Nepal #2 - Life in Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal

[AdamGT]

Well you’ve arrived at Tribhuvan International Airport so after picking up your baggage you’ll probably need to visit one of the money exchange counters (you’ll definitely need local currency). Now if you’re a tourist, trekker or mountaineer you’re most likely wanting to get to Thamel, the tourist and commercial center of Kathmandu and where you’ve probably booked your accommodation (backpackers, guesthouse or hotel). If you haven’t pre-booked your accommodation then the Nepal Tourism Board’s, Hotel Reservation Info Counter at the airport might be worth a visit. They can help you with accommodation and also have a good range of pamphlets and other tourism related brochures. OK so how to get to Thamel from the airport? Well it’s only about 6 km (4 miles) and your an experienced trekker and have Google Maps! Hmmm not a good idea with all your baggage. Unfortunately, unlike major world capital cities there are no trains or trams in Nepal. There is a local bus from the airport to Thamel but trust me, don’t do it. If you’re on an organised tour you’ll more than likely be picked up at the airport by your tour company and driven by car or mini-bus directly to your accommodation. If not then you best visit the Pre-Paid Taxi counter located just outside the arrival gate. You’ll pay in advance at the rate shown on the display board. There are also cabs outside the terminal where you could negotiate a slightly better price but I wouldn’t bother. Whatever you decide, be kind and gentle as the Nepalese are lovely people. As you can see in my photo above I had a pre-arranged pickup. I’ll explain the Snickers bag in a follow-up post.

Photo #2 - Spreading a few things out on my King Sized bed at my Thamel Hotel (Local Guide: @AdamGT )

Photo #3 - One of the views from my hotel window (Local Guide: @AdamGT )

Photo #4 - Another view from my hotel window (Local Guide: @AdamGT )

Photo #5 - Another view from my hotel window (Local Guide: @AdamGT )

Photo #6 - Another view from my hotel window (Local Guide: @AdamGT )

As well as accommodation, in Thamel you’ll find a large variety of local food vendor stalls and markets, restaurants and cafes serving traditional and continental cuisine, shops selling food, pastries, fruit and vegetables, clothing, trekking and hiking gear, handicrafts, souvenirs as well as mobile phone shops, hair salons, spa centers, laundry facilities and travel agencies. Prices are cheap by Western standards but significantly higher than in non-tourist areas of Nepal. With many bars and clubs, and live music, Thamel is also the center of Kathmandu’s nightlife. Lets take a quick look at some of these by photos.

Photo #7 - (Local Guide: Ethnic art store in Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal @AdamGT )

Photo #8 - Thamel handicrafts & souvenirs vendor(Local Guide: @AdamGT )

Photo #9 - A night out on Thamel town (Local Guide: @AdamGT )

Photo #10 - Dining out at Thamel restaurant (Local Guide: @AdamGT )

The streets and alleys in Thamel are quite narrow and believe me, usually crowded with cars and taxis, rickshaws and bicycles dogging each other and the hundreds of pedestrians going to who knows where!

Photo #11 - Out on the narrow streets of Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal (Local Guide: @AdamGT )

Photo #12 - The narrow streets of Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal (Local Guide: @AdamGT )

Photo #13 - The narrow streets of Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal (Local Guide: @AdamGT )

Photo #14 - Rickshaws and Bicycles are popular in Thamel, KAthmandu, Nepal (Local Guide: @AdamGT )

Photo #15 - Thamel Streets at night (Local Guide: @AdamGT )

Photo #16 - Thamel Streets at night (Local Guide: @AdamGT )

Photo #17 - Thamel Streets at night (Local Guide: @AdamGT )

This is my second post about my journey through Napel and will be continued. To see part #1, visit Nepal #1 Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu

This story is continued in Nepal #3 - Namche Bazaar: The gateway to the high Himalayas

[system]

@AdamGT have you ever been to Bhutan?

Bhutan and Tibet are 2 of my travel wishlist… Is this place near Bhutan?

[AdamGT]

Thamel is not far from Bhutan @user_not_found but I didn’t get there. I met some Tibetans who were walking from Tibet into Nepal. These are all neighboring places.

[system]

@AdamGT wow… these 3 countries can be done in one trip then.

[AdamGT]

Well it depends on what you decide to do and see @user_not_found . I spent several months just in Nepal but wanted to visit Bhutan to see all their blue painted doors lol but just ran out of time.

[DanniS]

Hi @AdamGT

Thanks for sharing this. Was this your first time visiting Nepal? It looks like a really interesting country to visit for sure. How long did you stay there? What did you enjoy most here?

Do you have any tips or advice you can share for others who might be considering Nepal? I always think of mountains when I think of Nepal, but I’m sure there is a lot more to experience there.

[AdamGT]

Hey @DanniS

Yes this was my first trip to Nepal and you are absolutely correct, it is a very interesting country to visit. I stayed for approximately 3 months and traveled some 350 km. What did I enjoy most in Nepal, well…

Seeing and stepping on Mt Everest, the world’s highest peak, is certainly a highlight but deeper thought led me to realize, understandably so I guess, that Mt Everest is mainly about the destination and your mind is very much fixated on this, even well before you land at Nepal’s International airport in Kathmandu (see my post Nepal #1 Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu). In fact, even while planing the trip at and before you leave home you have this destination central in your thoughts. I say mainly here because there are of course some very interesting and enjoyable steps along the way like visiting Thamel, the man tourist area in Kathmandu (see my post Nepal #2 - Life in Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal), the spectacular small Sherpa village of Namche Bazaar (see my post Nepal #3 - Namche Bazaar: The gateway to the high Himalayas), and flying into Tenzing–Hillary Airport (also known as Lukla Airport), the world’s most dangerous airport (a planned post is coming, I can’t wait on this one). However, Trekking the infamous Annapurna Circuit and crossing dangerous Thorung La Pass is more about the journey (again a planned post is coming).

Yes like you, most people usually think of mountains when thinking of Nepal, and understandably so, after all, you have the Himalayas and at least 8 of the world’s highest mountains are in Nepal. However, as you have rightly mentioned, there is a lot more to experience and enjoy there. For example, I very much enjoyed visiting Phewa Lake in Pokhara. It’s a tourist mecca, in fact one of the most popular destinations in Nepal, with lots of water activity, shopping, hotels, cafes, restaurants and bars, and nightlife. There’s also the very interesting Lake Temple (the Tal Barahi Temple), one of the most famous pilgrimage sites in Nepal and the beautiful, brilliant-white World Peace Pagoda (although mentioned in my replies to other LG Connect posts, I do plan to cover these in my own future posts). Other very interesting places and planned subjects of future Connect posts are the village of Kunde and the amazing Gokyo Lakes, the world’s highest freshwater lake system (again I can’t wait on this one).

Yes I do have tips and advice for those who might be considering traveling to Nepal and have already mentioned some of these in previous posts referred to above, and look forward to continuing doing so in planned future posts.

[KarolT]

Another great report from Nepal.

Beautiful pictures and story telling.

Two years ago my friend gifted me their own callendar from Nepal trip.

I am waiting for next chapters from your interesting journey.

Karol

[AdamGT]

Thank you @KarolT . You have an obvious interest in Nepal and should visit one day. I wanted to post about my trip to Nepal in a chronological sequence but I jumped from Thamel in Kathmandu to Namche Bazaar missing places or events in between like, for example, the flight from Kathmandu Airport to Lukla Airport. Oh well I try!!!