assassinations in the royal palace), tourists and foreign workers were generally left alone–apart from the occasional forced “donation” on a hiking trail. While as many as 10,000 people have reportedly died over the past eight years, foreigners have generally been sideline observers.
In recent months, however, things have gotten uglier.
– The restaurant at Pokhara’s Fishtail Lodge was bombed this past May. Nobody was hurt, but this is a popular hotel for tourists (I spent a night there and ate at that restaurant…)
– Last week, a bomb exploded on the grounds of the Soaltee Crowne Plaza hotel in Kathmandu (Hmmm, I’ve been there too…)
– Security on flights between India and Nepal has been stepped up after intelligence indicated that the Maoist terrorists were planning to hijack a plane. (Umm, and I’ve been on those flights…)
– Nepal has requested anti-mine trucks from India after reports that the rebels were planning to mine major roadways. (And I’ve ridden buses on those roads…)
– The Maoists have announced a general strike during the start of the important five-day Kumari religious festival at the end of September. The strike is designed to force business to grind to a halt during one of the most important tourist events of the year. Like most of the group’s actions, it would make the poorest people in a poor country even poorer.
There is hope, however. The residents of Nepal, especially in the capital, are fed up with the violence. Thousands turned out for a recent peace rally. A few days later, 10,000 or more marched to protest the country’s monarchy and demand a peaceful restoration of an elected parliament.
So far, the Maoists seem to be targeting tourist businesses to get into the news, not to actually kill foreigners. It’s a fine line, however, and since the group knows it is scaring away tourists, and therefore most of the country’s income, they are obviously not too concerned about the health and well-being of anyone.
I’m not saying don’t go, but as we enter into the prime trekking season of the year, keep your eyes on the news and watch the Thorn Tree message board on Lonely Planet’s site for updates from people on the ground there.
