Helicopter Tour to Base Camp at Mount Everest from Kathmandu

On March 28, 2023March 28, 2023 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Nepal5 Comments

One of the tours that we planned for our visit to Kathmandu was taking a helicopter tour up to the Mount Everest base camp. It was, without a doubt, not only a highlight of the trip to Nepal, but one of the most fascinating experiences that we’ve ever had the privilege to enjoy. Just the time in the helicopter as you travel from Kathmandu over the foothills and then rising ever higher into the Himalayan mountains was a spectacular experience. Then when the helicopter landed and we were able to stand on a peak overlooking base camp at a dizzying altitude of 17,500 feet and look up at the summit of Mount Everest, it was absolutely breathtaking.

Dona with Mount Everest in the Background

Flying to Base Camp

The total tour takes around 4 hours as you fly from Kathmandu to the tiny Lukla Airport where many other helicopters would also land, provisions would be taken to the various hiking camps, and we even saw one plane make the harrowing take-off from the very short runway. After a 10 minute wait at Lukla, we then continued on to the valley at Pheriche, where our group of 5 was split with 2 people continuing on to the Kalapatthar while we enjoyed amazing views of all of the surrounding peaks until the helicopter returned to drop off the other 2 people and the 3 of us were flown to the viewing point. We only had about 10 minutes at the overlook site as we hadn’t had time to acclimatize to the altitude and even after a short amount of time, we felt a little light headed as we breathed in the very thin air.

Helicopter Landing at the Base of the Mountains

After we returned to Pheriche to pick up the other 2 passengers, we continued on to the Hotel Everest where we were able to get breakfast and watch all of the hikers as they made their way up from the valley below before continuing to their campsites. We weren’t initially sure if we were going to be able to go on the tour as the high altitude helicopters only fly when the weather is good and the skies aren’t cloudy as they can’t tell when a cloud might be concealing a mountain peak. On the day that we went, the skies were clear and we had amazing views of Mount Everest. As we sat eating breakfast, however, the conditions changed and the clouds came whipping across the peaks and our tour guide quickly escorted us to our helicopter to fly us back to Kathmandu during a slight snow squall.

When we finally arrived back in Kathmandu and returned to our hotel, we had time to sit with a glass of wine and review the photographs and videos that we had taken. As with anything, as amazing as the photographs might be, there is no way to truly explain how it felt to stand there at the base of such an iconic mountain as Mount Everest and all of the other high Himalayan peaks. It will be a memory that we will truly cherish for the rest of our lives and something that we would recommend to anyone who visits Kathmandu. It isn’t an inexpensive venture, but well worth the cost for the incredible experience that it provides.

Another Video Heading to Base Camp

Helicopters Arriving at Lukla

The Amazing Views from the Lounge at the Burg Khalifa in Dubai

On March 21, 2023March 21, 2023 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Dubai1 Comment

During our trip to Nepal last week, we purposely gave ourselves a twenty-four-hour layover in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. It was definitely an interesting way to start our trip and provided a completely different experience than that of Kathmandu, but the highlight was going to the lounge at the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. We purposely chose our visit to coincide with sunset, which only enhanced the experience. We really hadn’t thought about it when we planned our trip, but before it was over we would visit the tallest manmade structure in the world as well as the tallest mountain peak on earth.

Fountain at the Base of Burj Khalifa Where a Performance will Occur After Dark

The lounge at the Burg Khalifa is actually higher than the observation deck and takes up floors 152 through 154. When you purchase a ticket to the lounge, you get a cocktail and some snacks as you enjoy the incredible views of the city of Dubai. It is important to purchase tickets in advance and you must be at the entrance in the Dubai Mall, the largest mall in the middle east, at or before the time of your entrance or your ticket will become invalid. Taking the elevator to the top is not only incredibly fast, but it is amazingly smooth. On one of the floors is an outside terrace where you can get unobstructed views above the glass protective wall.

Sunset with City Views in the Foreground

When the sun started to set, the view was absolutely breathtaking. Sitting on the coast of the Persian Gulf, the sun sets over the water, providing the typical reflections off of the water below. It is said that you can watch the sunset twice at the Burj Khalifa, but once was certainly enough for us during our visit. With a start like this to our trip to Nepal, it was clear that we were in store for one amazing experience after another and that certainly turned out to be the case.

The Beautiful Greenery of the Elevated Acre in Lower Manhattan

On June 16, 2022June 16, 2022 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn New York5 Comments

We spent the past weekend exploring some different parts of Manhattan in New York City. We have visited New York previously and did most of the traditional tourist items like going Rockefeller Plaza, the Top of the Rock, Empire State Building, and seeing a play on Broadway, so this trip we wanted to do some different things. It was quite hot over the weekend, so one thing that we certainly appreciated along with the people who live in New York is taking advantage of whatever green spaces there are in the city. One of the places we went to see was the Elevated Acre, which is located at 55 Water Street.

The Elevated Acre is an outdoor park with flowers, benches, and views of the river, making it a great spot to relax on a summer afternoon. There is also an area of artificial grass where people can rest or play. Part of the appeal is the fact that it is somewhat elevated, which provides for a slight breeze as well as the interesting views. There were several tourists boats out on the river as well as a helicopter pad nearby where we saw a few different helicopters landing and taking off.

We went to a few different parks during our weekend trip, including returning to Central Park for further exploring, but we certainly enjoyed going to the Elevated Acre. We could certainly see it being a place where local businesspeople could go for a relaxing lunch break and almost forget about the fact that they were in the midst of the big city. There was a groundskeeper in the plaza while we were there and clearly, they take good care of the plants and green spaces.