About Lazimpat
Lazimpat is adjacent to the northeast of Thamel in Kathmandu city. It's a small area that runs either side of Lazimpat road. The area is primarily known for its high-end hotels, restaurants, embassies and residential areas.
Most of the restaurants and hotels largely cater to Nepali businesses, business travelers, expatriates, embassy staff, NGO staff and tourists who want to stay away from the bustle of Thamel.
A quiet Saturday on Lazimpat
For most tourists, there is no central enticement to visit Lazimpat unless they are either staying there or visiting one of the new casinos that are appearing in many of the hotels. Or, indeed of an embassy.
Budget tourists or even mid-range tourists will find the restaurants here not that much different from the finer ones in Thamel. The difference will largely be the ambiance and well-dressed staff.
The residential area of Lazimpat is largely behind the main road or further along the northern section.
One of the bright spots of Lazimpat is the weekend (Saturday) market known as the Farmers Market at La Sherpa. Again, for most tourists, it's largely an expatriate gathering to chat and buy pricey local produce. But for long-term residents in Kathmandu, it's a chance to catch up and socialize.
Contents
How to get to Lazimpat
Reaching Lazimpat from Kathmandu's Airport, also known as Tribhuvan International Airport, is the same as anywhere else in Kathmandu. There are licensed taxis and unlicensed taxis. There's a high probability that moment you mention you are staying in Lazimpat that the price of an unlicensed taxi will shoot up couple of hundred rupees. That said, it's still a good price.
Although it's the main road traffic along Lazimpat road can grind to a smog crunching halt during rush hours.
If coming from Thamel walking to Lazimpat is quite easy unless you need to cross the road. There are pedestrian crossings but take note that few vehicles care. Do note that during rush hour the pollution from bellowing exhaust fumes can be extremely unpleasant if you walk along this road.
Buses and micro-buses frequent the road with most leaving from the main Lazimpat road junction to the north of Thamel or from the main Lazimpat alongside the Garden of Dreams. Due to Kathmandu's overcrowded and often times confusing public transport, many people simply opt to take a taxi along Lazimpat Road.
Do note that southern part of Lazimpat road which is to the east of Thamel used to have a morning tourist bus stop. The Lazimpat tourist bus stop moved to Sorhakhutte in 2018.
Navigating the streets of Lazimpat
There's not much to
navigating Lazimpat unless you are visiting a residential
area off the main road -
n which case ask for the nearest hotel, restaurant or
embassy near to where the turnoff is.
The main road
is where most of the hotels and restaurants are located.
Dotted in-between these are embassies. To the north,
you'll reach the end of Lazimpat road by the Japanese
Embassy. However, places like the Farmers Market and the
American Embassy are a little further along the same
road which changes name to Maharajgunj road.
History of Lazimpat
Lazimpat borders several historical areas in Kathmandu. These include Thamel, Narayanhiti (former royal palace), Baluwatar and Bhatbhateni.
The impressive tree growing from the Narayan Shrine in nearby Hadigaun
Thamel is over 1000 years old with a lot of evidence suggesting it's a lot older. Narayanhiti is relatively new however the areas it borders, in particular, Tengal, Bhatbhateni and Hadigaun are a lot older.
In my book, Kathmandu
Heritage Walks we explore these areas in-depth and
discover that early 4th century artifacts have been
uncovered here. Furthermore, texts reveal previous towns
that used to exist in these areas which were built over.
Today Tengal which used to be
another ancient town is no more than a modern concrete
district that was hurriedly built over it. Much like
Hadigaun, it's highly likely there are artifacts buried
under the foundations of many buildings. Historically this
is a great shame as these areas could once have been the
fabled towns that met with southern towns which together
formed Kathmandu.
Even the proximity of these areas the
same is highly probable in Lazimpat before it was rapidly
commercialized and built over.
Do read the Temples of Thamel to discover more about its heritage and history. Alternatively the book Kathmandu Valley Heritage walks contains every heritage site in Kathmandu.
Where to eat out in Lazimpat?
Hotel Restaurants: Radisson and Shaker Hotels in Lazimpat offer quality restaurants to dine in. Prices vary from USD $8 for mains but do not include VAT or the random Nepali service charge. Menu's offer a blend of Nepali or Indian meals, continental and Chinese. The meals are usually of good quality.
Lazimpat Road Restaurants:
Embassy Restaurant & Bar opposite the Japanese embassy serves up BBQ, Chinese and continental both inside and outside. The food is not exceptional but the service is good.
Viet Ngon Saigon Pho is probably the best Vietnamese restaurant in Nepal. The spring rolls are about as authentic as you can get. The menu is extensive and the staff easily know how to treat guests.
Bhumi Restaurant & Bar offers Nepali and Indian cuisine at pretty decent prices. The food on average is above your typically Nepali restaurant fare and certainly worth a trip.
