As a destination in it's own right, Kathmandu is frequently overlooked as most visitors to this wonderful and fascinating city are trekkers heading for the mountains who spend only two or three days in the capital.
Kathmandu and the Kathmandu valley is definately worth spending some time exploring. The city itself is a colourful and chaotic mass of industrious artisans and wonderful architecture. Many of the buildings that are used as workshops date back several hundreds of years and would be the subject of preservation orders in western countries. Of course, there are the Heritage Listed areas of the Kathmandu valley such as Patan and Bhaktapur and Kathmandu's Durbar square, where you will pay a nominal entrance fee, but a walk around Kathmandu is rewarded by the discovery of temples and shrines with there wonderfully carved and decorated wood and stonework dedicated to inumerable Hindu deitys that can be found all over the old areas of the city and suburbs and exploring the back streets and alleys costs nothing.
The Kathmandu valley and surrounds is a great destination for families too. The Nepalese people love children and always make a point of talking to them which is a wonderful way of breaking the ice and making friends with the locals. Children respond well to the friendliness which also adds to the quality of a holiday in Kathmandu.
We also do several short introductory treks in the areas around the Kathmandu valley which are perfect for grandparents and children alike. So c'mon you Grandma's and Grandpa's, introduce your grandchildren to life in a third world country and let them experience a little of the tough life of the Nepalese children. They can even attend school for a day or two on one of our short treks.
While I've got the "oldies" attention, we still have several places left for the "Over 50's Everest Base Camp Trek" in October. For details check out the website www.skylinetreks.com.au - Everest base camp trek for over 50s.
If you would like any information about the Kathmandu Valley and surrounds, send me an email, dave@skylinetreks.com.au or you can ring me on my mobile 61 416 129 818 if you are outside Australia or 0416 129 818 from within.
Kathmandu
At the end of another trekking and climbing season and the monsoon imminent, I find myself here in the garden of a comfortable hotel in the tourist quarter of Thamel, Kathmandu with some rare spare time in which to sit at my keyboard and tap out a few lines to tell you a little about this delightfully crazy city.
The hotel is a quiet and comfortable haven of escape from the jostling crowds and the traffic, tiny Suzuki taxis, rickshaws, motorbikes and bycicles with horns blaring and all competing for the limited space in the streets outside. Also from the touts attempting to grab the unwary and direct them to dodgy "trekking company's" and souvenir shops that abound in this area.
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