What to do in Kathmandu

MANILA, Philippines — What do you expect to see when you arrive at a new and strange destination at 3 a.m.?

Darkness. Lots of narrow streets and closed retail stores. Upon arriving at our hotel we were too tired to even look out the window. Just save the excitement for the next day.?

So, other than shopping for cashmere and Himalayan black salt, what is there to do in Kathmandu??

You can drive out to Nagarkot to catch the sunrise. We started out at 4 a.m. and headed towards the popular mountain destination to wait for the sun to come up against the Himalayan range. There was a slight haze and a cloud cover until a few minutes when the sun finally peeped to greet us “Good morning.”?

After breakfast at Nagarkot you can drive to Bhaktapur and see the ancient city, a city of devotees. Walk around and see Durbar square, Pottery square, have some king curd, a light yogurt that’s very refreshing. It’s like a yogurt and milk curd served very cold.?

You can have lunch here too and take some photos with the various ancient temples in the background. There are cows that just mill around the square, especially near the Peaceful Restaurant where we had coffee and lime soda.?

Another temple or stupa  you should not miss is Bhoudan Naht, a huge structure for worship surrounded by shops and cafés.

Stop by Maya restaurant for Kaldi coffee. Have an iced coffee at Himalayan Java and watch the devotees touch the prayer wheels from the second floor café with a view.?Have some Vietnamese spring rolls or the local dumpling called Momo, like a Japanese gyoza but with meat as well as vegetarian options. You can have it fried or steamed.?

For cashmere shawls  and local village metal craft like 9-metal bells that ward off bad energies or bangles that drive away bad luck or anything negative, head to Village Crafts Center owned by the same family that owns Tara Oriental.

Try your hand at rubbing wood sticks around singing bowls that create a high pitched sound which ironically could lull you into meditation. Buy a cashmere shawl at half the price of Italian boutiques! ?

How about a really good meal in a famous hotel??I heard Richard Gere stayed in this hotel in Kathmandu called Dwarika’s. Named after its founder, this boutique hotel of just 85 rooms is something the Nepalese capital can boast about.?

Toran is the multi-cuisine restaurant at Dwarika’s where we had lunch. As they also  have an eco farm growing organic vegetables, the chef presents a seasonal menu for the guests. The salad with  beets, greens and goat cheese was divine. One of us had lamb biryani while another had a Nepalese thali, a round metal plate with a cup of lovely Nepalese steamed rice surrounded by copper bowls containing vegetables, fish curry and black dahl (lentils) which you douse over the rice. You can even choose to eat with your hands as the locals do.

Look for the maitre d’ – his name is Uhddav Poudel and he has been there for 20 years. He will suggest the daily or seasonal specials and even treat you to an extra dessert of homemade yogurt topped with cinnamon. The wait staff Prashant Ghimire, Chef Bhnadar and Poudel all make you feel like you could and should eat here everyday of your stay in Nepal.

I was amazed to know there is Himalayan black salt, not just pink and white. The black salt reminds you of century eggs, a savory salt that you can sprinkle even on your lime soda.

After a good lunch at Toran, visit the hotel shop where you can buy Himalayan black salt, pink salt, incense and books on trekking, Nepal and just about anything that relates to a Himalayan experience.?

If you have more time, visit the hotel’s Pancha Kosha spa. A short session of either a back massage or a foot massage should cap the afternoon relaxation mode. ?And if you have even more time, walk around the property and check out each building, built at different times, and the oldest structure built back in the 1800s.

Dwarika’s is a respite from the Kathmandu traffic and a respite from the higher elevations. Kathmandu is only 1,400 meters above sea level, which is friendly even to those prone to high altitude challenges. You do run out of breath when walking fast but the climate is always cool during the day at 27 degrees and even cooler at night.

If you wish to enjoy more Nepalese/Indian food, visit Hotel Annapurna where the main restaurant has Nepalese live music while you enjoy butter naan, dahl makhani (lentils cooked in ghee or clarified butter), malai kofta (cottage cheese balls in a cashew nut sauce) and a spinach falafel which was very different from other appetizers I have had so far.

To cap our short adventure trip to Nepal, we made sure we had a truly Nepalese dinner with old friends who are also vegetarian. They took me to Tukche Thakali Kitchen where a dhal bhat is a metal plate with rice and side dishes of – eat as much as you like – sautéed cauliflower, greens that look like water cabbage or kangkong, potatoes in a light hot chili and black lentils, a staple in Nepal. And that’s why it’s called dahl bhat – lentils and rice. Wash your hands and eat with them like the locals do. Savor each portion, and lick the fingers if you must!

I could go on and on with the food suggestions, including a discovery called the Old House, a short two-minute walk from Hotel Yak and Yeti where we were billeted. The Nepalese chef was trained by a French chef and so you can have local as well as French-inspired dishes. 

And don’t forget dessert – an apple over apple ganache, and mini cored apple bits with vanilla crème sandwiched between two apple bread crusts. Best with Nepalese Americano coffee.

Next time I will try the Everest flight on Buddha Air. Maybe I won’t do the trek, but flying over Everest should be our next experience in this landlocked country that is a must see for trekkers, adventurous tourists, religious kinds and people like us who are just intrigued by its mystery and exotic reputation. Photos by Chit U. Juan?