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Kathmandu, Pokhra Travel Guide
With half a million people, Kathmandu is Nepal's biggest and most cosmopolitan
city, a meeting place of a dozen ethnic groups, and the home town of the Newars.
Nepal's master craftsmen and traders extraordinaire. Trade indeed, created Kathmandu
for at least a thousand years it controlled the most important caravan route
between Tibet and India - and trade has always funded its Newar artisans. Little
wonder, perhaps that Kathmandu has so deftly embraced the tourist business.
Orientation and Arrival
Tradition has it that old Kathmandu was laid out in the shape of a khukuri knife.
Positioned at what would be the hilt of the knife is Durbar Square -a non- stop
carnival set amidst temples,
monuments
and the fonner royal palace while the city's oldest neighbourhoods stretch northeast
and south- west New Road, the city's best-known shopping street, runs east from
the square. Kathmandu's budget hotels are concentrated in two areas: Thamel,
north of Durbar Square in a new part of town, and Jhochhen, better known as
Freak Street, immediately south of the square. Suburban Kathmandu sprawls mainly
east of Kantipath, the main north-south thoroughfare, and is dominated by two
landmarks, the Royal Palace and the Tudikhel (parade ground) .Most of the expensive
hotels, restaurants and airline offices huddle along Durbar Marg, the broad
boulevard running south from the palace gate. West of the Bishnumati River is
not, strictly speaking, part of Kathmandu, but the hilltop temple of Swayambhu
is close enough to be reached easily on foot.
Arriving by Air
Arriving by air at Tribhuwan International Airport, 5 km east of the city centre,
you1l first have to deal with immigration. An exchange window in the immigration
hall cashes travellers' cheques. Baggage claim is downstairs, where if you're
quick you might be able to grab a trolley. The bank, to the right as you exit
customs, changes money at rates slightly lower than those in town. Nearby is
a government tourist information desk and a desk operated by Travellers' Nepal,
which hands out free magazines and city maps. Taxi fares into town are quasi-fixed
buy a coupon from the cooperative association desk and present it to one of
the member drivers. Blue (Sajha) buses offer a cheap but inconvenient alternative.
They depart from the main intersection at the end of the airport drive (a 200m
walk) and drop passengers off at the City Bus Park, a good lkm from most guest
houses.
Hanuman Dhoka (Durbar Square)
The square is the complex of palaces, courtyards and temples that are built
between the 12th and the 18th centuries by the ancient Malla Kings of Nepal.
It is the social, religious and urban focal point of the city. Taleju Temple,
Kal Bhairab (God of Destruction), Nautalle Durbar, Coronation Nasal Chowk, the
Gaddi Baithak, the statue of King Pratap Malla, the Big Bell, Big Drum and the
Jagnnath Temple are some of the interesting things to see in this Square.
An intriguing piece here is the 17 th century stone inscription that is set
into the wall of the palace with writings in 15 languages.It is believed that
if anybody deciphers this entire inscription, the milk would flow from the spout,
which lies just below the inscripted stone wall. Some people say that the inscription
contains coded directions to a treasure King Pratap Malla has buried beneath
Mohan chowk of Durbar Square.
There are several museums inside the palace building. There is an entrance fee
of Rs. 250 for all the foreign visitors to visit all the museums of the palace
building.
Singha Durbar
A grand imposing palace built on the neo-classical style. It was the private
residence of Rana Prime Minister. Now it's the Secretariat of His Majesty's
Government of Nepal.
Bhadrakali Temple
It is at the eastern edge of the Tudikhel, near Shahid Gate. This temple is
one of the main "Shankta or Shaktipeeth" temples of Kathmandu City.
Narayanhity Durbar
It is the Royal Palace of present King, His Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram
Shahdev of Nepal. The Shah kings moved to this palace from their old palace
in the late 18th century. The new edifice was inaugurated in 1970 on the occasion
of the wedding of His Majesty king Birendra Bir Bikram Shahdev.
The palace takes its name from the Narayanhiti, a famous historic waterspout
situated at the southern corner of the Palace. The Palace compound is immense,
surrounded by high walls and guarded by soldiers.
