The world's second highest bungee jump launched by 'The Cliff' at the mouth of the Kaligandaki river has attracted the attention of tourists from within and outside the country. Dozens of adventure games along with bungee jumping in mountains and river gorges have started to turn unexpected places into tourist destinations.

Adventure sports such as bungee jump and swing are also in operation here. Sports such as sky cycle, sky cheer, sky cafe, rock climbing, ping pong have attracted more youth. 

The Cliff has paid income tax of Rs 48 lakh 83 thousand only in the last financial year. A 1,200 meter long mega trail is also being constructed here. Raju Karki, president of The Cliff, says mega trails like ziplines will further contribute to the promotion of adventure tourism.

At this time, Bungee Jump, the adventure game that is preferred by many people, has also expanded its territory. Bungees have also opened around Pokhara. Small-scale bungee games in Hemja and Dobilla are also acclimatizing the urban youth to adventure sports and travel. But those Bunjis are not as tall as Kaligandaki. Instead, those bungees have given inspiration to come to the gorge of Kaligandaki river as well. According to statistics, 20 percent of foreign tourists come to The Cliff and 80 percent of domestic tourists. Last year alone, 40,000 people bungee jumped here.

"Harness Pvt Ltd" has operated a 1,600 meter long zipline at Khoch in Kaligand. The zipline starts from Kusmabazar in Parbat and goes back to Armadi through Balewa in Baglung. It crosses the Kaligandaki river twice from a height of 225 meters above the water level. There are three types of ziplines to ride here. There are three tiers namely 'Superman', 'Classic' and 'Tandem'.

is the tandem of the duo, while the single is Classic and Superman. "We have invested here with the aim of making Khoch of Kaligandaki an adventure tourist destination," said Sunil Thapa, the main investor, "Recently, the attraction of young people has increased towards adventure destinations."

From religious tourists who come to Muktinath and Baglung Kalika, the young generation has started to make this area a destination now. Youngsters come here by booking tickets online. Harness has made an attractive resort on the banks of Kaligand and arranged accommodation for the adventurers. 100 guests stay here daily.

Apart from that, dozens of small and medium hotels and restaurants have opened on the river bank. Thapa says that some foreigners and many Nepali youth who came to Pokhara like adventure tourism. Local Surya Bahadur Chhetri and Ramchandra Joshi have invested in this campaign of Thapa. "Until now, 300 million has been invested," said Thapa, "I feel that the investment made in adventure tourism will be safe." He claims that The Cliff has already invested 600 million in Kaligandaki Khoch and is preparing to add new adventure games by building more infrastructure. 

Not only bungee jump, zip line, many other adventure tourism activities can be conducted in Kaligandaki Khonch, Thapa has experience. Lately, Harness has also taken permission for rafting in Kaligandaki river. Besides, dozens of rafting packages are running on Kaligandaki river from Galeshwar in Myagdi to Mirmi in Syangja.

Myagdi festival organizers have also organized rafting in Kaligandaki. Rafting, which has been operating legally since 1989 on the initiative of the private sector, is also being operated in rivers such as Kaligandaki, Marsyangdi, Madi, Budhigandaki. According to the Travel Guide 2063 in Nepal, there are currently more than 4 dozen registered and operating agents. They are offering domestic and foreign tourists rafting on the river which does not dry up for twelve months. Kaligandaki and Trishuli are the most preferred rivers for sailing.

Most of the foreign and domestic tourists entering Gandaki province have started liking adventure sports and adventure travel. Annapurna conservation area, Annapurna, Machhapuchhre and Dhaulagiri base camp, rafting in the Kaligandaki river, paragliding in the sky of Pokhara, hunting Naur at the head of Dhorpatan, the attraction of tourists is increasing. 

A visit to Manang and Mustang is an adventure in itself. Apart from that, attractive activities like 'rock climbing', 'hot air' have also increased the number of tourists in Gandaki. "Balloon Festival" was organized under Hot Air in Pokhara last December. It attracted the attention of many tourists. Many people were excited to fly in the sky in a balloon.

