Nowhere in the world can one find the same concentration of culture, art and tradition that exist in the KATHMANDU Valley. In the distant dawn of unrecorded time, the valley of Kathmandu was a turquoise lake. Upon this lake rested a wonderful lotus flower from which emanated a blue light of awesome magnificence. This was a manifestation of SWOYAMBHU or ADHI BUDDHA , the primordial Buddha.

From mountain retreat in Tibet came patriarch MANJUSHREE. Wishing to worship the flame more closely, he sliced the restraining Valley wall with his flaming sword of wisdom, draining the water and allowing the lotus to settle to the Valley floor. There MANJUSHREE built a shrine that was to grow into the great Stupa of SWOYAMBHUNATH.

At present KATHMANDU is the capital city of Nepal. The beautiful rolling green hills and shimmering snow peaks surround it. On a clear day, you can see the crystal clear snow peaks of the Himalayas. You can not miss the main cities of KATHMANDU & PATAN once the petty kingdoms in the history , now merging into a common urban sprawl. A little further east is the Valley's third major city, BHAKTAPUR . Within each city is the concentration of the temples , outlining the main Palaces and Durbar Squares. The large white neo - classical palaces built by the Ranas are easily identifiable.

The great civilizations of the KATHMANDU Valley are justly famous for the masterpieces of art they produced. In architecture , sculpture , painting , metal work , literature , music & dance. The various group of people who have made the Valley their home have left a marvelous legacy. Ahead of you is the excitement of a mélange of peoples and cultures found nowhere else on earth.

PASHUPATINATH TEMPLE: - PASHUPATINATH is one of the popular names of lord SHIVA. The PASHUPATINATH Temple is located at some 6 kilometers to the east of center KATHMANDU . Literarily PASUPATINATH translate to "Lord Of All The Living Creatures". He is composite god. The Hindu religious belief translates lord PASHUPATINATH as both destroyer and creator , at once the end of things and the beginning of new ones.

He is respected universally by all the Hindus worldwide. The main shrine of lord SHIVA imposes its grandeur on the western bank of the holy river Bagmati . The main shrine of Shiva dates back to the 5th century BC. However, the large, gilded, triple roofed temple was built in 1696 AD. The visitors can observe the eye - catching daily activities of Sadhus & Sanyasins , the holy men living in the banks of the sacred river Bagmati and the entire periphery around the main shrine.
Entrance to the temple precinct is forbidden to non-Hindus. This great temple of SHIVA is one of the most popular & sacred pilgrimage site for all the Hindus from both India & Nepal .

SWOYAMBHUNATH STUPA: - Atop a green hillock west of Kathmandu, at the point where the legendary patriarch MANJUSHRI discovered the lotus of the ancient valley lake , stands the great stupa of SWOYAMBHUNATH. There is little doubt that this sacred site was established more than 2,500 years ago.

SWOYAMBHUNATH stupa is the most ancient in the world. It was an important center of Buddhist learning , closely linked with Lhasa . The great stupa of SWOYAMBHUNATH is an architectural model of its kind. It is the center of religious harmony in Nepal. The visitors can have the excellent look over view of the KATHMANDU Valley from this heritage site . The site is popularly known as a " Monkey Temple " .

KATHMANDU DURBAR SQUARE: - Located at the heart of city center, KATHMANDU Durbar square was the royal residence of united Nepal up till 1889 AD. Today it is a center of tourist attraction for Medieval Palaces and skyscraper Temples . There are hundreds of shrines including the temple of the living Goddess " Kumari". Apart from it , the erotic carving, fierce image of Kalbhairab, Garuda, and the monkey god HANUMAN are some of the outstanding images. Also, the SHIVA PARVATI Temple , The Taleju Temple , KASTHA-MANDAP " The house of Wood ", the Big Bell & the Neo –Classical Rana Palace are all worth seeing heritage sites.
It is the best shopping place for curios and antiques, flutes, wood carving, masks, handloom products, souvenirs and many more. A walking trip of 45 minutes around the periphery of this square will familiarize you the semi - classical & pre - modern life style of the indigenous Newar people of Kathmandu. It is a must not forget visiting Heritage site of KATHMANDU Valley.

