Bhaktapur and other Nepal Things to Do Tips

Bhaktapur is a UNESCO heritage site. A German-lead initiative back in the 70's helped restore some of the more dilapidated buildings including the stone and woodwork. The temples and old buildings impart a feeling of peacefulness. You feel as though you are transported back to medieval times. We had a colorful Nepalese guide, but honestly, you can grab your Lonely Planet book and catch a taxi to and from Bhaktapur. Once you're there, you're hoofing it.

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This is probably the largest enclave of Tibetan refugees outside of Dharamsala, India. The area surrounding this humongous buddhist stupa is full of shops and boutiques, all owned and run by Tibetans. No need for a guide here - just grab a cab and keep your Lonely Planet in hand. Some of the thankgas are beautiful here - take advantage of the prices.

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I can recall hearing Bob Seger's famous song as a child, and even then - having no idea where Kathmandu was - I understood it was an exotic place faraway, with a mysterious hold on Westerners. It took me almost thirty years to experience it for myself...a lifelong dream. In some ways, it surpassed my expectations, and in other ways, I was a little underwhelmed. All in all, it is a place I would love to return to one day. I hope it will be as I remember it.

The things to do and see in Kathmandu are numerous. The "don't miss" items are obvious: Patan, Pashupatinath, Bhaktapur, Durbar Square in Kathmandu City proper, Boudanath, and Swayambunath.

Hotels are inexpensive and if you're in the Thamel area, everything seems to be within walking distance.

From Kathmandu, you can easily take day exploratory excursions to nearby towns. We didn't have the chance, but I will do so when I return....

A typical day trip might be a river raft down the Trisuli (super easy for novices like me), or a "flight-seeing" up and down the Himalayan range.

Any Nepal travel and guide book (or better yet, your fellow VTers!!) is a good place to start your plan.

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I'm not comfortable flying, but I was not going to miss this opportunity. You have to grab an early morning flight (I think they stop by noon, due to the winds). We went on Buddha Air, and we were treated wonderfully. Each seat has its own window, and you're given a map of the Himalayan range so spotting the peaks is easy. The pilots also narrate briefly, and even though the plane is small, there is a helpful flight attendant on hand to point out landmarks. The entire flight round trip, took about 1.5 hours and was DEFINITELY well worth the $100 + USD. Be prepared to experience some delays before they permit the plane to take off (usually weather related).

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A vast complex of Hindu temples and structures. Our guide took us through here and what first hit me was the smoke wafting through the air as we crossed the bridge over the sacred Bagmati river. I looked back and saw several funeral pyres with the remnants of their human corpses; family members were bathing in the river and spreading the ashes (the river is a tributary of the Ganges and thus considered holy). There were common monkeys everywhere and sadhus were ready to pose for pictures. Of course, they're also ready to take a tip for those poses.

Pashupatinath is the most important Hindu temple complex in Nepal - even drawing devotees from nearby India due to its main attraction, Shiva's peaceful incarnation of Pashupati.

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Patan is the second largest of the three valley towns. It has a long Buddhist history, although many of the temples are Hindu. In fact, Patan has some of the oldest structures and Hindu temples in all of Nepal. Durbar Square is the center of orientation, and it's easy to walk around here. A nice break is the little museum - the courtyard is a wonderful place to grab a bite to eat and relax in the shade. Be sure to order the Nepalese specialty yogurt drink called "lassi"- I recommend the banana lassi.

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We drove from Kathmandu to Pokhara, river rafting on the way there. We flew back to Kathmandu. The purpose of our going to Pokhara was to use it as a launchsite from which we'd embark on our four day trek of the Annapurna lower range. We stayed in a bungalow at the Fishtail Lodge and enjoyed this hotel very much - the food was great here. The luxury of staying at a four star hotel after trekking around the range, was well worth the higher price we paid (still reasonable, in US dollars).

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Wow...little did I know it would take me almost a half hour just to climb close to 400 steps to get to the top of this famous temple.

We started out from the Thamel district - on foot. The walk is easy enough and makes for interesting sight-seeing along the way. It's the climb up the stairs that throws you for a loop - but the reward is a fantastic view of Kathmandu city and the surrounding valley. Once you've reached the top, you find yourself surrounded by small temple-like structures and a reverent, peaceful ambience.

The stupa itself dates back as early as the fifth century, and is based on the legend (and scientific theory) that the Kathmandu Valley was once a lake - with the hill upon which the Swayambunath Temple sits, an island in the middle of this lake. The stairway leading up to this magnificent stupa was constructed under one of the Malla kings in the 1600's.

Swayambounath is also known as "Monkey Temple", for the ubiquitous residents (the monkeys). It's when you reach the top of this place that you finally shake yourself and say, "I'm really here....I really made it to Nepal." It's an extraordinary feeling.

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I underestimated how arduous a four day trek would be. I roller-bladed every day for a half hour, a month before we left on this trip and it did zero in terms of preparing me for the challenge of trekking for four days straight, eight hours a day. But it was incredible....the natural beauty and euphoria of being on this hike is unparalleled. The villagers were wonderful - we brought balloons and Disney character stickers and the children went crazy over them (it's a better alternative to candy). The fellow trekkers were friendly and helpful as well. You MUST bring your own sleeping bag. When was the last time you paid a dollar for dinner?!? Don't expect luxury from these tea trek lodges - you get what you pay for. But they're fun and Gorepani especially, offers the most spectacular view of the Annapurna range. My best memory of the trek is stepping out into the silent night and just contemplating the view of the mountain peaks literally glowing from the moon's reflection....it was one of the most beautiful sights I've ever witnessed...words can't express it, and a camera can't do it justice. Pure magic.

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