Nepal is a paradise which provides calmness and rejuvenation to the mind, body and soul. It has the highest peak of the world i.e. Mt. Everest at an incredible height of 8848 meters above sea level. This lovely place is also said as the potpourri of ethnicity and has many cultural landscapes. This land of bio-diversity has so many cultural and religious landmarks that give a soothing experience to everyone.
Kathmandu is at the heart of the Kathmandu Valley, where seven out of the 10 World Heritage Sites in Nepal are located. The city is an open-air museum with temples, palaces, shrines and pagodas from which to choose. Old Kathmandu stretches from Thamel, south to Durbar Square: the maze of streets, where you feel you have stepped back in time, are best explored on foot, to soak up the sights and sounds that are unique to this intriguing city where tradition and modernity overlap.
Patan’s Durbar Square is much quieter, with even more temples packed into the square than across the river in Kathmandu. The Thamel area is where most travelers find their way for accommodation, food, Internet cafés, bookshops, trekking permits and nightlife. Freak Street (or Jochne), south of Durbar Square was famous as the hippy hangout in the 60s and 70s and earned its name because of the strange assortment of people it attracted.
Durbar Square
A delightful complex of palaces, courtyards and temples at the heart of the old city, many built between the 12th and 18th centuries and now a World Heritage Site.
Hanuman Dhoka
The old Royal Palace, no longer home to the royal family, with buildings of intricate architecture and ornate courtyards.
Kumari Chowk
The residence of the Living Goddess Kumari, with exquisite carved wooden balconies and window screens, at which she can occasionally be seen.
Bouddhanath Stupa
Buddha’s eyes are painted on all four sides of this 36m (118ft) high stupa, dating back to circa AD600. The religious center for Nepal’s population of Tibetans, this holy site houses hundreds of prayer wheels.
Swayambhunath
Enjoying a hilltop setting, this lovely Buddhist temple has great views of the city and is home to a boisterous troupe of monkeys.