BOUDHANATH STUPA: - The other great stupa of the Valley and indeed, the largest in all of Nepal , is BODHANATH stupa. It is situated on the flat land to the east of the Valley. BODHANATH'S great size and its red , white and blue – painted eyes give it a striking appearance. The great stupa of Bodnath was built in fifth century. The site around the present day stupa was an overnight camp of Tibetan businessmen. The Tibetan Merchants used to offer prayer at the site where there is stupa now. Today it is the principal centers of Tibetan culture outside of Tibet. Several Buddhist monasteries have been built up recently in the immediate vicinities of Bodhanath. The periphery around the stupa is also popular for Tibetan Jewelry, hand-woven carpets, thankas, masks, khukuri knives and many more Tibetan products. A whole day can be spent over here observing the beauty of this huge stupa from different view –angles and the roof top restaurants.

BHAKTAPUR DURBAR SQUARE: - BHAKTAPUR is the most medieval town in the Valley of Kathmandu. It is situated 14 kilometers east of kathmandu. This ancient town was founded in 889 AD.
The name BHAKTAPUR translates as " the City of Devotees ". It was designed sometime in the 9th century in the shape of BISHNU'S Conch by its legendary founder late king Ananda Malla. This ancient town is not built in the concentric growth pattern like that of the Valley's other two cities. The town has three main courtyards clearly separated from each other. This small town has preserved its character and identity better than KATHMANDU & PATAN.

The Golden gate , the Royal Bath , the famous "Palace of 55 Windows ", the courtyard of Taleju Shrine , The National Art Gallery , the five storied : hanging like temple "Nyatapola" ( 60 m ) , the pottery's square , the Dattatreya Square , the Peacock window etc are all not to be missed heritage sites. You can experience the essence of timelessness while walking through the bazaars of this exotic old town.

PATAN DURBAR SQUARE: - The city of PATAN , also known as LALITPURA , seats on the slightly high plateau above the course of Bagamati river, to the south of KATHMANDU . The PATAN Durbar has an oblong square that constitutes perhaps the most spectacular example of traditional NEWARI architecture in any urban context. The Mediaeval Durbar Square here exhibits the incomparable art works sculpted on the roof struts, cornice, fringes and the supporting column of the temples.The Square contains the open display of the array of temples on one side and the another side of it is bordered by the Medieval Royal Palace. In side the Royal palace are the three ancient courtyards.In one of them there exists the ancient Royal Bath called TUSHA HITI. .

Back to the Square , the KRISHNA Temple entirely built from the Stone, is an outstanding example of Shikhar style architecture of Nepal. The sculpted scenes on the stone walls of this great temple depicts the scenes from the epics of Mahabharat & Ramayana.
Other must see sites are : the Golden Temple , the Kumbhesor Temple , the Mahaboudha Shikhar Temple and the Rudra Varna Bihar , the traditional buddhist monastry . The Old Palace Square of Patan city is worth visiting to enjoy the taste of the ancient architecture .

CHANGUNARAYAN TEMPLE: - It is the most ancient historic place preserved by UNESCO as a heritage site. Located on the northeast side of the valley at the distance of some 19 kilometers from KATHMANDU. Situated atop a small hillock, CHANGU-NARAYAN offers a small mosaic of Hindu temples and stone images that date back to 5th or 6th century. The main shrine dedicated to lord NARAYANA is a majestic masterpiece of pagoda architecture found most ancient in the whole of Nepal. It was built by then King Manadeva . The stone carving and architectures of the temple date back the early civilization of the modern age.

BUDHANILAKANTHA TEMPLE: - BUDHANIL-KANTHA is the another popular name of God BISHNU. This site is located in a small hamlet about 10 km north from KATHMANDU city center. Lord BISHNU, also popularly known as NARAYANA is the ultimate source and creator of life . At this shrine he is lying in the dreamless sleep. The huge statue of Lord Vishnu reclines upon a bed made from the coils of a huge snake, ANANTA ( the never ending one ), on the cosmic water before the universe was created. It is a great holly site for all Hindus. You can make a half day visiting trip to see this unique shrine dedicated to lord BISHNU.

CHOBHAR GORGE: - Chobhar is the place where Manjushree (The Chinese monk who had settled the city in the valley) had cut a gorge and drained the water of Kathmandu valley. It lies on the way to Dakshinkali. The sound of roaring water in a narrow tunnel deep down to the gorge below the suspension bridge is awful. It is also a worth visiting.

GODAVARI BOTANICAL GARDEN: - Below the 2700m high Phulchoki hill, Godavari is the biggest and beautiful botanical garden of Nepal. It is very famous for film shoots and picnic. Wide varities of plants and flowers are collected there. It is a popular tourist destination too.

AROUND   KATHMANDU   VALLEY
THE POPULAR HILL STATIONS

NAGARKOT: - The Hill Resort Village of NAGARKOT, located at 30 km east to the KATHAMNDU , at an altitude of 2099 m , offers great mountain views. NAGARKOT is popular tourist destination for the panoramic view of the great Himalayan ranges and surrounding green valleys . Mountain watchers usually make their way up to the Village Resort, stay overnight in one of NAGARKOT 'S hotels & lodges, then wake up at dawn to watch the sun rise appear over the Himalaya. You will never forget the majestic view of the sunrise from this corner of the earth.

DHULIKHEL: - To the eastern edge of Kathmandu Valley, there is another popular Hill Resort called Dhulikhel . It lies on the way to Tibet border 60 km east from Kathmandu . This hidden hill resort is slowly gaining popularity as the perfect spot to view the excellent Himalayan panorama .There are very comfortable hotels and lodges. Also , one - day cycle tou r connecting Dhulikhel , Namobuddha and Panauti is popular to enjoy the outskirts of the Kathmandu valley.

DAMAN: - A three-hour comfortable drive towards west from KATHMANDU arrives DAMAN. It is situated at 2322 m above sea level , midway between KATHMANDU & HETAUDA . Its claim to fame is that it has , arguably, the most spectacular outlook on the Himalaya. There are unimpeded views of the entire range from Dhaulagiri to Mt. Everest. There is a viewing tower and it also has one of the best Hill Resort of Nepal. At least an overnight's stay is suggested here before or after the trip to POKHARA & CHITAWAN .

POKHARA VALLEY

Two hundred kilometers west of KATHMANDU, nestled in a valley beneath the ANNAPURNA mountain lies the city of POKHARA. POKHARA is virtually in the geographical center of NEPAL . Located on the main road between KATHMANDU & BHAIRAWA , there may be no other place in the world from which the great Himalayan peaks can be admired from such a close distance. The town of POKHARA has quietly won the hearts of travelers from around the world. Many visitors find their most lasting impression of Nepal comes from the awesome " FISH-TAIL " of majestic MACCHA-PUCHARE mountain reflected in the still waters of POKHARA's Fewa Lake. POKHARA'S seclusion made it a place of mystery in the past . Once arriving in POKHARA you would definitely say - "Ohh ! The Mountain is still Young " .

POKHARA is the finest natural city of the world and is marked by a half dozen lakes of varying sizes , all linked by a trekking trail. Hence, it is also known as a lake city of Nepal. It is Nepal's tourism capital and the second largest tourist destination too. Experience it by heart : it is honeymooners' paradise.

The sites not to be missed in POKHARA are Devi's Fall , Fewa Lake & Barahi Temple , Sarangkot Hilllock , Beganas Lake , Seti Gorge , Mahendra Cave , International Mountain Museum , Bindabasini Temple & Kahun Danda.

DAVI'S FALL: - It is a beautiful waterfall formed from the outlet of Fewa Lake. Why it is named Davi's fall might be the matter of interest. One Day Trekkers named Devin and David had their bath down to the Fewa dam but unknowingly the doors of the dam opened to reduce the water level. Both the trekkers did not notice the signal to run away and sadly they were washed away and one of them mysteriously disappeared down into the underground passage beneath the fall. Since then the fall was named Davi's fall. It is worth visiting site of POKHARA.

SARANGKOT: - Sarangkot is a small hill on the north west side of POKHARA. It is the best place for Sunrise and Mountain View like Machhapuchre (Fishtail), Annapurna range, and Dhaulagiri range, Lamjung Himal, Manaslu and the Ganesh Himal. Tourists reach there early in the morning to view the rolling sunrise and the dazzling mighty snow peaks in the morning tender sun.

FEWA LAKE: - Fewa Lake is the finest lake of Nepal. It is 41/2km long and 200m. to 2 km width. Boating on the lake is an exciting and most interesting moment. In the middle there is an island where Barahi temple is located. Every day thousands of visitors visit the temple. Surrounded by the green forest and lakeside city, Fewa lake reflects the beautiful images of Machhachapuchre.

BEGNAS LAKE: - Begnas lake is located 13 km east of POKHARA city. This lake is in a round shape and is surrounded by green hills. On the north beautiful Annapurna fourth Himal is overlooking the lake. While boating on the lake the images of the mountain is seen into the lake.

