Indra Jatra 2025: Kathmandu’s Largest Festival Guide

Kumari at Indra Jatra, Kathmandu, Nepal

Indra Jatra 2025: Kathmandu’s Largest Festival Guide Following the Gai Jatra festival, Indra Jatra takes center stage in Kathmandu, Nepal. This vibrant week-long celebration is the city’s biggest traditional festival, offering travelers a rare chance to witness Nepal’s rich culture, including the Living Goddesses, the Kumari. Below, find a detailed map of Kathmandu Durbar Square …

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Teej: festival for women in Nepal

Women in red Saris in Teej in Nepal

Celebrating Teej in Kathmandu Teej or the festival for women was celebrated today in Nepal. I went along to the celebrations in Kathmandu to give you an idea of what it’s like. Teej or Hartalika Teej is celebrated in August/September throughout Nepal by women. It is a Hindu festival that is also celebrated in North …

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Helicopter Rescue scams in Nepal: the unraveling of a dark industry

Helicopter taking off in Nepal

The Nepali medi-vac or helicopter rescue scam has rocked Nepal’s tourism industry Naively I first came across the helicopter rescue scam in 2011. An Italian tourist “suddenly” claimed to have a bad back on his return from Everest Base Camp and was getting a helicopter evacuation. I met him a week later in Kathmandu prancing …

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How to support the local economy in Nepal as a tourist

Kinjal Bajracharya a local carpenter in Bungamati

How you can really help local people in Nepal Many people ask me how they can “help Nepal” either before they go on holiday or when they are there. The local economy is generally where people feel they can help the most. Tourists often feel that they prefer their hard earned money to go directly …

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Mystery of the Dhartimata statue solved

Head of Dhartimata or mother goddess statue in Kirtipur Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

A mother goddess statue in Kirtipur Have you ever visited a place and had a guidebook say something is there but it’s not. Or maybe say something that’s inconclusive about an object like “nobody knows”. A little bit of research goes a long way. That’s the purpose of a travel guidebook. You are buying research …

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Tourist bus stop in Kathmandu has been moved from Kantipath to Sorhakhutte

Kathmandu Tourist Bus Stop

On July 1st 2018 all tourist buses to Pokhara and Chitwan leave from Sorhakhutte in Kathmandu Kantipath bus stop is no more. All tourist buses to Pokhara and Chitwan now leave from the Sorhakhutte to the north west of Thamel (north of Paknajol). Since 2003 tourists have enjoyed the short relatively easy and quiet walk from …

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How did Swayambhunath and Boudhanath get their names?

Boudhanath Stupa is known as Kasti chaity

Do you know why the names Boudhanath and Swayambhunath end with – nath? I hope you do. Because nobody else seems to. If you’ve ever noticed the naming structure of places in Nepal you’ll find many end with the letters “n a t h“. It turns out the answer is this is not as straight …

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