Helicopters transport reluctant passengers across the Nepal border - Photo: Hoang Viet

You said there are only two ways: one, after traveling a short distance, you'll have to get off and wade through a landslide for over two hours; the other, hire two private helicopters to take you directly from the border to Kathmandu.

A dilemma

That same afternoon, the group had to hold a quick meeting. Turning back was impossible because the Tibet Permit (a travel permit required for visiting Tibet) could not be changed, meaning the group was forced to leave Tibet on the ninth day and could not return the way they came.

Continuing on by road wouldn't be a good option either, because with all the bulky luggage (everyone carrying 4-5kg of warm clothes, pants, and scarves to protect against the cold on the Tibetan plateau), carrying everything on foot for 2-3 hours across landslide-prone mountain passes would be impossible.

Nepalese children in Kodari - Photo: Hoang Viet

Everyone decided to go by helicopter even though they didn't know the price, their travel funds were almost depleted, and their VISA cards weren't working here. They asked two French girls sitting next to them in the restaurant and learned that each person would cost around $300, which scared the whole group a little.

Luckily, we managed to contact the Nepalese guide we had contacted earlier. After some back and forth, he agreed to the price of $200 per person, but we still tried to negotiate a little higher, asking him to try to find two more people willing to join us so we could split the cost.

The next morning, feeling anxious, the group lined up one by one to go through customs.

A makeshift airfield on top of Kodari hill - Photo: Contributor

Upon arrival… our guide was nowhere to be seen, and when we called him, the phone was unreachable. Instead, there were dozens of touts waiting, clamoring to offer taxi rides back to Kathmandu. One of them was incredibly eager, even carrying our luggage, claiming to "know" our guide.

Being completely unfamiliar with the area, the whole group absolutely refused to go anywhere, insisting that she call the tour guide herself. After more than a dozen calls, the guide, named Ram, finally answered.

It turned out Ram had to stay at Kathmandu airport to handle the flight procedures, and this guy was actually a tout, but Ram told the whole group to just follow him, and he would take them to the helicopter area without charging a single penny.

After a quick and easy customs check at the immigration "office," and still surprised by the chaotic scene in the border town of Kodari, the group was loaded onto a pickup truck with their luggage unsecured.

The car bounced along a road full of potholes, hurtled up a 45-degree slope, and finally crashed to a halt in a remote mountain village.

Before anyone could understand what was happening and could see no helicopter, their luggage was quickly carried away by villagers. The eight of them scurried after it and found that the luggage had been taken to a primary school on a hilltop.

Taking a photo with the handsome pilot - Photo: Contributor

It turned out that when the road was blocked by landslides, the Nepalese army quickly set up a makeshift airfield right in the elementary schoolyard. Now the whole group breathed a sigh of relief, waiting for the helicopter to pick them up, and taking the opportunity to play and take pictures with the students and locals.

After a morning filled with anxiety, bewilderment, and panic, everyone finally had time to gradually appreciate the beauty of the mountains and forests, the simple and honest people of the border region, and the shy smiles of the Nepalese children with their big, round eyes as they met foreigners for the first time.

An "unwilling" helicopter crossing the border.

Before we could even see the helicopter, we could hear the rumbling of its engine from afar, followed by a tiny dot appearing between two towering cliffs. And yet, in just a few minutes, the helicopter was right in front of us.

The whole group, still excitedly snapping photos with their cameras, had to cover their eyes and run away because the helicopter kicked up a cloud of dust that obscured the entire schoolyard upon landing. Immediately afterward, the first group of us was escorted to the helicopter. The Nepalese "broker" exchanged some words with the pilot and then "arranged" for two more Nepalese people to join us. Later, we learned that these two were from a local village and had asked for a ride back to Kathmandu to get there faster.

Flying across the border in a helicopter - Photo: CTV

The entire helicopter journey, from arrival to departure, took only a few minutes. Everyone was still reeling from the indescribable feeling of joy, shock, and fear as they found themselves sitting high above the ground in the tiny aircraft, with a lush green expanse of fields and streams below.

The helicopter took us over varying altitudes, through towering cliffs, with the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas faintly visible in the clouds in the distance. The beautiful and ever-changing scenery made everyone forget their initial fear and the unpleasant buzzing noise of the engine.

After more than 30 minutes of flying, over a high cliff, the Kathmandu Valley appeared brilliantly before us. Nature is truly wondrous, having bestowed upon Nepal such a lush and fertile valley like Kathmandu amidst the countless mountains (which cover more than 80% of the country's land area).

Stunning views of the Nepalese border from a helicopter - Photo: CTV

For generations, this place has been chosen by Nepalese kings as their capital, and even when the capital was moved, it remained within the same valley. Because of this, Kathmandu later acquired the beautiful name "Valley of the Kings".

The helicopter landed at Tribuhvan Airport (also named after a Nepalese king), much to our… regret. Everyone wished we could have stayed a little longer to admire the colorful beauty of this land, from the lush green of the rice paddies and gardens to the vibrant orange of the houses and temple architecture in Kathmandu, or the haunting white of the nine snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas…

Nepal gave us a very unusual welcome…

The Thanh