Located between China and India, Nepal is home to eight of the world’s highest mountains including Mount Everest. Amazing landscape, traditional architecture, handicraft shopping and friendly locals makes Nepal a family travel destination worth visiting.
We visited Nepal (Kathmandu & Pokhara) in September 2017 for ten days. Here are our top things to do in Nepal for family travellers:
Visit Kathmandu Durbar Square
Durbar square is located in the heart of the capital city, Kathmandu. It is surrounded by ancient Newari architecture buildings, temples and the old royal palace. Despite suffering a lot of damage from the 2015 earthquake, the square as of this day is still very much alive and beautiful. You will find worshipers, street vendors, daily commuters and pigeons crowding the streets. At the main square, you will find many local Nepali children feeding these birds corn feeds which you can also purchase from the street vendors.
Kathmandu’s bustling square is also the site of Indra Jatra; a major annual festival praising Indra; the Hindu Lord of rain and god of heaven. During this festival, the square is filled with cheering locals dressed in vibrant colours as a procession of beautifully decorated chariots, masked dancers, and musicians pass through.
Hop on a rickshaw ride to Thamel
From the Kathmandu durbar square, the famous Thamel district is 2km away. It only takes 20 minutes on foot, but the coolest way to get there is by a cycle rickshaw. You won’t have any trouble spotting a rickshaw as they park along the square, as they are colourfully decorated. Make sure you settle on a price before hopping on board. Be prepared for a thrilling ride of your life as you rattle down the narrow streets along with cars, motorbikes, other rickshaws and hundreds of pedestrians. Horn honking is also part of the culture there. As chaotic as it may sound, children of all ages will absolutely have a blast.
Thamel is one place you can’t miss while in Kathmandu. You can shop til you drop, as they sell pretty much everything from books, recycled paper products, pashminas to fruits and vegetables. Restaurants of multi-national cuisines also line up the streets. The streets of Thamel light up so brightly at night, which makes for great photo opportunities.
Chill at Garden of Dreams
This is the only garden in Kathmandu and designed in neo-classical theme. It consists of 6,895 square metres (74,220 sq ft) of gardens with three pavilions, an amphitheatre and ponds. It is the perfect oasis to escape from the traffic, noise, pollution and general hustle and bustle of the city. Originally built in 1920s it has been extensively renovated with the help of Austrian government.
The entrance fee is a very small price to pay for the upkeep of the park. Children will love running around exploring this park and spotting the cute little squirrels. There’s a cafe serving continental dishes inside the garden.
Fly past Mount Everest
You don’t have to trek to see the world’s largest mountain range. Buddha Air operates one hour scenic Everest flight departing from Kathmandu domestic airport. Flights run all year round if the weather permits with departures starting from 6.30am. Everyone on board is guaranteed a window seat to see the Himalayas. Not only that, you also get a chance to enter the cockpit one by one to see the magnificent view of Mount Everest. Flight cost is around $200 and can be organized through your hotel’s travel desk or online from Buddha Air’s website.
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Pottery fun in Bhaktapur
The old capital of Bhaktapur is only 40 minutes drive from Kathmandu and is a great place to explore with children. With less traffic, wandering around with a stroller is a breeze. Famous for its pottery square, you will be fascinated to watch the locals preserve the age old tradition of creating pottery by hand. Every member of the family plays an important role in creating a clay pot. The young men carry heaps of mud from one section of the square to another. The young women beat and process the clay. The older men traditionally spin these muds into pots of different shapes and sizes. The older women are in charge of lining them up for drying under the sun. It truly feels like you step back in time.
Don’t forget to visit one of the pottery schools at the square as children are encouraged to have a try. Don’t forget to bring spare clothes for your children as it can be quite a messy fun.
Visiting Historic Temples
1. Swayambunath Temple
This iconic stupa sits on top of a hill overlooking the whole city. To get to the main stupa complex, there are 365 steps to be climbed. Even though this is the main entrance, there are other shortcuts you can take which are less strenuous. Also known as the monkey temple due to a large number of rhesus primates living there, this temple is absolutely popular with young children. The monkeys are generally not aggressive, but for your safety always maintain a good distance from them. Remember also not to feed them and to keep your possessions away from them.