SETI GEORGE: - SETI RIVER is originated from the beautiful mountain the Machhapuchre Himal.The water is milky white and cool. The river before entering into the POKHARA city has been disappeared into a narrow natural tunnel and has appeared in some places. It is another natural wonder of POKHARA. Its width is hardly 2 meters and the depth is more than 20 meters but you can not see the bottom of the river. Mahendra Pool (bridge) is the right place to view the dreadful rush of the river through a narrow george.

GUPTESHOR MAHADEV CAVE: - South of the POKHARA valley there is a beautiful cave. The cave has different branches but the end has not yet been met. The main part of the cave is some 20m. down. The bottom is wide and spacious. There is an image of Lord Shiv. One of the branch of the cave goes towards the Devi's fall and after a 20 meters easy walk one can reach near the fall. It is a very wonderful moment to stand just below the fall inside the cave. Gupteshor Mahadev cave is a religious site for the Hindus. Many Hindu devotees visit the cave in different occasions.

MAHENDRA CAVE: - It is located on the north of POKHARA valley some 10 km from the city center. This is the most popular cave of Nepal. It is also unexplored. There has been made necessary arrangement for the visitor with service of the guides. Nearby the cave there is another cave named Chamera cave or the bat cave where hundreds of bats live. Both caves are worth visiting.

WORLD PEACE STUPA: - It is one of finest place of sight seeing destination in POKHARA. Located on a small hilltop, world peace stupa is the best place to view the Himalaya range just in front of your eye. Overlooking the FEWA Lake the stupa site is well managed. The access is easy and both options trekking for one hour and driving are available to reach the stupa.

KAHU DADA: - On the northeast side of POKHARA valley, Kahu Dada is another viewpoint center of POKHARA. There is a tower to view the mountain range and the valley. It is the best option for a day hike. It takes about 2 hours gentle walk to reach the hilltop through villages and bushes.


INTERNATIONAL MOUNTAIN MUSEUM (IMO): - Among of the entire sight seeing destinations in POKHARA. IMO is the newly opened destination. Located on the south east of POKHARA city, IMO is only one mountain museum in the world of its kind where mountaineering history including the climbing information and climbers' details are preserved and displayed. For the interested one an artificial wall of Mount Manaslu has also been constructed. The museum has preserved the climbing records and equipments of all the famous climber of the world.


BINDABASINI TEMPLE: - Located right in the city center, BINDABASINI Temple is the popular pilgrimage site of Hindus. On a small hill the temple is beautifully located and maintained. It is the best site of POKHARA to experience the Nepalese religious belief.

TIBETAN REFUGEE CAMP: - In the fiftth decade many TIBETAN refugee had inflexed into NEPAL. They are settled in different part of the country under the direct supervision of UNESCO. In POKHARA there are four TIBETAN refugee camps. All these camps today are like the TIBETAN villages where they have maintained the Tibetan culture, tradition and lifestyle. To experience the Tibetan culture at least one center is worth visiting.

MANAKAMANA TEMPLE: - The Temple of Great female deity MANAKAMANA is about 120 km from KATHMANDU on the way to POKHARA and CHITAWAN. She is "Wish fulfilling" goddess and is popular among the Hindu devotees & specially among the newly married couples. After three hours drive to KURINTAR from KATHMANDU and 10 minutes cable car ride over the mighty TRISULI River, you can reach the temple. It is located on a hill that overlooks the TRISULI basin and the hill settlements. MANAKAMANA Temple visit can be made a part of POKHARA or CHITAWAN trip.

GORKHA: - GORKHA is the historic place of Nepal from where the late great king Prithivi Narayan Shah unified the country of Nepal. At the time he came to the power Nepal was broken up into numerous small principalities but by the time he died he had created a unified state country under one roof.

It is 128 km to the west of KATHMANDU and on the way to POKHARA . The GORKHA Palace , the old royal palace of the great king , is the best site to observe and experience the 300 year old administrative system of Nepal. Gorkha is the gateway to Manaslu trek and expedition. This historic site is worth visiting place also to understand the geographical terrains of Nepal. Gorkha visit can be added up as a three hour short trip while on the way to POKHARA & CHITAWAN .

LUMBINI : - Located some 250 kilometers west of KATHAMANDU , LUMBINI rests on the plains of KAPILVASTU. In the 6th century BC when the Buddha lived , a confederacy of Sakya clan people was situated here. There are numerous buildings of religious significance in LUMBINI . The most important of which is the shrine of MAYADEVI , the mother of Buddha . This shrine is said to be located at the exact place where the Buddha was born in the palace garden. It contains a stone relief depicting GAUTAMA BUDDHA'S nativity scene.

