Laura Grier, ContributorWanderluster, Destination Photographer, Photo Anthropologist, Travel Writer, and Adventure Seeker Nepal for All! 03/27/2017 02:58 am ET &nbsp; What you didn’t know about this tiny landlocked kingdom in the Himalayas Most people when they think about Nepal, they just think of it as home to the majestic towering peak of Mount Everest, the tallest point on Earth at 29,029 feet a place where usually only jetliners roam, not humans. But there is so much more to this tiny country wedged between India and China and surprisingly enough it has maintained it’s own unique culture and vibe. There is so much more to Nepal than the Himalayas that dominate the skyline. From sacred temples and cows, to Buddhist monks, endangered animal sanctuaries, and paragliding and adrenaline activities, Nepal will surprise and captivate you. There is definitely something for everyone and who knows, you may even come across a rare Yeti sighting! So to celebrate the Nepalese idiosyncracies, I wanted to share some fun facts about Nepal while uncovering the secretly awesome things to do while traveling there. In only 10 days, you can really dive in and get a taste of what this country has to offer, but you will definitely be left wanting more. Right now it is actually the year 2073 in Nepal according to their calendar.&nbsp;April 13th is when they celebrate their New Year’s Eve! I actually discovered this while eating a traditional Nepalese dinner at Krishnarpan, the Nepalese specialty restaurant inside of&nbsp;Dwarika’s luxury boutique hotel&nbsp;in Kathmandu. We were sitting on pillows on the floor along long wooden tables and we were brought customized menus that not only had our names printed on them, but the date, which the year read 2073. To spend an evening at Krishnarpan is to take a culinary journey through the fascinating terrains and cuisines of Nepal. Serving the finest Nepali food, expect a slow dining experience reminiscent of the ritual feasts enjoyed by the Newari people, because meals range from six to twenty two courses! Next to you is a small saucer where they skillfully pour endless sake from a kettle 4 feet above the table without spilling a drop, leaving you drunk, full, and happy after a 3-4 hour dining experience. As if the year wasn’t trippy enough, the Nepali time zone is 45 minutes off of the Coordinated Universal Time. The time in Nepal is based off of Mt Everest, and not the time zone lines, so trying to call home you will always be off by 15 minutes to the hour. Mount Everest actually has two other names, Sagarmatha and Chomolungma Despite his objections, the Royal Geographical Society named the tallest mountain in the world after Sir George Everest, but the Nepali word for Everest is actually Sagarmatha, meaning “forehead of the sky”. Also, local Sherpas, (who are actually the name of an ethnic group in Eastern Nepal, not just the word for someone who lugs your gear), call it Chomolungma meaning “Goddess Mother of the World”. For those of you that are as fascinated by Mount Everest as I am, but value keeping your fingers, toes and life and don’t have $60,000 and 4 months to kill to actually attempt the grueling trek up to the Everest Summit, don’t fret because you can still get up close and personal to the world’s tallest mountain through various flightseeing flights that leave from Kathmandu on round trip 1-2 hour journeys daily with weather permitting. For only $250 on&nbsp;Yeti Airlines, you can book a seat on a small plane that flies along the Himalayan ridge and points out the other 8 of the 10 world’s tallest mountains that all lie in Nepal. While sipping on champagne, you will get invited into the cockpit for photos and have breathless views of Everest as you fly past, without actually being breathless! If you dig a bit deeper in your wallet, roughly $1200 a person, you can book a private 3.5 hour tour on a helicopter with&nbsp;Shree Air&nbsp;that lands right near basecamp on Everest. You will enjoy aerial views of the Himalayas on your flight, land next to Everest Base Camp, learn about the traditional cultures of the Himalayan tribes, and stop for breakfast at the highest hotel in the world! But beware, at 20,000 feet the second you step out of the helicopter at basecamp altitude you will feel the cold and like someone sucked the breath out of your lungs! Even the act of taking a photo will leave you a little light-headed and feeling like you are 90 years old! They only allow you to be up there without oxygen tanks for about 5 minutes to avoid getting altitude sickness, but the experience will give you a whole new appreciation for the hikers that are up there attempting to summit. It is beyond words how beautiful standing at the top of the world is, even if it’s only for a few minutes. Nepal has had maintained ZERO poaching of their endangered animals; elephants, rhinos, and tigers for over a year According to National Geographic, On World Wildlife Day March 3, Nepal celebrated 365 days with zero poaching. No rhinos, tigers, or elephants were killed. Nepal has become the gold standard for the rest of the world on how to achieve zero poaching. Their secret? For years Nepal has ensured local communities benefit financially from the parks and ecotourism. Those benefits come not only from employment, but also from sharing revenue, such as entrance fees and license fees for tour and lodge companies, with local people. The government actually gives 50 cents of every tourist dollar to local communities, which makes them hold more value for rhinos alive than dead. So just by the act of visiting sanctuaries like Chitwan National Park you are helping to preserve these amazing creatures and you can interact with them through wildlife safaris, and even assist with bathing the elephants in the river. Chitwan National Park in Nepal is one example where elephant rides are a positive force for conservation. Elephant safaris are one of the most popular way to discover these exceptionally rare and gentle species in Chitwan. One of the best paragliding spots in the world is in Pokhara, Nepal Far from the earthquake epicenter, and almost unaffected by the disaster, Pokhara remains a quaint little hippie, lakeside town with spectacular scenery, adventure activities, and accommodation and food choices galore. Whether you’ve returned from a three-week trek or endured a bus trip from hell, Lakeside Pokhara is the perfect place to recharge your batteries. Often called the mirror of the Himalayas, from the lake, and possibly even from your hotel bed, you can on a clear day enjoy the view of the snow-capped mountains perfectly reflected in the lake, just twenty or so kilometers away. You can spend a lazy afternoon paddle boarding or canoeing on the lake to an island temple, hike up to the Peace pagoda, explore nearby bat caves, or even the hidden outdoor lakeside movie theater. It’s the gateway to some of Nepal’s world-famous treks, but what will grab your attention is the constant swooping of dozens of colorful paragliders that fill the skies. <img class="image__src" src="http://img.huffingtonpost.com/..." style="box-sizing: inherit; border-style: