Kathmandu city - The Kathmandu Valley
Kathmandu Valley NEPAL
The most complete travel guide to the Kathmandu Valley! 174 pages of personally researched & locally updated information Accommodation & restaurant reviews Photographs of every temple listed Easy to follow maps
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Kathmandu city - The Kathmandu Valley
KATHMANDU VALLEY
“When you love a country you want others to experience & love it as much as you do ... with passion.”
About this guide This guide book is the result of my many return trips to Nepal over the best part of a decade. Plus on the ground research by me, input by real travelers and constant updates from a local team in Nepal. Written in 2015, every hotel & restaurant here had been personally visited with no knowledge by the owners about the review. I paid for everything personally so everyone can get a fair review. On a tight budget? No worries I’ve visited all the budget guest houses listed here that are still in good condition and reviewed them personally.
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Looking to splurge for a weekend away? Yep, covered. The best online hotel rates have been dutifully researched for you here along with the nicest places to stay.
I’ve color-coordinated the maps and walked to all the destinations listed personally to ensure their ease of use. Let me know what you think as it’s important that they work well for you too!
Copyright All the text and photographs here are copyright © www.thelongestwayhome.com Maps are © OpenStreetMaps Contributers and licensed under the Open Data Commons Open Database License (ODbL)
Feedback Have you read this book and been to Kathmandu Valley? I would welcome your feedback on both. Be it your own hotel review, restaurant review, new attraction, transport details or whatever you’d like to say. Good or bad, let me know - dave@thelongestwayhome.com In the next edition, I’ll make sure to add your name (if you want) to a contributors section.
Let’s get to it! Finally, the most important thing I want is for you to take this guide book and get the most out of your trip to Nepal. So get reading & enjoy! Dave -i-
About
Maps
Kathmandu City - The Kathmandu Valley
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE It’s easy ...
This guide can be read in Adobe Reader. However, if you are reading on an Android-based tablet or phone I recommend you read this book by using Foxit MobilePDF (best for interactive links) or Mantobo reader (best for notes). Both are free applications. On Apple-based devices it works great with iBooks which is also free to download. No matter which app you use to read this PDF it has been written for your ease of use. There’s nothing much to it if you are used to navigating PDF documents. If you’re not, don’t worry! There are only three steps to keep in mind that will help a little more.
EASY NAVIGATION b
At the side of each page is a small colored rectangle that displays what section of the book you are currently on - in this case “Introduction”.
Introduction
If at anytime you want to flick back to the main table of contents then just click the b icon. If you see a , icon next to a temple’s name and description clicking it should take you to the subject’s map page location. Likewise A & @ icons will help you skip and go back to sections on the walking tour of the area. Clicking image thumnails on maps should take you to their description. If this does not work for you then please try a different PDF reader. Each PDF reader works a little differently on each system, something I have no control over. I’ve tested it on as many as I feasibly can.
ACCOMMODATION REVIEWS All accommodation listed here has been personally visited and reviewed. No payments or freebies were given in exchange. I pay my own way so everyone can get an honest review. When you read the accommodation sections you might see two types of link after each review. One points to a full in-depth review that I’ve written online. Click it to read more about that specific accommodation and learn more about it. You’ll need internet for that one! Alternatively, if you are happy with just reading the shorter review here and would like to see the live prices of a room or to book straight away then you can do just that by clicking “book now”. Again, you’ll need internet access to do this. Cheap room rates: I have spent a lot of time finding you the best (cheapest) rooms available in established accommodation with experienced booking partners like Booking.com, Agoda & many more. There are rough prices mentioned at the end of each review so you can get a good idea beforehand. Finally, I’d like you to use this book to enjoy your trip to the Kathmandu Valley. Just about everything you need to make your journey to the “Ancient Valley” a great one is right here in your hands now. All that’s left is for you to go and enjoy this great place!
