As the only country in the world to be called a Hindu Kingdom, Nepal's untamed landscape is yet amenable enough to enjoy for lay visitors. The terrain found here compromises a landscape like no other: fertile and lush plains, sinking and rolling valleys, and high and rising mountains. Nepal, in fact, embraces eight of the world's ten highest peaks, which is impressive when compared to its gargantuan neighbors of China and India.

You don't have to come to the mountains of Nepal, however, to relish in its natural exquisiteness. With just fewer than 14,000 square kilometers (~30,000 square miles) of protected national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, Nepal provides several off-the-beaten locales easily accessible just miles outside of Katmandu.

Ever since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay planted their respected flags at the top of Mt. Everest in 1953, Nepal's allure has never faded. Soon after, Mt. Everest and surrounding mountains-three of them higher than 8,000 meters (~23-25,000 feet)- were designated national parks.

You don't have to surmount Mt. Everest to enjoy Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park. Because of the park's intrinsic altitude, the climatic zones incorporate a forested lower zone with pine, cedar, fir, juniper, birch, hemlock and rhododendron, where you might stumble upon hares, gorals, weasels, musk deer and a number of species of birds and pheasants. The other three zones include a lower alpine scrub, upper alpine zone and arctic zone, where visitors have reported sightings of tahr, serow, black bears, Himalayan mice, langurs and jackals.

Another illustrious park is Royal Chitwan National Park, located southwest of Katmandu. In 1973, the country of Nepal wanted to preserve this gem and thereafter authorized over 2,000 square miles in the Terai region as a national sanctuary. It was later knighted a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. With natural borders formed by the Rapti and Reu rivers and the undulating Someshwor hills, the park was once a successfully managed hunting reserve for big game.

With areas that reach just above 2,000 feet, the park offers some of the most unique flora and fauna in Nepal. With tropical and subtropical forests, the vegetation includes vast grasslands and wetlands full of animals and birds. Specifically, the park protects engendered crocodiles, Bengal tigers, rhinoceros, elephant, antelope, monkeys, deer, and a number of wild birds.

Lying north of Katmandu and west of Sagarmatha National Park is the distinguished Langtang National Park. A day trip to Langtang is worthwhile if you're into viewing a wide range of topography, from low-elevation forests to higher-elevation foliage incorporating the rhododendron, spruce, maples, pines and firs. The trees help protect the various habitats and species of animals, including the red panda, muntjack (type of deer), black bear, and certain species of wild dogs. The park is somewhat smaller than its neighboring Sagarmatha National Park, but because of this diminutive appeal, the likelihood of glimpsing some of Nepal's distinct wildlife makes it a national park and treasure not to miss.