Travel style · Nepal
Photography in Nepal
Light, height and the right hour
Trips built around light: first sun on Khangchendzonga from Pelling, star skies over Chandratal and Hanle, prayer halls at dawn, apricot blossom in April. With notes on where photography is not allowed.
Photo: Bijay Chaurasia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · CommonsMountain light changes fast. The best of it is the first and last hour, which means early starts and evenings without a long drive.
Nepal is the easiest big Himalayan trip for Indians: no visa, an open land border, the rupee pegged at 1 INR = 1.6 NPR. Come for the Newar cities of the Kathmandu valley, the lake town of Pokhara, teahouse treks to Poon Hill and Everest Base Camp, and the walled town of Lo Manthang. October–November and March–April are best.
Trips
Photography trips in Nepal
Photo: Gerd Eichmann · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Comfort
Everest view trek to Namche Bazaar
Domestic flights to Lukla, private car in Kathmandu, five days on foot
Photo: Gerd Eichmann · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Comfort
Kathmandu, Bandipur and Pokhara by private car
Private car with driver
Photo: Gerd Eichmann · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Saver
Kathmandu valley heritage on a saver budget
Local buses, microbuses and shared taxis
Photo: Gerd Eichmann · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Saver
Pokhara, Poon Hill and Ghandruk on a budget
Tourist bus and shared jeep; three days on foot
Photo: Gerd Eichmann · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Signature
Dwarika's, Bandipur and Tiger Mountain
Private car with driver; domestic flight Pokhara–Kathmandu
Photo: Gerd Eichmann · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Signature
Everest lodges trek with Dwarika's
Domestic flights to Lukla, private car in Kathmandu, six days on foot
9 places
Where to go
Photo: Bijay Chaurasia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Bandipur
A Newar trading town the highway left behind
Photo: Saroj Pandey · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Bhaktapur
Potters, pagodas and the king of curds
Photo: Bijaya2043 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Ghandruk
A Gurung village of stone roofs facing Annapurna South
Photo: Gerd Eichmann · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Kathmandu
Stupas, a living goddess and the start of every trek
Photo: Nirojsedhai · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Lo Manthang
The walled capital of the old Kingdom of Lo
Photo: 松岡明芳 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Nagarkot
The valley's eastern rim and a long line of peaks at dawn
Photo: Super Trekkers · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Namche Bazaar
The Sherpa capital and the Everest trail's acclimatisation stop
Photo: Clemensmarabu · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Patan (Lalitpur)
The city of bronze casters and Buddhist courtyards
Photo: Utsab Raj Giri · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Pokhara
A lake town under the Fishtail and the Annapurnas
Experiences
Days that fit the style
Photo: Bijay Chaurasia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Bandipur bazaar and its Newar houses
Walk the car-free main street of Bandipur at dusk, reading the story of a trading town in its brick and timber: shopfro…
Photo: DC · CC BY 2.0 · Commons
Down to Siddha Cave and back
A steep walk of about 1.5 hours down through forest from Bandipur to one of Nepal's largest caves, where local guides l…
Photo: Bijay Chaurasia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Sunrise from the Tundikhel and Thani Mai
Climb from the bazaar to the Thani Mai temple on the hill above Bandipur for sunrise over the Annapurna, Manaslu and Ga…
Photo: Goutam1962 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Juju dhau tasting and Pottery Square
Watch Bhaktapur's potters at work, try the wheel, then taste the city's famous juju dhau curd set in the same clay bowl…
Photo: Hari Paudyel · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Morning puja at Nyatapola and Taumadhi
See Taumadhi Square wake up: puja trays at the Bhairab temple, vegetable sellers, tea stalls, and Nyatapola's five roof…
Photo: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Commons
Dattatreya Square and the woodcarvers
Walk to Bhaktapur's oldest square, Dattatreya, to see the carved peacock window and the workshops where Newar carvers s…
Photo: Bijaya2043 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Ghandruk's stone lanes and Gurung museum
A slow walk through Ghandruk's flagstone lanes, past slate-roofed houses and terraces, with a stop at the Gurung museum…
Photo: Thapaliyashreeram · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Poon Hill dawn on the Ghandruk loop
The classic short trek of Nepal: up through Ulleri to Ghorepani, sunrise from Poon Hill at 3,210 m, then across foreste…
Where to sleep
Stays in these places
Photo: Gerd Eichmann · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Budget
Zostel Kathmandu
The Indian hostel chain's Kathmandu property, down a quiet alley off Paknajol Marg a few minutes' walk from Thamel…
Photo: Bijaya2043 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Budget
Ghandruk Gurung homestays
Stay in a Gurung family house in Ghandruk rather than a lodge. Rooms are simple and often share a bathroom, but yo…
Photo: Super Trekkers · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Budget
Namche Bazaar teahouse lodges
Namche's family-run teahouse lodges are the standard bed on the Everest trail: twin rooms, a stove-heated dining r…
Photo: Christopher J. Fynn · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Mid
Kathmandu Guest House (KGH Thamel)
Thamel's original guesthouse, open since 1968 in a former Rana-era building, with a garden courtyard in the middle…
Photo: Andrew Cattoir (Lake Mead National Recreation … · Public domain · Commons
Mid
Temple Tree Resort & Spa
A stone-and-timber resort at Gaurighat in Lakeside, about 150 m from Phewa Lake, with an outdoor pool, spa and gar…
Photo: Sgroey · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Mid
The Old Inn, Bandipur
A restored Newar townhouse on Bandipur's car-free main street, in two old wings with original wooden doorways, red…