Nepal- Kathmandu

Nepal really surprised me, I literally knew nothing about it, and usually I want to research the death out of it before I go (namely cute coffee shops) but this time I didn't. In fact, my only knowledge of Kathmandu was from when in Dr. Strange (Marvel film) he travels to Kathmandu for find the 'Ancient One'.

What struck me very quickly about Nepal was, in comparison to India, Nepal is chill. So much calmer, less chaotic, less noise. I mean, the country is tiny in comparison, and Kathmandu only has a population of 862,000, whilst Delhi has almost 39 million. That magical charm also hits you, with cobbled streets, temples on each corner with candlelit shrines, people going about their business, and friendly smiles everywhere. The staff in our hotel were just the nicest people.

We stayed at Hotel Traditional Stay in Patan. https://www.traditionalstay.com/rooms/

Patan is more of a traditional, quieter area. The tourist, more noisy area is Thamel. I wondered if I would be missing out if I was in Patan rather than Thamel-when I ventured up there towards the end of the trip it reminded me a bit of Khao San Road in Bangkok and not the nice, cultural experience you may be after. Also to note that during the day, you need to buy a pass in order to access Patan Durbar Square. Our guide had organised these for us, but if you are travelling alone, you will need to enquire about this. There is a guard on the gate to the square who you would be able to pay. During the evening, access is free.