( CNN ) -- From hot air balloon to hang-gliding operators , plenty of airborne adventure outfits promise to let you `` soar with the birds . '' Few , however , deliver on the claim quite as literally or dramatically as Nepal 's Parahawking Project . An activity in which humans fly alongside beautiful Egyptian vultures , parahawking is one of the more sensational flight experiences on the planet . Flights take off from the lakeside town of Pokhara -- a jumping off point for whitewater rafting , mountain biking and other adventure activities in the Nepal 's Annapurna region . Thanks to the perennial presence of thermal gusts of air , traditional paragliding is an established and popular activity in the Pokhara Valley . Many paragliding outfits operate tandem flights in the area . But only the Parahawking Project offers two flight companions -- mine were named `` Scott '' and `` Kevin . '' Scott Mason was my human guide . Like most Egyptian vultures , Kevin , did n't say much , but was extremely handsome , with sharp eyes and an adorable spiked hairdo . The founder of Nepal 's Parahawking Project , Mason employs two Egyptian vultures , his preferred breeds in the air , to accompany paragliders in flight . ( Kevin 's feathered colleague is named `` Bob . '' ) Inspiration strikes over beers . Like other birds , Egyptian vultures conserve energy while flying by seeking `` thermals '' -- rising currents of warm air that occur when the sun heats the ground . Thermals are also important to paragliders , who use them to stay aloft for longer periods of time . Parahawking involves using trained birds to locate thermals . Human paragliders follow the birds as they fly , rewarding the birds with a piece of meat after they 've been guided to a thermal . `` The birds land on the passengers ' gloved hand for an inflight reward , '' according to the Parahawking Project website . The idea of using vultures to lead paragliders first came to Mason in 2001 . Mason says inspiration struck over beers with the man who kick-started Nepal 's paragliding industry . `` The more beers we had , the better the idea seemed , '' he says . `` Luckily , it still seemed like a good plan in the morning . '' Taking flight . Though a few other operators around the world have begun offering parahawking flights , Mason , who says he 's always been `` a bird guy , '' says his project is the original . In the eight years since the tandem flights with vultures took off , Mason has had a number of interesting experiences . One involved a client with no arms for the birds to land on -- a fact the man failed to mention until go time . Then there was the vegan who decided , after jumping , that she could n't bear to touch the buffalo bait . The best part of the job `` is when a passenger is reduced to tears as the bird comes and lands on their arm during a flight , '' says Mason . Magical experience . Standing on a cliff on a sunny morning , Mason hands me a long leather glove . This will be Kevin 's perch when he alights midair on my arm . His motivation will be the raw buffalo meat tucked into my fist . The whole parahawking experience , which lasts about 30 minutes , is surreal . With 8,000-meter , snow-capped peaks reflecting in the lake below , the views from the sky are phenomenal . When Kevin finds us a strong thermal , we quickly follow and ascend , and then he 's called over for a reward . Sheer joy overwhelms the senses when sharing the skies with a bird at 2,000-plus meters . The concept is simple , the feeling magical . Conservation efforts . In Pokhara , parahawking is roughly twice the price of a standard tandem paragliding session . From the â‚¬125 ( $ 170 ) parahawking fee , however , 1,000 Nepalese rupees ( about $ 10.50 ) are donated to vulture conservation projects in Nepal . Parahawking is just part of Mason 's mission to educate people on the value of vultures and threats posed to their existence . He 's also helped established the Ghachok Vulture Restaurant , a community-managed safe vulture feeding site near Pokhara . Tourists sign up with the `` restaurant '' and those lucky enough to receive a forthright `` cow dead '' text are invited to see the birds devour a carcass . The parahawking season runs from about October to April . Bookings are made through the Parahawking Project website or at the Blue Sky Paragliding office in Pokhara . The Parahawking Project , Maya Devi Village , Lakeside , Pokhara , Nepal ; +977 98066 47917 . Brandi Goode is a freelance writer based in Tokyo .
In parahawking , Egyptian vultures guide paragliders to sky `` thermals '' Paragliders hold raw buffalo meat in their fists to reward the birds for guiding them . With each flight , about $ 10.50 is donated to vulture conservation projects in Nepal .