Having visited the beautifully charming, chaotic, captivating country of Nepal about a dozen times over the past thirteen years, there are so many aspects of its people, landscapes and culture, that I find compelling and that continue to draw me back there. Having been born and lived all my life in the “flattest continent” on earth, Australia, despite the striking beauty of her many rich and diverse seas, coastal regions, rainforests, deserts and low altitude mountains, I am particularly drawn to the landscapes born of the Himalayan giants that traverse Nepal’s culturally rich, biologically and geographically varied territory and her diverse, warm and welcoming people.
Here in Australia, one occasionally sees a sign at the start of “bush walking” tracks that states: “Take nothing but photos. Leave nothing but foot prints.” This message encapsulates the concept of “minimal impact” journeying of any kind, whether we are exploring places of natural beauty close to our home, far away from home abroad, or, in this case, soaking up the beauty of majestic, mountainous Nepal, exploring its rivers, or its wildlife and forests in the warmer, flatter Terai region in the south of the country.
When we suddenly encounter beautiful kingfishers in forest trees near rivers or white rhinos bathing in the morning sun, or clever, confident monkeys in the trees or scuttling across temple roofs during our travels throughout Nepal, our hearts soar at being in the presence of such exotic wildlife, so we often try to capture that rare moment of close encounter with the animals or the stunning mountain scenery by reverentially snapping a photo with great excitement and glee. At all times even in our moment of ecstasy when we actually come to view the magnificent landscapes, spot some wildlife or take part in cultural events that we had dreamt we might experience during our travels in Nepal, the presence of us as visitors also literally always “comes into the picture”, even while we ourselves are behind the lens, our mere presence creating an impact on the country in varying respects, both ecologically and culturally.
Showing respect for the people, landscapes, vegetation and wildlife that we encounter is the least we can do to express our appreciation of the opportunity to witness uniquely beautiful moments of life occurring in the natural world or in the local communities we encounter during our treks and trips through beautiful, diverse Nepal. We need to be equally respectful of the many culturally significant buildings crafted by human hands, created often also as a result of spiritual beliefs that perhaps differ from ours, that our walks or drives reveal to us during our travels within Nepal, just as we should be to the ubiquitous beauty of her landscapes.
Religion forms the core of the lives of most Nepalis, be they Buddhist or Hindu. These religions may involve rituals and festivals differing from our own. We need to aim to be respectful of the religious or cultural practices that may be quite foreign to us. I have found most Nepali people that I have met to be very friendly and hospitable to those they view as “guests” in their village, area, town or city. We need to respond with warmth to requests for photos from them or to invitations to attend family celebrations or rituals, even if we cannot or do not wish to attend.
As a visitor, we need to aim always to tread literally as “lightly” as possible in every sense. At the physical level, we need to stay as much as possible on the existing formed paths or tracks wherever possible so as not to contribute to soil erosion, especially on steep inclines. We need to ensure we take any rubbish remaining from meals or snacks consumed while we are on our treks, shorter walks or drives and are kept with us until we are able to dispose of it in a serviced waste receptacle, even if that means that waste needs to be carried for a considerable distance before it can be disposed of appropriately where it cannot fly away or decompose somewhere causing potential health issues to the local people. We must walk without littering the natural world we wish to enjoy, to leave it in a state for others to enjoy the views and the surroundings in the same way. It’s a good idea to keep a separate bag or container in your backpack for your food wrappings and waste until you can dispose of it all appropriately in a designated waste bin elsewhere.
We need to show respect for all animals, birds, fish, insects that come into our presence on our journeys. Our contribution to retaining the pristine beauty of the beautiful landscapes we visit and explore is essential also for preserving the natural ecology of the area so that life in all forms continues and future generations of both local residents and also travelers are able to enjoy the same natural and cultural riches of Nepal that inspire us, far on into the future.
It is not only its striking mountainous topography and natural beauty that attract so many visitors to Nepal. The Nepalese population is comprised of diverse communities of people who are generally most friendly and welcoming. This having being said, we still however, cannot merely assume that local people are willing to form a part of our essential travel memories or souvenirs, as we can with the botanic world, and also less so with the animal world, as non-human creatures often experience the fight or flight response when encountering especially unfamiliar humans in their territory. While holiday makers and travelers may help to enrich local micro economies with their spending on food and accommodation, the assault on the local ecosystems, both plant and animal, can be devastating if untrammeled. Respect for the natural topography, the local plant and animal life and also particularly for the dignity of the human residents of the area, needs to be shown by us as visitors at all times.
Often we are attracted to visit and explore certain locations because of the untainted natural beauty of the landscapes, the vegetation, the colourful communities and the wild life endemic to those areas. Only by “treading lightly” through such country can both the pristine natural beauty of these areas and the sense of dignity of the local people be retained. This means following marked pathways, tracks or roads if they are present, taking any rubbish from meals consumed on walks or drives back with us to be disposed of in a proper rubbish collection facility when we eventually find one, and also not harassing the local people going about their daily lives, whom we encounter along the way.
It is of the upmost importance that we need to humanely respect the environment, the culture and customs of local people whom we encounter on our treks and travels through the diverse landscapes of Nepal. Some people in certain communities have no problem with travellers or tourists taking their photo, but not everyone feels that way. It’s always wise before pointing and shooting, to indicate either by words or gestures and smiles your intention to take a photo of people to check that the persons involved agree to that. If they indicate that they don’t desire to be photographed, smile and show your understanding and respect for their wishes by putting your camera or phone away until you are no longer in their presence. As human beings, none of us like to be objectified by strangers and turned into pictorial souvenirs without us indicating our consent first. At all times, we need to be mindful of this.
Exploring and discovering beautiful landscapes, colourful villages and the lives, cultural practices and customs of the local residents all form an essential part of the joy of travel and the discovery of new places or the return to much loved, familiar areas. If we treat each path that we tread as we would treat our own living room at home, we can’t go too wrong. If we respond to the local people we encounter with friendly respect and are responsive to their wish to communicate with us or their wish for privacy, not attempting to impose our will on theirs, we are treating them in the same way we would wish to be treated. If we tread lightly, gently forming our footprints, respectful of the landscapes, the forests, grasslands, deserts, sands, waterways, the fish, the birds, the tigers, the monkeys, yaks, cows, horses, rhinos and elephants and also the villages that we encounter during our roamings, we return to our homeland all the richer in our hearts and minds for the experience and hopefully leave in our wake mere footprints that the winds and rains and the gentle footfall of others coming after us, will also eventually erase.
Julia Ruhl
Sydney, Australia