Places To Visit

Kathmandu :

The country's capital and largest city simultaneously reeks of history and the wear and tear of increasing modernity. The tightly packed historical centre, with its squares and temples, continues to preserve a world light years away from the shantytowns, expensive hotels, restaurants and shops on the city's outskirts. Kathmandu's core is Durbar Square, with the Vishnumati River to the west and Ratna Park to the east.


Patan:

Patan, the second-largest city in the valley, lies just across the Bagmati River from Kathmandu, but it's a much quieter and less frenetic place to visit. The city is justly proud of its temples and artisans and it is their handiwork that provides the focus of the stunning Durbar Square - choc-a-block with the largest display of Newari architecture in Nepal. It includes the Royal Palace, which contains a richly decorated bathtub, and the two-tiered brick Jagannarayan Temple. Look up to the roof struts to see carvings of figures engaged in quite athletic acts of intercourse. Patan's other attractions are flung further afield. Among them is a collection of four stupas, thought to have been built over 2500 years ago, and Nepal's only zoo, which features a reasonable assortment of rhinos, tigers, leopards and bird life. Palm readers gather in the park outside - they may be able to point out which animal you'll be reincarnated as. Tibetan carpets can be bought in Jawlakhel, east of the city.


Bhaktapur:

Bhaktapur is in many ways the most medieval of the three major cities in the Kathmandu Valley. Despite recent development, the city still retains a distinctly timeless air with much of its glorious architecture dating from the end of the 17th century. Most sights can be easily traversed by foot and include yet another Durbar Square, which is infinitely larger than Kathmandu's and has its fair share of temples, statues and columns, many with grisly histories behind them. For instance, the sculptor of the Ugrachandi & Bhairab Statues had his hands chopped off to prevent him from duplicating his masterpieces. Bhakatapur's second main square is Taumadhi Tole, which features Nyatapola, the highest temple in the valley, and Til Mahadev Narayan, an important place of pilgrimage. Nearby is Potters' Square, where thousands of clay pots are made and sold. East from here, through the sinuous streets of the old city centre is Tachupal Tole, another square containing temples and monasteries plus craft museum.


Swayambhunath:

The temple is colloquially known as the 'monkey temple', after the large tribe of garrulous monkey which guard the hill, amusing visitors and devotees with their tricks, including sliding gracefully down the long double banisters of the main stairway. The soaring central stupa is topped by an aureate block featuring the watchful eyes of Buddha. Set around the base is a continuous series of prayer wheels which pilgrims, circumbulating the stupa, spin as they pass by.

Pashupatinath:

The country's pre-eminent Hindu temple and one of the most significant Shiva temples on the subcontinent. As the Bagmati is a holy river, Pashupatinath has become a popular place to be cremated - the ghats (river steps) immediately in front of the temple are reserved for the cremation of royalty, while those a little further south are for the riff-raff.

Boudhnath :

Another site with a religious bent is the huge stupa of Bodhnath, which is the largest in the country and among the largest in the world. It's also the centre for Nepal's considerable population of Tibetans. Late afternoon is a good time to visit. This is when prayer services are held and the locals turn out to walk around the stupa (if you want to join in, remember to walk in a clockwise direction). Surrounding Bodhnath are a number of monasteries, but be discreet and respectful if you intend visiting them. The valley also offers plenty of opportunities to get off the beaten track, with treks to and from the resort villages of Nagarkot and Dhulikhel; wallowing in Tatopani's hot springs; exploring cloud forests in Pulchowki; and mountain biking in the regions of Chapagaon and Bungamati.

