Around the Kathmandu Valley
The fertile, mountain-sheltered Kathmandu Valley is the historic heart of Nepal, where the Himalaya's most sophisticated kingdoms rose and fell and where Nepali art and culture were developed and refined.
The fertile, mountain-sheltered Kathmandu Valley is the historic heart of Nepal, where the Himalaya's most sophisticated kingdoms rose and fell and where Nepali art and culture were developed and refined.
For many people, stepping off a plane into Kathmandu is an exhilarating shock - the sights, sounds and smells can quickly lead to sensory overload.
Popular trekking gateway with dramatic scenery and colourful Tibetan villages.
Patan (pa-tan) is separated from Kathmandu by the Bagmati River and is the second-largest town in the valley.
Hanging out in the plains might not be the first thing that comes to mind when visiting the world's most mountainous nation, but the Terai is a fascinating and varied place and most people see only a tiny fraction of it as they rush between the...
Bhaktapur, also known as Bhadgaon (pronounced bud-gown and meaning 'City of Rice') in Nepali, or Khwopa (City of Devotees) in Newari, is the third major town of the valley.
Bound by the winding Tribhuvan Hwy from Kathmandu to Hetauda and the dramatic Siddhartha Hwy from Pokhara to Butwal, the central Terai is far and away the most visited part of the plains.
On the eastern side of Kathmandu, just north of the airport and around 6km from Thamel, is Bodhnath (admission foreigner/SAARC Rs 50/20), home to one of the world's largest stupas.
As the historical birthplace of Gautama Siddhartha Buddha, Lumbini is one of the most important religious sites in the world.
Chitwan National Park has long been regarded as Nepal's third biggest attraction after trekking and the Kathmandu Valley.
The destinations in this area lie on four radial routes that branch off the southern Kathmandu Ring Rd like spokes from a wheel, making it hard to combine more than a couple of sites in one out-and-back trip.
Most travellers rush the journey between Kathmandu and Pokhara, missing some of Nepal's hidden gems.
Most travellers heading north from Sunauli to Pokhara follow the Mahendra Hwy to Narayangarh then the Prithvi Hwy from Mugling to Pokhara, but a more interesting route is the dramatic Siddhartha Hwy, which winds through a series of...
Bound by the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal, the eastern Terai is broadly a mirror image of the west.
The Mahendra Hwy runs west from Butwal to meet the Indian border at Mahendranagar, passing through one of the least developed parts of Nepal.
Godavari is not an especially interesting village but there are a number of places to visit in the area, such as the Godavari Kunda, Phulchowki Mai Temple and enjoyable walks to the giant Shanti Ban Buddha or shrine of Bishankhu Narayan.
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