| |
Guide to Kathmandu, Nepal
|
Click to go to Flight Prices for Kathmandu
|
Kathmandu The beautiful Nepalese city of Kathmandu is a mixture of wonder, grit, and history. Its beautiful landscape is laid with temples, hotels, shops, shrines, and muddy roads. Youll find everyone and everything, from street vendors peddling wares or services to passing tourists, to high-class citizens passing by in luxury sedans. You can visit the traveler-friendly part of the city, known as Thamel, or you can wander off to the unsecured areas, where protesters showcase their civil disobedience almost daily (If youre careful, these streets can be a quite interesting place to spend a few hours, or even a whole day). Visit Durbar Square for all the traveler essentials, or even a few indulgences of caf pastries, books, etc. Though parts of Kathmandu are up-to-date on all of todays best technologies, youll find that the more interesting districts are the ones seemingly stuck in the past.
When to go:
The start of Kathmandus dry season, in the October-November timeframe, is the best time to visit. This is the period immediately after the citys yearly monsoon rains, so youll be pleased with the great weather, clear skies, and fresh air. Spring is also a wonderful time to visit, when the air starts to warm up, and the wildflowers come to bloom. In some ways spring is actually the ideal time to visit if youd like a beautiful landscape to view while traveling throughout Kathmandu. However, with spring, comes increased traffic, and that means the infamous dust begins to rise and makes everything filthy very quickly.
Getting there and around:
Tribhuvan Airport is the hub for all flights to Kathmandu, and there are not that many flights. Rarely ever do airlines offer direct flights to the city, and locations that do offer this service are few: Frankfurt, Bangkok, Dhaka, and maybe a few more. Most flights stop-over at a major Indian hub. At arrival, youll be oddly pleased by the simplicity of your transport options, because, well, you basically only have one; taxi. The fares are fixed if youre going to Thamel (which is conveniently where all traveler accommodations are located).
Getting around Kathmandu can be done in the two most popular ways: walking, and biking; taxis, private cars, and rickshaws are all available, but you miss out on much of Kathmandus appeal if you go with one of these.
Attractions:
You should definitely start your Kathmandu experience in Durbar Square. Youll find so many attractions here, so dont be surprised if youre spending more than one day exploring just a small portion of the city. Durbar Square is the center of the old city (Kathmandu is unofficially segregated into new city/old city). Most of the buildings in the Squares vicinity are either temples or shrines. The buildings are very historic (though some have been heavily restored) and have wondrously carved roofs, doors, and windows that simply have to be seen to be believed. The oldest building, Kasthamandp, is said to have been built in the 12^th century, but that is based on speculative information. Hanuman Dhoka (Old Royal Palace) is part of the Square, and is said by locals to be the heart of the old city. Its extraordinary architecture stands out, though it was somewhat damaged in the 1934 earthquake that hit Nepal. Also around Durbar Square are the Maju Deval (Shiva temple), Great Bell, Jagamath Temple, Taleju Temple (most beautiful of the temples, though closed to the public).
If youre interested in the odd, visit Jochne (Freak Street), where its historic significance has been overlooked by many because everything seems to be covered in dust, including the people (hence the title Freak Street). You can immerse yourself in the storefronts selling everything from incense and prayer wheels, to visions of your future.
|
|
|
