Kathmandu Travel Guide

Introduction

Most of the country’s ethnic groups are represented in the valley, particularly in Kathmandu itself, but it is the Newars, the original inhabitants, who deserve credit for the growth and the impressive art and architecture in the city.

Kathmandu itself is really two cities: a legendary capital of friendly pilgrims and carved rose-brick temples and a chaotic sprawl of modern high-rises, packed with beggars and monkeys and choked in diesel fumes.

Originally the Holy Grail at the end of the hippy overland trail from Europe, Kathmandu has long attracted travellers seeking enlightenment. Today, Hippies are more of the wannabe kind, rubbing shoulders with trekkers and adventure seekers sporting the latest survival clothing, as well as affluent tourists visiting Nepal in style.

Many of Kathmandu’s dazzling temples and palaces were built during the Malla Dynasty from the 13th to 18th centuries, when three kingdoms in the Kathmandu valley strived to compete with each other to sponsor more and more lavish projects.

Visitors bent on shopping often go to Thamel, the tourist quarter where bargains abound in the shape of pashminas, garments, gems, and handicrafts. You will find a maze of upmarket stores selling art, antiques, carpets and clothes at the Bahar Mahal Revisited Complex, a previous Rana Palace close to the Singh Durbar government offices in the south-eastern area of Kathmandu.

Not many airlines offer direct flights to Kathmandu, but several European and Middle-Eastern airlines change at a hub airport in Western Europe or the Gulf. Another option is via India, with a transfer to a local carrier in Delhi or Kolkata. It’s easy to travel between Nepal and India by bus, but travellers have to change buses at the border.

In 2001, tragedy struck when Crown Prince Dipendra gunned down his father, King Birendra, ruler since 1972, along with nine other members of the royal family. In September 2005, the Communist Party of Nepal declared an end of hostilities and quiet optimism can now be felt among all levels of society in Kathmandu.