Travelers Guide
About Nepal
Nepal is a South Asian country that shares its territorial borders with India and China with an area of 147,181 square kilometers and a population of approximately 30 million. Nepal is divided into 7 states, 77 districts and 753 local units. Out of those 753, there are 6 metropolitan cities, 11 sub-metropolitan cities, 276 municipalities and 460 rural municipalities. Nepal has been declared secular country in 2007 though Hinduism is the major religion accompanying around 80 percent of total population. Kathmandu is the nation’s capital and the country’s largest metropolitan city.
Previously ruled as a kingdom, now it is a Federal Democratic Republic. The country is known for its exquisite natural beauty, with the iconic Himalayas running across the northern part of the country. Nepal has highly diverse and rich geography, culture, and religions. It is the land of Mount Everest (8,848 meters), the highest peak in the World including eight of the 14 peaks above 8,000 meters in the world. There are eight National Parks and four Wildlife Reserves and two conservation areas in Nepal. Kathmandu valley has several historical memorials, old palaces and temples. Nepal is a home to several ethnic groups which have their specific dress and language. However, the official language is Nepali which is spoken by most of the people. Most of the people in Kathmandu can communicate in English language as well. Being a neighboring country to India which has several similarities in food, dress and other cultural aspects; many people can communicate in Hindi language as well. However in Kathmandu, people wear casual dress as in other countries like jeans, t-shirts, shirts, jackets etc.
Climate
Kathmandu experiences warm and sunny days throughout March. You can experience a good amount of sunshine, about 8 to 9 hours a day. The average daytime temperature generally hovers around a pleasant 26°C (79°F) whereas the average minimum temperatures generally drop down to 8°C (41°F). The nights can get very chilly, so it is advisable to carry some warm clothing.
Transportation
Taxi Services in Kathmandu
- Sarathi Cab: It is new smart taxi service based in Kathmandu inside ring road. For more information you can visit its website . They don’t have apps developed yet so booking is only possible through call (+977-9810100600).
- Onver: It is smart taxi service which can pick you from wherever you are in Kathmandu and take to your destination. For more information and booking you can visit its website or download its app on
- Eddy Cab: It is another smart taxi service with similar features as Onver. For more information and booking you can visit its website or download its app at playstore or appstore.
- Book Cab Now: It is also a taxi and cab service provider across Nepal. For more information you can visit its website. You need to call to +977-9851207214 to book taxi or car.
- Blue Mountain Car Rental Services: There are many car rental services in Kathmandu. You can visit its website for more information. You need to call to +977-9851050313 (Mr. Buddhi Jung Basnet) to hire a car.
- Public Vehicles: There are many public vehicles (bus, microbus, tempo, etc.) in Kathmandu but it may not falls in convenient route and are often crowded.
Visiting Places
PASHUPATINATH TEMPLE
Pashupatinath Temple is the temple of lord Shiva, one of the sacred place of Hindus. The Pashupatinath area has 492 small and big temples altogether. It is located on the banks of the Bagmati River 5 kilometers north-east of Kathmandu Valley in the eastern part of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.
It is believed that those who die in Pashupatinath Temple are reborn as a human. If you are attracted to the places where the spirit of death can be felt, then consider Pashupatinath as your first destination. It is a temple with special atmosphere of death; death is present in almost every ritual and every corner of it.
Note: We recommend not to miss the sight of evening prayer with lights in Pashupatinath Temple.
SWAYAMABHUNATH STUPA
If you want inner peace, a calm place for recreation then surely your first destination will be Swyambhunath temple, temple of Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha was the founder of Buddhism. It is also famous for the name “Monkey Temple”, given by the visitors as lots of monkey are present here. Swayambhunath is one of the holiest Buddhist Chaityas in Nepal.
It is said to have evolved spontaneously when the valley was created out of a primordial lake more than 2,000 years ago. This stupa is the oldest of its kind in Nepal and has numerous shrines and monasteries on its premises. This temple is symbol of peace, harmony, wisdom and conscience. It is located on 3km west of Kathmandu residing on a hill lock.
PATAN DURBAR SQUARE
Patan, the oldest place of Kathmandu valley, renowned for its artistic sculpture is located in center of Lalitpur. It was built by the famous emperor Ashoka. It is one of the wonderful place for visit. The square is full of ancient places, temples, and shrines noted for their exquisite carvings. The former royal palace complex is the center of Patan’s religious and social life and houses a museum containing an array of bronze statues and religious objects.
The major attraction of Patan durbar square are:
- Patan Museum
- Hiranya Varna Mahavihar
- Golden Window
- Mahabouddha Temple
- Golden Temple
- Krishna Temple
BHAKTAPUR DURBAR SQUARE
The Bhaktapur Durbar Square is also known as Bhadgaon which lies 13 km east of Kathmandu. The square contains a royal palace that took center stage as one of three royal capitals during the 15th century in the Kathmandu Valley. Bhaktapur Durbar Suqare consist of distinct squares (Durbar Square, Taumadhi Square, Dattatreya Square and Pottery Square) and is a highly visited site in the Kathmandu Valley.
SANGA (KAILASHNATH MAHADEV STATUE)
World Tallest statue of lord Shiva, with a wide view of background hills and mountains. It is situated in Sanga, on the border of the Bhaktapur and Kavrepalanchwok districts in Nepal, about 20 km from Kathmandu. The statue is 144 feet (44 m) in height, and was made using copper, zinc, concrete, and steel.
GODAWARI (BOTANICAL GARDEN OF KATHMANDU)
Gowdawari kunda lies here. The crystal clear water of Godavari is pure, cold and refreshing. Many people visit this place to play with this water too. The nearby National Botanical Garden is another attraction of the place which should not be miss during your Godavari Tour. Many Families and couples visit the place in significant number in the holidays and off days. The serene environment and greenery of the park leaves an undeligible imprint on the minds of the visitors and tourist every years. A lots of movies and video shooting also carry out throughout the year in this Godawari garden. Godavari is situated 11 km east of Lalitpur’s, Lagankhel and 14 kms south of Kathmandu.
CHITWAN NATIONAL PARK
The park is quite beautiful. Misty in the morning and on a canoe tour, with elephant and safari ride. It is one the National heritage of Nepal, habitat of endangered one horned rhinoceros, Bengal tiger and Ghadiyal. The park is surrounded by the churia hills, flood plains of Rapti, Reu and Narayani rivers along with ox-bow lakes. The Churia hill rises gradually towards the east from 150 m to over 800 m. There are more than 50 species of mammals and 480 spices of birds in the park.
Must do list in Chitwan National park:
- Elephant ride
- Canoeing
- Guided jungle walk
- Tharu village culture show
- Elephant breeding point
- 4WD safaris
POKHARA
The Pokhara Valley, a land of spectacular beauty crowned by the majestic Himalayas, conjures visions of calm but vibrant green hills. Loaded with luxuriant vegetation and dotted with shimmering lakes, the valley offers awesome vistas. Magnificent image of Mount Machhapuchhare reflected in the clear waters of the Lake Phewa leaves everyone spellbound. One of the Nepal’s adventure hubs, it has reputation of being the second home for the tourists worldwide.
Top places to visit in Pokhara
- David’s fall spring
- Fewa Lake
- Poon Hill
- Sarankot hill (Scenery and paragliding)
- Begnas lake
- Gorkha memorial museum
- Gupteshowr mahadev temple
- Chameri Cave
- Mahendra Cave