Travel Guide | Asia

Kathmandu – Four Days Restoring Body & Soul

“To Kathmandu? For a weekend?”

“Well, not exactly a weekend; four or five days...”

Travel to Kathmandu, Nepal

It did seem a little indulgent but as the date drew nearer we all looked forward to our trip to this fascinating country, I had visited over 20 years before. In the late 80’s my husband and I were backpacking, staying in hostels, and totally drawn in by the still-very hippy city, where Buddhism and Hinduism beliefs peacefully cohabit, dominating the everyday lives of the Nepalese.

This trip was multi-purpose; a taster for my son and his friend to see a very different side of life, for my Asiaphile friend and I a chance to soak in the sights of temples and stupors, people-watching and of course fabulous shopping, and we had also contacted a local orphanage, and arranged to take supplies and collected clothes and toys for the children; quite a lot to get through in four days.

Our first pleasant surprise was the easy transfer through Sharjah airport. We had booked flights on a budget airline and heard bad reports of long queues but had no problems at all flying out, or returning. We also had as standard, a generous 30kg luggage allowance each, hence the eight bags checked in for four of us; 30kg luggage for four and 80kg for the orphanage. On arriving in Kathmandu, we were through the airport within twenty minutes and, whisked through the bustling streets of the city, arrived at our hotel five minutes later.

The Dwarika Hotel (www.dwarikas.com) is somewhere between a cultural heritage centre and a boutique hotel, tastefully decorated and managed to delight the most seasoned 5 star traveller. It is named after its founder, Dwarika Das Shrestha who, in 1952, observed workers in his neighbourhood, sawing off intricately carved wooden pillars to use as firewood. His actions that day, preserving the ancient carpentry (in exchange for new wood), were to mark the start of a life’s work, honouring the work of his compatriots, salvaging arts and crafts dating back to the 13th century. Still family run, these stunning artefacts are tastefully deployed within the backdrop of a modern, stylish hotel. The ethos to support and maintain the Nepalese culture remains and the family are involved in many outreach programmes and restoration projects. We had been in Kathmandu less than an hour and were Travel to Kathmandu, Nepal

already, charmed by this oasis of calm in the heart of the city.

We had arranged our tour and tour guide through Kathmandu Travels & Tours (www.kttgroup.com) for the duration of our stay, and we were pleased we had booked the air conditioned bus as it was quite humid (better than Dubai in June of course... think more, April...). Our very knowledgeable guide was to add greatly to our visit, explaining much of local life and culture, and some of the recent political intrigue and its effects on the Nepalese.

It’s worth mentioning that before we booked we had looked up press and Embassy warnings re political unrest in the city and decided not to be put off by the few articles referring to (peaceful) demonstrations. We saw no sign of any problems, and locals dismissed any concerns; much like the popular view of living in The Middle East, from the outside looking in, is largely inaccurate. We read warnings of bag-snatching, as you might fo Travel to Kathmandu, Nepal

r any city, and we were careful how we carried valuables but not unduly so, and at no point did we feel threatened. As you would find anywhere in Asia, the children (aged 12) were greeted with great interest and kindness. For them, it was an “awesome” holiday.

We’d arrived Tuesday 1.30pm and after a light snack, headed out with our driver and guide. First stop, Durbar Square where the boys were drawn to hawkers displaying their wares – singing bowls, jewellery, walking canes and other interesting tat! We moved on to the temples in the square with the (to Western eyes) somewhat bizarre Hindu deities and constant stream of devotees making offerings to them.

Every-day, Nepalese life teemed around us, with the Gods very much an integral part of it all. We visited the home of The Living Goddess – the Kumari – a six year old girl chosen three years ago from many contenders, greatly honouring her family. The Kumari is only allowed to leave the house for ceremonial duties when she is carried through the town on a litter.

As a Living Goddess, the Kumari’s gaze brings good fortune and we were therefore lucky indeed when she came to the window, looking down at the Travel to Kathmandu, Nepal

assembled crowd before turning and running back into the house. When she reaches puberty, she will return to her family home and another Kumari will be chosen. During the week she receives visitors; she has a tutor and other children are brought to play with her. Of course it’s very strange to western eyes and watching this tot watching us... it is indeed a life apart.

Next stop the much anticipated (small boys!) ‘monkey temple’: Swayambhunath Stupa. This is a stunning Bhuddist temple high on a hill overlooking Kathmandu valley, where followers take great solace from spinning the prayer wheels and making offerings. The monks, young and old, were happy to interact with the boys and pose for photographs. The ubiquitous hawkers offered a further Travel to Kathmandu, Nepal

array of treasures and I’m pleased to say we resisted purchasing the silver & brass plated sheep skull.

The boys did buy topis – the local hats – much to the delight of our waiters, later that night at dinner, who seemed much amused by our little Nepali boys. The international menu offered a wide choice, to suit all tastes, and there’s no need to go into detail; everything was excellent!

Day 2

The next day was a full day of site seeing with our guide, starting in Patan. Barely out the van, we were spotted by a bevy of women selling jewellery and they followed us for the next hour or so just to ensure we didn’t need more than the ten we’d bought within the first twenty minutes. The going rate for haggling is the same as much of Asia – divide by three and meet them somewhere in between.

You’ll always get a better deal if you’re prepared to walk away and if they don’t run after you, then you know you’ve pushed too far. Patan is the home of one of the best museums in the region; awash with stunning artefacts all labelled in English in great detail – really interesting. It is housed in what used to be a royal palace and the garden cafe was a real find, ...as was the museum shop; hard to resist!

