The places of the old king palaces, which are all surrounded from Buddhist and Hindu temples, are called "Durbar Square". The gods should live together with the rulers of the country. Now Patan is only a suburb of Kathmandu across the river. Bhaktapur is a bigger town 20 km far from Kathmandu.
Highlights of the Kathamdu Valley are the Durbar Squares of Patan and Kathmandu, the Buddhist Stupas of Swayambuhunath (Monkey Temple) and Bodnath (Bhouda - little Tibet) and Pashupatinath, the most important Shiva temple of Nepal, where you can watch the funerals and cremations at the riverside all the day.
If you are in a hurry, you may skip the Sleeping Vishnu, who floats in water on the snake "Sesh" at the outskirts of Kathmandu.
The medieval town of Bhaktapur, where the film "Little Buddha" was shooted, is a "must".
I would recommend - but only if you have enough time - fleeing the hustle and bustle and the exhaust fumes of Kathmandu to the calm village Nargakot (20 km from Bhaktapur), where you can see the Himalayan range of the Mt. Everest area. The next day you can drop the bus and walk to Changu, the oldest temple in the Valley.
The most important sights are:
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Neighborhood |
It is possible to visit all sights in a hurry for a first overview at one day (2-4 Euro per drive), if you get up very early. All sights are not far away from each other, except the Sleeping Vishnu at the outskirts. On the second day you could Bhaktapur. The chronological order is at will.
Accommodation
Usually tourists stay in the tourist quarter Thamel, where are many hotels, restaurants and shops. There were an over-capacity in December 02.
Suggested trips:
The first day:
Pashaputinath
Go by taxi to Pashupatinath early in the morning. Entrance fee is about 5 Dollar. You can´t visit the Hindu temple, what is dedicated to Shiva, as a non-Hindu, but you can watch the funerals and cremations at the river. There are more temples around up the stairs. The holy men "Saduhs" let themselves photographed for a small fee, but don´t pay more than 20 rupees and consider that a Nepal cleaning woman earns no more than 50 to 100 rupees a day.
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The stupa of Bodnath (Boudah) is nearby, after visit return by local bus to Kathmandu. An alternative is going by taxi to the Sleeping Vishnu.
Budahanilakantha (Sleeping Vishnu)
The Sleeping Vishnu lies in a basin (the ocean) on a bed of intertwined snakes which are part of the eleven headed giant snake of Seth (or Amanta in Sanskrit = never ending) The saga tells, that the seventeenth century king Pratap Malla was visited in a dream by Vishnu, who warned, that no Nepal king should visit the sleeping Vishnu, otherwise will die soon.sleeping Vishnu...click on photo to enlarge
When you go back by local bus to Kathmandu, your ride will end for the most part at the City Bus Park. Possibly it is time enough to visit even the Durban Square of Kathmandu (by foot) or Patan (taxi).
Patan Durbar Square
The Durbar Square is the place of the former King Palace of Patan, surrounded by temples. The hindustan stile temple "Krishna Mandir" and the pagodan stile "Golden Temple" are the most striking buildings. The entrance ticket ( 4 Dollar) is valid for one week, if you ask at the purchase to endorse this on the ticket with your passport number. Maybe you stroll at first for an impression and return at another day for a closer exploration. To Thamel it is a nice but longer walk...Patan Durbar Square click on photo to enlarge
The second day : Bhaktapur and Nargakot ( overnight stay )
Take a riksha ride (1 Dollar) or walk from Thamel to the crossing Bagbazar / Kanthipath, go on to the Durbar Marg, where the busses leave for Bhaktapur every few ten minutes. If you want to sit in the bus, take the second bus. The ride takes one hour and the fare is only 9 Rupees. The entrance fee for Bhaktapur is 10 Dollars, but if you have less money as a student you may smuggle yourself in the town. The town was rebuild mainly from money from western countries.
Bhaktapur is a medieval town, where the time seems to stagnate. Live of people happens on the street, washing or bathing women, playing children, pottering craftsmen, talking or card playing old men etc. Bernado Bertolucci shooted here the film "Little Buddha" in 1994. From the surrounding music shops sound incessant Tibetan cantos, which is enervating after some time. Take a guide for 2 hours (3 Dollars) who will explain you the city and the several Hindu deities. He will show you the shops, where you can see and buy the Thangakas (Tibetan paintings), if your purse is big.
From Durbar Square you walk first to the Thammadhi Tol, where is the five pagodan temple "Nyatapola", dedicated to the goddess "Lakshmi", responsible for money and wealth. Make a side trip to the Potters Square and walk after that along the main road to the Dattatreya Square (Tachupal Tol), the former center of the town. It is only some meters of walk to the bus to Nargakot (latest Bus 5 p.m.). The ride takes 1 hour and the fare is 10 Rupees...Dattatreya Square...
.. Potters Square .click on photo to enlarge
Nargakot (2168m)
Nargakot is famous for views to the mountain peaks of the Himalayan Range. The best views you have at the sunrise in the morning; in the red dawn you see all the small peaks of Mt. Everest region (including the Mt. Everest), which disappear after some minutes in the haze of the morning mists. Nargakot is rather an accumulation of hotels than a village, but the tranquillity compared to the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu is recovering... Nagarkot..click on photo to enlarge
Panorama with Mt. Everest click on photo to enlarge
The third day ( return via Changu Narayari and Bodnath)
Changu Narayari
Get off the bus half way to Bhaktapur in Terkot (ask for Changu) and trek for 1,5 hours through pine forest to Changu Narayani. You don´t need a guide, follow only the main road at the mountain ridge, abbreviations are unessential and end all at the main road. After one hour you see the tempel. It is the oldest temple of the Kathmandu Valley.
If you buy one of the very cheap CD, make a test before buying.
.. Changu..click on photo to enlarge
People will tell you the way to the main road to Sanktu/Boudah. Climb down to the river for app. one hour, cross the river and get in the next bus and get off at Bodnath (Bhouda) to visit the stupa.
Bodnath
The biggest stupa of Nepal and one of the biggest of the world is surrounded
by souvenir shops and Buddhist monasteries. The Stupa illustrates the way
Buddha immerses into the Nirvana.
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Have also a look at the praying monks in the nearby monasteries.
To return to Kathmandu catch one of the local busses, which almost go to the City Bus Park. If you have time, you can stroll around the Durbar Square of Kathmandu and walk back to Thamel through narrow old town alleys, that are full of life.
The fourth day
Durbar Square Kathmandu
You can walk from Thamel, which I would recommend (or take a Riksha). The place is not as beautiful as the Durbar Square of Patan. Entrance fee is also 200 Rupees for a week. (see Patan above)
Swayambuhunath (Monkey Tempel, Stupa)
...click on photo to enlarge
The tempel is on a hill. You can reach the stairs from Thamel or
Durbar Square after a short walk. Many monkeys populate the temple complex
and given its name. Be careful of the monkeys, they like to rob food and
steal other things. The big stupa in the middle thrones all and is surrounded
by smaller Hindu and Buddhist temples and souvenir shops. Tibetan and Hindu
Pilgrims, tourists, monkeys, animals, priest, vendors and other visitors
create a picturesque hustle and bustle; Buddhas eyes look very critical
at all. The thirteen rings of the top symbolize the thirteen steps of wisdom
to immerse into the Nirvana. At the eastern end of the temple complex is
a big golden Buddha statue.
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