Category Archives: Travel

12 Reasons Nepal Should Go On Your Vacation Bucket List

I just read this great article from buzzfeed. Sharing it with you all so you could add Nepal on your vacation bucket list 🙂

1. The Annapurna Region

Nepal is home to the Annapurna Region which is known for having some of the world’s best trekking routes. There’s also the lake city of Pokhara and shorter treks. The Annapurna Region compiles the wettest, driest, and windiest places in Nepal.

2. The High Peaks

Seven of the world’s highest peaks are situated within Nepal. All of the peaks reach over 20,000 ft. You may not actually be on top of the world, but it will sure feel like you are.

 The High Peaks

3. The Bird Watching

With over 856 known species, Nepal is a bird watcher’s paradise. That’s almost 10% of the world’s total bird population. Chances are you’ll see several birds during your stay.

The Bird Watching

4. The Multitude Of Adventures

Nepal is the perfect destination for adventure seekers. They have mountaineering, trekking, rafting, wildlife safaris, hot air balloons, paragliding, bungee jumping, ultralights, and more. Good luck choosing.

The Multitude Of Adventures

5. World Heritage Sites

Nepal is home to several UNESCO World Heritage Sites which further adds to the cultural charm. Make sure to check out the various temples, monasteries, inns, and more to experience Old World culture.

World Heritage Sites

6. Value For Money

Nepal is surprisingly affordable. This is particularly true if you compare Nepal’s hiking trails to others such as Kilimanjaro or the Inca Trail. With the food pricing, you could live off of about $10 a day. And you can find a decent, clean hotel room for about $18.50.

Value For Money

7. The Lakes

The various lakes of Nepal are known not only for their outstanding beauty but also for their spiritual importance. There are over 200 lakes in Nepal with glacier origin. Who needs the sea when you have all these lakes?

The Lakes

8. The Elevation Change

Nepal is the only country in the world where the elevation will change from 60 meters to over 8,000 meters above sea level. It’s quite the experience.

The Elevation Change

9. Diverse Cultures

Over 35 different ethnic groups call Nepal home. This means there are multiple religions, languages, musical influence, and foods. Nepal is a wonderful place to immerse yourself into different cultures and leave your comfort zone. And Nepal is the only place in the world where people worship the living goddess, Kumari.

Diverse Cultures

10. Nepalese Food

Although Nepalase dishes do result from heavy South Asian influences like China and India, the food is usually healthier with more lean meats and veggies. Other common ingredients include lentils, tomatoes, cumin, potatoes, yogurt, and garlic. And you can eat overlooking views like this!

Nepalese Food

11. Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley

The Kathmandu Valley is located in the foothills of the Himalayas and is composed of seven different “Monument Zones.” These zones include urban centers with palaces, temples, and the oldest known Buddhist monument thought to be built in the third century B.C.

Nepal's Kathmandu Valley

12. The Serenity

Nepal has been regarded as a sacred place for hundreds of years. The tranquillity of the area will have a positive effect on anyone that is able to experience it. The people, the buildings, and the land are all symbols of serenity. In Nepal, you can truly escape.

The Serenity

Visit to Doleshwor Mahadeva Temple

Doleshwor Mahadeva is a Hindu Temple of Lord Shiva located in the Sipadol VDC, south eastern part of Bhaktapur District, Nepal. As my mum wanted to go there, one morning I went there with my parents. The temple is believed to be for the head of the bull at KedarNath Temple of Uttarakhand, India.

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Legend has it that Pandavas reached the Kedarnath region to seek forgiveness from Lord Shiva for the loss of lives during the 18-day Mahabharata war. But Lord Shiva was not ready to forgive them and he took the form of a bull. The Pandavas soon realized that the Bull was Lord Shiva and tried to stop it by pulling the tail. Suddenly the head got separated from the body of the bull and the Pandavas could not locate it.

The body of the bull is presently worshipped in the Kedarnath Temple. People have been searching for the head of the bull since the period of the Mahabharata as they believed that it was hidden in the Himalayas. But so far all search proved futile and now Bhim Shankarling Shivacharya who was on a visit to Nepal happened to visit Jangam math in Bhaktapur in Nepal and was surprised by the striking resemblance of rituals followed in Kedarnath and Bhaktapur. Thus the temple is believed to be for the head of the bull at KedarNath Temple.

The road leading to the temple is good until the last 4 km where it turns into a small gravelled road. I loved the green land and cute village houses that we find on the drive to the temple. It was a very quick ride I have to say.

Once we parked and went through the main gate of the temple, I was surprised to find that the temple was smaller than I had expected and not many people were around.

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My mum bought the puja from a local vendor and we went inside.

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We were lucky that we got to do our puja straight away because as soon as we were done, there was busload of people coming to worship. Suddenly the place was busy and noisy that we even had to watch where we stepped when we moved.

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Apart from the main temple, the area also has one Dhunge Dhara (a traditional stone water tap found extensively in Nepal), a big trishul (a trident, Shiva’s particular weapon) and damaru (A small drum, shaped like an hourglass) and a few small idols around.

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At one corner there was a sadhu who was blessing everyone passing by. I asked him if it is ok to take a photo with him and he agreed so here is the snap.

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The visit to the temple as short as there was not much to do. My mum bought some fresh veggies from the local villagers and we were back on our way home.

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The place is really nice to go to if anyone wants a short trip out of the city.

Back and alive

You must be wondering where I have been for so long but I have had one hell of a busy time in Nepal that I went MIA. Now I am back in Sydney so here is the update.

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The wedding of my BIL went well but for the first 3 weeks I was there, I was so busy that I didn’t get to do much but just concentrated on the wedding. I was glad that AS was with me the whole time. I was sleep deprived most of the time for one reason or another.

