Thamel
Thamel is a popular place for tourists to sample cuisine in a rooftop cafe, wander through overcrowded alleyways, shop for artifacts and handicrafts, get a massage, and sleep. It may be the heart of the city, but be sure to venture outside if you want a flavor of the 'real Nepal'.
Ring Road
This busy road orbits Kathmandu and is incredibly congested and chaotic. Traffic is a frustrating part of getting around in Kathmandu, and crossing Ring Road is extremely dangerous -- even for locals. Cars, taxis, motorbikes, tractors, buses, animals, and pedestrians all compete for the same space.
SwayambhunathCommonly known to visitors as the "monkey temple" because of the number monkeys surrounding it, this Buddhist temple is an iconic experience of Nepal. The white dome is called a stupa which is topped by the watchful eyes of Buddha. Swayambhunath sits atop a large hill and offers stunning views of the entire valley, especially if you're willing to climb the pilgrim's stairway of over 300 steps.
Cuisine
The staple food in Nepal is called daal bhaat: lentil soup, curried vegetables, and rice. It is most likely served vegetarian style, with chicken, water buffalo, or goat occasionally added. Nepali food can be very spicy. Be careful!
Above photo used under Creative Commons from seaview99. All other photos on this page are copyrighted 2012 by Gretel Patch
| Kathmandu
Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal and its largest city with around 1 million people. The original inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley (then-called Kantipur) were the Newars. In the 15th Century three independent kingdoms were formed: Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur. Each has its own Durbar Square: historic town centers with remaining ancient royalty palaces and temples.
Click on the image below to see some more photos of Kathmandu Durbar Square (in one of the photos, what animal is standing in the middle of a bunch of pigeons?): PatanPatan is the third largest city in Nepal and one of the three former royal cities in valley. The city is believed to have been built in the third century B.C. That's old! It has many ancient monuments, stone carvings, temples, metal statues, handicrafts.
(Source: http://www.patan.com) Patan is a center of what two religious cultures? Watch this short video clip of Patan Durbar Square: Bhaktapur
The third of the medieval city-states in the valley, Bhaktapur is a well-preserved labyrinth of cobblestone alleys and temples. There are three major squares full of some of the finest religious architecture in the country (Source: Lonely Planet Nepal, 2009).
Potter's Square is covered in ceramics drying in the sun. Click the photo to see more pictures of Bhaktapur: |