“Namaste. It was a Nepalese greeting. It meant: The light within me bows to the light within you.”
– Jennifer Donnelly
For some, Nepal might not be on your bucket list. Initially it wasn’t on mine, because I saw it as a trekkers delight, and usually I sit very far outside that category. In my view – unless you love to hike or know someone that’s had a great experience there it’s likely it’ll never spring to the top of your mind as a priority destination.
I now plan to be that person you know.
For me, my sister was that person. An avid sportswoman, hiker, and as fit as they come, I understood her attraction to the home of the Himalayas. But me? Partial to a bowl of popcorn and a glass of red on the sofa most nights, a trekker I most definitely am not.
That being said, it’s hard to refuse to visit such a famed country when you are so close to its border, and so, visa in hand and with a (semi) open mind, I left India and entered Nepal.
Coming from India to Nepal was like crossing over from night to day – and indeed it was in the almost 24 hour journey it took me to get from Varanasi to Pokhara. Leaving behind the frenetic sound of horns in a cloud of dust, the bus wound around mountain after mountain, each lurch turning another passenger a shade of puce (do NOT forget travel sickness tablets).
This was all quickly forgotten as hazy grey-blue clouds shifted to reveal dizzying drops of green paddy fields into cascading ice blue rivers. Snow capped mountains jutted through the skyline, glinting majestically in the sun.
This is Nepal.
So, what are your options once you get to Nepal?
Hiking – obviously
It goes without saying this is the first thing to do when you arrive in Nepal – strap on your walking boots and steeliest resolve, and get yourself up into the crisp mountain air.
Since April 1st 2023, you cannot trek without a guide – luckily there are plenty of these in both cities and any hotel, hostel or travel agency can arrange this for you. A porter is also a good option if you have a large bag or a lot of weight to carry, and you’ll see these Gurkhas carrying incomprehensible amounts up and down the mountains regularly.
“If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying, or he is a Gurkha.”
– Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw
Your guide will show you how to get the correct permits and recommend any gear you need in order to get started. You many have different options of what you can pay your guide depending on if you want them to book your accommodation or not. I do think it’s more expensive paying the guide instead of booking directly, but remember that you are essentially paying for a service, and doing it this way guarantees you will have a good room ready when you arrive, that they will get you food and drink when you need it, and anything else along the way.
In terms of which hike to do – this is purely based on what you feel comfortable with, and can range from a few days hike up to anything as long as weeks or months exploring Everest Base Camp or the Annapurna Range. As a novice hiker, having not properly exercised in years, I was advised Poon Hill would be a relatively easy 5-day hike, both for me, and for the two friends that came to join me in exploring Nepal.
Permits stamped, down jackets rented, and backpacks loaded, we were quite literally the definition of ‘all the gear, no idea’, but dutifully followed our guide into the beginning of our hillside climb.
Some things are easy in life – Poon Hill was not.
We started with a warm up day of a couple of hours pleasant walking, followed by lunch and a gruelling 3200 steps up the side of our first hill to Ulleri. Day two followed suit, the hill increasing in steepness, and the steps gaining height as we ploughed on. The scenery went from picturesque villages to steep ravines and crystal clear waterfalls. Sadly, it was around this time my slight bout of food poisoning decided to kick into high gear, but despite the blur of tears and sweat, we finished day two in Ghorepani, at a beautiful viewpoint hotel just below the infamous Poon Hill.
It’s worth noting that if you do this trek, or indeed many others, you will need a warm coat, without a shadow of a doubt. This is of course useful to trek in when hitting those higher altitudes – but you’ll thank yourself even more for it when you get into bed! While the guest houses are beautifully heated in the common areas by a roaring fire, the bedrooms are not – and they are bloody freezing.
Day three did not get off to a good start – after a very rough night repeatedly reviewing the contents of my stomach, I crawled out of bed at 4am, staring at the mountain in front of me in trepidation.
I won’t lie, I cried all the way to the summit, but with the help of both our guide and Porter keeping me upright, as well as my fantastic friends carrying me across the finishing line, I got to see one of the most incredible sights of my life.
