"Kathmandu - enthused, abused and excused" Kathmandu by Saagar

Kathmandu makes visitors wide-eyed!

It's a long time since the hippie ages, but a streak remains, and the longing for the uniqueness of the unknown and astonishing is inevitably here still; searchers and searches. Ancient times seep through all over the city in architecture, archaic beliefs and festivals, and modernity crashes down on everything. Altogether this creates a cacaphony that is hard to discern and understand and cope with. Kathmandu is a really, really bewildering place.

The good thing is that you don't need to understand and know all to be able to cope sufficiently well and enjoy. Services to assist visitors, helping hands are all over, commercial as well as kind locals when you need it most, too. The locals of Kathmandu show a benign attitude toward their strange tourist visitors, even if tourist habits totally horrify them at times. Mark my words: that the main things frowned upon by locals are immoral attitudes, stinginess and greed. Stear clear, and you will have a great time together with great people.

Kathmandu house-building puzzle

My Kathmandu as I present it in my pages and tips are little windows into delights and activities that I think are worthwhile to consider if you entertain the idea of coming to the city that goes beyond the "... wildest dreams of Kew".

However, more and more Kathmandu is becoming more of a staging post for forays into other parts of Nepal. Kathmandu is getting awfully polluted and difficult to navigate, and the crowds clog the city. The old biking city of KTM is no more safe for cycling. It has become an ordeal to do the simplest official things, such as getting visa extensions and other things that force you to take any transportation. Strikes and traffic jams really frustrate efforts at getting things done.

My best start of a Nepal visit is still to head straight from check-in at the hotel to Boudhanath Stupa for a quiet evening, settling in to KTM atmosphere and pace, soaking in the mood and settling in for momos and Everest beer.

There are many reasons to stay for a while in KTM, but lingering too long is not really worth it any longer due to the pollution and the time that you wait for things to happen. It helps being a bit systematic and getting your things organised for the rest of your stay, do the critical purchases, eat some good food, see some great sights, but then head out of the city.

Rangi-changi tika powders for Dashain in Kathmandu

I am adding things to my tip section continually on Kathmandu and Nepal, including suggested itineraries. So for a more thorough response to the question, you better check there what I think of... hunchha?

What I would certainly not have missed is the opportunity to get out of Kathmandu. Otherwise I wouldn't have known the land called Nepal. A must is to see some of the 5 world heritage sites in the Valley, the neigbouring cities of Bhaktapur and Patan, and maybe others, too. The religious sites and festivals are interesting and facinating no matter what you think of the opium for the people, and some good insights are right beyond the hotel door step.The bazaars of Asan, back roads of Chhetrapati, Bagh Bazaar and other places I would have searched out for walking tours. "Hanging out": enjoying the food variety, endulging in music, books, seeing people and engaging in conversations with travellers and locals alike. Maybe even doing some shopping here for the continuation of the journey or for bringing home; clothes, books, jewelry, artsy stuff like thangkas and so on. If getting beyond Kathmandu is difficult, take a mountain flight or go to Kakani, Dhulikhel or Nagarkot for an overnight glimpse beyond the Valley.

• Pros:Ancient cultures, many exciting things to see and experience
• Cons:Dirty, filthy, crowded, urban quality going downhill
• In a nutshell:Enthusing and abused, never to be forgotten by travellers setting their foot here.