Kathmandu Top 10

Ok, I'm going to step away from these scintillating itineraries while I wait for a couple of days for these (in)competent search engines like Yahoo!, Google, Bing, and MSN to finish indexing this site. Rather than bore YOU with the sticky details of my struggle with the "Mob Bosses of the Internet" (ok, that's mean, but I'm frustrated with them and they're multi-million dollar companies, so they can take a bit of criticism), I decided it would be better to come up with a top 10 list. Hey, everybody likes top 10 lists, right?

So, without further ado, here's a top-ten list for why you should visit Kathmandu:

10. The architecture. What can I say? It made the top 10 because there are some pretty cool buildings. Obviously the more specific ones are listed below (higher on the list!.) 

An example of architecture in Kathmandu

9. Thamel. This is the tourist's haven. You really shouldn't come to Kathmandu without spending at least a day in Thamel. There are restaurants, shops, street vendors, rickshaws, and more that will keep your head turning! Tip: Don't buy anything the first time you see it! Look around and you will find something similar. Haggling is the norm here too. Never agree to the first price, even if you think it's really cheap. More than likely, the first price is twice what it's worth!

One of the main streets in Thamel.

8. The nightlife. Believe it or not, there are some pretty hip places to chill after dark! Numerous bars and clubs have live bands, and you can go drink, dance, smoke hookah, etc. Check out some of the ex-pat bars in Thamel (I won't list any here because I can't list them all!)

Kathmandu at night

7. Durbar Square. One of the oldest places in Kathmandu, Durbar Square is still a gathering place where people can meet to sell their wares or have a cup of milk tea at one of the numerous hole-in-the-wall cafes. Their are many Nepali natives who would LOVE to give you a full oral history for a few hundred rupees! Go for it! I did and have to say it was worth the money to hear.

Durbar Square

6. Pashuputinath. Very cool Hindu temple. Foreigners are not allowed inside, but you can take pictures of it and the nearby Bagmati River, where people burn their dead. Holy men are everywhere here, but beware! If you take a picture of them they request money (same if they put a deeksha on you!) There are some neat trails to the east as well, and you might see some monkeys too!

Pashupati Temple

5. Swayambhunath Stupa. Believed to be built over 2500 years ago, this is one of the most sacred places in Kathmandu for both Hindu and Bhuddists. Also called the "Monkey Temple," you can see many monkeys and birds that come feed on the offerings.

Swayambhunath

4. Boudhanath Stupa. This is the largest Stupa built in Nepal, and probably one of the larger ones in Asia. It is located all the way on the eastern side of Kathmandu, but it's well worth a trip! Check out one of the restaurants on the top floors of some of the surrounding buildings to have an incredible view!

Boudhanath Stupa

3. The food. Okay, I had to put this one at number 3 because, quite frankly, I like food :-) Nepali food is traditionally dal bhat (lentils and rice), but in addition to that, there are mo-mo's, curries, sandheko, thukpa (Tibetan noodle soup), roti, samosas, and so much more! Nepal has a wonderful mix of Indian and Chinese food as well (being "sandwiched" between the two countries!) The best of the best, though, is the yak cheese! Try a yak cheese pizza - it's delicious!

Traditional Dal Bhat with mutton, ghee (like liquid butter), aloo (potatoes), pickle, veggies, and sauces!

2. The views. No matter where you go, in Kathmandu or outside the city, there will be amazing, breathtaking sights! Just a short hike to the NW will take you to rural areas where chicken farms and other types of agriculture are still run the old fashioned way. The different shades of green are astounding in the grassy hills. On a clear day, you can see the purple mountains in the distance far beyond the valley. And every day there is an exquisite sunset:

Sunset seen from Kathmandu
(That is Swayambhunath in the foreground.)

1. The people. Yes, the best I saved for last. Nowhere else on earth will you find people quite like the Nepali. Hundreds of years of Buddhism and thousands of years of Hinduism have created a culture of peace, hospitality, love, kindess, etc. The list could go on, but you get the point. Depsite being one of the poorest countries in the world (economically speaking), it is one of the richest in humanity and happiness. Nepli people will consistently invite you into their home and give you what you need, despite not having much themselves. It is the people that truly make this country my favorite in the world (in case you're wondering, I happen to be an American living in Nepal who works for First Environmental Trekking.)

