Recently I had a long break off from work. It was incredible as I got to travel and explore more corners of the world.

I had an amazing 3 weeks in Nepal for starters. One of the highlights of the trip was experiencing parahawking.

You basically run off a cliff (after a few deep breaths!) and swoop high in the sky along side Egyptian vultures.

It’s paragliding with a twist! Nepal is the only country in the world that you can actually do it. When I heard about this I booked it immediately in Pokhara.

In 2001, it started as a way to promote vulture conservation in Nepal. These birds are not treated fairly there, and so what better way than to have them nurtured and trained, while giving people the chance to fly in the sky amongst them, making us more aware of these issues at the same time.

The vultures are trained to fly with us, guiding us through the thermals.

I was given a little bag of buffalo meat to wear around my front, and instructed to put a piece of the meat in my hand, reaching it out every time my instructor blew his whistle. I had to make sure to hide the meat in between these moments otherwise the birds would spot it even from a far distance.

As soon as I outstretched my arm, within seconds the vulture would swoop down on my hand and take his treat before soaring high in to the distance again.

We glided elegantly through the sky, surrounded by the stunning Himalayan mountains as these majestic birds flew down to us many times throughout the flight. This was without a doubt one of the most unique and thrilling things I’ve ever done.

I highly recommend experiencing this if you’re in Pokhara, Nepal. It’s worth taking the trip there just to do it!

I’ll be writing a post soon on the top things to do in Nepal (of course including this) as well as hikes and other activities to do around this beautiful country. Stay tuned!

Info from the Parahawking Project website:
watson 853
Where: Maya Devi Village, Lakeside, Pokhara, Nepal
When: From Mid October through to early April
Available to: Anyone (Age and weight restrictions may apply)
Price: £130 GBP (online price)

Book here.