What to do in Nepal? Part I

Yesterday one of my Norwegian friends who was just preparing to fly to Nepal wrote me a long email and asked what are the things that one shouldn’t miss while visiting Nepal. There are quite many things and places in Nepal that I haven’t manage to visit yet. For example, I haven’t been to the internationally famous Mount Everest region and I do think of Mustang quite a lot because I haven’t got a chance to visit this mysterious region which lies beyond the Himalayan range. If you are not a passionate mountaineer, these are not going to work for you as well. So don’t aim to reach the top of the world, which is in Nepal, by the way. 

On this post I will be writing some practical tips that might be worth reading for somebody who plans to visit Nepal for, let’s say, fifteen days as a tourist. There are quite many so called reliable travel guides and agencies, but they are a bit more commercial rather than practical.  My second post will focus on places that one should visit outside Kathmandu.

I imagine myself as a foreigner now and think about the must –to-do things in Nepal.

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IIIIf you don’t have enough time, don’t get messed up in Kathmandu too much. Kathmandu is the capital city, not Nepal itself. So finish all crazy stuff in Kathmandu within two days. Of course, you’ll have to spare one day for shopping before you fly back to your country.

 

-    So what to see in Kathmandu? Start with the Narayanhiti National Museum. This must be damn interesting to you. Nepal is the youngest republic in the world and our ex-king used to live in this palace till last year (2008). So go and see what sort of things the Nepalese royals did when they were in power for more than 235 years.  Don’t miss it!

 

-    If I were a tourist in Nepal, I would also go visit Hanumandhoka museum (official Name The Tribhuvan Museum) and the National Museum in Chhauni. There are other several museums in Kathmandu, but unless you’re a student of archeology, I won’t recommend them. I simply don’t know the reason.

 

-     When you return from Hanumandhoka museum, try to have a bird-eye view of the Kathmandu valley from Dharahara tower. You will enjoy it and afterwards don’t forget to eat mo:mo at the premises. Or go to the Kathmandu Mall which is just near, do some shopping and eat ice cream and mo:mo in Hot Chili restaurant. These are the things that I do in Nepal, so you’re getting something precious, so don’t despise it at any rate.

 

-    If you’re not radically religious and have a slightest idea that there are other religions out there too, start your second day’s visit from Pashupatinath Temple. If you are not a Hindu, you won’t be able to enter the main temple, but from the outside also you will manage to see almost all the stuff that the insiders see. Take some photos, and if you miss your girlfriend or boyfriend back home, you’ll see quite many monkeys coming to approach you there. Give them a smile and walk away, don’t fall in love with them. Anyway, you don’t need to run because they are coming to kiss you, not to kill! Then continue your visit to Swayambhunath Stupa, another monkey infested region, but very lovely and peaceful place. If you want to know why are these places famous, please google them today.

 

 

-NNow go to Nagarjuna forest. There is a forest resort called Osho Tapoban, so if you are interested in yoga, meditation and all the other complex life philosophies that eastern guys have developed in the course of centuries, go there and have a glimpse of the place and chat with people there. I used to go there when the central Kathmandu would take my head away with noise, pollution and all that crazy stuff people do in a city with four million people. It’s called a resort, but it isn’t expensive at all. You can have nice vegetarian lunch at a reasonable price.

-    Now there are other places in the valley that probably your Nepali friends might suggest you to visit such as Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Changunarayan, Godawari, National Zoo Jawalakhel and so on. If you have time, finish them too, because it might be expensive for you to go back there again just to visit those places.   (read my forthcoming blog post for more information)