Top Tourists Destinations in Kathmandu

In the recent years, Kathmandu has developed into a very popular tourist destination because it has to offer a lot to all the people coming here. There are a lot of things to do in Kathmandu which keep the travelers busy throughout their visit to this city. There are not only places with magnificent scenes of the city but also there are hiking and trekking attraction for adventure loving people so a visit to this city will surely be quite enjoyable and memorable. Some of its major travel destinations are described below for your guidance.

Nagarkot

Nagarkot is an interesting place to visit because here you will find you will find some of the most exciting places for hiking. Nagarkot is surrounded by thick forests having beautiful pine trees and providing tourists with an opportunity to escape from hustle and bustle of city. From Nagarkot, you will also be able to see views of some of the most beautiful and breathtaking Himalayan peaks including Manaslu, Sisa Pagma, Ganesh, Langtang, Gauri Shankar etc. On a clear day, you can also have a view of Mount Everest tip from this place. Isn’t it wonderful and great? Of course it is. The best time to come to this place is in afternoon so that you can stay in one of the resorts and then enjoy view of sunrise the next morning. Other activities which travelers can enjoy in Nagarkot include yoga, birdwatching, riding and hiking.

The Chusya Bahal

A visit to Kathmandu will remain incomplete without a visit to this place. The Chusya Bahal Kathmandu is the best example of Bahal architecture. Let me describe this beautiful place as I hope that after reading about it, you will definitely visit this place. At the entrance of this place, you will find two magnificent lions. This is a set of buildings on the right side of which, you will find Mahakala Shrine along with Ganesha Shrine. Visitors will also come across traditional brick paving in sunken court of this building.

There is a temple in the entrance of this building which has got two storeys. The most worth-seeing feature of this temple is roof struts belonging to 14^th century. If you are interested in watching stupas, you will find them inside the court. One of the stupas has got the image of Tara and the other has got the statue of Vajrasattva. In the ground floor, you will see many halls which are currently being used as school.

Durbar Square

Durbar Square is considered as a spiritual heart of Kathmandu. There are a lot of attractions around Durbar Square like courtyards, pagodas, temples as well as Royal Palace, Kumari House and the residence of Living Goddess. Te Kumari Chowk is also a popular tourist attraction in Nepal which is located in south of Durbar Square. At this place there is a cage having a young girl. The young girl is actually human personification of Goddess Durga which is a Hindu Goddess. Selection of this young girl is done through a spiritual and ancient process and during the time of religious festivals, this young girl is worshipped. A number of temples are also located at Durbar Square which are kept and preserved nicely as they are national heritage sites.

Gorakhnath Caves

An interesting place to visit in Kathmandu is Gorakhnath Caves which are named after saintly Gorakhnat. It is believed that Gorakhnath mediated in this cave and he also left his foot prints on a rock in front of cave. Around this region, many temples and monasteries have been established among which you will come across Tibetan gompa which belongs to Nyingmapa sect. This was built to honor a person named Guru Rinpoche who had been given the credit of introducing Buddhism in Tibet.

Royal Chitwan National Park

Royal Chitwan National Park is the oldest and most popular safari park in Nepal. This park is home to endangered animals like Royal Bengal Tiger and one-horned rhinoceros. Other animals which you will find here include sloth bears, pythons, leopards, wild elephants, monitor lizards and more than 400 species of birds. You can explore park in different ways but the best and most popular way is elephant-back safaris. Other facilities available in this park include guided walks, jeep safaris, canoe trips and overnight jungle expeditions. There are also accommodation facilities in this park so you can make a choice between hotels and luxury camps within park.

According to me, these were the best attractions which you must see in Kathmandu. Plan some holiday there and enjoy a good time.

Why should you Visit Nepal?

Nepal is a country of South-Asia that is located in Himalayas. Nepal is among those countries which are blessed with highest mountains in the world making it an attractive place for mountain-climbers. Apart from this, there are several other reasons which appeal tourists to visit Nepal. Let’s have a look on the factors and reasons that answer the question why should one visit Nepal.

Natural Beauty

Natural beauty of Nepal is worth-seeing and it is hard to describe it in words. Its plain named Terai is always filled with wild birds and most amazingly you can find elephants, rhinos, crocodiles and lions in the forests of Terai.

Nepal is also among one of the countries having high mountains which add to the magnificence of Nepal. It is amazing to know that about 64% area of Nepal is covered with mountains including the world’s highest peak Mount Everest. Many of the tourists just visit Nepal to see this beautiful peak.

Nice People

People of Nepal are very friendly. They are known all over the world for their generosity and etiquettes and because of this fact the lavish hotels in the world prefer Nepali employees over others. There are a number of ethnic groups in Nepal having their own traditions and cultures. This makes Nepal an attractive and worth-visiting place for tourists.

Nepal’s Food

Nepal’s food is another reason to visit it at least once. Its dishes have a rich South-Asian taste. Other edibles making it attractive for food lovers are lentils, pickles, organic meat, tomato sauces and much more. Another dish that has become identification of Nepal is Dhal Bhat which is not only a healthy food but also very cheap.

Exploratory Destination

Nepal is recognized as an adventurous and exploratory place. Nepal has several exciting things to be offered to visitors including river rafting, elephant-back riding and most importantly trekking.

Trekking

Nepal is considered as the best place for trekking all over the world. It has the world’s most stunning mountain sceneries. The most popular trekking destinations are in the regions of Annapurna and Everest.

