Kathmandu काठमांडौ Travel Guide

Far more India than China, Kathmandu will make Chinese cities look exceptionally well ordered. Life appears frantic and chaotic here. Long a travellers mecca for both Himalayan trekking and as a brief respite from the rigours of India, Kathmandu has long mastered the art of providing creature comforts to the weary traveller. However, there is much more to this city than that with a wealth of sights for even the most jaded of travellers and beyond it, of course, the rest of Nepal!

It has to be the contrast with Tibet and the journey from the border down to Kathmandu that has to represent one of the more spectacular changes in landscape and culture in such a short distance.

Durbar Square is the traditional heart of Kathmandu. It is where the kings were crowned and, until a century ago, ruled from. Pagodas abound here attracting holy men and tourists. The site is vast and can easily consume a day, with there always being something different to see. Thamel is the travellers hangout in Kathmandu and, love it or hate it, the chances are you will pass by here for shopping or eating at some point. The wonderfully restored Swapna Bagaicha, or Garden of Dreams, is just the antidote to the frantic pace of the streets and is just a stones throw from Thamel.

Whether your Tibet trips is starting or finishing in Kathmandu doesn’t really matter although we do think that it is best to take the trip from Lhasa towards Kathmandu rather than in reverse. Nepal’s capital opens the door to the rest of Nepal – a fabulous destination in it’s own right.

As most of our clients are coming from Lhasa along the Friendship Highway and will not have stayed in any luxury along the way we recommend splashing out a bit in Kathmandu and the Hotel Tibet International is certainly one of the best regarded.

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By Phil Stanley & Headseast – TCTC Destination Expert.