Khotang : Preparations are going on in full swing to launch the Mundhum Trail Visit Year 2025 on coming New Year’s Day, January 1.  

The tourism-oriented campaign aims to attract at least 100,000 tourists within 2025 whilst promoting the newly explored trail that lies in Bhojpur and its adjacent districts such as Khotang, Solukhumbu and Sankhuwasabha.     

The campaign is spearheaded by the Maiyung-Temke-Salpa-Silingchung Tourism Promotion Centre.     

The trail as dubbed by Centre’s President Ramesh Rai as a ‘virgin destination’ for tourists is an off-beat road. It offers a view of a wide range of mountains such as the highest mountain in the world- Sagarmatha- and other towering peaks including the Kanchenjunga.     

President Rai shared that they were installing and increasing facilities such as drinking water, resting places, toilets and accommodation (homestay and guest houses) along the trail to facilitate the visitors.

Moreover, other activities such as honey hunting, Ubhauli Sakela and other cultural festivities will be organized during 2025 in different places along the route, informed Rai.     

Horse-riding, film-shooting, ultra-marathon, mountain cycling, Nachhong (Dhami) festival, Rudrakshya festival and Chakchakur festival are on the to-do list.     

The 10-km-long route is one among the 100 new destinations explored by the government of Nepal. It is expected to aid in the tourism promotion of Khotang and Bhojpur, viewed Ram Kumar Rai, a parliamentarian elected from Khotang.     

The local government has chipped in 30 per cent, while the provincial government has 35 per cent and the Swiss government has 35 per cent investment to upgrade the trail.     

The trail starts from Tawabhangyanj bordering Khotang and Bhojpur and goes upward through various places like Temkedanda (at 3,156 metres), Salpapokhari (at 3,750 metres) and concludes at Silingchung at 4,165 metres above the sea level.     

It takes around 10 days for Nepalis on average to cross the trail while foreigners could take up to 13 days to finish trekking.     

It is said that one of the routes in this hiking was used by the first Everest summiteers Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Edmund Hillary during their Everest expedition in 1953.