Nepal- Where Earth meets Sky

The immensity of the Himalayas. White water rafting on the Seti Gandaki, Liam (age 9) learned how to kayak here! Our trek into Himalayas. Timeless wonder of Kathmandu...amazing.

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

With only road travel available, your limited to bus, no train. The busses are typical Asian oldies, but cheap and fun. If you want to get off the beaten track, you'll have to walk though, most villages are accesible ONLY by foot!

Finding good accommodation in Kathamndu is not hard, there's a good guest house on every corner. Cheapies can set you back $2 per night, and the expensive 'western style' hotels can cost over $100. For my mind the best place I've ever stayed (and I've stayed at quite a few!) is the Tibet Guest House in Chetrapathi. There are no road names or numbers in the Thamel area of Kathmandu, but most people will know where this is. Thamel, the main center for accommodations can be noisy and crowded, although there's certainly lots to do. Chetrapathi is about 2 blocks from Thamel so it's quiet, but a short hop to the restaurants, and closer to Durbar Square than Thamel- both good points. A good room with attached bath will set you back about $20, which is pricey for Kathmandu. This guest house is 6 storeys high, and we had a room on the roof, next to a lovely rooftop garden. The room had windows on 3 sides, and every morning we awoke to a panorama of the Himalayan peaks...well worth $20! If you fancy breakfast on the roof, some poor guy will run up all those stairs to bring it to you! The staff are wonderful, the rooms are spotless and the setting is convenient, a gem.

This was supposed to be a 2-day raft trip down the mid-level Seti Gandaki river. The rafting was great, but Liam (aged 9) decided to try his hand at kayaking and never got into the raft. Now having your child try this sport in a white water setting, 2 days' walk from the nearest phone is not recommended for your grey hair count! He'll remember this for the rest of his life though! You overnight in tents, and the guides cook dinner with a bit of help from some kids who appear from nowhere! It's fun cruising under swing bridges with kids beaming and laughing at you, passing dugout canoes and basically having fun. We met many nice people on this trip, some we keep in touch with still.

Actually the whole of Kathmandu is a World Heritage Site, but the crowning glory for meanderiing through history is Durbar (Royal) Square. This square is teaming with wonderful pagida-like temples in the newari style. the streets are cobblestone, and the sights are wonderful. This is NOT some museum-like site, people carry on their lives here, performing holy rites, buying vegetables, selling clothes and slaughtering the odd goat! This is a great place to while away hours sitting on the steps of the mighty Kasmandap temple. If you have one, bring your telephoto lense for some great photos. Sitting here you'll be swarmed by kids, and perhaps the 'odd' holy man, but relax, the people are very friendly. Soak in the sights and drift back in time.

It is so peaceful in the mountains, a view from every turn in the trail. You do have the feeling you've stepped back a century. The kids had a blast. We had to catch and carry a rooster to our overnight town for dinner, rooster curry! I would recommend getting a guide in pokhara. The trails are easy to follow, but a guide will show you so much more. Guides cost a few dollars a day, and they're worth it. You don't need to be in tip-top shape, but you'll sleep well after a full day of ups and downs!

Heading off to Nepal is NOT like heading off to Europe. Nepal is very welcoming to visitors, but there's a bit of planning involved!

If you are flying directly into Nepal, then you've got half the battle done! This is an easy way to enter the country, although the STEEP descent into Kathmandu can be a little unnerving!

If you're heading there from Inida, you have a few options to think about. The easy way is to fly from either Varanassi or Delhi. The flight from Delhi is about $150US one way, from Varanassi about $75Us one way. If you like your comfort or are on a schedule, this is THE way to go.

Not having been on a schedule we choose the butt numbing 2 day bus ride from Varanassi. This is fun, and only costs about $15, the scenery is great, and I would reccommend everyone do it...ONCE. We did fly back to Delhi, to do this trip twice is masochistic!

Nepal requires a VISA but you can get one at the airport or the border upon entry. You need 2 passport photos and somewhere between $30 and $50 US, cash only. The reason for this discrepancy is the mood of the guards seems to dictate the price! I got held at gunpoint at the border because our kids were included on our passports and they couldn't understand this, the guard was NOT in a good mood ! I finally managed to convince him,, but it cost me a few $ extra.

There are some medical concerns , be sure to check with a good travelers clinic well before heading off. we had tetanus, polio, hepatitis, typhoid and menengitis vaccinations. Most of Nepal is too high for mosquitos to live, so unless you're heading to the lowlands (the terai) then malaria medication is unneccesary. We packed syringes, just in case, as hospital cleanliness is less than good. Another thing to remember is that if you are heading on a trek, read up on Altitude Sickness, you don't have to be heading to the peak of Everest to experience symptoms! know what the signs are, head them, and watch your daily ascent/descent rate.

Nepal is poor, so don't expect luxury, but the people are WONDERFUL and will make your heart sing! (REALLY ) The scenery is THE BEST IN THE WORLD, so bring lots of film, and enjoy!