Where : Kathmandu & Nagarkot
When : 29th May – 1st June 2017
Stay : Club Himalaya Resort
#Nepal for sure is on every traveler’s mind who loves #mountains and especially Himalayas. There are people across globe who travel overseas just for a glimpse of the mighty #Everest. And we Indians have it so close and convenient, yet we tend to ignore it ( blame it on our laziness or lack of traveling instinct.)
I recently had my chance to visit this beautiful country. I could visit only two cities which are Kathmandu & Nagarokot respectively. (I was on an official event and hence couldn’t visit more. But they say #Pokhara is where all the magic lies. It’s on higher altitudes and hence closer to snow-capped Himalayas.) In this blog post, I am going to write a little about my stay in Club Himalaya Resort, Little bit of sightseeing that we did and whole lot of rejuvenating experience that Nepal gave with its beauty.
I traveled to Nepal in May end. This is not an ideal month to travel they say. Ideal time to visit is October – November as its pleasant weather (not too cold ) , no rains and hence clear skies which give you the clearest of the views. But I had to make the most of what I had got right!
Day 1
So on 29th May 2017, we started our travel. From Mumbai to #Kathmandu it was a direct flight by Jet Airways (Thank god for direct flights ) Unlike my colleagues who had to take a flight via Delhi which was for almost 5 -6 hrs. Mine was simply 3 hrs. Well 3 hrs was on papers and actually it took almost 2 hrs to reach the capital of Nepal. This airport is really tiny.
The way out from Tribhuvan International Airport towards the city gets really crowded in peak hours. (9 am to 11 am ) It almost reminded us of Mumbai traffic. I am going to refer ‘us’ for the group I was handling. So, after spending almost half an hour being stuck in traffic we started moving slowly. I could lay my eyes on the local life of Nepal. It looked very familiar to ours. However, only concerning factor was the #pollution. The city is badly polluted that at least 3-4 people out of 10 were wearing a mask. It is not clean too. There is pollution of all kinds around.
We had to go to Nagarkot a tiny village in Bhaktapur district which is about 2 hrs from Nagarkot City. Its located on hilly terrain and at an altitude of 2195 mts. That was one hell of a journey. The road was really narrow and steep. Only one vehicle could pass at a time and that’s why it was more time consuming. After about 1 hrs journey from Kathmandu, I had almost lost hopes of the picturesque Nepal. That’s when we started seeing landscapes and that’s when the whole Nepal vibe started to sync in. Beautiful tall pine trees, tiny cafes (very scarce ) and a laid back life ! There were a couple of hotels we spotted on our way and those were all really small. I had to conduct a conference and hence I had to make sure that the resort and facilities were good. Looking at the other hotels I was a little worried, not because they were bad but I started doubting the ability to host a conference. But My doubts were all eased out the moment we stepped in.
Detailed review about the hotel.
Another interesting thing about Nagarkot was the ever changing weather. At one moment it would be sunny and within next half an hour it would be cold , cloudy and chilly.
We stayed at the property for 2 nights. I have mentioned all the details about service , food etc in the resort review.
Day 2
This morning was our Mount Everest flight. It was at 730 am. There are several domestic airlines conducting it. We chose Buddha Air. We had to report to domestic terminal by 7 am. Trust me, it was a task to get up that early in the morning. But we were really looking forward to the mountain flight. It was again that dreaded journey from steep roads to the airport. With our hearts in our throat we started. Hotel had arranged for a packed breakfast for us. Sweet!
We Indians do not need Passport to visit Nepal but for doing the Mount Everest flight, passport is needed. The procedure is similar to any other flight. But here you get a boarding pass and along with it you get a map. An outline of mountain range that one will get to see during the flight.
We had 16 seater ATR aircrafts. All with window seats, ideal for the mountain views. We were 25 people hence we had to be divided in two groups. All set for the mountain flight. We boarded it. Pretty air-hostess greeted us with a smile. We were told beforehand that we will not get to see the peak of Mount Everest due to bad weather and clouds but that shouldn’t affect our overall experience. We were all geared up!
Our flight was an experience that took our trip to Nepal to another level. Flying above the clouds and watching mighty Himalayas is something can only be experienced. We all were turned into kids, super excited! Initially people sitting on left side were getting the snow view and all we saw was lower Himalayas. Not that it’s not beautiful ! It has the view of greener Himalayas and Valleys. However, worried me questioned the crew ‘ I hope we too will get to see the Everest.’ She mentioned aircraft would turn around and trust me you will get a better view 😉.
Another USP of this flight is they let you go to the cockpit and interact with pilots. The view from cockpit is killer!!
Here are some pics from the Mountain flight.
Between this mountain flight and our flight back to Mumbai we had almost 2-3 hours and we planned on visiting Bouddhanath Stupa and Pashupatinath Temple.
Bouddhanath is considered the biggest Stupa in Asia and its massive. It belongs to #Tibetan Buddhism. Beautiful white washed Stupa with a real gold tip was destroyed due to Kathmandu earthquake. But they fixed it within no time and now this holy structure is back in its original form for its devotees. Its surrounded by monasteries, prayer wheels,prayer flags etc. All around it are cute shops and cafes. An ideal spot to grab lunch and satiate your shopping spree .What to shop here – Souvenirs , Shawls and Stoles , Cool T’s , Tibetan Thanka Paintings and Handicrafts.
After Bouddhanath we visited Pashupatinath Temple.
This one belongs to Hindu religion and non -Hindus are prohibited from visiting here. Honestly, I don’t see a reason why anyone should be stopped. Anyway, so we proceeded. This is about 10 mins from the airport. Entrance of it can be a bit too much for some as it is a crematorium of Hindus where bodies are cremated. If you have been to #Varansi (UP) or #Panchwati ( Maharashtra) you can relate to this. On the similar line, there is a huge temple complex belonging to the architecture of 2nd century BC.
One of the most important temples for Shaivaites. (Shiva believers) Pashupatinath = God of Animals. They do not allow photos inside. Among several hindu temples we found this huge formation that was made from 525 Shivlingas placed in a particular fashion to form a Swastik. Unusual and fascinating. Overall, if you like ancient temples and its architecture you would definitely enjoy it as the intricate carving and the holy vibes coming from this complex make the visit worthwhile. But if Temples is not your scene then its avoidable.
Those interested in Rudraksha, must buy it from here as there are genuine shops around Pashupatinath Temple.
That’s all I could cover during my work visit. I wish I could see a little more but that’s how the traveller in me is! I hope I can travel to Nepal again sometime soon to cover other gorgeous places too.
Till then, Happy Travelling 😊
P.S. All pictures are taken solely by me and review is based on a personal experience.
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