First Stop: Kathmandu

My first impression of Nepal was before I even landed. Flying into the city the captain apologised that we were too early for our designated arrival time and subsequently flying circles around while we waited for runway space to land. What a flight this was, treated to extraordinary mountain views like nothing I’ve seen before. Snowy peak after snowy peak and the beat of glee shared by the whole plane .. “is that Everest..?!”

Travel tip: Try to fly in/ out of Kathmandu during daylight. And get a window seat

The airport when I arrived was chaotic but in the perfectly functioning sense. Busy, but queues moved fast. Visa paperwork to complete at least 3 different desks, but it somehow made sense. I arrived with nothing but left the airport with luggage, a local mobile sim, some Nepalese rupees and a taxi voucher. Even better the whole process was easy and relatively painful free.

As I exited the airport I was kindly directed to the appropriate taxi rank and it was there I felt my first experience of Nepal really started. Before we had even left the airport we well waved down by what transpired to be the taxi driver’s friend requesting a lift. Of course. Some brief pleasantries, a compulsory advertising of his tourist company and we were off. Nepal traffic is something different; no traffic lights, no stop signs, and lanes that appear to be optional. I have no idea how the driver navigated the disorder but he was clearly an expert in the Nepalese road rules. Something I think that can only be gained by a lifetime of experience.

Thamel: My Love/hate relationship

After the initial excitement of Kathmandu, I started to feel a bit jaded. Walking around the streets of Thamel (main tourist area) everything started to look the same.. shop after shop filled with knock-off trekking gear. Sure, some shops were clearly better quality than others but all in all they were much the same. The streets were an enticing blast of car horns, motorbikes and squished tourists trying to find their way on a non existent pavement. After three days I was glad to leave, my next hotel in a different area.

I did not expect that barely one day later, I was already missing the mayhem of the streets. Yes it was nice to be reunited with pavement but I missed the buzz and liveliness of the tourist area.

Travel tip: If you’re in Kathmandu, stay in Thamel. You might love it, you might hate it, but it’s an experience.

Nepal Temples

Sadly the temples were the real let down of Nepal ( controversial I know). The first Durbar square was impressive, but then I realised that they all started to look very similar. The architecture was impressive, and it’s crazy to think how they possible made it so long ago without any modern tools, but there wasn’t much variety. Sure, the carvings were different, and they were impressively intricate. But dare I say it, it made me miss the variety of London architecture! A city I once had little interest in is becoming more and more loved the more of the world I see.

My biggest Upset

My biggest upset was with Pashupatinath temple. This is a national heritage site, the biggest Hindu temple in Nepal. Hindus travel from all over the world, likely spending a significant amount of their life savings to reach the temple, yet when you get there you are felt hurried and rushed; security guards telling you to move on before one can possibly have had time to pay their respects. Yes, there are other smaller nooks and crannies where you can spend as long as you want, but I know that if my main reason to visit Nepal was to visit this temple, I would have left very dissatisfied.

My biggest Suprise

My biggest surprise was the Buddhist Stupas. Perhaps because I’ve never seen anything like them but I loved them. Large, white stupas ( I don’t know how else to describe them), with painted on Buddhist eyes. We visited the Boudhanatha Stupa immediately after the Pashupatinath temple. The stupa is the largest stupa in Nepal and the holiest Buddhist temple outside Tibet. However, the vibe between this and the Hindu temple couldn’t be more different. I felt calm and welcomed, enjoying the experience despite the pouring rain.

Travel tip: Make time to spend a few days in Kathmandu. Taxi is the easiest way to travel around, although it hit and miss whether you will enjoy the ride

Pokhara

Pokhara. Stepping stone to many treks, and for us the trek to Annapurna Base camp. A clear winner over Kathmandu- better food, better prices and better views. That said the views were non existent for three days we spent there visiting viewpoints ( ah the irony) because of the pollution. Hazy skies were all we were treated to. Fortunately we were lucky enough to have perfect weather for our hike so at least I didn’t drag myself up a mountain for nothing.

Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) Hike

Annapurna base camp was one of the best hikes I have done. The views are spectacular and the mountains are gigantic. I’m fortunate enough to have done lots of hiking in New Zealand and Patagonia but the scale of the Annapurna range is like nothing I have seen before. I can say with certainty that I have never been so close to such a monster of a mountain.

Fortunately, the views more than made up for the food. On one hand I am full of respect for the locals; they carry everything I am eating up the mountain! On the other hand, none of the food tasted particularly great. Perhaps because the menu is so extensive. How can anyone cook so many options well?! Let alone someone who is in a small hut on the top of a mountain!

The porters and guides stuck to their beloved Dal Baat for every meal and perhaps I should have joined them; “Dal bhat power, 24 hour, no toilet, no shower” was the catchy phrase the locals came up with to summarise hiking life.

Dal Bhat Power. 24 Hour. No toilet, no shower

Food complaints aside, I can’t recommend the Annapurna Base Camp hike enough. The tea houses have no insulation, the weather has a tendency to cloud over and the steps are enough for a lifetime. But it’s worth it.

Can I recommend Nepal?

Yes. For now. The hiking is great and if that what you’re there for, you wont be disappointed. But in 5 years time? Nepal needs to act soon to reduce its pollution because the tourist attractions ARE the viewpoints. If you can’t see the mountains because of the pollution, I have to ask if Nepal is worth visiting? And sadly we had just too many hazy filled days.