Wonderful Beautiful Nepal | Nepal Travel, Culture & Food

Bhaktapur Durbar Square rewards a slower look. Beyond the broad views of temples and palace buildings, its character emerges in smaller details: the rhythm of brickwork, the shadows inside carved windows and the relationship between monuments and everyday streets. This is a place to explore with attention rather than rush through as a checklist. This guide adapts An Archive in Brick and Wood into a walking-focused introduction to Bhaktapur's architecture and nearby heritage attractions. Why Bhaktapur Durbar Square Matters Bhaktapur Durbar Square is one of the seven monument zones that together make up the UNESCO-listed Kathmandu Valley World Heritage property. Its palace buildings and religious monuments provide a starting point for understanding the valley's artistic heritage. The Nepal Tourism Board highlights Bhaktapur's pottery, woodcarving and brick-paved streets. These crafts help connect the city's celebrated monuments with the details visitors encounte...

Guest Writer: Morwenna Murray, along with Amanda's comments and pictures after Last Saturday was Nepali New Years' Eve and it was celebrated in style in the beautiful, ancient city of Bhaktapur. This small town is 14km from Kathmandu and the narrow cobbled streets and breathtaking temples makes you feel like you have just stepped back into the Medieval era.  If you come to Nepal around this time of year you don't have to actually make an effort to plan to see something special. You can just listen for the drums and other instruments and follow the sounds. Bisket Jatra is the nine-day festival celebrating the new year, starting usually four days before new years day, then carrying on for four days after it. Part of the festival involves a huge 10 metre tall rickety, wooden charriot, carrying images of the god Bhairab. On the first day of the festival locals gather around the imposing chariot in Taumadhi square and a tug of war ensues between the east and west sides of Bhak...

There are many beautiful and quite unique items to purchase in Nepal. Musical instruments, pasmina scarves, thangkas, pottery, etc., and so many people who are in your face with them, it is difficult to know what to buy or who to buy from. After two years I still can’t get a good deal on a pashmina scarf and had to just shake my head in amazement yesterday when my British guest showed me a beautiful scarf she got for only 1,000 NRs.    One of my favorite places in the area is the ancient Changu Narayan Temple site. It makes a nice side trip when you come to Bhaktapur, a must see in Nepal. The bus isn't much slower than a taxi would be so I recommend catching a local bus from Bhaktapur for 25 NRs. When a bus stops and is obviously too full just wait for another one. I've seen people hanging out the sides so often and it really makes me nervous. My eBook, Nepal: On a Budget, or whatever I begin calling it, gives more detail to safely riding buses in Nepal. Often, if you let th...

I stated in my book, Nepal On a Budget, that the Thamel district in Kathmandu can be very ruthless to unsuspecting tourists. The merchants seem to be waiting for you to walk by with too much money and not enough brain cells. I have to admit that I wasn't prepared to purchase my first pashmina scarf and that scarf's price seemed to be determined by the country I came from.  I learned a lot about pashmina since that day and I've found a few places to buy silk and wool scarves/shawls at excellent prices. One of those places is just outside of Thamel in the Arson Chowk area and one is in Bhaktapur. However, there are some bargains to be found in Thamel and if you have the energy for it, it can be a lot of fun to shop and haggle with the merchants.  The best way I've found to shop in Kathmandu is to just walk down the street and see what you pass along the way. Have a mental list and see what you can check off. I have a habit to peak into any box or sales rack I see along th...