Taking to the skies Paragliding

 Nepal: Paragliding is a popular tourist activity in Nepal. Numerous adventure sports companies in the country organise paragliding flights throughout the year (minus the monsoon season). The Post brings to you five popular establishments that offer paragliding services.

photo: google image

Paragliding in Pokhara

Pokhara is a literal haven for adventure sports. One of the most popular paragliding companies in the city, Paragliding in Pokhara, has its office in the Lakeside area. It was established in 2016 and has a team of eight pilots—led by Kamala Nepali.

The paragliding trip begins in Mandre Dhunga and ends in Pame. People who are interested can pick between two types of paragliding rides. The first is the Normal Flight which lasts for 20 to 25 minutes, and the second is called Cross Country, which lasts for 40 to 50 minutes. The best time to visit Pokhara for paragliding is either during spring or in the autumn season.

Contact: 9851166779

Price: Rs8000 (Normal Flight), Rs16,000 (Cross Country Flight)

Mountain View Paragliding

Mountain View Paragliding, another adventure sport company in Pokhara, was established by Chin Bahadur Baniya and Khum Bahadur Gurung in 2010. A total of six certified pilots work at Mountain View, with Mahesh Thapa as the lead pilot.

They offer two different styles of paragliding: the Cloud Buster Flight, which lasts 20 to 30 minutes, and the Cross Country Flight, which lasts 40 to 60 minutes and covers a larger distance. Additionally, the company captures good photos and videos of their customers, which you can keep as a memento from the experience.

Contact: 9861660372

Price: Rs8000 (Cloud Buster Flight), Rs11,000 (Cross Country Flight)

Dharan Sky Adventure

Dharan Sky Adventure in Bhedetar, Dharan was established in 2015. The founder of the paragliding company, Roshan Adhikari, calls it ‘the first paragliding company in the then Eastern Development Region’. Complying with Nepal Airsports Association’s suggestion, most paragliding companies across Nepal only fly 12 passengers a day. But Dharan Sky Adventure has the capacity to fly 15 passengers per day under the guidance of their three pilots.

Their 30-minute-long flights depart from Bhedetar and land on the grounds of Vijayapur Boarding School. Between August and February, the company advises travellers to try paragliding there.

Contact: 9842289605

Price: Rs7000

Shankarapur Paragliding

Located in the Capital, Shankarapur Paragliding is possibly the company where most tourists visiting Nepal try out the air sport. Started in 2015, the company offers both solo and tandem flights. The Shankarapur Paragliding team—founder Kushal Thapa and four experienced pilots—even give pilot training sessions to amateur paragliders.

Their flights, which last between 20 to 30 minutes, start from Jhyash, Deurali and end 25 kilometres from Tribhuvan International Airport in Patap, Shankharapur.

Air sports enthusiasts can try paragliding here throughout the year, except for the monsoon season.

Contact: 9801016590

Price: Rs5000 for Nepalis and $100 for tourists

Bandipur Paragliding

Bandipur Paragliding was established in 2010 and has a total of six pilots overlooking the flights. The company, founded by Shankhar Parajuli, has been temporarily closed since the lockdown but is reopening this summer. On a day when the sky is all clear, the company can fly up to 20 people.

A flight lasts between 15 and 30 minutes in the sky under Bandipur Paragliding’s packages. They also offer night paragliding flights.

Contact: 9856037822

Price: Rs7,000