If the name conjures up images of an exotic city, I hate to disappoint you. It is not.
Kathmandu is a sprawling city of about 3 million, at an elevation of about 4,600 feet. It is a filthy, noisy, dusty, overcrowded city. Its main religions are Hinduism and Buddhism. It is becoming a popular tourist destination, with seven World Heritage Sites. The city itself is not a beautiful city, with poor infrastructure, old buildings that need repairs and a terrible pollution problem. Traffic is gnarly. You risk your life every time you cross the street. After walking for a couple of hours in the city, you are rewarded with a cough. Obviously, the city still operates like it's in the 60s'. Although there are temples, stupas, shrines that dot the city center, walking to and through them is a major challenge for most tourists. Vendors sell everything on the street: clothes, fruits, vegetables, nuts, drinks, and even flutes. It's a cacophony of noise from everywhere and everyone. It's interesting, yet intimidating.
If you want to enjoy the city, I suggest taking a guided tour. Why? Public transportation is virtually non-existent. Locals take mostly "micro-buses" but you have to understand the system to take it. Taxis are available but they are mostly teeny vehicles. Vehicles designated tourist buses look cleaner and more comfortable. You are sure to save a lot of time and grief by traveling in a tourist van or bus.
I came to Kathmandu (KTM, its airport designation) not because I want to but because I have to. It has not been on my list of places to go because it is far from any place that I go to. From Singapore it's probably at least a 5-6 hour flight. It takes at least 24 hours to travel from anywhere in the US because there are no direct flights from any US city. So, why am I in KTM? Because I am here with a few friends to trek to the Everest Base Camp. I will write more about the trek in the following few posts.
In order for me to get to KTM, I flew from New York City's JFK Airport to Doha, Qatar on Qatar Airways. It's about a 12-hour flight. My layover in Doha was almost 7 hours because there are very few flights that go from Doha to KTM. By the time I arrived in KTM I've traveled more than 24 hours.
Our rendezvous hotel is Hotel Tibet, about 20 minutes from the airport and a short walking distance from Thamel, an area where many tourists and trekkers come to shop for trekking clothes and equipment. By courtesy of a couple of local guides, we walked through Thamel and some of the places where the locals shop, eat, pray, etc. It's one of the most congested pedestrian areas that I've walked through. You think you are walking through a bumper car derby. It's a kaleidoscope of colors, sounds and all things imaginable. It's interesting, yet can be overwhelming at times.
Kathmandu is a sprawling city of about 3 million, at an elevation of about 4,600 feet. It is a filthy, noisy, dusty, overcrowded city. Its main religions are Hinduism and Buddhism. It is becoming a popular tourist destination, with seven World Heritage Sites. The city itself is not a beautiful city, with poor infrastructure, old buildings that need repairs and a terrible pollution problem. Traffic is gnarly. You risk your life every time you cross the street. After walking for a couple of hours in the city, you are rewarded with a cough. Obviously, the city still operates like it's in the 60s'. Although there are temples, stupas, shrines that dot the city center, walking to and through them is a major challenge for most tourists. Vendors sell everything on the street: clothes, fruits, vegetables, nuts, drinks, and even flutes. It's a cacophony of noise from everywhere and everyone. It's interesting, yet intimidating.
If you want to enjoy the city, I suggest taking a guided tour. Why? Public transportation is virtually non-existent. Locals take mostly "micro-buses" but you have to understand the system to take it. Taxis are available but they are mostly teeny vehicles. Vehicles designated tourist buses look cleaner and more comfortable. You are sure to save a lot of time and grief by traveling in a tourist van or bus.
I came to Kathmandu (KTM, its airport designation) not because I want to but because I have to. It has not been on my list of places to go because it is far from any place that I go to. From Singapore it's probably at least a 5-6 hour flight. It takes at least 24 hours to travel from anywhere in the US because there are no direct flights from any US city. So, why am I in KTM? Because I am here with a few friends to trek to the Everest Base Camp. I will write more about the trek in the following few posts.
In order for me to get to KTM, I flew from New York City's JFK Airport to Doha, Qatar on Qatar Airways. It's about a 12-hour flight. My layover in Doha was almost 7 hours because there are very few flights that go from Doha to KTM. By the time I arrived in KTM I've traveled more than 24 hours.
Our rendezvous hotel is Hotel Tibet, about 20 minutes from the airport and a short walking distance from Thamel, an area where many tourists and trekkers come to shop for trekking clothes and equipment. By courtesy of a couple of local guides, we walked through Thamel and some of the places where the locals shop, eat, pray, etc. It's one of the most congested pedestrian areas that I've walked through. You think you are walking through a bumper car derby. It's a kaleidoscope of colors, sounds and all things imaginable. It's interesting, yet can be overwhelming at times.
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| Vendor selling garlands |
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| Two fake holy men |
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| Group photo in front of a giant stupa |
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| Tricycles for the tourists |
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| A souvenir shops |
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| Many dentists are unlicensed |
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| A popular lassi (juice and yogurt drink) store |
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| Man selling flutes |
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| A grocery stand |
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| A clothing store |
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| Open air cremation at Three Pashupatinath Temple |
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