Nepal - 7 days Itinerary (Kathmandu, Mardi Himal Trek)
Feels good to be back on this platform. Last December, I had a really really awesome vacation to a country that I have almost zero knowledge about before. Grateful for the opportunity to discover its beauty and really recommend this place for any kind of getaway that you like. Will be sharing our travel itinerary here for those who are interested.
Nepal may not be the most free-and-easy kind of travel destination as there's no easily accessible public transport systems and I don't think there's grab. Hence we have decided to rely on a travel agency for the entire duration of the trip from Kathmandu to Pokhara and of course during the hike.
Typically I would want to plan my travel itinerary but given that a bulk of our journey will be hiking, I suppose there's not much to research and we just rely on the tour guides. Gotta say I think relying on the tour guides was a good decision, I remember we were all pretty busy and didn't have time to do any research, our tour guide nicely laid out the itinerary for us with all the domestic flights covered, so it's really fuss free. Ok let's cut the crap and lemme show you all the good times in Nepal:
Day 1 - SGP - KUL - KTM
We manage to get return tickets that only costs around SGD 430 from MAS. Our flight from SGP was at 6.30am and our flight from KUL to KTM was at around 8.30am. The layover was around 1 hour only so I guess it's quite worth it given the amount of money we save from the flights. SQ flights was around SGD 600 at that time. Best part is, my friends actually selected the longest layover for the return trip and they even managed to do a half day tour at Petaling Jaya, my hometown! MAS is a full-service carrier so you can really consider this option if you want to save some money but still get quality flight service.
In Flight Meal -- Nasi Lemak will always be my favorite. So yummy. And even better when there's a soft and fluffeh dinner roll with butter.
Did you know? Nepal is the birth place of Buddha?
I didn't haha, I really have zero knowledge about Nepal.
Our tour guide greeted us at the airport and immediately we head towards our first destination in a van, which was pretty comfy and I was struggling between falling asleep and checking out the sights before me. Densely packed buildings, narrow roads that slope up and down, messy transmission wires hanging around, mini shrines/temples every 500m, they were all together a new sight to me.
Boudhanath Stupa
wah i swear I heard of the word stupa in my Sejarah (history) textbook but never thought I would see one in real life. Stupa's are essentially religious structure and typically stores the remains of Buddhist monks. This one is super majestic and it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Upon first look, the structure may seem a bit simple but think again, there's like a huge geometrical base, followed by a perfect semi-sphere, then topped off with a pyramid. The tour guide explained that every design element actually carries a meaning/reference to Buddhism. I just thought it was such a majestic structure and no wonder this is such a sacred site for the locals. People were praying, spinning the prayer wheels and lighting candles. And the cool thing about this site is, despite being a religious site, the area seems to have a very chillax vibe probably because it's surrounded by beautiful redbrick shophouses with cafes, restaurants and park benches, like people there actually hangout around this Stupa,
Also a new sight to me, these redbrick buildings with beautiful windows look like they belong to a storybook.
I'm already falling in love with the colours
This is one place that makes me believe that colours have healing properties, like I'm already feeling so happy and positive.
Just in case you can't imagine how massive the stupa is.
Lunch at Himalayan Java Coffee
Wow after Hanoi, here I am in a country with no starbucks but an established specialty coffee chain that holds the starbucks-status in the country. We were hungry and I was kind of skeptical when the tour guide brought us here and thought the tour guide probably just chose an easy option for us foreigners. But the tour guide mentioned that this cafe chain is very popular because of both its coffee and food. True enough, loving the extensive menu and although they are not local dishes, it was still a hearty and enjoyable meal in a pretty cafe.
I ordered Scrambled Eggs and Sausage with Marshmallow Mocha. Mocha was a mistake, it's too sweet. The brunch was goood. We shared a keylime tart as well. Total damage was around SGD 15 per pax and this includes paying for our tour guide's meal. It's not a rule to pay the tourguide but we thought the meal wasn't super expensive so we paid to sort of tip the guide. Guess having a tourguide is quite important since we are visiting historical sights, always good to learn more about the history of the place to truly appreciate the beauty. Bought coffee beans as well and trust me the beans are goood, super aromatic.
