Forbes: Everest 1 of top 10 stunning destinations

Mt Everest, the highest peak in the world, has been enlisted as one of the top ten stunning travel destinations around the world by Forbes, an American publishing and media company.

Part of the Mahalangur Himal—a link in the Himalayan range—Everest, soaring to 26,035 feet, is the highest mountain on earth.

“Mt Everest is perhaps nature’s most magnificent creation—certainly it is the raison d’etre [reason for existence] in the climbing world,” Beth Greenfield of the Forbes magazine has quoted a travel planner.

“The Tibetan word for Everest is Chomolungma, which means ‘Mother of the Universe,’ and the Nepali name Sagarmatha means ‘Goddess of the Sky.’ Both are perfectly fitting, as there is no other mountain as grand as Everest,” Greenfield has quoted Peter Friedman, a trip expert.

 According to government statistics, over 3,000 climbers have scaled Everest since it was first climbed by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Sherpa in 1953. Annually, over 32,000 tourists visit the Everest region, for trekking and expedition. Particularly, the Khumbu or Everest region has two tourist seasons—March-April-May in spring and September-October-November in autumn. The region receives highest mountaineers and trekkers in spring.

The royalty to climb Everest in spring ranges from US$ 15,000 to US$ 70,000 per expedition depending on the number of members (maximum seven) and the route. For an expedition that may have a maximum of 15 members, a fee of US$ 10,000 per person is charged. 

According to the Forbes report, other stunning destinations on the planet include-Tuscany, Italy;Petra, Jordan; Torres del Paine National Park, Chile; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Midway Island and Fire Island, US; Bordeaux, France; Plain of Temples, Myanmar and Okavango Delta, Botswana.

source: The Himalayan Times, 27 March 2012