Pokhara:

The city of Pokara is renowned for its setting rather than its historical or cultural endowments. Its quiet lakeside location and proximity to the mountains mean it is an ideal place for recovering from (or gearing up for) a trek, taking leisurely strolls or simply putting your nose in a good book. And wouldn't you know it, Pokhara has some of the country's best accommodation and restaurants as well. There's a batch of Tibetan settlements, a hilltop monastery and the pretty Devi Falls nearby. Day walks can be taken to Sarangkot (1592m), the limestone caves at Mahendra Gufa or Rupa and Begnas Tals lakes. More exertion (but not much more) will be required to tackle the three to four-day Annapurna.JanakpurIs an attractive city, bustling with tourists - Indian pilgrims that is, not Western backpackers. The city's religious significance is due to its role as the birthplace of Sita (Rama's wife in the Hindu epic Ramayana). During festivals, when vignettes from the Ramayana are re-enacted, it almost feels as if the ancient myth has come to life. If you can overcome its bewildering tangle of streets, Janakpur is packed with worthwhile sights including temples, pilgrim hostels and tiny sacred ponds. On the city's outskirts is the Janakpur Women's Development Centre, a must-see if you're interested in traditional painting and ceramics or the role of women in local society.Beautiful Devghat and Lumbini, now confirmed as the birthplace of Buddha, are also important devotional sites in the Terai.GorkhaGorkha is a hill bazaar and the ancestral home of the Shah dynasty which rules Nepal today. It is from here that King Prithvi Narayan Shah started his conquest of the country's various tiny kingdoms and unified them into a single nation, Nepal. Perched one thousand feet above Gorkha Bazaar, the palace dominates the surroundings and is visible from all around the area. It is regarded as a holy shrine by many and from here, visitors can get fantastic views of lush green valleys and the Himalaya beyond. The palace also boasts beautiful architecture.TansenIf you are thinking which place in this kingdom would give them a taste of everything, we suggest Tansen. Tansen is a small town of around twenty thousand people. It is on the way from Pokhara to Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, and it is not too far from the Royal Chitwan National Park. Situated 4,300 meters above sea level, on the south flank of Srinagar Hill, the greatest attractions of this town are its ancient culture, friendly people, excellent mountain views, and, above all, its serene atmosphere. The weather remains moderate throughout the year, and it is a pleasant place to visit in any season.LumbiniTwenty five hundred years ago , Shakyamuni Buddha was born in Lumbini, in southern Nepal. Since his time, Nepal has been a sacred ground for Buddhists as the birthplace of the Buddha. Lumbini is a small town in the southern Terai plains of Nepal, where the ruins of the old city can still be seen. Besides its religious and historical significance, Lumbini offers cultural insights into the village life of southern Nepal.Royal Chitwan National ParkTerai of Nepal possesses a beauty that's totally unexpected in a country known mainly for soaring snow-covered mountains. Royal Chitwan National Park is considered to be one of Asia's finest national parks popular for dense concentration of wildlife and its top class tourist lodges, which provide the opportunity to see animals in their natural environment. The main attractions are the Bengal tigers and the one horned rhinoceros, but there are also leopards, blue sheep, huge buffalo called gaur and two types of crocodile. The most popular way of viewing the animals is taking an elephant ride which hasthe advantage of getting you more in touch with the natural setting. Royal Bardia National Park Bardia is another good alternative to Chitwan in case you want to be more in wilderness. But Bardia is way out in far western Nepal, so you need to have a bit of time and its not easily accessible like Chitwan. You either need to take a long drive by local bus or an hour flight to Nepalgunj and then around 4 hrs drive to the Lodge. Similar to Chitwan but drier and more remote, it encompasses 1,000 square km of riverine grassland and sal forests. Bardia has the country's second largest tiger population, also you can find blackbuck antelopes, a few wild elephants, plenty of birds and mammals, and some rare gangetic dolphins in the Karnali river on it s western border. The park got more peaceful atmosphere then chitwan due to its relative isolation. Koshi Tappu Wildlife ReserveFor birds lovers Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve can be described as a paradise. Over 350 species of birds including ibises, storks, egrets, herons, swamp partridges and Bengal floricans are found here. Koshi Tappu is easily reached by the East West Highway, which runs along the edge of the reserve. The vegetation here is mainly wetland grassland, scrub and deciduous forests. The reserve is unique for its wild arna buffaloes. Other mammals are the hog deer, wild boar, spotted deer and blue bull. Also the endangered gharial, marsh crocodile and Gangetic dolphin are also recorded in the Koshi river. Exploration is best done on foot or in a small boat so as not to disturb them.