I visited Nepal in 2006 and of course the main aim of my trip was to go trekking in the mountains but I have a few days in Kathmandu. It is an amazing city of contrasts and craziness. You are likely to see a cow lay down in the middle of the road and all the traffic going round it. The temple area is fascinating - there are so many in such a small area but there are lots of distinct things to see - the temple with the erotic carvings or the living goddess. There are of course other sights further out of the city, for example Boudhanath the giant stupa and Swayambhunath for the most fantastic view over the city (worth the climb)! If you venture to ...  Read the complete review

Nepal is bordered to the North by China, and to the South, East, and West by India. Kathmandu is it's capital city. This is my account of my magical visit here. I flew into Kathmandu from Delhi and we traipsed ourselves out of the airport to wait at the side of the road for our coach. I was a bit tired and stood gazing into the distance at some extraordinary clouds and wondering why they were such strange shapes. Suddenly the strange shapes completed a gestalt in my head and I realised that I was staring at the Himalayas. They were so big that I hadn't been able to 'see' them at first. What an amazing sight they were! The white tops touched the ...  Read the complete review

During our first week in Kathmandu, we did manage to do some sightseeing in spite of our daily ritual of changing guest houses (four times -a trip record.) In the end, we found ourselves at the famous and very clean (but more expensive) Kathmandu Guest House, home to many world-renowned authors, journalists and mountain climbers during their stay here. We made a little pilgrimage to Swayambunath, the famous "monkey temple" on top of a hill overlooking the valley. It serves as a holy stupa to both Buddhists and Hindus alike. People of all sorts make the climb up to spin the prayer wheels and send their prayers up to heaven. Everyone is in a reverent semi-trance .  Read the complete review

A city of contrasts – serenity and chaos, poverty and spiritual richness, beauty and squalor - How could one even try to begin to describe Kathmandu? For many people, travel to Nepal means the opportunity to trek in the Himalayas. Kathmandu is perceived as an unpleasant stop-over on the journey north, rather than a destination in its own right. Although things have certainly changed since the ‘60’s, this city still has much to offer. I spent several months living and working here, and grew to love it. There are frustrations, as there would be in any Asian city of this scale, but these are more than compensated by the richness ...  Read the complete review

Kathmandu is the largest and most urban of three villages situated close together in the Kathmandu valley. The first impression is of a rather busy, modern town however once you reach the heart of the old town you are in a different world with carved wooden buildings, temples and narrow streets. If it is the first village you visit you will find it charming however if you leave it until the end you may find it disappointing in comparison with the others. A short distance away is the town of Patan. The centre of this village is much larger than Kathmandu and contains many more spectacular wooden buildings and more open spaces. You can reach the pedestrianised ...  Read the complete review