The people are what make Nepal really special

So this wraps up my first "Top 10." I will be doing this occasionally, as I have close to 200 more travel itineraries to post for First Environmental Trekking and this is a nice change of pace, both for me and for you! Please feel free to leave comments/questions, or contact us at any of the methods listed below for more information!



Mailing Address:
First Environmental Trekking (P.) Ltd.
Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal
P.O.Box : 8056

Tel : + 977-1-4417343
        + 977-1- 4424346
Mobile: +977-9851038817
             +977-9851022303
Fax : + 977-1-4423855

E-mail : firstentrek@wlink.com.np
http://www.go2trek.com
http://www.firstetrek.com

Elephant polo in Nepal (Late Nov. to Early Dec.)

As you have seen by our previous posts, Nepal has number of adventure sports to enjoy. Elephant polo is one of the more rare adventures, and the is only one of its kind in Nepal. The World Elephant Polo Association (WEPA) organizes an annual Elephant polo tournament in the airfield of Meghauli Chitwan, southwest of Kathmandu, and north of the Indian border.


The World Elephant Polo Association (WEPA) was established in 1982, and has its headquarter at the Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge in Chitwan, Nepal. WEPA has also established the governing rules for the Elephant Polo Tournament.


Elephant polo is similar to regular polo (with a horse), but you can easily the big difference. A fast (at times), and exciting game, it is much like polo but with elephants and longer sticks. This is quite possibly the biggest sport in the world.


The game is played by four players of each team on a marked pitch 140 x 70 meters, using a standard size polo ball and consists of two 10-minute chukkers of playing time, with an interval of 15 minutes. The whistle blown by the referee stops and starts play. The pitch is marked with a center line, a circle with a radius of 15 meters in the center of the field, and a semi-circle with a radius of 30 meters measured from the centre of the goal line at either end of the pitch. Elephants and ends are changed at half time.


Teams participate from all over the world including Scotland, Thailand, England and Hong Kong. The local favorites, the Tiger Tops Tuskers, also take a part. After the day's play, all the players and guests have dinner in the Golghar, a traditional round house with a great bar.

Elephant Polo in Nepal runs from the last week of November through the first week of December.



Mailing Address:
First Environmental Trekking (P.) Ltd.
Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal
P.O.Box : 8056

Tel : + 977-1-4417343     
        + 977-1- 4424346
Mobile: +977-9851038817          
             +977-9851022303
Fax : + 977-1-4423855

E-mail : firstentrek@wlink.com.np
http://www.go2trek.com
http://www.firstetrek.com

Mountain biking in Nepal

Nepal offers some of the finest bike trails on Earth! There are virtually millions of tracks out there. Some people have even started calling Nepal a "Mecca for mountain biking." Until few years back, visitors came to Nepal mostly to trek, climb, and raft or to see the Tigers in the wild. Mountain biking in Nepal has been gaining much popularity among the adventure enthusiasts from around the world over the past few years. Fascinating mountain villages, nomadic lands, high passes, rugged and tough mountain terrain, winding rivers, rice fields, temples and monasteries as a backdrop of majestic snowy Himalayan peaks makes mountain biking trail in Nepal an exceptionally inspiring play ground for riders with any level of experience and fitness.

The best way to explore the Kathmandu Valley is on a mountain bike. Mountain biking offers an environmentally sound way of exploring the magnificent country, its landscape and the living heritage. Mountain biking is specially recommended if u wish to explore urban centers of Nepal such as Pokhara and Kathmandu as well as the countryside. This game is in advance for popularity because of the beauties of Himalayan ranges, terraces and the small settlements. One can bike in the ups and downs with the mountain range in the background.


We offer bike tours to Nepal, Tibet, Ladakh, Sikkim and Bhutan. Our tours are specially designed to take you deep into the culture and lifestyle of the local people and show you the best trails in the Himalayas, where most mountain bikers rarely get a chance to ride!


Mountain Biking routes in and around Kathmandu:


1)  Some of the regular routes that cover the valley are those which weave in and out of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan.




Day 01: Kathmandu (24 km/ 3-4 hours): Start from the nerve center of old Kathmandu, the Durbar Square, and wind your way up to holy Swambhu, also known as the monkey temple. Then ride up and over ring road, to say, kakani, and re-enter Kathmandu from the Northwest corner through terraced farmland and hamlets abandoned by time.



