Kathmandu

by Sophie · 4th March 2014

We initially liked Kathmandu a lot, especially in the tourist district, with merchandise from the shops spilling out onto the pavements – colourful cashmere clothing, pashminas, felt booties, bags of tea, shiny jewellery and yaks wool blanks. We visited at the start and at the end of our Nepal stint. By the end of our stay, we had started to notice the cracks, and changed our minds about it. Having spent more time there, we saw more of the bad side – so much litter, no pavements which resulted in near misses with motorbikes, mothers letting babies lie in dirt while begging, vicious monkeys, the most polluted river we have ever seen/smelt and smoggy dusty air. The air problem was the most obvious, especially after a stay in Pokhara. It was frustrating having seen other Nepali cities which worked better.

We paid to go the the Durbar square, and found that there was constant speedy traffic going through it, which made it dangerous to stop and look at the buildings, and it was it dirty, poor repair compared to Bhaktapur. We also visited the monkey temple. The atmosphere at the top was very nice, with lots of people hanging prayer flags and ringing bells. The view was worth the many steps to the top!

On the positive side, Kathmandu is where we experienced the best Nepali cuisine – Dahl Baht, Momos and grilled chicken. It also gave a real feel for what life is like for the thousands of Nepalese who live there – warts and all – no sweeping anything under the carpet for tourists. The city was buzzing with life and contradictions, colours and potential.

Kathmandu top tips:

Get shopping. Even if you don’t need anything, or just want to buy a grocery item, take the time to browse the array of local goods on offer in the tourist district. There are some real gems to be found.
Take a scarf – you may need it to protect those lungs, especially if you find yourself in a taxi with all the windows open!
Try some traditional food! We really liked Gaia restaurant, and were repeat customers.