Is one CRAZY town, with a fantastic, loose, hippy-meets-mountaineer-meets-Nepal, with a splash of the Himalayas-spirituality vibe. I love it.

It has a fascinating history; some still visible in the city, but it doesn’t always put on a pretty face. Bits of it are primitive, medieval, unsophisticated; there are areas that remind me of India, others are profoundly Buddhist. The faces of the people reflect the geography: Subcontinent-meets-China. The lowland Nepalese look more Indian (it’s on the Southern border), the Western Nepalese look less so and more Himalayan-Chinese, and the Eastern Nepalese look more Tibetan, and the people of Kathmandu Valley are distinctly Newari.

On the streets of Thamel

Although most tourists are in Kathmandu en route to a trek, it is a really interesting destination in its own right, with lots to do and see. So if you are not a trekker, this is a great long weekend destination. (If you are interested in trekking, I will be writing about trekking, groovini-style, in a future issue) The best time of year to go is Spring and Autumn, when temperatures will be gorgeous in the valley, clear skies, 60-70F, and cool in the evening.

Thamel and the Kathmandu Guest House

The garden at KGH photo KGH

There are lots of hotels and hostels. When I first went to Kathmandu, I stayed in the Kathmandu Guest House. This is the guesthouse for a lot of Everest expeditions, and it’s a really interesting cross-section of people that stay there (including Ricky Martin and the Beatles – what!! Not together). It’s pretty basic, and cheap. (The garden-facing room is US$60 a night) And it’s in the heart of the Thamel area, which is the hub of hippie touristy Kathmandu. Shops, restaurants, chaos, it’s all here.

It’s a small, buzzy area and totally walkable, with narrow roads, cobblestones, shops, people, street merchants, dust, dirt, roadside deities and faces and stories from all round the world. Booze, drugs, mountaineers, drop outs, NGO workers, teutonic trekkers all converge here.

There are shops for trekkers, clothes (hippy, groovy stuff), semi-precious stones (turquoise, agate, rubies), Nepalese and Tibetan trinkets, interesting books and maps on the Himalayas and Everest I haven’t seen anywhere else.

Bad food (almost-pizza, almost-bread), stodge, as well as surprisingly good Japanese and Thai restaurants. The local staple is dhal bhaat, which is rice and a very watery yellow dhal. Not my bag baby. The Nepalese specialty is momos, which are dumplings, and they aren’t bad. Don’t wander round the streets too early in the morning, you’ll see piles of rubbish left out to clear and the occasional rat in the rubbish might give you a turn.

A butcher in Kathmandu

Dwarika’s

The most charming hotel in Kathmandu is Dwarika’s (Battisputali, Kathmandu), which uses traditional Nepalese design and materials – wood and gorgeous terracotta. The rooms are pretty and spacious, shades of terracotta, timber furnishings and nice bathrooms – traditional with modern comforts. 4 little dogs roam the lovely courtyard where you breakfast, and there’s a pool. It has a lovely vibe, utterly charming, and even though its ethos is the preservation of traditional building styles, it doesn’t feel museum-ish…more like you are in a little beautiful sanctuary. (About US$250 per night)

One of the permanent residents at Dwarika’s

Patan

The ancient city of Patan is remarkable.  It really is like walking into a postcard from another time. Supposedly founded in third century BC, and housing over 1,200 monuments and stupas, it is stunning. The great thing is how it is a part of daily life, and not a roped-off, no-entry kind of monument.

Along with other parts of the Kathmandu, Patan Durbar Square (above) is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Check out this fantastic site of UNESCO’s World Heritage list and see the picture I took of the Durbar Square above come to life here.

Patan is filled with art and artisans. Throughout your time in Kathmandu various people (hustlers) will be trying to sell you thangkas. Thangkas are Buddhist paintings, depicting various religious visuals. There are strict rules to thangkas, as they are used as spiritual allegory. The detail on them is amazing, very fine brushwork, sometimes painted using brushes with only one or two hairs. Unless you are going to spend thousands on collecting rare and precious thangkas, a hundred or so US$ will get you a good piece. (and when they tell you that a monk in a remote Tibetan monastery painted it, don’t believe them!)

There are thousands to choose from, and the only advice I would give is – buy it because you like it, and pay for it what you are prepared to part with. Haggling is totally expected.

