In modern times Kathmandu rose to international prominence during the 1960's and '70s when it served as the terminus of the "hippie trail" through which many alienated, curious or simply hedonistic Western youths followed in search of adventure, chemical kicks or some sort of subjective nirvana. The craze reached a point where two of the most popular musicians of the era, Bob Seger and Cat Stevens belted out hits apropos the Nepalese capital.

The trail usually started in Istanbul eventually winding its way through the rest of Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, India and Nepal. At that time all these nations had liberal or non-existent drug laws which allowed travelers to enjoy the highly potent, earthy local narcotics such as Marijuana, opium and especially hashish. Those seeking another form of higher inspiration also found the trail to contain a plethora of religious and philosophical outlets, from the various forms of Islam, Hinduism, Sufism or Buddhism, not to mention countless non-denominational Holy men, Gurus and Sages.

For hundreds of years the valley which holds the Nepalese capital was comprised of three different kingdoms; Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur. Today those two other sections of the valley are also proud to display their own respective Durbar Squares

Patan is a municipality divided from Kathmandu proper by the Bagmati River. Its Durbar Square is home to a monastery and various temples, including the golden temple and the Krishna temple, which is considered to be the best example of stone architecture in Nepal.

The Patan Museum which is home to more than 900 ancient bronze statues and religious objects is also located here.

Considering that the Lord Buddha was born in Nepal (in the small hamlet of Lumbini very near the Indian border), it's not surprising that the nation's capital should hold some fascinating Buddhist pilgrimage sites.



This stupa (a circular structure containing Buddhist relics) is believed to have been constructed in the fifth century, and there are traditional Tibetan prayer wheels and paintings nearby (pictured on the right). Practical Buddhists discovered eons ago that multiple prayers etched on revolving wheels can be sent directly to heaven simply by spinning the wheels. The paintings reassuringly shows the path prayers will follow on their way heavenward.

Many Tibetan refugees continue to live around the stupa of Bouddhanath since the 1950s when they entered Nepal.

The most famous Buddhist temple is Swayambhunath, or more commonly called "Monkey Temple". Located on top of a hill which gives a fantastic view of the entire valley below, this temple is home to the country's largest statue of Buddha.

Dozens of quarrelsome, inquisitive, hungry monkeys--quite tolerant of humans who feed them-- inhabit the temple at all times of the day and night.

Within walking distance of the "Monkey Temple" are both Nepal's National and Natural History Museums. The former is home to mementos from the nation's erstwhile Kings and ancient artifacts and firearms as well as a doll collection, while the latter has a fine display of over 140 species of Himalayan butterflies, snakes and plants.

Nepal's King is still proclaimed as the world's only ruling Hindu deity and Hindu temples are quite numerous all throughout Kathmandu, with the holiest being Pashupathinath (located near the city's international airport).

This temple is nearly 1500 years old and is dedicated to Pashupati, the Hindu Lord of Animals and an incarnation of the Lord Shiva, who is known by many different names. Pashupati is but one of Shiva's identities. Pashu means living beings and Pati means master. In other words Pashupati is the master of all living beings of the universe. This is how lord Pashupati is eulogized in the Vedas, Upanisada and other Hindu religious books. Pashupathinath is the guardian spirit and the holiest of all Shiva shrines in Nepal. Not surprisingly, the temple is known as a haven for creatures of all shapes and sizes.

For most foreign tourists one of the most fascinating aspects of the temple is its cremation site known as Aryaghat. Many ghats or bathing spots are located along the banks of the Bagmati River that runs next to the Pashaputinath Temple grounds. These cremation platforms are among the busiest and holiest in the Kathmandu Valley. Here the Hindu caste system comes into play and the dead are cremated and their remains disposed of in different sections of the ghat according to their respective social levels in life. In fact, the ghat dedicated to cremations for members of the royal family is located here.

Some male relatives of the deceased are required to stay at the temple for 13 days after the cremation ceremony in order to help purify both their spirit and that of the dead relative.

The other area of Kathmandu which came to the world's attention during the "hippie heydays" was the tourist quarter, Thamel.

Today Thamel is still the foreign visitors preferred destination upon arrival in the city (many of the hotels there have touts at the airport or bus depot ready to take tourists to their respective establishments for free), yet the modern amenities found in this district and so appealing to visitors (such as high-speed internet connections, and high-scale restaurants and coffee shops which offer foreign delicacies at rates that are way out of the average Nepali's budget range) may give a distorted view of life in Kathmandu and Nepal in general, since a lot of the capital and most of the country languishes in poverty and backwardness.

The huge upside of Thamel is the seemingly endless variety of lodging available at all prices. For those on a budget getting a place to sleep for 10 to 15 dollars a night is a cinch any time of the year, though be advised that although neither the summer or winter temperatures in the capital reaches some of the extremes of surrounding areas, the cheaper hotels usually don't offer adequate cooling or heating systems.

Another pastime in Kathmandu for the visitor suffering from temple fatigue is taking in a Bollywood flick in one of the city's sundry movie theatres--the big upside here versus movie-going in India is that the Nepalese cinemas are generally much less crowded and noticeably cleaner.

A handful of casinos around the Kathmandu valley offer another option for nightlife-seeking visitors. The Nepal casino (located inside the Grand hotel) is arguably the most popular.

For centuries most foreigners tended to automatically associate the snake charming ritual with the Indian sub-continent, in recent years the activity has been almost entirely outlawed in the region, yet Nepal's dire economic situation forces certain performers to perform illegally in Thamel.



Kathmandu serves as a foreign shopper's delight-all around the city great deals are to be had for Nepal's famous (and infamous) products all the way from Pashmina shawls, Gurkha knives, masks, hashish, Nepalese tea and last but not least tiger balm (best described as a cure-all ointment) !

Despite Kathmandu's fame, it's surely not Nepal's most famous attraction, as that honor goes to the world's highest Mountain, Everest, a.k.a. Chomolungma, "Mother Godess of the world", as it is known to the Sherpa peoples of Nepal. With hash smoking long outlawed, now trekking is by far the most popular activity for tourists to the kingdom.

The capital acts as jump-off point for those keen to experience the Himalayas in the flesh. Even for someone who is not an experienced trekker or mountaineer, there are trek programs with highly skilled local guides which allow even the greenest participants a chance to experience the majestic mountains. The most popular trek is the one covering the Annapurna circuit which can last anywhere from a few days to 3 weeks. For the adventurous, even a trek around the Everest base camp can be arranged. For the most ambitious (and well-heeled), cost of a reliable, "full service" attempt at the summit can begin at around 23,500 Euros (US$ 30,000) per person.

Trekking programs can be booked on the web, but it's highly recommended to wait upon arrival in Kathmandu to make such arrangements, because the competition among the various companies (mostly based in Thamel) is fierce, thus resulting in bargain prices through haggling. Just as importantly prospective trekkers can meet and compare sundry trekking guides who will go a long way in determining how enjoyable your Himalaya experience will be.

For those travelers who are not much for rigorous physical activity or simply can't afford the fee required to climb Mt. Everest, a stay in Kathmandu offers the perfect opportunity to reach the top of the world for a fraction of the price and effort. There are various domestic airlines that fly daily from the capital's airport to the famous mountain and back in just over two hours and for a little more than 100 Euros (about US$ 130). Among these are some with such spiritual names as: Buddha Air, Cosmic Air, Shangri-la Air, Mountain Air, and the thought-provoking Yeti Airways. The great flight deals are not limited to the domestic sector and flights to Bangkok, Dhaka, Delhi, Lhasa and Thimphu (Bhutan's capital) can be booked for relatively modest sums.