Orangey-red rays began to shoot out from behind the jagged skyline, before morphing into a golden haze creeping up over the white topped peaks, lighting up the Annapurna range in its full glory. Smaller mountains receded into shades of blue and pink mist, and prayer flags fluttered in the wind as we surveyed the scene around us. It’s a humbling and awe-inspiring moment, and worth every penny and moment of the climb.
“The mountains were so wild and so stark and so very beautiful that I wanted to cry. I breathed in another wonderful moment to keep safe in my heart.”
– Jane Wilson-Howarth
After a quick descent, a short recovery nap and a breakfast of assorted antibiotics, we began another climb towards Tadapani, back above the clouds to around 3500m. After reaching two summits in one day, we were delighted when the steps finally started their descent, and stumbled our way down the uneven stone platforms towards our third guesthouse.
You would expect the descent to be the easy part of the hike, but nothing can quite prepare you for how much pressure your knees and calves take on that downward stretch, and so day four was a rather sobering affair concentrating on not falling down the steep ravines surrounding us. Having said that, the scenery was stunning, going from mountains to jungle to tea fields as we continued through.
Back in the sunnier climes, we spent a frost-free night in our fourth guesthouse in Ghandruk, before a relatively short hike back down to the main road to Syauli Bazar on day five. It was at this point our guide told us Everest base camp is almost considered easier due to its longer, gradual incline than the short, steep trek we just completed. Of course.
Despite being sick (which undoubtedly put a dampener on this otherwise fantastic journey), hiking in Nepal is truly an experience like no other, and one I wouldn’t hesitate to repeat again.
Go wild on Safari
A safari is something I’ve shied away from over the years, with the view that they are either too expensive or too touristy, but after repeatedly being recommended Chitwan National Park, my travel buddies and I decided to go for it.
There are a million different packages offering tours around Chitwan, which you do have to purchase if you want to go into the park. However these can range from a few hours walk with basic accommodation to multiple days of being ferried around in jeeps, staying in luxurious guest houses, or even in the jungle itself!
We chose a package through Viator roughly in the middle budget, that for around £150 included transfers to and from Pokhara/Kathmandu, two nights in a local guesthouse with food, and about a day and a half of experiences, including watching a local dance, a short walk in the park, canoeing, visiting the elephant breeding centre, and a longer jeep experience in the park. This is advertised as a three day/two night package, but just be conscious that half of this time is taken up with transfers and in fact does not give you three days in the park itself.
The experience overall was fantastic, if you can look past being bundled in canoes and jeeps with loads of other tourists doing the same thing. The highlight therefore in my opinion, was the small group walks that get you closer to the jungle – these were supposed to be only 30 minutes, but ended up being almost two hours and resulted in us being chased by one rhino, to begin running through the undergrowth and only accidentally fall over another sleeping one… that’s about as up close as you can get!
If I had to go back and do it again, I’d take the local bus to Chitwan, arrange my own guesthouse, and then find a local walking guide to take me into the jungle. Our guide, Annu, told us that some people book a full day or two days walking, starting in the early hours to ensure they catch a glimpse of the nocturnal tigers slinking through the park before the masses of jeeps arrive.
Overall, whatever route you choose to go down, seeing Chitwan national park is still an incredible experience in itself – expect to see deer, monkeys, wild boar, peacocks, sloth bears, rhinos, elephants, and tigers if you’re lucky.
Relaxing retreats
This is another thing Nepal is famed for, with many people coming from Rishikesh across the border in India for the 200 or 500 hour yoga teacher training. If you are not looking to become an accredited teacher, there are still plenty of retreats and courses you can join to learn more about Buddhist practices, or even just to escape and relax for a while. Kopan Monastery is popular, as is Osho Tapoban, but for those on a budget, Kathmandu Meditation School is a fantastic option.
For 50$ a day, KMS will provide you with your own modest room, food and drink, and a daily regime of guided yoga, meditation, energy healing, and spiritual philosophy lessons, from beginner to expert level. The staff there are patient and make you feel like family from the moment you arrive, while you relax and survey the chaos of Kathmandu from a distance.