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Kathmandu city - The Kathmandu Valley
THE KATHMANDU VALLEY Contents How to use this Guide.........................................................ii
HISTORY .......................................................................1 Kathmandu Valley Itineraries .............................8 Festivals .................................................................. 10 Weather .................................................................. 12 What to pack .......................................................... 13 Electricity issues ................................................. 14 Money ....................................................................... 15 Visa information, fees & forms ......................... 15 Food & eating out ................................................. 17
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Kathmandu City ...................................................... 21 HISTORY .................................................................... 21
Contents
The Kathmandu Valley ...........................................1
Kathmandu City TODAY .................................................... 23 Thamel ..................................................................... 24 Shopping in Thamel .............................................. 26 Accommodation in Thamel ................................. 29 Accommodation in Paknajol .............................. 31 Restaurants in Thamel ........................................ 32 South of Thamel (old city to Durbar Square) ......... 35 Kathmandu Durbar Square............................................. 40 Kathmandu Durbar Square (Part I) .................. 41 Kathmandu Durbar Square (Part II) ................. 43 Kathmandu Durbar Square (Part III) ............... 46 Inside the Royal Palace (Hanuman Dhoka) ................ 50 Freak Street & The Southern City Markets ............... 55 Accommodation in south Kathmandu ............. 59 Restaurants in Freak street ............................. 59 East of Thamel (Durbar Marg) ...................................... 60
Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple) ................. 63 History of Swayambhunath................................. 64 Visiting Swayambhunath Today......................... 65 Accommodation near Swayambhunath ............ 70 Restaurants near Swayambhunath .................. 71 - iii -
This book is © copyright of www.thelongestwayhome.com This book is for personal non-commercial usage only. It may not be sold, reproduced or distributed in any part whatsoever without prior permission from the original publisher www.thelongestwayhome.com. All photographs contained within this book are copyright www. thelongestwayhome.com & permission must be obtained from the copyright holder prior to any public usage of any photograph contained within this book. The information provided in this book is provided “as is,” with no implied warranties or guarantees. v1.0 2015
Kathmandu Valley - Nepal
SHOPPING IN Swayambhunath .............................. 71
Boudhanath (Boudha) ......................................... 73 HISTORY .................................................................... 73
VISITING THE STUPA TODAY................................................. 75 ACCOMMODATION IN BOUDHANATH ....................... 80 RESTAURANTS AND CAFES ........................................ 82
Pashupatinath
......................................................................85
Pashupatinath Temples (Part I) ......................... 87 Pashupatinath Temples (Part II)........................ 90 Restaurants in Pashupatinath .......................... 93 GETTING THERE AND AWAY ...................................... 94
Where to see Mount Everest from Kathmandu ......... 95
Contents II
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Activities Preparing for a trek ....................................................... 97 Kayaking & Rafting ........................................................ 100 Bungy Jumping .................................................................. 100 Tibet overland tours .................................................... 101 Best things to buy in Kathmandu ............................... 102 Shipping things home from Kathmandu ........ 105 buying a sim card ................................................ 105 Getting around Kathmandu City ............................... 106 GETTING THERE AND AWAY ................................................ 106
Patan ............................................................................ 111 Visiting PATAN TODAY ...................................................... 112 Patan Durbar Square ..................................................... 113 Patan Durbar Square Temples (part I) ........... 114 Patan Durbar Square Temples (part II) .......... 116 North Patan ..................................................................... 118 West Patan ........................................................................ 122 South Patan ...................................................................... 124 Accommodation in Patan .................................. 127 Restaurants ......................................................... 128 SHOPPING IN PATAN ................................................ 130 GETTING THERE AND AWAY ................................................ 130 Where to next? .................................................... 131 - iv -
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Kathmandu Valley - Nepal
Bhaktapur .................................................................. 132
Visiting Bhaktapur TODAY ................................ 133
Temples Outside Bhaktapur Durbar Square ............ 134 Bhaktapur Durbar Square ........................................... 135 Bhaktapur Durbar Square temples (part i) . 135 Bhaktapur Durbar Square temples (part II) .140 Handicraft street to pottery square .......... 142 Pottery square (Bolachha Tol) ................................. 143 Taumadhi Tole (Taumadhi Square) ............................. 145 Taumadhi Tole to Dattatreya Square ............ 148 Dattatreya Square (Tachapal Tol) ............................. 149
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east bhaktapur ............................................................... 152 Accommodation in Bhaktapur ........................ 154 Restaurants ......................................................... 156 SHOPPING IN Bhaktapur ...................................... 158
GETTING THERE AND AWAY ................................................ 158 Where to next? .................................................... 159 Kailashnath Mahadev Statue ..................................... 160 GETTING THERE AND AWAY .................................... 160 Restaurants in Kailashnath Mahadev ......... 161
Nagarkot..................................................................................... 162 Things to do in Nagarkot...............................................163 Restaurants in Nagarkot ................................. 165 GETTING THERE AND AWAY .................................... 166
Learning more Volunteering in The Kathmandu Valley ................... 167 Culture in The Kathmandu Valley ............................. 167 Religion & Faiths in The Kathmandu Valley ............ 168 The Caste System ............................................................. 168 Basic Nepalese .................................................................. 170 www.thelongestwayhome.com
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Contents iii
Kathmandu Valley - Nepal Health & Safety .............................................................. 171 Emergency Contacts ...................................................... 171
Contents iv
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