Kathmandu Valley is a region of Nepal.
To know
The Kathmandu valley has 7 world heritage sites of theUNESCO, five of them in Kathmandu or in the immediate vicinity. They are all worth visiting and spending time exploring.
Geographical notes
The valley is the busiest part of Nepal. In some parts of the valley, particularly in the large urban area of Kathmandu, the total population exceeds 2.5 million with a density approaching 3,000 people per square kilometer. Visitors to this part of Nepal will be instantly aware of the crowds and associated vehicular traffic, especially motorcycles.
As a general act of respect, do not photograph people without their permission.
Spoken languages
Although there are a number of languages commonly used in Nepal, with Newari the most common in the valley, most people will also speak Nepali and the visitor will find English spoken in many places, at least to some extent.
Territories and tourist destinations
Kathmandu Valley: full screen map.Urban centers
Other destinations
How to get
By plane
Most international travelers will arrive by plane. In this case you will land at Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM IATA), east of Kathmandu. This is a convenient starting point for exploring all parts of the Kathmandu Valley. There are no other places where international air passengers enter Nepal.
By bus
Most bus connections from outside Nepal or other parts of Nepal will have Kathmandu as their main destination. Once in the city you can orient yourself and organize the visit of other parts of the Valley as needed.
How to get around
It is entirely possible to trek from one village to another in the Valley, otherwise it is easy to hire a taxi or take the local buses to get around the Kathmandu Valley.
By bus
From Kathmandu, buses to most of the Kathmandu Valley, with destinations such as Bhaktapur is 0Nagarkot, depart from Ratna Park Bus Station.
What see
The Kathmandu Valley has seven world heritage sites of theUNESCO and you should make an effort to see as many of them as possible during your stay.
- Boudhanath Stupa.
- Pashupatinath Temple.
- Swayambhunath.
- Hanuman Dhoka, Durbar Square - Kathmandu.
- Durbar Square, Durbar Square - Patan.
- Adinath Lokeshwar Temple.
What to do
- Kathmandu Valley Cultural Trekking Trail. The trail starts at Sundarijal, which can be reached in about 30 minutes from Kathmandu. It crosses part of the Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park and connects the villages of Sundarijal, Chisapani, Nagarkot and Dhulikhel, continuing to the villages of Balthali and Panauti. The entire route could be covered in about 5 days, covering a distance of about 76 km. No day is more than 18km and the entire hike is 2,500m or less, so there shouldn't be any problems associated with a higher altitude.
- Kathmandu is the starting point for numerous adventures in the rest of the country, including trekking, rafting, jungle adventures and extreme sports.
At the table
In general, food in Nepal has been heavily influenced by India and Tibet. In larger centers, such as Kathmandu, there is a growing interest in Western cuisine. As a result, visitors can find many types of cuisine as they roam Nepal. An exception is the large North American fast food chains which seem to have not yet arrived in Nepal. Food is more traditional in smaller communities.
Many meals tend to be rather bland, but Nepalese use green chili sauce, a variety of pickles, and curries.
Nepalese eat a lot of vegetarian (not necessarily vegan) dishes. The most common examples would be dal bhat, pulao (a plate of fried rice) and a variety of potato dishes. Beef dishes are almost non-existent in Nepal, given the prohibitions against the killing of cows. Meat dishes tend to use chicken, pork, mutton, or water buffalo (yak at higher altitudes).
A popular snack is a type of dumpling called momos, steamed or fried and filled with chicken, water buffalo meat (referred to as "buffalo") or vegetables. A traditional dish is the thukpa.
Since the left hand is considered "unclean", pass food with the right, eat with the right hand, avoid touching other people's food and stay out of the kitchen, especially if you are not a Hindu in a Hindu home.
Safety
Even in the busiest areas of Kathmandu, crime is rare. Take normal precautions and avoid showing money around and keep your valuables as safe as you would anywhere. In general, even if the foreigners are quite noticeable, you will be left alone, aside from the frequent approaches of tiger balm vendors, taxi drivers and rickshaw drivers, along with touts and cheaters.
Your health depends on paying attention to drinking water. As a general rule, don't drink water that hasn't been treated; filtered, UV sterilized or boiled.
Be careful about eating food from street vendors. It is always possible that such food will upset your digestive system. Established restaurants can generally be considered safe. Vegetables and salads can be a problem because they may have been washed with unsafe water. Some restaurants point out that they wash salads with slightly iodized water. Anything cooked at a high temperature should be safe. Keep in mind that Western digestive systems will not be accustomed to Eastern microflora and problems can be expected, especially if you are not careful.
Although antibiotics are readily available without a prescription in Nepal, you may be advised to bring something specifically recommended by your doctor to combat severe digestive disorders. Discuss with your doctor and ask for advice on how to deal with these problems.
The altitudes in the Kathmandu Valley are low so there will be no worries about any of the hazards of higher altitudes. If you "go up the hill", make sure you are informed about altitude sickness and how to avoid problems.
Rabies is endemic in the canine population, but you should have little problem if you leave the animals alone. In general, unless you are in an area for a while and work with animals, you probably don't need a rabies vaccine.
A series of vaccinations for two strains of hepatitis are recommended before leaving the house.
You shouldn't worry about malaria unless you go to the southernmost parts of Nepal, closer to the Indian border.
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Kathmandu Valley
Commons contains images or other files on Kathmandu Valley
