Snuggled between India and Tibet with near neighbours Bhutan and Bangladesh, Nepal is a land of contrasts divided into three geographical zones. The Terai or lowland plains are warm and humid, home of Chitwan National Park, and a major agriculture region of the country. The Pahad or hill region with mountains up to ~ 2000 m, a moderate climate, home of Kathmandu and Pokhara valleys, terraced agriculture, dense forests, and diverse ethnic groups. Half the population resides in this hilly region. We had a chuckle when our guide indicated we were still in ‘hill’ country when in any other country it would definitely be deemed mountainous. The Himal region in the northern part of the country is characterised by mountains, high altitudes, snow, glaciers, a cold climate, and has religious and cultural importance. Eight of the world’s highest mountains (> 8000 m) are found in Nepal and include Everest, Kanchenjunga, Manaslu, and Annapurna.
Map of Nepal showing the lowland Terai region, the hill country, and the Himalayas.
We have wanted to visit Nepal for the longest time, but covid and injury delayed our plans. Two years on it was finally time to realise those mountain dreams! There are so many options of things to do in Nepal and with limited time, choices had to be made. After looking at several options, we decided to book with a company called Snow Cat Travel due to their high attention to the safety aspects of hiking at higher altitudes and were very happy with the service they provided. They helped us decide where to go and made a customised itinerary for us. They also looked after us from the moment we stepped out of the airport until we stepped back in. We don’t usually do organised tour trips but this was fully customised for us and was actually really convenient for a country like Nepal and we were very glad everything was just arranged for us by people in the know. Thank you Snow Cat! Do look them up for customised trips to Nepal and Bhutan.
We knew we wanted to do a mountain trek and that would take up most of the available time. Then it was just to decide which trek and which cities to tag on alongside. The most popular treks are in the Annapurna and Everest regions attracting ~ 244 000 and ~ 40 000 visitors in 2024, respectively. We were looking for something quieter and more off the beaten path and found the Manaslu circuit. A demanding 10 day trek with the highest point at 5100 m, but comparatively quiet with ~ 10 000 visitors in 2024. However, this increased remoteness also comes with more modest lodging options compared to the more popular trekking areas, but was at least still teahouses and not tents. There is a line lol. Having said that, teahouses and facilities in the area seem to be improving all the time and our guide was surprised at how much had changed in a year. Manaslu is a restricted area and only became open to foreign visitors in 1991. A special permit is still required to visit and trek in this area in addition to the regular trekkers permit. We also heard there are plans for a road to the Tibetan border to be completed within the next seven years. This will significantly change this area and current circuit hike. If you are thinking of going, don’t delay, go before this road opens!
We also really wanted to go to Pokhara and could have after the trek but we really didn’t want to do a domestic flight so decided to skip. Instead we settled on two days in Kathmandu, 1 drive day, 10 days of hiking, 1 drive day back to the city, 2 days in Bhaktapur. We could have had just one day in Kathmandu, and next time will probably do that. It just seemed a bit fast the first time round and we were happy with the extra day to gather ourselves and get ready. As much as we wanted to see and do everything, we were happy with what we chose and didn’t let FOMO get the better of us.
After planning this trip for almost a year, it was finally time to go! We flew into Kathmandu via Singapore with Singapore Airlines. It wasn’t that much flying time but took the whole day nonetheless and was already close on midnight by the time we left Kathmandu airport. We were a bit surprised at how much effort was required to navigate through Kathmandu airport. Prior to departing, we had completed the visa on arrival information so we could just arrive and pay and get into the passport queue, but the payment guy only accepted Justin’s paper and not Bron’s so it took some time to redo Bron’s but we eventually got there. There were only a few people in the passport queue but it still took a good chunk of time to get through. Then there was a long queue for security check (that was a first for us, security after passport control lol). Then baggage claim and another queue for customs clearance and finally out of the airport. And it wasn’t even that busy when we arrived, must get even more chaotic if more than one plane lands at the same time. Flying out to leave the country was much the same. Definitely some creative job creation ideas!
A snow cat representative met us at the airport and took us to our hotel, the lovely Kathmandu Guest House, the first hotel in Kathmandu in the Thamel area. A lot of people complain about Thamel, it is a bit of a tourist area but at the same time is a good balance between local and Western for first timers. Don’t complain, just go with it. Being completely local from the get go would be a real shock. Thanks for being awesome Kevin! Was lovely to meet you, thanks for coming to meet us at the airport at midnight!
The next day we had a pre-trip briefing with a Snow Cat representative and also met our guide Bashu. After a quick pop in at a trekking shop to rent a down sleeping bag and down jackets, the rest of the day was spent on a guided tour of Kathmandu City. First stop was Durbar Square.
Durbar means royal and Durbar Square is the courtyard in front of the palace. There are three Durbar Squares in the Kathmandu Valley in Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur. All are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and we would see all three on this trip. Unfortunately all the squares were significantly damaged in the powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake in April 2015 and many buildings are still under reconstruction.
The Kathmandu Durbar Square is home to several palaces, courtyards, and temples with over 50 temples in the square! First stop was the Kumari Bahal or Kumari Temple which was built for Durga (Hindu goddess) and the Kumari. The Kumari is the ‘living goddess’ of the spirit of Taleju. She is chosen from the Newari group of people at two or three years old according to 32 strict rules. She will be the living goddess until adolescence. The building was built in the 1750s and is known for its intricate wood carvings.
Our city guide gave us lots of information about many of the buildings and temples in the square such as the Shiva Parvati Temple, the Taleju Bhawani Temple, and the Akash Bhairav Temple. Next was the Hanuman Dhoka Palace Museum and its courtyard called Nasal Chowk where our guide told us about the, at times colourful, history of the royal family, we didn’t even know Nepal had a royal family. The monarchy was deposed as recently as 2008 and the country is a democracy now.
