Incredible Nepal - Beyond Kathmandu

Mountaineers’ Mecca and former hippie hangout. A fabulous architectural heritage and the world’s nicest people. Above all, the grace of the Buddha. Welcome to Nepal!

Like capitals of most developing countries, Kathmandu is in a hurry to catch up, so traffic gridlocks, touts and pollution are par for the course. Explore its cobbled back alleys for the feel of a more gracious era. Then hit the road out to discover another Nepal.

Pokhara Valley Pokhara, about 6-8 hours by surface from Kathmandu, is admittedly touristy. That doesn’t take away from the jaw-dropping perfection of Mt, Machhapuchhare, rearing above Phewa Tal, Nepal’s second largest lake. Pokhara is where mountaineers stock up on supplies before setting off into the Annapurna Range. When you’re done browsing through the cheerfully cluttered bazaar selling Buddhist bric-a-brac, there’s plenty to do.

Hop into a rowboat on Phewa Tal – the limpid surface is a perfect mirror for the great Annapurna Range. Visit the island temple sacred to Goddess Ajima at the centre of the lake. From the southern lake shore, you can trek up to the Japanese-built World Peace Stupa for priceless views of the Himalayas.

Tiny Pokhara has a surprisingly large number of museums showcasing mountaineering and natural history as well as local culture. Varahi Mandir, sacred to Lord Vishnu is an 18^th century, pagoda-style structure The Gupteshwar Mahadev Cave houses a stalagmite lingam. A little outside Pokhara is Patale Chhahgo or Devi’s Falls.

If you’re not up to long treks, take an easier one to Sarangkot, northwest of Pokhara – the sweeping views of Dhaulagiri to the west, Annapurna II in the east and the symmetrical perfection of Machhapuchhare are an experience beyond words.

Lumbini Your trip to Nepal would be incomplete without visiting Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautama Buddha. At the centre of Lumbini is the Maya Devi Temple, marking the precise place where the Buddha was born as Prince Siddhartha in 563 B.C.. A pillar in the surrounding gardens is attributed to Emperor Ashoka who commissioned it to mark his visit. All around are the excavated ruins of innumerable monasteries and stupas.

Bhaktapur Cobbled roads, dreaming courtyards, temples, wells and best of all – no traffic! Bhaktapur, Nepal’s third most important town is a heritage lover’s joy. Walk through the streets to see age old traditions that live on in vibrant artisan communities. Life moves at a gentle pace, as it has for centuries. Women go about their daily chores, drying rice in the sun, water buffaloes wallow in the town’s pond and children play in the mellow sunlight. Modernity has had a benevolent impact on Bhaktapur – a German-financed town development project in the 1970s paved dirt roads, helped restore buildings and laid down a new sewerage and wastewater treatment system.

In this delightfully unhurried town, you’re never too far away from a temple. Many of these fine old structures were destroyed in the massive earthquake of 1934.. The imposing Dattatreya Temple, built in 1427 is believed to have been constructed with wood from just one tree, a common Nepali tradition. Besides the Hindu temples, look out a small Shiva-Parvati shrine close to Durbar Square with quaintly erotic carvings of elephants and other animals!

Chitwan National Park When you’ve exhausted temple-hopping, hit the highway to Chitwan National Park in south central Nepal. Sprawled over 632 sq km in the Inner Terai lowlands, Chitwan encompasses a unique, diverse ecosystem of deciduous and riverine forests and floodplains of three rivers – the Narayani, Rapti and Reu – covered with tall, rippling, elephant grass.

Chitwan is best known as a sanctuary for the Asian one-horned rhino, an endangered species. It is also home to a large population of Royal Bengal tigers, diverse deer species, wild boar, sloth bear and a host of smaller creatures. With 450 bird species, Chitwan is equally a birdwatcher’s joy. Woodpeckers, red-headed trogons and hornbills are local residents; migratory visitors like bareheaded geese, pintails, Brahminy duck and waterfowl can be seen in winter. Summer visitors include the beautiful paradise flycatcher and parakeets.

There are several upscale lodges inside the forest, while budget accommodation is available in Sauraha, a town nearby. Among the wildlife spotting options are elephant-back safaris and canoe rides on the ethereal rivers. Give yourself sufficient safari time, at least 2-3 days, to maximise your chances of seeing enough wildlife.  Oh, and do cover up well while in the forest – there’s a large leech population waiting!

Short on wealth, rich in beauty, heritage and spirituality, Nepal is a destination that will have you coming back for more.

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