ClarkB

Seeking advice from Kathie and other Asia veterans. In the early stages of planning a shortish Bhutan visit after Christmas with two teenagers - 4-night/5-days around the usual sights. So far looks OK. But since we're in the neighborhood, I'd like to pop over to Kathmandu for a few days, given that my wife lived there for a few years as a kid. Both Druk and Nepal Air have direct flights with jet service between the capitals.

Question is, is there much to see and do in or closely around Kathmandu itself? There's no way we're getting on an 8-hour bus to Pokhara or anywhere else, and flying the Himalayas in a turboprop doesn't do it for me either, and we're not Trekkers either. But if we can see a few interesting things in Kathmandu then it might be worth it, because I'm not sure we'll get this way again in our travels.

Make sense, or a waste of time and money? Thanks.

thursdaysd

I thought there was plenty. Not sure what shape it is in after the earthquake.

Click on my name for my South Asia TR that starts with Nepal.

Kathie

There are many World Heritage sites right in Kathmandu - all of them worthwhile, IMO. While the earthquake did a lot of damage, many of the collapsed buildings/shrines have been repaired. It looks pretty good in current photos.

You might find my trip report useful as I describe all of the World Heritage sites in the Kathmandu Valley. While the report is now a decade old, the World Heritage sites are the same.

photos: http://www.marlandc.com/Nepal-2008
This includes a link to my trip report.

ClarkB

Great, thanks. Always great to get your perspective, Kathie (if I could only get your photos). Sounds like we could easily fill 2-3 days in KTM without a lot of logistics hassles to get out of town. Will read up on yours and other reports.

Been off the board for awhile with too much on my plate, but I need to get caught up with some trip reports from around Asia now that we've been in Singapore for a few years. Including a very interesting trip around Burma in 2015 (right up to the point where I got a violent bout of gastroenteritis at Inle Lake), China last spring (Beijing/Xi'an highlights and amazingly not much smog), and a post-Christmas sprint around Sri Lanka that we all really enjoyed (hint - it's not that much like India!).

thursdaysd

Sounds like you've been been having fun! Dogster used to call SL India-lite, and I agreed with him! You will find Nepal more like India and less like SL, but not all the way India. Don't remember anyone hassling me to buy something, for instance, and I remember dust but not a lot of trash.

ClarkB

Kathie,

Fantastic report from 2008. Looks like plenty to fill two or three days around KTM. And I like the sound of staying at the Hyatt! After mainly staying in local 3/4-star places around Burma and Sri Lanka, I'm up for a little good old American business hotel comfort on a trip like this. I think I can use some points and save a little cash as well.

One question, if you recall - roughly how far away by car were the two other towns with Durbars? We'll be doing a fair amount of driving in Bhutan, it appears, so I prefer to avoid any long drives in Nepal, particularly after reading the stories of the interminable Pokhara bus rides.

And if you're not so keen on flying Nepal Airlines, I take it you did not throw caution literally to the wind and take the Everest flight? I'm intrigued, but I do all my 250k miles/year on jets; not a big fan of little puddle-jumpers, especially in the Himalayas with my kids along.

And I'd like to take Nepal Air from KTM back to BKK if for no other reason than to collect the boarding pass stub, but it sounds pretty grim in terms of reliability and service, hopefully not similarly lagging in safety.

Thanks!

thursdaysd

I did do the HimLaya flight, and I'm very glad I did.

Kathie

The other towns in the Kathmandu Valley, Patan and Bhaktapur were 15-30 minutes away. Changu Narayan was probably 45 minutes away, located high on bridge above the valley.

I did the Everest flight on my first trip to Kathmandu. The views were amazing, but I can understand your caution, traveling with small children,

Enjoy your trip!