Did I not mention how lovely the weather was? Sun was shining bright but it's just the comfy kind of chilly. Totally love the colours in the picture here.
Last minute shopping for hiking gear at Thamel
After spending the afternoon in Boudhanath Stupa, we checked in at our hotel and had a short rest before heading out for the evening. Will share more about the hotel later. Before heading out, the tour guide briefed us again on the items we need for the hike so that we can go shop for items that are missing. So fret not if Decathlon doesn't have your hiking gear. I bought a fleece jacket that is about 10+ dollars which was a lifesaver and I can't imagine how I would have been through the night during the hike without it. And the perks of having a tour guide, he brought us to multiple shops that offer cheap prices and will let us know if a certain item is worth the price. If it's overpriced, he will bring us to another store haha. He also helped to negotiate for a better price! Anyways Thamel is quite a vibrant neighborhood, I am so wrong about Kathmandu being a boring city. There's like restaurants, bars and cafes everywhere and the lights are all crazy and contrasting against each other. The weather was chilly and it's just so nice to be walking on the streets.
Dinner at Bhojan Bhumi for Traditional Nepali Dal Bhat
After all that shopping, was so excited for local dinner. When it comes to Nepal, Dal Bhat is like the national identity and you will find t-shirts saying Dal Bhat Power 24 hours. It's essentially a meal that supplies all the energy to the people of this country. It'll probably remind you of Zapfan/Caifan with more sides and of course a dhal soup. While having our meal, there's traditional dance performance, including a Yak Dance! It's a pretty great place to have a taste of local Nepali culture.
That's rice wine in the saucer. You must be thinking why would they be so giamsiap, serve rice wine in a saucer but friends the rice wine is INTENSE. Like...I can barely take a full sip of it. So if you're feeling cold, this will definitely warm you up.
(Left to Right, Top to Bottom) Popcorn, Potatoes, Momo (aka Nepali dumplings), Dal (Lentil soup), Rice with sides such as mutton and chicken curry, Yogurt!
Pretty satisfying to have so many components of food. The side dishes may look little but they are all refillable. Personally think the taste was ok, going to share another Dal Bhat place.
Head back to hotel right after dinner as we needed time to pack our bags for the hike and I was actually quite happy to just rest since it will be another 5 days before I can lie on comfy beds haha (omg that's a sign of me turning old). Now let me intro the hotel a little bit more. We managed to get a one-night stay at Nepali Ghar, a 3-star hotel in Kathmandu. The hotel is housed in this beautiful red-brick building with traditional Nepali architecture. The interior of the hotel has loads of polished wooden structures that looks very timeless. Was pretty happy that we actually get to stay here.
Brass basins, canisters and trays to give the ancient vibes.
Oh one of my favorite things of the hotel, the self service tea lounge with a wide selection of tea, coffee and unlimited cookies.
Lounge area
And another favorite thing, the simple yet delicious buffet breakfast that totally geared us up for Day 2!
This Nepali Chow Mein is so delicious and it's something that I really want to recreate myself. Think they use plain noodles instead of yellow noodles and you can throw in all your favorite crunchy veg like cabbage, carrot, capsicum, onion. There's a hint of spiciness along with the super fragrant soy sauce.
There's also a selection of bread, cereals and you can order yourself a pretty latte.
Day 2 - Flight to Pokhara and Start of Hike
After having our delicious breakfast, we head towards the domestic airport for our flight to Pokhara. The airport is very very simple and the flights are almost like bus rides, there's a flight almost every 15 mins. But that also means the flights are usually not on time as the airport is very busy. So be prepared to wait. Really suggest bringing some books, there's actually quite a lot of time to kill throughout the journey.
Getting used to my hiking boots, which I LOVE AND HAS SAVED ME FROM COUNTLESS FALLS.
Me being a spoiled brat while our tour guides and porters help load our crazy heavy bags to the top of the jeep.
