Nepal
ASIA · 6 PLACES
Eight of the world's ten highest peaks, medieval Newari cities of carved wood and brick, and jungle where rhinos still graze. Nepal packs a continent of contrast into a country the size of England.
Kathmandu
Valley temples, Thamel, and every permit and flight booked in one place.
Pokhara
Lake, paragliding and the Annapurna road-head. The soft landing after trekking.
Bhaktapur
Car-free medieval city; stay inside the walls for the empty dawn squares.
Chitwan
Terai jungle: rhino on foot, canoe on the Rapti, no altitude at all.
Nagarkot
Ridge sunrise over Langtang to Manaslu, 90 minutes from the capital.
Lumbini
The Buddha's birthplace and its monastery park, en route to the Indian border.
One month here
Valley temples, Thamel, and every permit and flight booked in one place.
Car-free medieval city; stay inside the walls for the empty dawn squares.
Ridge sunrise over Langtang to Manaslu, 90 minutes from the capital.
Lake, paragliding and the Annapurna road-head. The soft landing after trekking.
Poon Hill trek — 5 nights
Short teahouse loop with a big dawn payoff. Guide and ACAP permit required.
Terai jungle: rhino on foot, canoe on the Rapti, no altitude at all.
The Buddha's birthplace and its monastery park, en route to the Indian border.
Three months here
Base camp for the valley, with side trips to Patan, Kirtipur and Boudha.
Slow week of brick lanes, pottery, woodcarving and juju dhau.
Wait out the cloud until you get one properly clear Himalayan morning.
Split before and after the big trek; the recovery town of choice.
Annapurna Circuit — 16 nights
Thorong La at 5,416m, from subtropical valley to high desert.
Everest Base Camp — 14 nights
Khumbu classic. Sagarmatha and Khumbu municipality permits, no TIMS.
Bandipur — 4 nights
Traffic-free Newari hill town on the Kathmandu-Pokhara road. Underrated.
Long enough for multi-day jungle walks rather than one rushed jeep run.
Bardia — 5 nights
Far-west park, wilder than Chitwan and the best tiger odds in Nepal.
Cycle the monastic zones properly, and reach Tilaurakot ruins nearby.
Festivals worth flying for
Dashain · September/October
Nepal's biggest festival: kites, tika blessings, feasting. Shops and buses shut for days.
Tihar · October/November
Festival of lights. Marigolds, oil lamps, and a day when dogs are garlanded and blessed.
Indra Jatra (Yenya) · September
Kathmandu Durbar Square erupts: masked dances, chariots, the Kumari living goddess paraded.
Holi (Fagu Purnima) · February/March
Colour-powder chaos in Thamel and the Durbar Squares. Wear clothes you can bin.
Bisket Jatra · April
Bhaktapur's New Year: huge chariots hauled through the lanes, a giant pole raised then felled.
Buddha Jayanti · April/May
The Buddha's birthday, best at Lumbini and Boudhanath, with lamps and robed processions.
Losar · January/February
Tibetan New Year at Boudhanath: masked cham dancing, incense smoke, thousands circling.
In an emergency
Emergency number 100 police / 102 ambulance
Fire 101; Tourist Police 1144 (English-speaking). Trekkers: insurance must explicitly cover helicopter evacuation above 4,000m - rescues cost five figures.
Language
Nepali. English is widely spoken in Kathmandu, Pokhara and on trekking routes.
Money
Nepali rupee, cash-first. Cards work in city hotels; teahouses, buses and small shops are cash only.
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