This gives you some background on thangkas: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMHgXomyy20

There are all sorts of curios and jewellery to be found around the Patan area. Again, don’t believe the spiel (they can spin amazing yarns), some may be true, but don’t buy something because you believe in the provenance the merchant is telling you! If you like silver – clunky silver, and Tibetan-style turquoise jewellery, you will like Kathmandu very much.

Templetastic!

And of course, the wonderful temples. Nepal is both Buddhist and Hindu, and there are lovely examples of both here. Boudhanath Stupa is the focal point of many Buddhist pilgrimages. You will see pilgrims prostrating their way round the main stupas. Some have been doing this from their home village to Kathmandu over months. Generally they will have protective gear – leather pads on their hands, knees and elbows. I was horrified to see a tourist stick his lens into an old woman’s face as she was prostrating her way round. How tacky is that?

There are prayer wheels in abundance at the site. As you circumnavigate the stupa, give the prayer wheels surrounding the stupa a spin…om mani padme om… With the giant stupa, the fluttering prayer flags, the chanting in the background, the smell of juniper branches burning, Boudha is a great place to just sit and soak in the wonderful atmosphere and contemplate life. I’m sure a guide could tell you a lot, but you would miss out sitting quietly on the stupa for 20 minutes taking it all in. It’s unexpectedly moving.

The all-seeing eyes of the Swayambunath Stupa

The area around Boudhanath is home to many Tibetan exiles, so it’s full of all sorts of curios and antiquities. Pick through Tibetan temple reliquary (real or not depends on what you choose to believe), little tea chests, scrolls, mini-prayer wheels in the area around the stupa. Swayambunath is perched on a hill overlooking the valley. You have to get yourself up a few hundred steps to the temple, but it’s worth it. (if you’re trekking, here’s your low altitude test!) Although not as imposing as Boudha, it is enchanting in its own way. It’s full of monkeys, but I suggest you don’t make eye contact or feed them. Early morning or late afternoon for the best light. Pashuputinath is the dominant Hindu temple in the city, and I confess, I did not make it in.

To do

There’s lots of different food in Kathmandu. After two weeks in the mountains and eating stodge, I was delighted to find a real Japanese restaurant. You’ll find yourself craving fresh crunchy fruit and salads…but best wait till you get home.

When I was last in Kathmandu, Nepal was not a republic and the Royal Family still lived in the palace. Still worth a wander around the Kathmandu Durbar Square and Hanuman Dhoka Square.

If you didn’t get a look at Everest on your flight in, you can do the special Everest flight. This is a daily flight that flies you to and over Everest so you can get a look at it. I’ve done both the flight and seen Everest by trek, and I have to tell you, do the trek! BUT – it is remarkable what it’s like to catch your first view of it (and all subsequent ones, for me). It’s a really moving experience. I was not expecting to be as transported as I was. It’s a wonderful, magical experience. And it happens to everyone.

The flight is now operated by several domestic airlines during season, and costs about US$150. Before you get to Everest, the pilot will track the Himalayas – which line the Northern border of Nepal- all the way there and all the way back.

You can do what Charley Boorman did in a recent episode of By Any Means – charter a helicopter for a few thousands to fly you up to the Tengboche Monastery (12,500ft), to look at Everest closer (which would normally take 5-7 days of trekking from Lukla). The view from Tengboche, itself on a ridge, is spectacular. Massifs all around you, and behind the Lhotse and Nuptse walls, Everest.

You can also go up in a hot air balloon in the Kathmandu Valley, take mountain bikes out for some great rides, and if you’re not heading into a trek, you can catch a peek of the Himalayas by heading to one of the resorts at the head of the valley, like Nagarkot.

From Kathmandu, you can also go on whitewater rafting trips (rafting on Himalayan melt!) and on safari to the Chitwan National Park…tracking tigers on elephant-back.

What they don’t tell you

• It can hail in the middle of dry season
• Hagglers, cab drivers, slick spiel – all there to extract the last rupee out of you
• Nighttime in Kathmandu is full of barking dogs. Bring earplugs if you’re used to silence
• And in the mornings, the sound of ablutions happening all round you can be disconcerting
• The Shangri-La hotels in Nepal are not of the Shangri-La chain in Asia (but nice)
• I’m rubbish at calculating time differences and this one totally got me – Kathmandu is 2h15m behind Singapore
• Bring travellers cheques, don’t count on finding ATMs
• Leave your heels at home

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009 at 7:00 am and is filed under Travel, Travel-and-Play . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.