After the wedding AS came back to Sydney and for the next 2 weeks I was just being lazy and missing him a lot. I know I might sound like a broken record to all of you but I miss him very much whenever we are apart. Skyping and Vibering definitely helped but still it was not like holding him or getting a kiss from him. I am just glad to be sleeping next to him again and seeing him when I wake up in the morning.

Lots of things were fun in Nepal expect being sick multiple times. I was sick a couple of times before the wedding and I was scared I wouldn’t be able to enjoy it. I was really careful the whole time drinking only bottled water outside and going to selective restaurants for food but I still got sick.

The day before the wedding, I was vomiting the whole night. We had gone to this fancy (supposedly good) restaurant at Darbar Marg in Kathmandu and we had had momo and pakoda. Looks like that made me vomit the whole night and the diarrhoea started the next morning.

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Imagine my state of mind and body when everyone was coming to our home. Thankfully, I took some medication and I was mostly OK for the wedding.

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As I mentioned before, my SIL is from a different caste from us so there was a slight confusion regarding tradition during the wedding but apart from that it was a great experience. The reception was equally fun, me meeting lots of relatives and friends. The wedding went really well and we have a new family member in our house who calls me sister :).

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I was glad once everything was over because I was planning to rest for a few days. It turned out to be just a dream because when the wedding was over, AS had just a week before he would leave for Sydney which meant we have to finish his shopping and on top of that, meet and eat with all the relatives who had invited us.

The week went really quickly and suddenly it was the day AS was to leave. I made a decision at the airport that I would never travel separately again. I know I was going to see him in 2 weeks but still my heart was crying for him not to go. Stupid me, but it was really hard.

The following day, finally I got to go and live with my parents and it was a good feeling. Even though, my new home (AS’s home) is good in every way, I had a different feeling when I got to sleep in my old bed and to be with my parents. I think the history I have with the house, my dog and seeing my old stuff is simply priceless and definitely, it will be my home forever.

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My parents spoiled me rotten for the next 2 weeks, breakfast in bed was really nice. My mum made sure she cooked whatever I would feel like eating. It was heaven just to wake up late and relax. I was so busy for the first 3 weeks that I just wanted to be lazy and relax the next two.

I did go for day trips to a few places with my parents but apart from that I spent lots of time at home just talking with them and relaxing.

I did went and visit my grand ma, who is 86 now. She is always so happy to see us and give her blessing. I can see a pain in her eyes sometime but still she smiles and tells me to be happy. The time I went to visit her before I came to Sydney, she almost made me cry. She told me , “I may not see you again so be well and make sure you look after your parents.” I am sure I am going to see her again and hope she will be strong and well for a long time to come.

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This time I managed to meet Kathy, from Himalayan Happenings with her lovely husband. It was such a nice moment and it was great to know you guys. I will be in touch and thanks for the momo. I loved it so much 🙂

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Thanks to one of my friends from school, I got to attend the gathering of my friend from primary school. I hadn’t seen most of them for 15 years now and it was so good to catch up. I couldn’t believe how much we have changed but at the same time we have the same level of comfort with each other. It’s like we had never been apart, conversation flew so easily. It was one of the most memorable moments of my visit to Nepal this time.

The other one has to be taking a family portrait with my grandparents in law. As I mentioned before granddad is 95 and grand mum is 90. We got a photographer to their place and had a great time taking photos. Here is one of the many photos we took. Having so many people, it was really hard to make sure everyone was OK in the same photos but finally we did get a few good shots.

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The highlight of my trip was definitely the wedding of my BIL but I am also glad to let you know that I managed to bring heaps of Nepali things for our new home.

We managed to bring two big carpets (Nepali carpets are quite famous and good), many showpieces like the idols of Buddha and Tara as well as the painting we were after.

Over all a great trip back home but now back to real word. I am still jet-lagged and tired from the trip. I might take me at least few days to be OK and normal.

I almost forgot to mention, I managed to be in Nepal for 5 weeks without any exercise. I took my yoga stuffs with me to exercise but it never saw the light of day. This afternoon after 5 weeks, I managed to go and swim during lunch. It was refreshing and relaxing. 🙂

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Of course, you will hear a lot about things from Nepal but for now, I need to stop typing. My hands need a rest.

Until my next post take care everyone and come back to blog. I am back now  🙂

M from nepaliaustralian

XOXO

More photo update from Nepal

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Chatpat 🙂

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Idol of Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, arts and nature: Saraswati

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Swarovski in Kathmandu

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Enjoyed Newari bhoj after ages

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The beautiful site you see around temples in Nepal, love it…

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Went to movie with SIL and MIL

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Paau, my favourite dish in newari bhoj

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Me and AS during the wedding receiption

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Wedding venue

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Chir at Basantapur for Holi celebration

More update  soon. Till then take care…

M from nepaliaustralian

XOXO

Photo update from Nepal

Temple bells

Temple bells

Wedding procession

Wedding procession

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Temple

This is how traffic is controlled in Nepal

This is how traffic is controlled in Nepal

Kathmandu Durbar Square

Kathmandu Durbar Square

Pashupati Nath

Pashupati Nath

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Morning view from the rooftop

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Diyo

Diyo

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Traffic controller’s horse

Kathmandu Kumari Ghar

Kathmandu Kumari Ghar

Sel roti

Sel roti

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Nepali flag

Nepali flag

Kathmandu Durbar Square

Kathmandu Durbar Square

Load shedding in Kathmandu

Load shedding in Kathmandu

God of Sun

God of Sun

More update  soon. Till then take care…

M from nepaliaustralian

XOXO