Day 2: Bhaktapur (30 km/ 4-5 hours): Begin at Thimi, the restored capital of Bhaktapur, and head up the tortuous road to Changu Narayan Temple and return via farming villages. Then head down to Pashupati along the bank of the Bagmati River, and finish up at a Buddhist shrine, the Bodh-nath stupa.



Day 3: Patan (51 km/8-9 hours): Start in Patan, winding your way through the maze of alleys with ornately-carved windows, taking in historical sites such as the Golden Temple, Krishna Temple, and Patan Durbar Square. Then head southeast past Ring Road to Panauti along a difficult off-road trail. Then return to Kathmandu via a paved road or the same trail. Alternatively, you could head off to Dakshinkali or Godavari.



Other outlying places popular with the enthusiasts are Nagarjuna, Nage Gompa, Tokha, Ichangu Narayan, Gomcha, Bungmati, Kakani, Dhulikhel and Nagarkot.




2) Hyangla Namsari Tour: 5 day


Day 01: Kathmandu to Nagarkot (38 km)
Your ride starts early after breakfast from Kathmandu, you pass medieval town of Bhaktapur. Bhaktapur is an ancient city presently full of Newari culture, many temples, and squares. After exploring Bhaktapur you head northeast to Nagarkot on pitch road. We slowly climb 20 km to Nagarkot passing steeply terraced rice fields and houses. When we reach on the top, if weather permit, we will be able to see the Himalayan range of Langtang and Khumbu region. You stay overnight in a hotel in Nagarkot.



Day 02: Nagarkot - Namo Buddha- Dhulikhel (35 km)
You eat breakfast with sunrise views over the Himalayas. After you ride downhill leaving Nagarkot top to Nala other Newari Village. On the way you pass some interesting villages of Chetri and Bharamans people and their daily lives on the fields. Then you leave for Dhulikhel on a dirt trail climbing and descending small hill before reaching the holy Buddhist site of Namo Buddha. According to legend it was here that Buddha, in a previous incarnation, fed his flesh to a hungry tigress as an offering. A stone statue marks the site; there is an active monastery on top of the hill. You follow the picturesque view along tarmac and dirt roads back to Dhulikhel. You spend a night at Dhulikhel. Enjoy the beautiful sunrise in the morning.



Day 03: Namo Buddha to Pauwa - Timal Danda (36 km)
After breakfast, the trip begin to famous Timal Danda, where a majority of the Tamang people live. The first part of the riding up to Bhakunde Besi is on a fine pitched road. From there, you start up-hill on a dusty road up to Timalcot. From top of the Timal Danda you will see fantastic views of Himalyan range and Sun koshi river valley to north and south to Mahabharat range. Once you are on top the trip follows will small up and downs and passes many Tamang village up to Pawa.


Day 04: Pauwa to Dhulikhel (37 km)
Ride starts after breakfast with Himalayan views on the north side. Return same trial up to Timalkot. From Timalcot will take a fantastic downhill dust road to Panchal valley. You cross a small river called Ghue Khola and follow the small track of Valley up to Tinpiple of Tamaghat. You continue upto Dhulikhel. You stay overnight at a hotel in Dhulikhel.



Day 05: Dhulukhel to Kathmandu via Lubhu Sisneri (33 km)
Final day of ride passing ancient city of Panauti. This is less known town rarely visited by tourists. Indreswor Mahadev Temple in Panauti is the oldest surviving temple in Nepal, believed to be constructed in 1294A.D. Climbing west; you follow small track along the Roshi River. Beyond the town of Madhuban, you enter into a narrow pristine valley ascending 300m on superb trail to reach the summit of Lakhuri Bhanjyang. This is probably the oldest route east out of Kathmandu Valley, connecting the ancient cities of the valley with Panauti. The ethnicity of the people change as you descend from Tamangs, Thakuries and Chhetris to lowland Newari farmers. You then cycle the last part of our journey from Sisneri to Kathmandu city with short visit to Patan Durbar Square.



Please don't hesitate to contact us for more information on custom made tours! We can bike to numerous locations and can make a trip for a day or two, up to a month or so! Whatever your adventerous spirit desires, we can satiate it!


Mailing Address:
First Environmental Trekking (P.) Ltd.
Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal
P.O.Box : 8056

Tel : + 977-1-4417343     
        + 977-1- 4424346
Mobile: +977-9851038817          
             +977-9851022303
Fax : + 977-1-4423855

E-mail : firstentrek@wlink.com.np
http://www.go2trek.com
http://www.firstetrek.com