Kathmandu Nepal

Nepal is one of the landlocked countries among SAARC members . Nepal is famous as the gateway to the beauty of the Himalayas, but apart from the Himalayas, Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, has many more places to visit. Kathmandu is the capital and largest metropolis of Nepal with a population of around 5 million people. If you want to travel to Nepal, you should first sit in Kathmandu. Many people do not want to prioritize a city like Kathmandu in the list of sightseeing because they come to see the mountains, but Kathmandu shines in its own glory with its tradition, commerce, and various architectural monuments.

Pashupatinath Temple: Pashupatinath Temple in Nepal is the most famous among the sacred and famous temples of Hindus. Pashupatinath was built for the service of Shiva and thousands of people from India besides Nepal flock here every year to worship Shiva. Saints of various nature can be seen here.

Swayambhunath Stupa: If you list the famous Buddhist temples of Nepal, Swayambhunath will be between 1 and 3. It is located on the hilltop west of Kathmandu city where 365 stone steps have to be crossed to get there. Of course, before climbing the stairs, look at the monkeys. More than a hundred monkeys have been living in the temple area and around it for a long time. All these monkeys are considered holy angels by Nepalese. They believe that all these monkeys were born from the lice on the head of Buddha Deity Manjushri and that they have been here since her time.

This temple is one of the oldest temples in Nepal. Its existence was discovered as early as the fifth century. Hopefully, the earthquake of 2015 did not cause any damage to this place. The temple is heavily crowded with tourists most of the time so 7 am to 7:30 am is the best time to visit Swayambhunath temple. Among the parts of the temple are the Buddha Amideva Park, the stupa or pillar in the west, the staircase in the east, of course. The temple can be visited for a fixed fee and the local priest gives a separate fee to take you inside the temple and take part in their religious rituals.

Boudhanath Stupa: Boudhanath Stupa, located 7 km from Thamel, is one of the must-see places for Nepalese tourists. It is one of the largest stupas in Asia. It is so big that it can be seen from far away.

Kopan Monastery: Kopan Monastery is a hidden gem in Kathmandu. Tibetan monks come here to meditate. It is possible to get a 180 degree view of the whole city of Kathmandu from Kopan Monastery. Earlier not many people knew about this place but now after the publicity this place is very much appreciated by tourists for its architectural beauty.

Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan, Bhaktapur: The ancient side of Kathmandu is built around the Durbar Square in Vasantpur, south of Thamel. The King of Nepal and his family members lived here until the 19th century. The place is so unique and witness to the heritage that UNESCO declared it as a World Heritage Site in 1979. Apart from the royal palace, many Hindu and Buddhist temples of the 12th century are found here.

Durbar Square (Kathmandu Durbar Square) is only 700 meters away from Thamel. A lot of pigeons are seen here which adds a different sweetness to the tour. Worth seeing in Durbar Square are Sada Bhairab or Seto Bhairab, Jagannath Temple, Teleju Temple, Indrapur Temple, Mahendraswar Temple, Unfortunately the southern side of the temples along with the palace was severely damaged in the severe earthquake of 2015. Yet it is possible to guess its former beauty even by looking at its present-day remains. Durbar Square ticket prices are currently on the rise due to renovation work, but hopefully it remains within reach for SAARC citizens.

There are two other Durbar Square-like monuments of historical importance near Kathmandu Valley at Patan and Bhaktapur. Although the earthquake damaged these two places, it was not as severe as Durbar Square.

Thamel: Thamel is the tourist heart of Kathmandu. Thousands of hotels, souvenir shops, hiking shops, restaurants, bars sit here to give a glimpse of the vibrancy. Rows of shops and hawkers set up various stalls on the streets hoping to attract tourists from morning to midnight. Thamel Marg is the main road of the area which is decorated with colorful flags. The sound of singing bowls and the smell of incense are found here. Mandala Street is another street in Thamel famous for its bookstores, coffee shops. From Gorkha churi to singing bowls, pashmina chadars, mandala wall paints and many more, you can buy anything from Thamel.

Garden of Dreams: Garden of dreams is located in Kaiser Mahal, Kathmandu. It is a neo-classical garden. The garden was created in 1920 and its design is consistent with all modern European gardens. This place attracts tourists to see the architectural view and the festivity of trees.

