Top things to do

A neat, clean little place up a quiet lane above Dharamkot's main street, with cushion or chair seating and well-done dishes ranging from Indian staples to momos, hummus, baba ganoush or toasted sandwiches, and teas…

The favourite evening gathering place for the Dharamkot crowd, with a large terrace where you can eat burgers, wraps, Italian, Israeli or Indian, or just have a drink and play cards. Or you can go inside to the two …

Polish-run Space Out is a space to relax on floor cushions beneath mural-daubed walls and enjoy good couscous, Thai curries, pasta, vegie burgers or whatever else is chalked up on the board.

In the awesomely kitsch Vashnu Mata Temple, 200m up from the main road in Bhagsu, you access the inner grotto through a concrete lion's mouth and emerge via the jaws of a crocodile.

Bhagsu's small, 16th-century Shiva temple attracts many Indian visitors. In front of it is a cold, clean, spring-fed, open-air public swimming pool.

Handy spot beside Dharamkot's autorickshaw stand for a tea or snack (sandwiches, pancakes, parathas, omelettes...).

From the Shiva temple it's a 1km walk along a valley path to Bhagsu waterfall, most impressive during the monsoon.