Temples in Nepal

Nepal is also well-known for its marvelous and splendid temples giving spiritual feelings to the visitors. Most of the Hindu temples are located in Kathmandu valley. Some temples are also located on the tracks in high Himalayas.

The above reasons are good enough to stimulate tourists to visit Nepal at least once in their life time.

Popular Places of Attraction in Patan

Patan is a city of Nepal where tourists can find many things to see. Located in Kathmandu Valley, this ancient city has rich culture and heritage. There are Hindu temples and Buddhist monuments to see along with other historical attractions. Some major attractions in Patan are as follows.

Patan Museum

Patan Museum is situated in residential court in renowned Patan Darbar. This museum has a huge collection and treasure of objects and materials belonging to Buddhism and Hinduism. This museum was constructed in 1734 but unfortunately it underwent damages and thus experienced several renovations. Interiors of museum were also changed during restoration process and modern facilities were added as well. It was again opened for visitors in 1997.

The Central Zoo

This zoo attracts visitors due to having diversified variety of animals and birds. Here you can find more than 106 species of birds and 665 species of different animals. Zoo is also featured with a pond which was constructed in 17^th century. You can enjoy boating here. Zoo also offers many interesting rides including that of elephant ride.

Patan Durbar Square

Durbar Square is a famous attraction in Patan and full of ancient palaces, temples and shrines. There are three courtyards or “Chowks” in this square named:

• Mul Chowk
• Sundari Chowk
• Keshav Narayan Chowk

The most prominent temple in Durbar Square is Krishna Temple dedicated to Lord Krishna. It is a three storey building that has been made in Shikhara style. It also displays scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharata. First floor of temple is featured with a statue of Lord Krishna. Golden temple is another temple near this square. It was built in 12^th century and is quite popular among Buddhist. The building has three roofs having copper golden facades. You will also see two lions at the entrance of temple.

Mahabouddha Temple

This temple is the most significant temple in Patan which is well known for its clay brick structure. Located at a short distance from Durbar square, this temple is featured with thousands of images of Lord Buddha. These images have been engraved in structure of temple. You will also find a terracotta structure here belonging to 14^th century which is a masterpiece of Nepalese architecture.

These are some major places of interest in Patan. You must visit these places during your visit to Patan.

Striking Attractions in Pokhara

Pokhara is a captivating Himalayan valley that is about 200 kilometers away from the famous city Kathmandu.  Having a population of 146,000 this is the third largest town in Nepal. Pokhara is a favorite travel destination of tourists because of its rich culture and a number of mesmerizing attractions. If you have never visited this town then make a plan to visit Pokhara in these holidays and enjoy seeing these wonderful attractions described below.

International Mountain Museum

If you are an adventurer or a mountaineer then International Mountain Museum is the best place you can ever visit. This is not a historical museum as it has been opened recently in commemoration of 50^th anniversary of first ascent to Mount Everest by Hillary and Norgay. It has been established with the kind support of many mountaineering clubs and association as well as individual donors from all over the world. The theme of this museum is to cover all information and exhibits relevant to mountain activities. Museum has been divided into different galleries like:

• Mountain People Gallery: This gallery shows the traditions, culture, heritage and life style of mountain people.
• Mountain Gallery: This gallery represents geological facts on world mountain system as well as this gallery displays and explains the subjects including glaciology and flora and fauna.
• Associates’ Gallery: Here presentations are held about the activities carried out by different NGO’s around mountain areas.
• Mountain Activities Gallery: This gallery comprises the historical ascents, explorations and trekking. This gallery is also interesting because it displays development of climbing gears and other equipment required for mountain climbing.

Mahendra Cave

It takes two hours to reach Mahendra cave from Pokhara. It is actually a limestone cave that is home to thousands of bats therefore it is also known as “House of Bats”. This cave is favorite attraction of tourists as it is full of stalactite and stalagmite formations. Visitors are overwhelmed with a great feeling when they see these formations along with a number of terrific looking bats. It is not only a natural attraction but also a religious site because its walls have images of Hindu gods and goddesses and people believe that these images have been appeared naturally. For tourists’ convenience, the cave has been fitted with a lighting system. Mahendra Cave is also popular for its stones which shine when a beam of light hits them.

Barahi Temple

Barahi Temple is an important monument of Pokhara as well as it is a popular tourist attraction. It has been built in the center of Pehwa Lake and is designed in traditional pagoda style. The design of this temple has been inspired from Bhutanese style of architecture. This two-storied temple has been dedicated to female goddess Ajima.

Pokhara Museum

Pokhara Museum exhibits photographs, clothes, maps, musical instruments and jewelry to show the life style, customs and tradition of the people belonging to this region. Especially the life styles of Gurung, Thakli and Tharu ethnic groups are shown here with the help of artifacts, models and images.

Phewa Lake

The center of all attractions in Pokhara is the famous Phewa Lake which is the second largest lake in Nepal. It provides the visitors with the best visual treat when light of sun falls on its waters. Along with the natural attractions, some attractions of modern life are also there on the side of Phewa Lake like pubs and restaurants. Other activities which you can enjoy on Phewa Lake are sailing, fishing, swimming, angling and birds watching. Bird watching at Phewa Lake is the most popular activity as you can have a chance to see numerous species of birds for which this lake is a habitat. In the center of this lake, there stands the Varahi temple which is dedicated to Varaha.