Category: Nepal

Redesigning the travel guidebook for the better I initially thought my first book would be a paperback about my overland journey. That idea started over 15 years ago. Then, the smart-phone came out followed by the Kindle and tablets which led all but a few to proclaim the death of the paperback book. Ebooks sprang up as …

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How finding great beads and jewelery became easy in Kathmandu A little known secret about my travels is that in every country I go there’s always one thing I try to find. A traditional bracelet. It all started a long time ago on another journey before The Longest Way Home ever started. I’ve kept the tradition …

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Discovering the temples of Thamel in Kathmandu Thamel is more known for its eclectic selection of trekking stores, cafes, pashmina stalls, restaurants, ramshackle guesthouses and emerging boutique hotels than for its temples. However the very name Thamel comes from Thabahi whose true origin center point is the 1000 plus year old Bikramashila Mahabihar (Bhagwan bahal) …

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Thamel is very different at various stages throughout the night Though Thamel has changed over the past 10 years not many get to experience this area of Kathmandu at night. During load shedding in the past (power cuts) Thamel shut up shop by 10pm most evenings aside from the odd bar. Today on a Friday …

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Arriving in Thamel ten years ago It’s been over ten years since I first took tentative steps entering into Kathmandu’s main tourist and commercial zone known as Thamel. It was late at night as my bus from Pokhara had been delayed by nearly 7 hours. A local pointed me in the right direction though a …

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If you only had time to visit one place, which would it be, Nagarkot or Dhulikhel? This is a question I get asked a lot. Surprisingly it’s Nepali people who are asking more than tourists these days as the economy improves and domestic tourism increases. Europeans are next as they look to escape the tourist …

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