There is also a rectangular pond said to be the remains of a sacred pool , the brick foundations of the ruined monastery, some small votive stupas & several large plinths. Nearby exists a massive stone pillar erected by the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka in 250 BC. Today Buddhism has become the main religion of millions of people. It is the pilgrimage site for Buddhist as well as Hindus. According to the master plan prepared by a Japanese architect Kenzo Tange , Lumbini , now is being developed as a Buddhist pilgrimage site by Lumbini Development Trust.

It is being developed as a tourist residential village with all facilities. There are different stupas and gompas developed by different countries like China, Japan, Thailand, Sri-lanka, Korea, Burma and others. Lumbini is not only a holly land but also a land of peace too where the travelers can feel the mythical air of peace.

TANSEN: - Tansen is one of most popular hill station of Nepal. It is nearly 350 km south west of Kathmandu. It is one the way to Lumbini from POKHARA. On the hill top, Srinagar is a fantastic viewpoint from where one can enjoy the low land of Terai and the world highest and longest Himalaya range at a time. Tansen Bazaar is a very ancient Bazaar of Nepal and traditionally operated. The handloom and metal work of Tansen is famous even in the outside Nepal.

CHITAWAN NATIONAL PARK: - Nepal is one of the richest countries in the world in term of wild life and vegetations. Nepal's best known and most accessible national park , ROYAL CHITAWAN , was also its first. This park is located about 175 kilometers southwest of Kathmandu . In the heart of ROYAL CHITAWAN NATIONAL PARK are a couple of famous Jungle Resorts. Elephants greet those who fly into MEGHAULI airstrip and carry them to their accommodation. The park is also accessible by surface from KATHMANDU .
Once arriving in the Park, the trained naturalists lead visitors on Safaris ( by foot , elephant, Land Rover or boat ) to search for the tigers , rhinos , crocodiles and colorful bird life. Roaming around the National park on the elephant back is the most exciting moment . If you have enough time a week long vacation can be spent here enjoying various safari activities.

JOMSOM & MUKTINATH AREA: - Out of the 75 districts of Nepal , Mustang is one of most prominent himalayan district famous among the travelers and the holiday makers. It is famous for its traditional culture that resembles the Tibetan life style. At 2713 m, the serene JOMSOM is located just below the beautiful NILGIRI mountain. The easiest & the popular way to reach at JOMSOM is to take a flight for about 30 minutes from POKHARA . The alternative method to reach at JOMSOM is the Trekking that starts from POKHARA. It takes about 3 days trekking to reach here from POKHARA. Then , the 7 hours trekking from Jomsom will make you arrive at the Muktinath Area . The trekkers may wish to return the same trail back up till Jomsom and take a flight back to POKHARA . Or they may proceed their trekking beyond Muktinath in order to arrive back to POKHARA through the alternative trail.

If you have time, you can manage to stay at least a week along the route between JOMSOM & MUKTINATH. The Tibetan style settlements like Lo-Mangthang , Jharkot , Kagbeni & Marpha , between KALI GANDAKI river & mount NILGIRI , are the heavenly places that you can not find on this earth elsewhere.

DAMODAR KUNDA: It is another holly lake of Mustang where many Nepalese and Indian devotees visit to have a holly bath. The world famous river the Kaligandaki is originated from Damodar Kunda, is another tourist attraction for rafting. The long Kaligandaki basin is famous for Saligram (Black stone). Kaligandaki gorge is the worlds' deepest gorge and a comfortable trekking valley of the world.

GOSAIKUND : - Located about 4000m. above the sea level, Gosaikund is a famous holly shrine of Hindu and Buddhist. According to the Puran, Lord Shiv had gone into the icy Kund (lake) to calm down his burning throat from the poison he had swallowed, which had appeared during the time of Samundra Manthan. Devotees say that there is an image of Lord Shiv underneath of the Kund. Nearby the Gosaikund there are many glassier lakes, which are also, consider as holly Kund. Gosaikund is the nearest trekking destination inside the virgin part of the great Himalayas from Kathmandu.



NAMCHE BAZAAR: - Namche Bazaar is the gate way to Mt. Everest base camp, Khumbu valley and many other Himali destinations. It is a beautiful Himali settlement of Sherpas. Living with the Sherpas for few days sharing their culture and tradition is an opportunity to experience the Himali Tibetan based culture, tradition and life style.