Hike D-1 - Kande to Deurali (2100m)
The jeep drove through the city of Pokhara, up the hills and not knowing where the road leads to. And suddenly the jeep just stopped and we had to alight. It's like, we suddenly have to grow up and live with the decisions we made. Coz to be honest, I don't even know if there's a 10% chance that I will like the trip and part of me really feared that I won't like it. Definitely one of the strangest feeling I had for a trip in my life so far. But I gotta say, it was such a bliss. It's just nature, beautiful sights and absolutely delightful weather. Plus nothing to worry about food please, we get 3 meals a day with drinks. It's really hike, rest, eat, repeat. Day 1 was pretty slow and steady I'd say, most of the path has stone stairs that are easy to ascend, land was dry. According to our tour guide, we are actually pretty slow haha but don't worry there will be enough time to reach our lodging place before sundown.
little lambs
Lunch Break at Australian Base Camp - Lunch is definitely the best part of the day I'd say. The day is bright, weather is chilly and we usually get to dine outside, taking in all the scenery.
In terms of food, all lodges along the hike offer a wide range of food and typically include tourist go-to meals like fried rice, pizzas and pastas but also a fair share of local meals as well. You have 3 meals a day to try out everything on the menu and since there's 3 of us, I do think we did tried almost everything on the menu haha. Will share some of our favorites during the trip.
A tip: Get meat dishes when you are at the lower grounds as typically these place will have fresh supply of chicken (compared to lodges at higher grounds where food will need to be transported by donkeys and you wouldn't know how fresh is the meat).
My dear travel mates for 7 days and truly the best company I can ask for. Will dedicate a paragraph for you guys! <3
adventure at every step
Passing through this mini cluster of lodges in pink with colorful flags flying all around.
And that's the end of D-1 Hike!
Totally cui face.
Thank God there's hot chocolate for afternoon tea time.
And there we caught the first glimpse of the fish tail peak at dusk. Thought this view was good enough but little did I know we are getting close to it day by day.
My combo dinner with fried noodles, french fries and Nepali momo. Definitely restores all the calories lost.
Temperature falls drastically after 6pm and everyone is gathered at the dining hall to fill up our bellies. With the burning furnace in the middle, it felt a little bit like a family gathering and everyone was pretty much talking about their experience for the day and what's coming up next.
Fried Chicken was on the menu too!
Tuna Cheese Pizza
This was really good, it's cheesy, sweet sour and so hearty! Wasn't expecting tuna pizza to be thissss delicious.
Went back to our rooms after dinner. I have no idea what's the temperature but I know it was really cold. Thank God for heat packs, double socks and thick sleeping bags and being so exhausted that I fell asleep easily despite the cold.
Hike D-2 - Deurali to Low Camp
It's Day 2 and our first FULL DAY of hiking. Woke up around 6am and had our first breakfast in the hills! Was actually feeling very refreshed, thanks to the long hours of sleep. I remember the first part of the hike was pretty bright and sunny and we had an awesome lunch at the outdoors. But the hike after lunch was kind of scary, the clouds were rolling thick and it felt like we were stuck in the forest, there's no clear path and we were really relying on our tour guide. The hike was definitely tougher, with steep ascensions. More breaks were needed. It did seem a bit like we were just walking along the same path, the same thick fog and trees. By the time we reach our lodging it's all fog and it's almost impossible to see. So we were pretty lucky to reach on time.
Let's get DAWN
Breakfast of the day: Roti with Curry
Curry is actually like a starchy soup with cabbage, onions, potatoes, cauliflowers. This is actually very healthy and I guess all d carbs give you the energy you need.
Good morning Anna
Now let's get closer to Anna.
See the first part of the hike was really bright.
For most parts of the hike in the morning, we were just hiking under the thick canopies of trees with rays of sunshine. Weather was just right and I remember just clearing my head as my eyes focused on the earthy tones. Rather muddy ground probably due to the melted frost but it's not slippery. Then we occasionally get a glimpse of the mountain range when there's a clearing.
Then we stopped at this pretty guesthouse for lunch! Almost like a idyllic cabin in the woods.
Tuna Pizza was so good that we ordered again.
Shin Ramyun has to be one of the best dishes throughout the hike. Can't go wrong!
We ordered desserts! We have seen many hikers order this for breakfast and lunch. It looks like nothing I've ever seen. Glad to learn that this is actually a Tibetan Bread. The crunch on the crust is a bit like Youtiao (fried dough) but it's more airy and has a slightly sweet taste, kind of like churro's flavor. There's a little bit of honey to pair with the bread. It's a great side snack.