Swayambhu Stupa
The most ancient and enigmatic of all the Valley's holy shrines lies 2 km
west of Kathmandu city, across the Vishnumati river. The golden spire of Swayambhunath
stupa crowns a wooded hillock and offers a commanding view of Kathmandu city.
On clear days, one can even view a line of Himalayan peaks. The view is splendid
at dusk as city lights flicker one by one, and even better when a full moon
hangs in the sky.
The establishment of Swayambhunath Stupa goes back to the legendary beginning
of the Kathmandu Valley.The legend says that when the bodhisattva Manjushri
drained the waters of the lake to reveal the Kathmandu valley, the lotus of
the lake was transformed into the hillock and the blazing light became the Swayambhu
stupa. Swayambhunath stupa is a World Heritage Site.
Boudhanath Stupa
It is the biggest stupa in the Valley. The stupa, well known as Khasti, is
also known as the World Heritage Site. It looms 36 meters high and presents
one of the most fascinating specimens of stupa design. There are more than
45 Buddhist monasteries in the area. It lies about 6 km to the east of downtown
Kathmandu. The Bouddha Area Preservation & Development Committee runs
an information center.
Balaju Water Garden
It is situated below Nagarjun Hill about five-kilometer northwest of Kathmandu
City. The garden is known for its bank of 22 stone waterspouts (hiti) carved
in the shape of sea-dragons. It also consists of religious shrines, fishponds
and a replica of the statue of Budhanilkantha. . There is also a swimming
pool inside the park.
Budhanilkantha
Situated below Shivapuri hill at the northern end of the valley, Buddhanilkantha
temple is 9 km from Kathmandu city. The temple consists of a pond in which
lies a great stone figure of the Hindu god Vishnu reclining on the coils of
a cosmic serpent. The huge statue of sleeping Vishnu is carved from the single
block of black stone of a type not found in the valley. It is believed that
ages before the two hardworking farmers (husband and wife) discovered the
statue when they were ploughing their field.
Besides Budhanilkantha temple, there are other two sets of exactly similar,
but smaller statues of 'sleeping Vishnu' in the Valley. One set is in the
Balaju garden and the other is hidden in the old garden of Hanuman Dhoka Palace
of Kathmandu city. A prophetic dream of King Pratap Malla generated the belief
that the King of Nepal should never visit Buddhanilkantha temple on threat
of death. He then built the similar statue in two places.
Pashupatinath Temple
The temple of Pashupatinath is Nepal's most scared Hindu shrines and one of
the subcontinent's greatest Shiva sites, a sprawling collection of temples,
ashrams, images and inscriptions raised over the centuries along the banks
of the sacred Bagmati river.
The richly- ornamented pagoda, houses the sacred linga or phallic symbol of
Lord Shiva.
Chronicles indicate the temlple's existence prior to 400 A.D, but a shrine may
have stood here nearly 1000 years before that. Legend says that Shiva once took
the form of an antelope and sported unkown in the forest on Bagmati river's
east bank. The gods later caught up with him , and grabbing him by the horn,
forced him to resume his divine form. The broken horn was worshipped as a linga
and overtime was buried and lost. Centuries later an astonished herdsmen found
one of his cows showering the earth with milk. Digging deep at the site, he
discovered the divine linga of Pashupatinath.
The temple complex has been renovated and improved over the centuries. Entrance
to the shrine is only restricted to Hindus, however, one can still get the good
view of the sacred temple from vantage points across Bagmati river. Across the
river, one can also visit the temple of Guhyeshwori and a classic 6th century
ekmukhi "one-faced" linga of Shiva.
Gokarna 
Situated about ten-kilometer northeast of Kathmandu, this lovely Royal Game
Sanctuary is also well known as Gokarna Safari Park. Many wild animals like
spotted dear can be viewed in the sanctuary from an elephant bank. On the
northern side of Gokarna is a pagoda of Gokarneshwor Mahadev.
Sankhu
It is a typical Newari town with many fine old buildings and temples. Beyond
the village, up a long flight of stone stairs, is Bajra Jogini, a historical
temple with a beautiful view of the local area.
Sundarijal
It is a famous for its scenic beauty. There are magnificent waterfalls, cataracts
and rock formations. It is an ideal place for picnic requiring a short walk
after the motorable road.