In the courtyard of the Hanuman Dhoka Palace museum
From Durbar Square, we made our way by car to Swoyambhu Mahachaitya, home to the Swayambhunath Stupa. Nicknamed Swayambhu, this Buddhist stupa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the holiest Buddhist stupas and is an important pilgrimage site. It is also often referred to as the monkey temple due to the large number of monkeys that live here.
By now it was well after midday and traffic in the city had increased. There don’t seem to be that many traffic lights in Kathmandu so intersections are directed by traffic police, and even when there is a traffic light the police seem to take over anyway. The next stop was on the complete opposite side of the city and took quite some time to reach, fortunately we had a/c in the car! It was a warm day.
The next stop was Budha Stupa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and significant Buddhist religious site giving rise to the origins of Tibetan Buddhism. It has a massive mandala making it the largest spherical stupa in Nepal, and one of the largest in the world. But first, lunch!
All the way around the stupa are shops and restaurants. We had lunch at one restaurant overlooking the stupa, our first taste of Nepalese food! We shared the vegetable thali and veg momos. Bron was so excited for momos, a kind of steamed dumpling, but they were way too spicy =/ but we did enjoy some later in the trip that were not too spicy. We thought the veg thali would be spicy but it wasn’t, was so delicious! Different curries and our first take on saag! A kind of wild spinach, so so yum. We would eat a lot of saag on this trip lol, all prepared slightly differently. It’s also common for the server to come back round and top up any parts of the thali, such as rice, veg, or any of the currys, such a win. And milk tea!! In a decent size teapot, so exciting. Much like traditional chai tea, a lot of milk tea was consumed this trip lol.
Momos!
After lunch we walked (clockwise lol) around the stupa and then headed to the final stop of the day, Pashupatinath Temple, fortunately not too far away. Located on the banks of the Bagmati River, Pashupatinath Temple is a sacred Hindu temple complex with numerous shrines, ashrams and cremation sites. Several funeral pyres were burning when we arrived but fortunately we didn’t see any actual human remains. Dark clouds had been gathering for a while and the heavens opened while we were there, fortunately it was short lived and we were able to take refuge under the eves of a building.
From here it was a short drive back to the hotel where we enjoyed some chill time in the garden after a long day of sight seeing. Before dinner we popped back to the hiking shop to acquire some more gear for our trip, such as waterproof jackets and trousers, hiking poles, gaiters, water purification tablets and the like. A quick smoothie dinner and a relatively early night after a long day.
The Friday we had a free day to explore as we pleased. We started at the Garden of Dreams within walking distance of our hotel. Created for Field Marshal Kaiser Sumsher Rana, the garden is across the street from the former Royal Palace and was designed in the Edwardian Style and built in 1920. The garden is expansive with 3 pavilions, an amphitheater, fountains, ponds, pergolas, and a cafe. The garden suffered some neglect in the past but has been restored with aid from the Austrian Government. The gardens are so lovely and it was so relaxing ambling around here. There are many nooks where one can while away an afternoon with a book. The cafe also looked very inviting. If one lived nearby, the gardens and cafe would be a great weekend respite from the hustle of the city.
From the gardens we took a taxi to Patan. We had asked the driver to take us to Durbar Square but he cheekily dropped us quite a way from the square because there was a one way street and he didn’t want to go all the way around. Lazy pony. But in the end it was ok because we landed up near another temple we wanted to go to.
The first stop then was Hiranya Varna Mahavihar or the Golden Temple. The temple was built in 1409 by King Bhaskar Varman and is a Newari Buddhist Monastery. Interestingly, it’s not allowed to enter with leather shoes, and we would see such a sign all over Patan. Nearby is Kumbheshwar Temple, a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. Built in the late 14th century by King Jayasthiti Malla, it is the oldest temple in Patan and one of Kathmandu valley’s three five-tiered temples. The water in the two ponds is said to come straight from the holy lake at Gosainkind, a weeklong trek away, so bathing here is considered to be especially purifying.
We continued down to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Durbar Square. The square was a significant centre during the Malla dynasty and is known for its stunning Newari architecture with intricate temples, courtyards and statues reflecting the religious diversity and artistry of the Kathmandu valley. The main temples in the square are the Krishna Mandir, Bhimsen Temple, Vishwanath Temple, and the Taleju Bhawani Temple with the Taleju Bell. The entrance ticket also includes entry to the palace where the Malla Kings lived. The palace consists of three main courtyards, the Mul Chowk, Sundari Chowk, and Keshav Narayan Chowk, as well as impressive temples and religious sites. The carvings are really beautiful even after all this time and gave off strong Cambodia vibes. We enjoyed a really pleasant morning strolling around here. At the palace entrance is now also a cafe run by a local hotel and we enjoyed a little tea break under the trees.
Around the Royal Palace courtyards and grounds
From Durbar Square, we continued on to two other temples before returning to Thamel in Kathmandu, Oku Bahal Rudra Varna Mahavihar and the Mahabuddha Temple.
The Oku Bahal Rudra Varna Mahavihar is a pagoda style Newari Buddhist temple with three tiers and is the second most important vihar in the Kathmandu valley after the Golden Temple. Nestled very snuggly between buildings is the Mahabuddha Temple, we almost missed it, it’s so hidden these days. We wondered how different the city must have looked before all the modern housing and buildings and when the temples had grounds and space around them. Also known as the Temple of a Thousand Buddhas, the Mahabuddla is made of thousands of clay bricks each of which is intricately engraved with Buddhist images and symbols. The temple was built in the 14th century and is one of the oldest temples in Nepal.
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