Things to eat in Nepal
I’d say out of the majority of countries I’ve visited, Nepal is not one that is famed for its food. However that is not to say the food is not good – on the contrary, especially in the last few years, cities and local areas alike have developed their offerings dramatically, and now you can find a surplus of delicious dishes at every turn.
In the more local areas, and especially on your hikes, you’ll expect to see Dal Bhat (a lentil stew served with rice) and Momos (steamed or fried dumplings) pretty much everywhere, but I was also pleasantly surprised to see plenty of other options, ranging from fried rice or noodles to pasta and pizza. Toasties and soups were a bit hit and miss, aside from the incredible sickness-curing garlic soup, but the salted local popcorn was always spot on.
In the cities, you’ll find all of the above, plus options from almost every other type of cuisine. Burgers, curry, tacos and even Baskin Robbins feature on the main streets, and if you want to give your food a local twist, try adding yak cheese or buffalo meat. One of my favourites in Pokhara was Gecko’s, which looks out over the lake, followed by a trip to the nearby outdoor cinema, Movie Garden.
One thing I was warned about, but still managed to get me, is the water in Nepal. I’d been told by many people that the water there was of a dubious quality, and despite being careful, can still affect your stomach if you have a badly washed salad, not-fully-boiled tea, or questionable filtered water bottle refill.
Practical tips for Nepal
One thing I noticed was that Nepal really is catered towards tourists in the respect that everything is an organised tour, so going there as an independent DIY traveller can be difficult…
Taxis – Download the Pathao app, it’s much cheaper and easier to order taxis this way and no haggling involved!
Local buses – While many people fly between Kathmandu and Pokhara, local buses these are everywhere and easy to get, but are assuredly the least comfortable given the state of Nepalese roads, so most tourists tend to use the tourist buses which are more of a coach-style with comfortable chairs and A/C. These can be booked from any travel shop, of which there are plenty to choose from!
Money – If you are entering from India, there are places to change your Indian rupees to Nepalese rupees just after the border crossing, similarly at the arrival airports. On departure, you will only be able to change your Nepalese rupees into a major currency like dollars, so keep this in mind. ATMs are pretty much everywhere (note: there is only one at the Indian border on the way to the Nepal Immigration Office) – but they will charge you to take money out, so always take out the maximum if you can, a lot of places won’t take card so your cash will disappear quickly!
Visas – I can only speak from experience of crossing from India, but this was fairly straightforward. Get stamped out of India, walk across the physical border (200m from the India Visa centre), showing your exit stamp to the guards there. Show your online visa application and passport to the small immigration office there, and then walk again (around 300m) to the proper immigration office on the right hand side to get your Nepalese Visa – you will need dollars for this as well as a printed passport photo.
SIM card – You can get these at the airport, Nepalese immigration centre, or phone shops in the city centres. Fairly cheap and good coverage until you get into high altitude on your hikes, and then you’ll need to use guesthouse WIFI.
Packing – First thing to remember is that you can buy or rent pretty much anything you need when you arrive, so don’t worry if you forget something! Obviously sports clothes to trek in are key, shorts and t-shirts for the lower, warmer altitude, leggings and layers for higher climes. Bring waterproofs, lots of thick socks, and jackets / hats / gloves if you are going into snowy areas or in winter. Depending on your hike, you may need boots and crampons, although for Poon Hill I was fine in trainers. Snacks are very important, as of course is water. There are plenty of guesthouse stops you can make for bigger meals and soft drinks along the way. In terms of altitude sickness tablets, you can get these at the local pharmacies and start taking them a few days before and after your trek. Don’t forget to take Imodium and Dioralyte or something similar too, just in case! The one thing you absolutely cannot forget of course – is your CAMERA!
So there you have it – a non-trekkers guide to a trekking country, and proof that even if you never thought it could be a country you would visit, that it should still have a place on your bucket list.
“Nepal: once is not enough.”
– Iumlenepal
Coming to a place like Nepal cannot really be classified as a holiday, but an experience, and these are the kinds of experiences you remember for a lifetime.
