Thomas:
I've thought about going to a couple of these places for The Confidential Guide, but it's a long way to go for what's likely a 3 [if that].
Jim N:
Nepal is remote if you don't go anywhere near Asia, but it's not that hard to get to: lots of Americans visit Nepal each year. It's not that long of a flight from western China - I flew there direct from Kunming - and several international airlines fly there, including British Airways and Qatar Airways, so you could fly from Chicago with only one stop.