See how the fog starts building up after lunch? with the narrow paths and mossy rocks, almost felt like we heading to Shaolin temple to learn Kung Fu haha.
It gets better as you ascend. See them frost. It's a fine line between magical and eerie. But still, beautiful and never thought I'd see this.
That's for surviving one full day of hike!
If only i packed some costume, I might have been able to recreate a scene from Harry Potter, or maybe Snow White? LOL
Settled in at our guest house for the night. With the crazy fog, mist and razor-sharp kind of cold, our guest house looks like some sad and depressing cottage. And it was really really cold, taking a shower was actually like a punishment T.T Dinner was ok. Once again the fail proof meal would be the Tuna Cheese Pizza and Korean Noodles haha.
That's all for Day 2
Hike D-3: Hike from Low Camp to High Camp
This, has to be the best day of the hike. Crazy awesome sights, awesome sensations. Had to hike through snowy grounds, that were really slippery and steep at the same time. I fell once and it certainly hurt. But something about stepping on the snow that was really fun and almost feel like an adventure within a storybook. And the final reward is a close-up view of the fish tail peak and a sunset on top of the clouds. This is the day that defines the trip.
Rise and shine
Warming up at the furnace.
That's a smokin' hot breakfast! Literally.
Rosti with Eggs
Okay I can't rmb if it's called rosti haha but to me, it is essentially rosti. A extra chao-dar version. Super starchy and dry lol. I'd say the potatoes are still yummy despite all the char but it's really dry to finish the entire thing LOL.
Now let's hike. The view only gets better!
Gawd this is really close.
my gawd, like what blackpink says, i can die in this moment
Moving into the snowy side of the mountains. Not many photos here, we were trying hard to not fall down. But I swear the entire path felt like a video game in winter wonderland (temple run maybe?) and I wish I can just slide around. It was super chilly and I love how everything around is in white. Just so exciting.
Out in the sunny side again and we were greeted with new terrain. I can't get over how beautiful the landscape is. Never seen this in my life.
Just to give you an idea how steep the climb was
Oh yes, I remember standing there and just taking in everything around me. The fact that I'm actually seeing all these, breathing in the clean air while my heart beats loud and fast from all the climbing, I just feel super blessed to be on this trip.
We reached High Camp before lunch but I swear we were super super exhausted yet crazy hungry. It was such a struggle, like I want to eat but hey I need to sleep. I rarely felt this way. Thankfully there's no more further hiking for the day and we get to really just rest and enjoy the beautiful sights at High Camp. That's my tuna fried rice and it's really yummy! Think this guest house has the best food.
Super hearty tomato soup as well!
Yasssss clean bed with thicccck blankets.
View from our room!
The rest of the day feels more like a vacation. Where we got to just rest and chill. Think I had a looooong nap.
Then comes the beautiful twilight moment
Look at them fluffeh bed of clouds. Is this even real.
Thank God for showing me this. That was like a ok-i-think-i-can-die-now moment.
Water source: Melted Ice!
Was so looking forward to dinner coz it was so cold and can't wait to have a bowl of Korean Noodles again! This time, one of our porters cooked for us and wow look at the amount of egg and veggies. So comforting!
Sadly electricity supply is cut-off at 8pm sharp! Like there's really nothing to do but gaze at the stars.
I was hating myself for not bringing a tri-pod. I swear the sky was lit with all them glittering stars. I hope what I saw will never be forgotten.
That's all for D-3!
Hike D-4: From High Camp (3500m) to Sidhing (1900m)
Actually D-4 is supposed to be the toughest day, where we have to depart at 6am from High Camp to reach Mardi Himal Base Camp (Last and Highest Checkpoint of the trek at 4500m) and trek back to Low Camp in the afternoon. Our guide offered us an alternative plan where we skip the trek to base camp but instead descend all the way to Sidhing and stay the night. With that, we will be transferred to Pokhara first thing the next morning and will get more time to explore Pokhara. So we asked our guide if it's worth climbing up to the base camp and what exactly is there at base camp. Our guide kind of give us the impression that the view is quite similar from what we see at High Camp and we have no internet to check. So....after much considerations....OK FINE LA WE ARE SPOILED BRATS and decided to take the easy way out HAHAHAHAH. But honestly, I dont regret the decision and you'll see why!