Travel to Kathmandu, Nepal

Bouddhanath Stupa was one of my favourite places visited. Ducking through a side street from a busy street, you discover a large square dominated by the circular Stupa, with a steady stream of devotees walking the rounds. Locals, monks, the elderly and infirm offer their prayers, and we found people to be open and ready to chat, as well as indulgent with the boys.

Surrounded on four sides by Bhuddism-dominated arts and crafts shops, it’s an interesting place to wander round. Throughout our trip, all stops turned out to be long ones, always mooching for more than the scheduled time, so should our guide and driver be reading this, thanks again for your patience!

Prior to departure we had been in touch with Sunrise Orphanage (www.scai.org.au), just outside Kathmandu city (ten minutes from Bouddhanath Stupa). We had been corresponding with co-founder, Emma Travel to Kathmandu, Nepal

Taylor who first got involved with volunteering in Kathmandu nine years ago, and two years later moved permanently from her native Australia to set up Sunrise.

The team now support over eighty children in house, and an outreach programme sponsoring school fees for over three hundred children in the vicinity. They also regularly take supplies to the neighbouring shanty town where they have set up a school for hundreds of children there.

So.... a great programme and we were delighted to meet with Emma, the team and the kids. Sunrise feels like a sunny, happy place. It’s a safe, secure environment and the children have a future; young teens graduating this year are going into nursing, and one has been accepted to join the British Army. They study hard and home routine is set around homework, meals, chores by rota and free time. They Travel to Kathmandu, Nepal

don’t have much but what they have is their own. Anyone heading to Kathmandu, interested in making donations, feel free to get in touch (Jane@ExpatWoman.com) for advice on what to take. Any arrangements need to be agreed with the staff at Sunrise direct. All were delighted with our 85 kilos of schools and hygiene supplies, old clothes, toys and books. We all enjoyed our time with the kids and will continue to support the orphanage through various programs.

Back at the hotel, we had booked the Nepalese buffet (in a beautiful setting) which comes as 6 course, 9 course, 12 course or 22 course options!! We went for the six and all struggled to finish. Top tip, try a little of everything but maybe don’t clear your plates on early courses!

Day 3

Is it really only day 3? We seem to have done so much already!

Free time; after breakfast we took a taxi to the New Palace; the scene of the massacre of the royal family in 2001, when the Crown Prince shot his parents and siblings before turning the gun on himself. We agreed for the taxi driver to wait for us, take us to Thani for some shopping and then back to the hotel – a half day booking for 1000 Nepalese Rupees (AED60). The New Palace decor is looking a little tired but is a fascinating insight to royal / diplomatic life in the 80s / 90s. The full tour walks you through reception rooms, formal seating and dining, the throne of course, many hunting trophies, photographs of dignitaries who have stayed there including Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip, and the bedrooms. There is also a macabre, cluedo-like floor plan of which royal died where. It was interesting and worth the visit for sure.

Thani is a bustling shopping area, recommended in all the guide books. We had an hour or so there and added some bits and pieces to our (now empty) cases. We didn’t have time to visit Kaiser Cafe which is run by Dwarika Hotels so promised to be good – on the list for next time.

Travel to Kathmandu, Nepal

Our guide collected us at midday and we set off for the hills. It was interesting for us all to watch urban life through the windows of the minibus whilst our driver steered around cars, rikshaws, bikes, people, dogs, cows and goats. As we got out to the villages, the scenery changed to the vivid green of the rice fields, farmed on steep terraces. Rural life is hard; clearly written on the weathered faces of the locals.

We arrived at Dwarikas Shangri-la, Dhulikhel (www.Dwarikas.com) early evening. It was raining and the mist was down so we declined the trek to nearby Namobuddha Monastry, in favour of relaxing in the hotel room whilst the boys ran off to explore. This retreat is in the process of being completely overhauled and developed as a spa resort – another one to add to our list for next time! This time, the outstanding view promised from the picture windows of our rooms, was to remain completely obscured. It was like being in a rain forest though. Totally peaceful but for the chirping of insects. Dinner was very good – just our party and another couple from..... Dubai!

Day 4

En route back to Kathmandu, we diverted to Bhaktapur, a beautiful old town lovingly restored; like arriving on a film set. Watching from the first floor vantage point of a cafe in the square, with the locals in traditional dress, you could imagine life not looking much different to how it was centuries before – admittedly the odd car passed through.

Wandering through the town we came across many craftsmen and women at work (carving, spinning.... ) and visited a papermill which had been founded as a UNESCO project to support women in the community. I am not mentioning all the temples and deities but they are so much of everyday life, you find something fascinating in every square. Village life was interesting for us all, as were the shops of course. By this time the boys had completely got the hang of bartering and we collected more and more bags of shopping – full of essentials ;-)

Back at the hotel we chose the Friday night barbeque, a very pretty setting on the terrace by the swimming pool. It was only then we spotted the spa which we hadn’t managed to fit into our whistle-stop tour but next time.... did I say that already?! Clearly going to have to go back!

Kathmandu is the perfect getaway for friends, couples, families with children of all ages – I would recommend going with someone else rather than alone purely because, with so much to take in, it’s nice to have someone to share it with.

Namaste.

Jane Drury for ExpatWoman.com
June 2011