Navigating Nepal
Back in June 2023, I was fortunate enough to spend two incredible weeks exploring Nepal with friends Susan and Wiktoria. We landed in Kathmandu where we started our journey by visiting a few temples and sacred sites. We began with Bhaktapur Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site dating back to 1427CE. Despite suffering frequent earthquakes, the city square has withstood the test of time with a palace, multiple temples, beautiful statues & intricate gates still standing. It was absolutely beautiful and I loved all the intricate carvings adorning every building.
Following on from this, we made the journey up to Kopan Monastery, a large Tibetan Buddhist monastery situated on top of a hill overlooking the city. This site offered fantastic views over Kathmandu which stretched for miles, with gorgeous artwork and decorations to see both inside and outside the monastery. Whenever we stopped for food I made it my mission to eat my body weight in Momos and had my first experience with some delicious Panipuri.
Next, we visited Pashupatinath Temple, a renowned and deeply sacred Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Dating back to the 5th century BCE, with additional stone and metal structures from the 15th century CE, this site holds immense spiritual significance. Along the banks of the Bagmati River, cremation ceremonies take place, adding to the temple’s profound atmosphere. I chose not to take any photographs here as a mark of respect and instead took in the serene and peaceful atmosphere.
My favourite temple was Swoyambhu Mahachaitya, otherwise known as the Monkey Temple. This religious site is situated on a hill surrounded by dense trees, with a large population of monkeys, many of which you can see playing in the waterfall at the base of the hill. It truly is an astonishing site and I loved watching the flags waving in the wind and the gold of the Stupa shining in the midday sun. Here you can see even more breathtaking views of the city and Susan’s aunt took us to a hidden balcony where I took the below picture. It was such a tranquil environment, I felt so calm and peaceful here and could’ve easily seen several hours pass by on that balcony, watching the monkeys climb the ancient buildings, birds diving between strings of prayer flags and listening to the sounds of the bustling city echoing in the distance.
That evening, we enjoyed a lovely meal with some of Susan’s relatives, who later took us to visit their local temple, beautifully illuminated as the sun set. The views from there were spectacular, as the city twinkled under the night sky, with the distant mountains faintly visible on the horizon. Susan’s family are incredibly kind, generous and welcoming, and it was a pleasure to be able to explore the city with them, listening to their fascinating stories.
After leaving Kathmandu, we embarked on the eight-hour car journey to Pokhara. Along the way, we stopped off at the Manakamana Cable Car, which carried us up to the hilltop village and temple of Manakamana. The ride offered breathtaking views, and reaching the temple, seemingly floating among the clouds, felt surreal. It was a fantastic addition to our trip and a welcome break during our long, bumpy drive to Pokhara.
Despite the long drive, it was wonderful to get a glimpse of some remote villages high up in the hills, and get a sense as to how people were living their lives in this beautiful country. Upon arriving in Pokhara, we were immediately captivated by the serene lake, framed by distant mountains and dotted with floating plants. We spent hours exploring its surroundings, visiting various landmarks, restaurants, and shops. One highlight was our peaceful boat ride across the lake which ended in a frantic paddle to shore to escape the approaching rain. Another must-visit spot is Pokhara Disney Land. Momentarily forgetting my fear of heights, I jumped on the rickety Ferris Wheel and spent the following few minutes clinging to the seat in panic, much to Susan’s delight.
One morning, we woke before dawn and made our way to a hilltop viewpoint to witness the sunrise over the Annapurna mountain range. As the minutes passed, more people arrived, but we managed to secure the perfect spot. When the sun finally emerged from behind the mountains, casting shades of gold, pink, and blue across the sky, the entire crowd, myself included, gasped in awe. It was a truly breathtaking moment and one I will cherish forever.
Other amazing sites in and around Pokhara included the stunning World Peace Pagoda, the slightly scary Hanging Bride and Chamere Cave, where we saw a wonderful array of bats but weren’t so keen on the rather tight cave exit. Later on we walked around by the Power House and Summer Falls, where we were joined by a herd of Carabao, a type of domesticated water buffalo, who were following the river bed upstream.
One afternoon we took a trip north of Pokhara to visit Gandaki Rainbow Trout Fish Farm. Here we were able to see Trout breeding and even got the chance to fish for our own lunch. The fish were pretty hungry, so it was far easier to catch them then I thought, but it was good fun and they even cooked our catch for us. We took it back to our hotel in Pokhara where we ate our fish with fresh mango and lychee whilst overlooking the lake and chatting about our travels. It was such an amazing meal shared with friends and one I still think about to this day.
Our last stop on our journey was Chitwan National Park, where we stayed in a jungle lodge. It was my first ever safari experience and I certainly wasn’t disappointed, as we saw more wildlife than I could have imagined. We spotted single-horned Asiatic rhinoceros wading through the lakes, Rhesus Macaques hanging from the trees, listened to Crested Serpent Eagles calling through the jungle and even crossed a river in a canoe, surrounded by Mugger crocodiles. This trip ignited my passion for safari’s and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to photograph so many species in their natural habitat.
Finally, it was time to head back to Kathmandu, where I bid farewell to Susan and Wiktoria as they continued their adventures in Thailand. Spending two weeks exploring Nepal was absolutely incredible, and I’m already eager to return to venture deeper into its mountains and jungles. A huge thank you to Susan for inviting me on this journey and to all of her friends and family for their kindness, generosity, and support along the way. This was my first time exploring Asia, and I truly couldn’t have asked for a better place to begin!