It was Christmas anyway and it was so awesome to be waking up to snow! We brought Xmas headbands to celebrate haha So for the first part of D-4, it's the exact same way down from High Camp to Low Camp. Had to face the slippery snowy grounds again but was actually feeling my heart sink as i take every step down. Really reluctant to say goodbye to that view, the feeling on top of the clouds. Had lunch at Low Camp and continued to descend to Sidhing, which is a different location from our starting point. Along the way, our guide kind of took the wrong way and we kind of panicked slightly. But turns out it's just a new path where our guide followed based on the markings. There we see the terrain/landscape changes from a dry/yellow vegetation, to lush greens. Finally we reach our guesthouse for the night and my knee caps were screaming from all the descend.
This was actually very hearty, see that egg?
Merry Christmas!
I think we were really lucky that we get to wake up to this view on Christmas! (We didn't plan at all)
Can't let it goooo here, my butt will 开花
does this place have the enchanted forest vibes?
Momo for lunch again! I love dumplings.
Additional entree - Knorr Instant Pork Porridge
This is so delicious and really warms the soul. Just bring a few packs along.
Little did I know descending is actually so straining on my knees T.T I owe them a sincere apology.
Wah so idyllic i love it.
And finalleh, view from our room at our guest house in the evening. Can't believe how far the fish tail is now.
Dal Bhat Power 24 hr!
Since there's no further hikes, we had to buy drinks to treat our guide and porters. Wow they really can drink. They just pair this rum with water and drink non stop. But i have to say it's actually a very delicious rum, it's very fruity and I'd think most people will find it tasty.
Had a very nice sleep at Sidhing, thanks to the alcohol as well as my totally drained body.
Day 6 - Pokhara Chill Day
Hello new day! Finalleh hike was all over and were really looking forward for this chill day that we gained. Explored the calm yet majestic Fewa Lake and got to shop and eat along the streets of Pokhara. Weather was so lovely and seriously no regret for changing our mind about shortening the hike. Did more shopping at night and wow Pokhara is really happening and vibrant at night as well. There's loads of brightly lit pubs and bars with live music. Seriously never imagined we'd be at such a chill and fun place.
Ahh my little pony
Beautiful
Arrival in Pokhara and Dal Bhat Lunch
There was some delay as our jeep's tyre got punctured. Thank God we didn't wait super long. Reached Pokhara around noon time and checked in to our hotel first. Hotel in Pokhara is not as fancy as Kathmandu, no elevator but hey the room is comfy with air conditioner and there's hot shower. I swear these are all I need after the hike. Not gonna hiam.
So head out for lunch and our guide brought us to try authentic and delicious Dal Bhat. Sincerely apologize here, I don't know how the heck I missed noting down the name of the restaurant. It's seriously yummy, much better than the one we had in Kathmandu. The rice was all fluffeh, the side dishes are all fragrant. The best is definitely the mutton curry, so flavorful we asked for extra servings. By the way the side dishes and rice to Dal Bhat are free flow, just keep adding until you shout enough i'm done.
Location: Opposite KFC/New Fairmount Trekking Shop at Lakeside Road, Pokhara
I forgot how many times we refilled haha. It was goood.
Mutton curry will always be my favorite mutton dish
Lake Fewa
After loading our tummies with good food, walked towards Lake Fewa. It's a massive lake, surrounded by the city of Pokhara and all the beautiful mountains. The grey blue waters of the lake made it seem super calm and almost a mirror to everything around. When the sky is clear, you can actually see the snowy mountains of Annapurna range. Well if taken at a right angle, you might get a shot that almost look like Switzerland.
Is this even real. Looks like some mirage.
see the dusty white patches behind, that's the mountain range.
Shop and Chill at Lakeside Road
Honestly we weren't expecting shopping to be part of the trip but hey Lakeside Road has everything and we just couldn't stop ourselves from checking out all the tea, crafts, scarves and souvenir stores. And it's interesting that there's so many bookshops here. But I can totally understand why coz a book will be the perfect companion while you hike at Annapurna or just enjoy some quiet time at Pokhara. Like typical SG/MY kids, we love our coffee time and decided to just hang out at a cafe. Awesome thing here, almost all restaurants have al-fresco area and seriously the weather was just perfect to sit out and observe the people around as well as the mountains in the distance. Had an awesome chit chat session with the bunch again and seriously it cant get any better.