Ravin Kadaria, the head of the Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP) says that many tourists who come to Gandaki join some sort of adventure travel event. "It seems that many tourists come here to see the mountains, travel to the base camp and participate in adventure sports like paragliding," he said He narrated.

Kadaria expressed the possibility of extending the stay of tourists by adding the increased adventure tourism around Pokhara to the conservation area. Due to the fact that it is a major destination in the world and many foreign tourists come, the project is under pressure to increase adventure activities within the conservation area. ACAP has given permission for paragliding in Khopredanda in Annapurna Rural Municipality of Myagdi.

'Two more demands are coming, we will study and give permission,' Kadaria said, 'Some areas are also listed as potential for canoeing.' He said that ACAP aims to increase tourists by connecting the private sector to adventure tourism. Although there is canoeing in many waterfalls during rainy season, it is not regular. Kadaria says that as easy as

is to promote adventure tourism, it is risky to operate and manage. "The government has already made a policy to reduce the risks associated with adventure tourism," he said There is a saying. He also said that since the state has managed safety in paragliding, canoeing, bungee, zipline and rafting, businessmen have been attracted.

Established in the year 2044, Dhorpatan Sikar Reserve is another adventure tourism destination. In Nepal's only hunting reserve, after the permission of the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Department, the hunters reach the destinations including Phagune in Dhorpatan by helicopter. Domestic tourists travel by foot and jeep to Dhorpatan, Buki and Jaljala.

Foreign tourists come here every year to hunt naur and jharal by paying revenue to the state. According to the data, revenue of up to 60 million rupees is collected annually in the reserve from domestic tourists who come for the purpose of sightseeing, snow sports, etc.

Mountaineers say climbing a mountain is an adventure worth taking risks. On June 3, 1950, the French team of Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal reached the summit of the Annapurna mountain. How many days did they hike to reach the top of the mountain? Not in anyone's memory. Three years later, on May 29, 1953, the world's highest peak, Mount Everest, was reached.

Nepal's Tenzing Norge Sherpa and New Zealand's Sir Edmund Hillary climbed Mount Everest. Then in 1956 Manaslu mountain was climbed by Toshio Imanisi from Japan and Galten Norbu Sherpa from India, and on May 13, 1960, citizen Ernst Forer climbed Dhaulagiri mountain in Switzerland. 

Mountain climbing is not easy. It is the epitome of adventure tourism. It can be argued that adventure tourism also started from here due to the events that took place before the climbing of these mountains within the Gandaki province. Ram Prasad Upadhyay, professor of Dhaulagiri Multipurpose Campus, says that the locals who have worked on preparing the basecamps leading to the mountains and making footpaths to those places have started preparing for adventure tourism long ago.

'Before the advent of modern adventure travel and tourism, mountain climbing, hunting, horse riding, swimming and hunting of elephants were included in adventure tourism,' he said, 'new technology has created a situation to provide entertainment by paying taxes to the state.'   He said that the beginning of

adventure tourism began with the nomadic style of the Himalayan region. He argues that it was the nomads who did those adventures and helped usher in the current modern style of tourism. He said that there has been a huge investment in adventure tourism lately. He also said that the leaders of adventure tourism are the rural residents who can find potential areas and create footpaths and bring tourists. 

According to Gandaki Province Ministry of Tourism, there are 240,000 foreign tourists in Gandaki Province in 2079/80 alone. "Due to the lack of skilled manpower, the choice of tourists has not been separated, but most of them prefer adventure travel," said Bimal Prasad Gautam, the information officer of the state tourism ministry Regmi also organized a student visit to Annapurna Basecamp during Dasain Tihar. Many schools, campuses and other youth groups who have Chitwan, Lumbini and Kathmandu on their tour list are now embarking on mountain basecamps, adventure sports and treks.