Garden of Dreams

Lonely Planet review

Just two minutes' walk, but a million miles from Thamel is the beautifully restored Swapna Bagaicha, or Garden of Dreams, one of the most serene and beautiful enclaves in Kathmandu.

Field marshal Kaiser Shamser, whose palace the gardens complement, built the Garden of Dreams in the 1920s after a visit to several Edwardian estates in England, using funds won from his father in an epic Rs100,000 game of cowrie shells. The gardens and its pavilions suffered neglect to the point of collapse before they were lovingly brought back to life over a six-year period by the same team that created the Patan Museum.

There are dozens of gorgeous details in the garden, including the original gate, a marble inscription from Omar Khayam's rubaiyat, the new fountains and ponds, and a quirky 'hidden garden' to the south. Of the original four acres and six pavilions (named after the six Nepali seasons), only 1.2 acres and three pavilions remain.

A café is due to open in the Basanta (Spring) Pavilion and you can expect the gardens to be a prime site for cultural events and exhibitions.