Honey Latte from Perky Beans
Egg Waffles with Nutella!
Photo for illustration purpose only. I don't read please.
all the nonsense i bought hehe
Out for dinner nearby Fewa lake. This time we get to try local barbeque.
That's like massive amount of marinated meats displayed and gosh the smell of smokey spices was insane
@Rachel Sekuwa Centre
Chicken and Buffalo meat! And yes there's gotta be curry.
Buffalo meat was actually not as tough as i thought, kind of like meatballs. It's fibrous but still chewable.
Drumsticks!
Honestly, nothing can go wrong with grilled meat with turmeric and cumin.
Oh yas fish is really rare to me. Super syok to dive into the super tender and fresh meat.
And yes we had beer and more rum haha. I continued to shop for another 1 hour along lakeside road, enjoying the vibrant atmosphere and chilly weather. Thanks to the alcohol, had a very good sleep.
Day 7 - City tour in Kathmandu
Woke up real early so that we can catch an early flight to Kathmandu and maximize our time in the capital. But gosh the flight delay was no joke. Think it was delayed for around 2 hours. Again, reason why you should bring some books with you, or whatever to kill time.
Once again, I really had no idea what was waiting for us and was totally mindblown by the beautiful ancient city of Kathmandu. It's nothing like I've seen really. Literally stepping back into the past, a unique and marvelous one. And it was just very interesting to learn about the culture and beliefs of the people and how important it was to them that almost every aspect of their lives. Their religion mattered so much that they made sure almost every inch of the palace reminds them of the Gods they worshiped. All the statues, carvings and paintings, think GDP back then came from art. Anyways we managed to visit four UNESCO World Heritage Sites, I'm sure you will definitely learn a little bit more about Buddhism, Hinduism and you'll understand the difference between a monastery, a stupa and a temple by the end of the day.
Bye Pokhara, Ahh this will definitely always be one of the best flights in my life.
Hey Kathmandu again
We had Chinese food for lunch, and yes it's our choice. We were really craving for Chinese food after all the pizzas and Korean noodles during the hike. The food was really good! Our city guide ordered the dishes for us. This pork belly with loads of scallion was so good.
@Royal China Mountain Restaurant
Address: Narayanhiti Palace Museum North Gate Rd, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
Then we were on our way into the beautiful ancient streets of Kathmandu. Look at them red bricks, symmetrical windows and brown awnings. Then I recall, this was the background set of Doctor Strange and I can totally see why. The mystical vibes were really enchanting.
Now let's do some sightseeing.
Forgive me I don't have many photos taken of each place, was more focus on video haha. But hope you can still see the beauty of each site.
Golden Temple - Hiranya Varna Mahavihar
This my friend, is a monastery (despite calling it the Golden Temple) which pretty much means the living place of monks. There's like a tall pagoda in the middle and has prayer wheels surrounding the courtyard. Kathmandu streets were super busy and bustling but stepping into the courtyard sort of cancels out all the noise outside and the beautiful carvings and wood structures gave a very calming effect. Guess the correct word is zen.
Patan Durbar Square
Just a few minutes walk from Golden Temple is one of the most amazing palace compound I have seen in my life -- Patan Durbar Square. So durbar square is pretty much like the compound surrounding a palace. There's three of such squares in Kathmandu, each with a royal palace. You can tell how kings in the past really do whatever they can to tell the world how important the deities and gods are. Let's have a palace, I want the gods carved on every wall and column. Oh I want people to worship the Gods, let's build shrines for each of them. Every shrine, every chamber and courtyard was built to reflect the teachings and stories of Buddhism and Hinduism. It's just impressive how the place was designed while incorporating all these details.
The palace grounds are now a museum (admission fee required) housing important religious artifacts. Truly recommend you visit the museum as it was really fun to explore the palace grounds, especially all the beautiful courtyards. You know how there's a rise of Qing Dynasty Palace RPG games? I wished they made a adventurous game based on this palace. It's going to be gorgeous.
Back at the square, I loved how all the locals, despite it's already 2020, are just hanging out against the ancient backdrop. I can tell deep down these people are super proud of their heritage.
