News Annapurna area: Efforts to discourage illegal trekking agents RNA to to operate flights to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore Qatar Airways: Kathmandu-Kuala Lumpur flights Kathmandu: Tribhuvan International Airport introduces effective services Dolakha: Travellers robbed along Lamosangu-Jiri road Sankhuwasawa: Maoists demanded "donations"

The spring season is considered appropriate for trekking to the Annapurna Base Camp, Pun Hill, Jomsom and other trekking routes in the Annapurna Circuit. Consoled by the recent declaration of truce between the government and the Maoists, and fascinated by the onset of spring season, the number of Visitor coming to Pokhara has increased, most of whom would go on trekking.

Trekking Agents Association of Nepal (TAAN) Pokhara and Union of Trekking Travel Rafting Labourers want to discourage the unauthorised trekking agents serving in the Annapurna area. In order to curb the self-appointed trekking agents serving in the Annapurna area, these two trekking bodies have started a week-long sudden inspection check at three major points en route the Annapurna area from Pokhara, namely Gaunda Fedi, Bire Thanti and Pokhara Bus Park. The inspection teams will check whether a trekking group is accompanied by an unauthorised trekking agent or not. About 60 per cent of the trekkers going to Annapurna area from Pokhara are served by unauthorised agents. Generally, the hotels arrange such unauthorised trekking agents to its clients.

"The unauthorised trekking agents are not trained and hence less competent. It is impossible for the trekkers to receive quality service and proper guidance from such agents. On the other hand, their wages are not fixed and they do not get health insurance facilities. If they are not clever enough, it is possible that they are cheated on their pay," TAAN officials stated. To be an authorised trekking agent, one has to obtain licence from TAAN.

Royal Nepal Airlines (RNA) will for the first time begin flights to Kuala Lumpur from Kathmandu and resume suspended flights to Singapore sometime in March.
The flights are depending on aircraft availability as one of two Boeings in the RNA fleet is going for a routine but mandatory maintenance check. The duration of Kathmandu-Singapore flight is two and half-hours, and the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur flight is a little more than an hour.

Following the success of Qatar Airways' flights between Doha and Kathmandu, Qatar Airways (QA) is planning to link the Nepali capital to the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur from coming April with its daily flights. The Airways annually brings around 90,000 tourists from Europe and Far East countries through Doha. The Airways is also carrying around 35,000 Nepali passengers annually.

Qatar Airways began flying to Kathmandu in 1996 with one flight per week. But it expanded its fleet to 11 flights a week since last October. Baker also said that they are looking for government's approval for increasing the number of flights to two per daily. The Airways has connection with 38 destinations around the world.
Established in 1994, QA is one of the fastest growing airlines in the past five years, with an annual expansion of 55 per cent in passenger inflows. The Airways has a total of 18 airliners in its fleet and is planning to increase it with 17 additional aircraft by next year.

Kathmandu: Tribhuvan International Airport introduces effective services Tribhuvan International Airport has decided to systematise the collection of immigration fees, thereby avoiding the unnecessary hassle that a large number of tourists face. Prior to this, incoming foreigners used to queue up in three different lines for the enquiry of amount, paying the amount and finally to receive visa. Tourists now are not required to queue up for long hours to pay immigration fees. Earlier, tourists had to line up thrice and had to go through long procedures before making the final payment for visas. Now tourists can pay their fees by queuing up at a single window.

Dolakha: Travellers robbed along Lamosangu-Jiri road

Tourists and general travellers visiting Dolakha complain of being robbed at various sections of the Lamosangu-Jiri road along the Araniko Highway by groups of people claiming to be Maoists. Victims have reported that groups of youth, waiting along the roadside, forcibly stop vehicles and threaten the passengers into 'donating' money claiming that they are Maoists. Most of these incidents have occurred at Bhudey, Kharidhunga, and Halhale of the Lamosangu-Jiri road. Since the Maoists started collecting 'donations' through threats and intimidation, now even village children and youth are doing this money extortion business on the pretext of being Maoists.

Travellers reported that the youth did not let them go until they gave them 2000 rupees. Till now, however, no foreigners have been subjected to this new form of extortion. It is suspected that persons with criminal records and living in villages near the road are involved in the roadside extortions.

Makalu area: Tourists robbed by suspected Maoists Tourists who were trekking up to Makalu Valley from Tumlingtar towards the Mt. Makalu base camp reported that they had been robbed by members of the Maoist party. The Maoists understood most English and one of them spoke French as well. Out of the four one had a pistol, one was in army combat pants and the rest were mostly in casual dress. The Maoist asked for a "donation". The memebers of the foreing trekking group paid Rs. 4,000 each as per their "rate" for trekkers. Climbers were to pay more, may be Rs. 5000 or Rs. 6000. The Maoists also offered a helicopter ride for Rs. 7000 from Sheduwa to Makalu base cam

Kathmandu Valley: Security stepped up

Security in the Kathmandu valley has been stepped up following information received by the police that the Maoist rebels had instructed their comrades to carry out blasts in key locations and also spread a wave of terror. Security personnel were busy interrogating taxi drivers and private motorists to check possible assaults from the Maoists. The security wing was kept on high alert after the police discovered documents consisting the details of the attacks to be carried out in the valley from a suspected Maoist who was arrested last week.