Discover Kathmandu

Back in Asia – Kathmandu

After Agra, it was time to leave India and continue the journey towards Nepal. It almost felt like starting a completely new trip again. I had been travelling around India for quite some time and experienced many very different parts of the country, so arriving in Kathmandu and Nepal meant a fairly big change. It was especially noticeable in the landscape, the air and the overall atmosphere.

When I arrived in Kathmandu, the first thing I noticed was how lively the city was. There were people everywhere, cars, motorbikes, small shops and restaurants along the streets. At the same time, there was something very charming about the chaos. Kathmandu felt intense, but in a different way compared to many of the Indian cities I had visited.

What I enjoyed most was walking around the smaller streets. That was where I got the best feeling for the city. In some places I could walk past small temples and old buildings, while the next street was filled with cafés, souvenir shops and restaurants. Kathmandu really has a mixture of old and new that makes the city interesting to explore on foot.

One of the first places I visited was Kathmandu Durbar Square. It was one of those places where I really felt how much history there is in the city. Walking around the old buildings, temples and courtyards gave me a completely different feeling compared to simply walking through normal city streets.

I also visited Swayambhunath, often called the Monkey Temple. The way up involved quite a lot of stairs, but once I reached the top, there was an amazing view over Kathmandu. It was also very interesting to see the monkeys moving around the area. You definitely need to keep an eye on your belongings because the monkeys like to investigate things that are left unattended.

The view from Swayambhunath was one of the things I appreciated the most. Kathmandu is a fairly dense and chaotic city from ground level, but when you get up and see the city from above, you get a completely different perspective. You can see how enormous the area actually is and how the mountains surround the valley.

Another place I really wanted to visit was Boudhanath Stupa. It was one of the places in Kathmandu where I felt the atmosphere was especially unique. The huge stupa is located in the middle of the city, with restaurants, cafés, shops and monasteries all around it.

I enjoyed simply walking around the stupa and watching the people. There were locals, monks and travellers moving around the area. Unlike some other tourist attractions, it did not feel like a place where you were supposed to simply take a picture and leave. It felt more like a place where you could stay for a while and simply take in the atmosphere.

Kathmandu also had a completely different café culture than I had expected. After many days of Indian food and intense sightseeing, it was actually really nice to find a café, order a coffee and sit down with my laptop or simply plan the next part of the trip.

Since I enjoy combining travelling with technology and work, Kathmandu was also quite interesting from that perspective. It was possible to find quiet places where I could sit for a few hours and work. This made the city extra interesting for me because I could combine sightseeing with some work and planning for the rest of the journey.

The food in Kathmandu was also something I really enjoyed. I tried momo, among other things, which became one of the dishes I really associate with Nepal after the trip. There are many different varieties and it quickly became something I liked ordering when I wanted something simple but really tasty.

I also enjoyed the smaller restaurants where you could sit down without it feeling particularly touristy. Prices were often quite reasonable and it was possible to eat well without spending a lot of money.

Thamel also became a natural part of my stay. The area is very touristy and you can find almost everything there: restaurants, cafés, hotels, shops and travel agencies. It may not be the quietest part of Kathmandu, but it is also very practical if you want to plan the next part of your journey through Nepal.

I quickly noticed that many travellers in Kathmandu were planning trekking trips or other adventures in the mountains. This made the whole city feel almost like a starting point for the rest of Nepal. In the cafés, people were planning hikes, booking transportation and discussing different routes.

This obviously made me even more eager to explore more of the country. After travelling through several large Asian cities, there was something special about the thought of leaving the city and getting out into the mountains and nature.

The traffic in Kathmandu was something I had to get used to, however. There could be a lot of people and vehicles at the same time and some streets were quite narrow. I therefore preferred walking whenever possible and using transportation when I needed to travel longer distances.

One thing I really appreciated was that Kathmandu felt like a city where you could spend several days without having to rush through all the sights. You could have one day with temples and historical places, another day with cafés and shopping, and then use the city as a base for planning the next part of the journey.

Kathmandu therefore became a fairly perfect transition from India to Nepal. I still had that classic feeling of Asia with lots of people, traffic, food stalls and life in the streets, but at the same time the landscape and culture were starting to feel different.

What stayed with me the most was the feeling that Kathmandu was not only a destination in itself, but also the beginning of something bigger. The city felt like the gateway to the rest of Nepal. The longer I stayed, the more I started thinking about the mountains, national parks and all the places waiting outside the city.

After a few days, I therefore felt it was time to leave Kathmandu and continue south. The next stop would be Chitwan, where the focus would shift from temples, city life and cafés to nature, wildlife and the national park. It was a completely different side of Nepal that I was really looking forward to experiencing.