Chobhar
Situated nine-kilometer southwest of Kathmandu, this place is famous for its
gorge. All the water of the valley drain through it. There is a small but
picturesque temple of Adinath on the top of a hill. From this top one can
have a panoramic view of snow capped mountain peaks.
Changu Narayan Temple
It lies on a ridge over looking the Valley, about twelve-kilometer to the
east of the city. It is dedicated to the Hindu God Vishnu. The scared complex
is a World Heritage Site. It has one of the finest and oldest specimens of
pagoda architecture that is embellished with exquisite wood and stone carvings.
Akash Bhairav Temple
This is a three-storey temple situated in the main Market Avenue called Indra
Chowk. The image of Akash Bhairav is displayed outside for a week during Indra
Jatra, the festival of Indra (the God of Indra). The festival of Indra falls
on monsoon season of Nepal.
Kumari Ghar (Temple of Kumari)
The temple or the residence of Living Goddess, Kumari, is situated in the
vicinity of Hanuman Dhoka Palace. The building has beautifully carved wooden
balconies and window screens. The Kumari- the living Goddess acknowledges
the greetings from her balcony window. Photography is prohibited.
Kirtipur
It is a small town, situated on a ridge 6-km southwest of Kathmandu. The ancient
township is a natural fortress and has a proud and courageous history. The Chilamchu
stupa a
nd
the temple of Bagh Bhairav are major sights here. The city offers quaint streets
lined with artistic houses and temple squares. The people are known for their
skill in building and weaving.
Kasthamandap
King Laxmi Narsingha Malla built this temple in the sixteenth century. It
is said to be constructed from the wood of single tree. It is located near
the temple of Kumari. Indeed the city of Kathmandu derives its name from this
temple.
Behind Kasthamandap, there is a small but a very important temple of Ashok
Vinayak, also known as Kathmandu Ganesh or Maru Ganesh.
Jaishi Dewal
Five minutes from Kasthmandap the Shiva Temple of Jaishi Dewal is famous for
its erotic carvings. It is still one of the main tourist routes of the chariot
festivals of Indra Jatra, Gai Jatra and other festivals.
Dakshinkali
The temple of Dakshinkali is situated about two kilometers south of Shekha Narayan.
Dakshinkali is regarded as one of the most important Hindu Goddesses. Pilgrims
visit this temple to offer their prayer and animal sacrifices to the goddess.
Besides, this place has been developed as a popular picnic spot.
Pokhra Travel Guide
If Kathmandu is the cultural hub of Nepal, Pokhara is its center of adventure.
An enchanting city nestled in a tranquil valley, it is the starting point for
many of Nepal's most popular trekking and rafting destinations. The atmosphere
on the shore of Phewa Lake is one of excited vitality as hipster backpackers
crowd the many bars and restaurants exchanging recommendations on guest houses
and viewpoints, both by the lake and above the clouds.
Pokhara is a place of remarkable natural beauty. The serenity of Phewa Lake
and the magnificence of the fish-tailed summit of Machhapuchhre (6,977 m) rising
behind it create an ambience of peace and magic. At an elevation lower than
Kathmandu, it has a much more tropical feel to it, a fact well appreciated by
the beautiful diversity of flowers which prosper in its environs. Indeed, the
valley surrounding Pokhara is home to thick forests, gushing rivers, emerald
lakes, and of course, the world famous views of the Himalaya.
Pokhara is part of a once vibrant trade route extending between India and Tibet.
To this day, mule trains can be seen camped on the out-skirts of the town, bringing
goods to trade from remote regions of the Himalaya. This is the land of the
Magars and Gurungs, hardworking farmers and valorous warriors who have earned
worldwide fame as Gurkha soldiers. The Thakalis, another important ethnic group
here, are known for their entrepreneurship.
Getting There
Pokhara is located roughly 200 km west of Kathmandu.
The journey between these two famed cities is certainly part of the Pokhara
experience. Flying over the snow-capped Himalaya to the north and green Mahabharat
range to the south is thrilling, while the overland journey past sparse rural
settlements nested along the Trisuli river provides a view of life particular
to Nepal's middle hills.
There are daily flight between Kathmandu and Pokhara
Kathmandu, Pokhra Travel Guide, Reservation Form
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