Nepal
Nepal belonged once to the old Indian kingdom, as well as Pakistan, Bangladeash & Sri Lanka. Than these 4 separated to individual countries. Being based on Buddhist & Hindu culture, this is a very deep, powerful & traditional place. And for sure, surrounded by a Himalayan mountain paradise!
(locations shown in the video: the ancient temples of Kathmandu, as well as the mountains of Patan, Dakshinkali, Pokhara, Sarangkot, Annapurna massif & Poon Hill.)
Important Places to Visit:
1. Kathmandu
The capital lays already on 1600m, & is completely surrounded by mountains and green national park!!!
Very old temples like PashupathiNath & Guyeshvari Kali temple is one of the main attractions!! It's a more than 1600year old temple compound, and many puja/ritual stores around!!
Old city center: Durba square with its magic charm and mind blowing architecture is mesmerizing. The child Goddess "Kumari" is also visitable. (a Goddess that is invoked in a little chosen girl)
The best shopping opportunity u find in Thamel. Lots of Nepali and Buddhist arts & crafts u find there!! 😊😊
(more details below/ scroll to end of this page!)
2. Pokhara
- a mountain town, 8hours per bus/1h flight from Kathmandu. Beautiful mountain lakes, and yoga schools & international tourists.
3. Annapurna Trek
-Trekking around a 6000nder. Annapurna massif, named after the Goddess, is a sacred mountain. People can do hikes of either 9, 14 or 21days around it. U can go with a guide, or also without*.
[*I met a Hippie couple, and they said without guide all possible: trek is easy to find, and blankets to sleep they got in any mountain café up there & slept in the café itself!! Lol.😉😉]
Attention: u can NOT trek/ hike there in rainy season, and deep winter. (rainy season: landslides. Plus middle Dezember till end of February /March: snow >> Please try in the right season!! 😉😉)
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More detailed information about
Kathmandu
The capital is at altitude 1600meter. It is a surrounded by 7 mountain peaks/chains, and therefore it is actually called "Kathmandu valley". Most famous to visit r:
1. Pashupati Temple (Shiva) & Guhyeshvari Temple (Kali) which r both a couple of 1000nd years old and reachable by a 10min lovely footpath through the nature from each other. They are made of a lot of different metals and hold a lot of old power. - Power from the Worship, and power because these metals channel the energy from the universe. (Pashupati's temple doors are made from pur silver, the roof made from brass and copper, and only a few pillars are made from strong, a sort of theek wood.
Be careful, though next to the temple is the sacred river with the cremation ground. Up the hill is another old mystic temple in ruins, and quite spooky.
The Devi temple has downstairs two entry Pillars with 2 big eyes painted on each, - which represents the 3rd eye/the symbol of Mother Kali/the Goddess. Up at the temple u will find massif silver doors, some silver and other metal pillars. This is one of 108 Kali Peeths/ a place where one of the Goddess' body parts fell. You will feel some deep power and deep tranquility by meditating.
2. Dhurba Square, Shopping Area, & Buddha Stupe
2.1 Dhurba Square is the old City Square. - Very amazing architecture and powerful atmosphere.
2.2 Shopping area is called Tamil. You find Nepal made Cloths, Yoga pants, Wool socks, a lot of Handicraft! +/ metal Gods statues, Buddhist paintings, spiritual books on yoga, Reiki, Himalayan Yogis and Shambhala. Tibetan restaurants &more.
2.3 Buddha Stupe. Very amazing Buddha temple on a hill/next to busstand. At entry 3 huge golden platted Buddha Statues are there. - circa 10-12meters high. There is a room where minimum 1000 little ghee lamps are lit. Pilgrims put them with a special wish. And u also can put. It's very calm and magic place. 80year old Buddhist ladies and man sit with big round wooden prayer beats under a tree and do their daily meditation. A good place to bring some time with. Little prayer halls are painted fully up to the roof with Buddhis Goddesses and Gods.
A short walk brings u to the round Stupe with a long high golden peak to connect to the energy of the universe!
3. Kumari
Kumari - the living Goddess. A chosen virgin girl that is there at the temple as a /personification/channelor of the Devi/Goddess. People visit her to get blessings..
4. National Park, & flowing Buddha Statue.
If u want to avoid taking a costly accommodation in the traffic-area of the shopping center of Kathmandu, u can choose a cheaper and quieter guesthouses near the national park entry/ near BudhaNilkanta. Cafés with traditional Nepali food like rics+curry, or Momos, u find there! (Actually at every corner!)
5. Buddhist Monastaries
6. Voulenteering at NGO's
I personally met many international people there who came as Voulenteers. It could be for primary schools, poor children, rural economy, or also high class companies. Work away, Voulenteer at Yoga Schools, Internships, and many more options are there.
7. Adventure Skills
Para-Gliding, Pony-Riding, Seeing Sunsets or Mount Everest from the next mountain peak, National Park hike, renting a bike/bike trip....many options are there just nearby the capital/ Kathmandu.
8. Studies
I am not talking about university courses but traditional things that u can do there:
1. Buddhist monasteries u can go for single meditation, or, same as in Dharamshala, u find 10days course about Buddhist philosophy.
2. Tibetan Singing Bowl Courses: Learning
3. Reiki Courses
4. Nepali Music Instruments. - there are different drums, mountain violins, and mouth harps & other things u can try
5. Yoga courses. E.g. twice a year offered by Rishikul of Rishikesh. Mostly in Pokhara.
6. Buddhist Thanka-Paintings - a traditional & special style, where they paint Buddha's & religious stories with extremely fine lines, and it looks so real!
9. Flight to Tibet-border & Mount Everest.
There is a 1hour flight from.Kathmandu till Everest & back to watch all Himalayan snow mountains from up!!
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For travel tips/room/ticket booking in Kathmandu/Pokhara/mountain villages:
please contact my friend from "Mystic Vibes" Fitness Studio, in the capital Kathmandu: +977 9849466287.
