jimenitayo

Hi all
I'm currently in Kathmandu, and trying to plan an itinerary to see the Himalayas that does not involve trekking. tricky, right!?
we're two travelers with some injuries that make it difficult to go far. I can walk at a slow pace on level ground for about 2-3 hours before I give out.
so I'm thinking of ways to get close to the mountains so I can enjoy their beauty, but not be tied to getting to a specific destination in order to have a place to sleep!
I'd like to know about cities/towns/hotels that we can reach by bus/taxi/guide where we can enjoy some of the spectacular beauty. then, if we want to take an easy walk, we can always come home later in the day.
does that make sense? does it seem doable?

I'm hoping to keep the costs low, paying for transportation from one place to another, paying about $10-20 for a hotel for 2, and eating at restaurants instead of booking a full package through an agency.

any ideas would be really appreciated. I'm having trouble getting tour operators to understand what I'm trying to do, and the full tours that they suggest seem expensive.

thank you all for the information, this forum has been invaluable!
Jimena

Kathie

The best views of the Himalayas in Nepal are from the Everest flight-seeing flights.

If you go out past Bhaktapur to Changu Narayan (no need for a tour - just take a taxi), you'll get some nice views there, and there are some fairly easy walks in the area. That's just a day trip from Kathmandu.

Kathie

PS, you didn't ask this, but the best views of the Himalayas I've experienced are from Sikkim - NE India.

thursdaysd

I agree with Kathie - take the flight.

MmePerdu

If you plan to be in India, Kathie is right although when I was in Sikkim one needed a permit. In the same general area the views of Kanchenjunga, the main mountain you see from Sikkim, can be seen beautifully (when it's not covered in clouds) from Darjeeling and Kalimpong.

Kathie

Ah, Mme Perdu, we have been to many of the same places. We were in Sikkim in 2010, and while you do need a permit, it was pretty pro forma. You could simply stop on your way in at Rangpo and pick up a permit. We didn't stop at Kalimpong, but did go to Darjeeling which we didn't like much after our wonderful time in Sikkim.

MmePerdu

The nicest thing about Kalimpong is that there are relatively few tourists so it's a "real" place. I stayed a while, waiting for a friend to catch up from a trek in Sikkim and liked it VERY much. Rather a step back in time compared to other better known places in the region.

Kathie

Thanks for your comments about Kalimpong - we thought about it but didn't have enough time - maybe next time! Where did you go in Sikkim? We just loved what we saw of it!

MmePerdu

I stayed at a farm/guest house near a village in the east. Heard about the place from another traveler in Delhi who'd just come from there. We were picked up in Bagdogra and driven there by jeep through tea gardens and unpaved roads for hours, through a waterfall that came down on the road when it rained. The guest house was a family farm run by 2 young sisters and their brother and accommodated just a few of us who'd come to just hang out and take walks. The closest landmark was Kanchenjunga and the Nepal border which they pointed out to us on a ridge. One of the corners of the world you usually come upon by accident as we did.

Kathie

There are so many little homestays in Sikkim! We stayed in Gangtok and Pelling, and visited many of the Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the area. Driving in Sikkim was quite an adventure. Your comment about the waterfalls reminded me of one place that had water flowing down the mountain and across the road became in impromptu car wash for the locals.

We encountered very few western tourists in Sikkim, almost all the tourists we met were from India. For such a gorgeous place, it is remarkably untouristed.

jimenitayo

thanks a lot!
I'll look up Changu Narayan
if you think of any interesting towns close to pokhara, that would also be wonderful.
we just came from India, so we won't be going back, but maybe someone will find this thread and get some inspiration about sikkim.
the flight is out of our budget. we'd spend $350 on a few hours of entertainment, when that is closer to our budget for the country! I'd rather move slower and spend more time with the mountains
thanks for the ideas

thursdaysd

Well, you could stop in Bandipur between Kathmandu and Pokhara - click on my name for my S. Asia TR, starting in Nepal. $350 seems high for that flight, but I suppose that's for two?

Kathie

Sorry to have hijacked your thread to chat about Sikkim.

I do think Changu Narayan is well worth the trip. Here is a link to our Nepal photos: www.marlandc.com/Nepal/index.html Look at the photos from the drive to Bhaktapur and then on to Changu Narayan.