It's really a shame that the earthquake destroyed parts of the temple, very thankful to those (including teams from foreign countries) who are working hard to restore these.
Fun fact: Doctor Strange was filmed here.
I told you, every column.
Omg I can't get over how beautiful the combination of red bricks and wooden archways were. The courtyards are pretty spacious and I supposed the world may seem somewhat bigger for people in the palace.
wah this is kinda epic. you are looking at a bathing pool. Like, the king needed all gods to watch him, anytime anywhere.
omyyy, look at those wooden windows, im in love with them.
Coffee break -- Himalayan Java Coffee
Told you we love to chill. Once again, we hit the Starbucks of Nepal for a break. This outlet is just around the corner from Patan Durbar Square, housed in a beautiful red brick building as well. This outlet is just small and cozy with large windows overlooking the ancient city.
One last photo before leaving this beautiful square.
Forgot the museum entry tag is still on haiz. Spoil my photo.
Swayambhunath
Another UNESCO World Heritage Site also known as the monkey temple as there are really loads of them around. The main attraction of this compound is the grand stupa which is on top of a hill and you can have a beautiful view of Kathmandu Valley. There's loads of local visiting the place and many patiently climbed up a long flight of stairs to show their devotion. It was almost sunset when we arrive, kind of putting a golden filter on our view of Kathmandu city.
I like this photo for some reason.
That's the staircase! Guess it's kinda similar to Batu Caves. But weather here is lovely.
Hmm monkeys here looks kinda like the ones in SunWuKong drama with the extra shiny coat.
Kathmandu Durbar Square
Another square for another royal palace. It's amazing how the elements of the design may seem similar but you know for sure this is a different square with different layout and different vibes. Sadly this square appears to be more affected by the earthquake. Lots of scaffolds around the buildings. But I'd say this one for some reason looks a bit more modern, probably because of the white walls. You'll see Gorkha soldiers on duty here and there's a gallery of the history of Gorkha kingdom.
Also within this square, lives the Royal Kumari, the living child goddess who was selected to be worshiped by the public as the incarnation of a Hindu goddess. The child really lived like a goddess and can only travel out on special events. They stop being a goddess when they start menstruating. Like they just instantly became normal people. Honestly this was definitely one of the most mind blowing things I learned from the trip. Like I can't imagine how it's like to be a royal, let alone a goddess! It's amazing how the people still continued this tradition. I did some additional research on Kumaris after the trip and its comforting to know that the former goddesses are living well and they actually treasured the experience.
So turns out we can visit the living place of the Kumari and she would make appearances from the balcony, pretty much like the British royals haha. If the Kumari looks at you, you will have good luck for the year! You don't need to pay to meet the goddess but I suggest donating money to support the goddess' family.
Fun fact! Okay maybe fun is not very appropriate. So Nepal has always been ruled by a king all the way till 2008! That's not too long ago right. And one of the incidents leading to the end of the monarchy was a massacre of the royal family by a royal family member and yes there's conspiracy theory around it. So tragic I couldn't believe it initially.
This is Kumari Ghar and you see that beautiful balcony up there is where the goddess will appear.
Woah another this-should-be-in-a-mobile-game kind of moment.
Continued to explore around the area. Seriously you can't get bored in Kathmandu. Loads of interesting shops, beautiful cafes and random pubs around.
Random alleys that feels like some movie scene.
There goes our day of Kathmandu heritage tour. It's a shame that we don't have more time to enjoy the city. But i guess the tour kind of condensed the best parts of Kathmandu and it was enough to make me fall so hard for Nepal.
Dinner in Thamel -- Western Tandoori and Naan
We head back to the hotel we stayed on Day 1 to retrieve our luggage and pack our stuff again from our hiking bags with top speed. Manage to still have like a 30min window for a dinner that I've been waiting for since Day 1! So my friend went to buy supper at this Naan place (just 5 mins walk from the hotel) on Day 1 and damn it was so good. We can't wait to have a full meal here. It's a super small shop, super basic, and Im pretty sure it wont catch a tourist's eyes. But wow the naan and the dishes were so good and they are pretty generous with the gravy i'd say. Best part is still the price la, spent only like sgd4 per pax.