2. Boudhanath Stupa
Boudhanath Stupa is a UNESCO World heritage site since 1979. It is the largest stupa in Nepal at 131 meters high and is one of the most important sites of Tibetan Buddhism. Today it remains an important place of pilgrimage and meditation for Tibetan Buddhist and local Nepalis. Thousands of pilgrims and Tibetan monks come here daily to make a ritual circumnavigation of the dome in a clockwise direction, spinning the prayer wheels beneath the watchful eyes of the Buddha. The streets are wide and decked with prayer flags. There are many Tibetan restaurants and trendy cafes surrounding the stupa to allow you to sit back and take in the beautiful view.
Visit a charity organization
SOS Children’s Village Jorpati is located on the outskirts of Kathmandu – close to Boudhanath Stupa. This village was set up in order to provide a loving home for children with physical and mental disabilities whose families are no longer able to provide for them. It was founded almost three decades ago and is managed by Mr Rabin Nepali. All children here receive tuition and classes to help them with their learning difficulties and cognitive development. Rehabilitation by way of physical therapy is also provided. The children are also taught life skills and are encouraged to be independent as they make the transition into adulthood.
If you’d like to see the wonderful work of this organisation, you will need to organize a day and time for a visit by sending them an email a few weeks prior to your arrival in Nepal.
Boating at Fewa Lake (Pokhara)
Pokhara is located 200km west of Kathmandu and is the gateway to the Annapurna mountain circuit. With significantly lower amount of traffic, Pokhara offers a retreat from the chaos of Kathmandu. This charming lakeside town is perfect for a few nights stopover. One activity no family should miss is taking the brightly painted boats along the lake. You can hire the boat for as long as you’d like with or without a boat driver. It is very inexpensive with one hour boat ride, with a boat driver cost around $5. Depending on the time of the year you visit, you may be lucky enough to have the stunning view of Mount Fishtail and other mountains clearly and reflected in the lake.
ACCOMMODATION
Majority of accommodation in Nepal are geared towards budget travellers. There are hardly any chain hotels so we decided to try 4 star boutique hotels in both Kathmandu and Pokhara. As always, we choose a spacious, conveniently located boutique hotel. In Kathmandu, we stayed at the beautiful Shanker Hotel; a former royal residence of the rulers of Nepal from 1894 until 1964. During our visit, it underwent extensive renovations hence the cheap price of $140 per night including extra bed and buffet breakfast. In Pokhara, we chose Hotel Glacier, a relatively new boutique hotel in the central position of Lakeside with amazing views. Hotel rooms in Nepal are generally very spacious and affordable.
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TRANSPORT
Traffic in Kathmandu is generally chaotic as buses, taxis, motorbikes and pedestrians crowd the streets. There is no traffic light in Nepal, as these are generally replaced by a brave policeman standing in the middle armed with a whistle. The road infrastructure is not the best as not all roads are cemented which can make for one bumpy ride. Car seats are not used in Nepal, so the daily commute in Nepal will make for one exciting adventure for your little ones.
Taxis are very cheap but beware most do not have properly working air conditioning system. Almost all taxis roll their windows down which is a problem in dusty Kathmandu. For a more pleasant driving experience, you can organize a car hire through your hotel.
Arriving at Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport, it is located 20 minutes drive away from the centre of the city. As most taxis are generally on the small side, it is best to organize transport through your hotel.
FOOD
Don’t worry about your child not eating in Nepal. Surprisingly, you can easily get really amazing Western food in Nepal with many foreigners opening restaurants in Kathmandu and Pokhara. Most restaurants we went to including the local Nepalese restaurants have extensive menu selection with at least one page dedicated for Western cuisines. The Nepalese take pride in their cooking and for them it’s a serious business. All chips and wedges we consumed were hand cut to perfection. All restaurants have English menu, and all waiters were very helpful and spoke great English.
