Have you ever wanted to climb Everest or see what the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro looks like? Well, Google street view is now offering that chance!

Whether you are planning your next big adventure and want to see what you might be in for or you are just curious what a trek up one of these mountains might look like, you can now do these treks from the comfort of your living room.

Google maps has now imaged 4 of the Seven Summits (these are the highest mountain on each of the 7 continents) meaning that you can walk in the footsteps of legendary explorers without having to stand up. Now this is pretty incredible, but if you are anything like the Encounters Team, these images will only whet your appetite for adventure and you may want to experience these treks in person.

Encounters Travel can take you to two of these mountains on one of our group guided tours.

If you’d like to summit Kilimanjaro, the dormant volcano lying only 3 degrees from the equator but covered in a snowy peak, you can try the Classic Kilimanjaro 8 day Trek

Or if you really want to make your way to the top of the world, try our Everest Base Camp 18 day trek.

Check out these incredible pictures on Google Street View and then call us to book it to see it in real life!

When I think about Nepal, the first thing that springs to mind is the image of a snow covered Everest shooting into the sky with strings of multicoloured prayer flags flapping in the crisp wind. Even though Everest is an iconic part of Nepal, the country has more to offer adventurous travellers than I had ever imagined.

From the majestic mountains of Annapurna to the exotic wildlife of the national parks. The activities are endless, from white water rafting in icy mountain rivers to trekking up to Everest Base Camp, there are wildlife safaris and rowing  on the lake in the picturesque town of Pokhara. All of these are experienced with the beautiful backdrop of the Himalayas!

The variety of wildlife in Nepal is astounding and to me was surprising. On a wildlife safari in Chitwan National Park you may see tigers, rhinos, elephants, sloth bears to name a few. The park covers almost 1000 square kilometres and is home to over 43 species of mammal, 45 species of reptile and amphibian and an incredible 450 bird species!

You can explore the culture and religion of Kathmandu, visit temples, go mountain biking or walk in the footsteps of Sir Edmund Hillary on your way to Everest base camp. Nepal has endless opportunities for visitors which are as varied as it’s climate,  from the steamy flats on the border of India to the whitecaps of the ‘Abode of Snows’ (Himalaya in Sanskrit)  Nepal will blow you away and will make you want to revisit over and over.

Encounters Travel offer 3 different itineraries for Nepal and cover both the Himalayas and the national parks. The First is an 11 day itinerary called Nepal Exposed, that gives you a taste of its beautiful mountain scenery, ancient cultures and religions, lush wildlife parks, remote hilltop villages, and includes time to relax in the lakeside town of Pokhara.

The next one is a 15 day  trip, Classic Nepal. This combination tour gives you a taste of everything this beautiful Himalayan country has to offer, including sightseeing in the Kathmandu valley, a taste of white-water rafting, wildlife safaris, and a short trek to Poon Hill.

And lastly, the 18 day Everest Base Camp trek. This trek gives you a once in a lifetime chance to get right up close to Everest. It is a tough trek that needs some preparation, but immensely rewarding. We pace the itinerary sensibly with acclimatisation days en-route, and time in the Kathmandu Valley at either end of the trek.

Kathmandu Pashupatinath Temple - Nepal

Landlocked 2,000-year-old Nepal is totally surrounded by China and India. About 50 million years ago, slow-moving tectonic plates first crashed together, and the Himalayas began to grow as high as mountains.

Today, tectonic plates still push hard, and the Himalayas continue to grow 1 cm taller a year; that’s 10 km-per-million years!  Near to Nepal are 8 of the world’s 10 tallest mountains — including the highest, Mount Everest.

Kathmandu and its two neighbouring cities, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur, have grown in a bowl-shaped hollow in the Himalayan Valley. Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, is incredible. You know that you’ve reached somewhere really special as you walk through its crowded streets of traffic, rickshaws, street vendors and busy Nepalese.

Hinduism is practised by a larger majority in Nepal than in any other nation. However, Buddhism has a far greater background history in Nepal. Surprisingly, many Nepalese don’t really distinguish between Hinduism and Buddhism — they follow both.

An ultimate destination since the 1960s, Kathmandu feels like it’s rushing into the modern world, while it’s not quite ready to escape its past. The busy streets have internet cafés and fast-food outlets, but if you go off-track and head for the back lanes, you’ll find peaceful courtyards and temples among golden marigold bushes.

Walk into Durbar Square (Hanuman Dhoka); a beautiful complex of palaces and temples that were built by the Malla Kings between the 12th and 18th centuries. This is the religious and social centre of Kathmandu. Here, enjoy visiting the Taleju Temple, the statue of King Pratap Malla, the Big Bell and Big Drum, and the Jagnnath Temple.

The Monkey Temple (Swayambhunath Stupa) is one of Nepal’s best-known Buddhist shrines. Monkeys watch and dart around their golden spire — all are thought of as holy.

Another amazing place to visit is the Balaju Water Garden, 5 km northwest of Kathmandu. Here are beautiful religious shrines, fishponds and waterspouts carved in the shape of sea-dragons.

Kathmandu is an ideal destination for the energetic trekker. If Mount Everest seems too tall an order, the region is full of relaxing, easy treks that lead you from one peaceful village to another. Walk beside river paths and through rice terraces — all guarded by the snow-topped Himalayas. It’s a region of old and new, where Kathmandu has so much to offer the adventurous traveller.

We are offering a 15% discounts off all Nepal tours for passengers departing from 01 December 2011 to 29 February 2012 and again from 01 May 2012 to 31 August 2012. Take a look here http://www.encounterstravel.com/specialoffers.php