Singha Durbar : The Singha Durbar or Singha Palace is a palace of the Rana dynasty located in central Kathmandu, a blend of neo-classical, Palladian and European architectural styles.

Asan Bazar: Asan Tole or Asan Bazar is a fresh vegetable and fruit market in Nepal. From homemade local drink rakshi to various spices, fruits with no local name, everything is available here. Farmers from outside Kathmandu come here every day to sell their produce. Asan Tolle acts as an out-of-town supermarket for up-close viewing of local things and people that can add a unique dimension to travel. Besides, there are two temples worth visiting near Asan Toll namely Annapurna and Krishna which are famous for their structure and location.

October and November are the best time to visit Kathmandu. At this time, the weather is dry but less cold than other times, it is the beginning of winter. As the sky is clear, it is comfortable to travel and preparation for trekking can be done well. It is better not to visit Kathmandu in September because then there may be various difficulties due to monsoons. Even though the weather remains dry till April, it is a good winter, but Kathmandu does not snow and sometimes the temperature drops to zero degrees, so those who love winter can go during this time. March to mid-April or mid-September is a good time to visit Kathmandu if you don't like crowds or want to travel cheaply after the season.

You can go to Nepal by air from Bangladesh and if you want to go to Kathmandu, you have to book a ticket at the Tribhuvan Airport there. The cost will be around 18 thousand to 22 thousand taka with a return ticket. If you can buy a ticket in the first section, it will cost you about 17,000 taka. But flights to Kathmandu are often delayed. In this case private airlines provide good service.

If you go to Nepal by road, the cost will be reduced a lot. In that case transit visa of India should be taken where port name should be Changrabandha or Raniganj. There is no visa fee required at Nepal immigration either here or by air unless you intend to travel twice in the same year. SR Paribahan is providing direct bus services to Nepal on By Road. If you want, you can go to the border of India and from there you can go to Kankarbhita in Nepal. It will cost about 13 to 14 thousand rupees.

There is no better place to stay than Thamel as there are numerous hotels/backpacker hostels dotted all over Thamel. Good double room budget hotels can be found here between 1000 to 1800 rupees. 400 rupees single room hotel is also here. If the budget is a bit higher i.e. 3000 rupees or more then many good hotels with deluxe room meals are available. However, Thamel's hotels and their prices and looks are so varied that it is possible to find good hotels cheaply by walking around and checking a few hotels instead of booking in advance.

They prefer rice thali as the local food of Nepal. So wherever you go in Kathmandu it is impossible not to eat rice. Rice is accompanied by fish, chicken, salad, raita, vegetables and leaves on the plate. As Nepal is a cold country, Momo is popular there. There are numerous momo shops in Thamel and other places in Kathmandu. Besides, there are teas and coffees of different flavors and colors. They also make tea from flower petals and sell them on the streets. Also modern food chess is now available in Kathmandu.

Thamel is the best place for shopping from Kathmandu. Because there are so many shops and their beautiful goods that cannot be seen anywhere else in Kathmandu. But in this case, it should be noted that as a tourist area, the prices here will be unusually high. So the cost of shopping depends on how well you bargain and how well you know things.

If the group or two or three are together, the cost is reduced a lot in the case of traveling to Kathmandu. Traveling to Kathmandu and other sightseeing places (such as Pokhara) will cost around 30 to 32 thousand rupees per person for air travel and 2-3 days stay for food and sightseeing. In this case, it is possible to save about 6-10 thousand taka if you go by road. Since the places to see in Kathmandu are very close, the cost is not much. Apart from this, tickets to the temples are available for nationals of SAARC countries at about one-third cheaper than foreigners. A plate of food is available in Nepal between 150-300 rupees. So if you can manage the cost of accommodation, food and travel, it is possible to visit Kathmandu easily.

Some essential phone numbers: Police (Emergency) – 100, Tourist Police – 4247041, Department of Immigration – 4223509/ 422453, Night Taxi – 4224374, Ambulance (Red Cross) – 4228094, Ambulance – 102

Feature Image: ToLiberty.com