Trishna Mithai is a mid-range Indian sweet shop selling traditional Indian / Nepali sweets like laddu, khir and gulab jamun.
Cocina Mitho Chha is a Nepali restaurant with a Spanish flare for salads. It worth coming here if you are nearby and in need of some greens.
Le Sherpa is an international restaurant opposite the
president's house in northern Lazimpat. The menu is
small but the food is good though probably the most
expensive in the area.
Farmers Market at La Sherpa
often has appetizer style offerings from expatriates and
Nepali who bring their produce every Saturday. There can
often be a good selection of cheese, coffee, and wines
on offer here.
For more restaurants do see the following:
Here is the latest list of the best restaurants in Kathmandu.
Finally, it's worth pointing out that while many people enjoy reviews from Trip Advisor there are two things to be wary about in Nepal and this site. The first is the incredible upsurge in fake reviews over the past few years. Secondly, many Lazimpat listed restaurants are not located in Lazimpat but further away in places like Thamel and Naxal.
Accommodation in Lazimpat
Lazimpat's main road is noisy and polluted. Do try to ensure your hotel room is off the main road. Most hotels have soundproofing and blackout curtains. However, do be aware that quietness is not a huge trait here. Do ask for a quiet room and make sure the message is clear!
Radisson Hotel Kathmandu: One of the first hotels in Lazimpat. A little dated and not all rooms have working facilities. The restaurant is excellent.
Hotel Shanker: Once a royal palace Hotel Shanker gets top marks for ambiance though a little dated. Staff are professional as is the service.
Hotel Ambassador: Spacious clean rooms with attentive staff. Pricing can fluctuate greatly so choose your room carefully.
Hotel Le Himalaya: Large bright rooms with comfortable beds. There's on-site parking and the restaurant is good. It's at the northern end of Lazimpat.
Do check out my full listing and reviews of accommodation in Kathmandu.
If you are in a rush for a hotel you can use my search box below to find the best rates.
Discover more about Lazimpat
There are very few temples or shrines along Lazimpat's main road. However, next to the Farmers Market at Le Sherpa is a three-story residential building with a large shrine dedicated to Shiva on the ground floor. While the other floors are closed off you can see the top of a white Buddhist Chaitya on the balcony of the third floor.
The weekly Farmers Market at Le Sherpa is the highlight for many people looking to socialize. It's largely attended by embassy staff, NGO workers, long-term expatriates, and their families. It's more a boutique farmers market than a local market. Coffee, chocolate, cheese, and freshly made food items along local produce are placed on sale along with tables. There's usually an open bar within the surrounding garden where people can socialize. Parking is an issue outside. There have been cases of "egoistical" people who have caused mild issues outside.
On eitherside of the Lazimpat are older districts of Nepal. Heritage walk 10 from the Kathmandu Valley Heritage Walks book takes you through these areas.
Map of Lazimpat
Lazimpat is quite easy to navigate as it follows a straight road from south to north. The only real challenge aside from traffic is if you are looking for a residential house off one of the side streets.
By walking: the southern side of Lazimpat is a fairly easy walk from Thamel or the Palace Museum. The real issue is the pollution from the traffic, especially during rush hours. A dust mask is highly recommended. Saturdays are the quietest as it's a public holiday in Nepal. Walking all the way to the northern end can take 30+ minutes from the southern end.
The Map: use the above map of Lazimpat as a rough guide to finding your way around. For most people, the important locations are the hotels in the south, the Farmers Market to the north with embassies and restaurants dotted in-between.
Travel tips for Lazimpat
The average tourist to Kathmandu will not find much of interest in Lazimpat. Those that often stay here are business travelers, tourists who bought a tour package and are staying in a hotel there or those who opted to stay in one of the high-end hotels. The crowds of tourists from Thamel don't come here which many people say is Lazimpats attraction. However the crowds of tourists are merely substituted for crowds of traffic, people coming and going home from work.
Here are some more tips to help you around Lazimpat.
- Much like the rest of Kathmandu, there are trekking agents and tour guides located in Lazimpat. Don't expect much difference in the quality nor the price - though it will be higher in Lazimpat.
- Restaurant quality is basically the same as some of the new up and coming along with established restaurants in Thamel but a little more expensive. Budget travelers and mid-range will find Thamel better value.
- If you are looking for an embassy then do make sure to check out the embassy website for opening hours. Arrive early to avoid crowds as many visa applicants can be found queuing outside.
- Shopping in Lazimpat is sparse and overpriced. The shops certainly look nicer, have better displays and service than in other parts of Kathmandu but the end product is basically the same.
Finally, keep in mind that Lazimpat is essentially where most of the embassies are located. Hotels are largely found along the southern part of the road. Long-term expatriates make the most of Lazimpat but for the average tourist, it can be skipped with ease.
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