Can safely say this will be my holy trinity to pair with naan.
Mutton Curry, Curry Chicken Masala and Palak Paneer.
Soo satisfying plus the chilly weather definitely makes the curry spices and hot steam from naan taste extra comforting.
Glad that we filled our bellies before leaving this beautiful country. Rushed to airport and turns out, the check in counter wasn't even opened and we waited for at least an hour for the counter to open. Then it was another 3 hours of waiting before we board the plane. Worst delay I've ever had and the airport was so crowded, we were standing for the first 2 hours of wait. There's not much shopping to do. There's a local mart but super overpriced. Was super exhausted by the time we board. Maybe that's a good thing, think I slept through the flight pretty well and happy to be going home and bringing my friends to explore PJ!
In-flight meal. No nasi lemak this time, only curry chicken. So so only.
Thoughts and Tips
Okay that's it for what happened in Nepal. Sorry if I sound like a broken record but Nepal was amazingggg. Like definitely going to be one of the most memorable trips in my life. And it's my favorite trip if we're talking about the multifaceted experience. It was culture, history, adventure, nature, chillax all in one with awesome people and nice vibes. I joined the trip thinking that it will just be a challenge that i need to overcome, to earn the rights to say "been there done that". I didn't expect I'd be enjoying the journey so much and I felt so full of joy by the end of the trip. Hiking is truly an amazing activity, no distractions, just appreciate every step you take, every view you see and just live in the moment. During the trip, I kept thinking to myself how lucky I am to be alive and witnessing all these and thanking God for everything leading up to this moment and just be grateful for everything else that I have.
Now let me share some tips if you're thinking of visiting Nepal:
Wear - If you're gonna hike Mardi Himal, just go UNIQLO and buy that beautiful down jacket haha. I was really wrong about the temp drop at night. It was freezing! Heat pouches did help but I guess I regret not buying that UNIQLO down jacket that will probably give me both comfort and style.
Hike - Think our trail, Mardi Himal Trek, is actually a very good beginner's trail if you have limited time. You get to experience the changing landscape as you ascend and this includes a snowy hike and snowy morning. And we were super lucky that we woke up to the best view of the snowy fish tail peak on Christmas morning!
Adventure - Other than hiking, there's actually quite a lot of activities you can do. There's shorter hikes, ziplining, yoga retreats. Paragliding definitely caught my eye, can you imagine gliding through the beautiful mountain range?
Sightseeing - Do not miss the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu, it's like a travel through time.
Shop - We did quite a lot of shopping in Pokhara and damnnn there's actually a lot to buy and yes I forked out my credit card! Cheap books, cheap snacks, cheap tea (especially chai). Bought cashmere scarves as well and Himalaya products are like almost 40% cheaper. Do not save your money for spending at airport. The airport does not have any boutiques, only mini marts with overpriced products.
Eat - Have to admit food may not be super mindblowing (since we were having guest house food most of the time), but I'm a fan of momo, Tibetan bread and Nepali Chow Mein now. If you're worried that you may not like local food, Kathmandu and Pokhara are both very international cities with diverse range of cuisines. I wished I had more time to just chill and explore around.
Bring - Any type of offline entertainment! Like I mentioned, our hike ends before dark and there's a lot of time to spend before sleep time. Not to forget the crazy delays for our flights also mean there's a lot of time to kill. It would have been a perfect time to do things that you never had time to focus on. For example reading a book, or sketching or even writing.
Now last but not least, please give me a moment to really thank my travel buddies from the bottom of my heart.
Thanks for making the trip 3 times better. You know how you always hear stories of friends going travel together and end up fighting. Not only we didn't fight, I was really enjoying the company. Thanks for telling me to be careful of slippery grounds, thanks for reminding me to watch my step, thanks for helping me with my annoying photo/video requests, thanks for saying "you can talk to me if you're bored" since I didn't bring any books and have no internet after dinner, thanks for all the stupid jokes and finalleh thanks for all the thought provoking chats we had. Appreciate how you guys are open to share your thoughts on so many things and I learned so much. Like the trip just cant get any better.
Once again I just can't help but to thank God again for how we met and became really great buddies. AHHH who would have thought FYP teammates will lead to this. Just so grateful!!