Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Best Places to Stay Kathmandu
Best Places to Stay Chéngdū
KATHMANDU
01 / Pop 1 million / Elev 1300m
Kathmandu is an endlessly interesting, and sometimes maddening, city that seems to
straddle both the 15th and 20th centuries. Most people head straight for the Thamel dis-
trict, a travellers' mecca and the place to get a yak steak, a cut-price down jacket, buddhas
and hard-to-find books on Tibet. But it's also a bit of a tourist zoo, with too many vehicles,
Tiger-balm pedlars and trekking touts all sharing the same narrow, footpath-less roads. A
few days here is plenty. For full details, see Lonely Planet's
Nepal
guide.
During the June to August monsoon season (when most visitors travel to or from Tibet)
it is usually humid and rainy in Kathmandu, with average highs peaking at 28°C .
Dangers & Annoyances
There are far fewer political demonstrations and strikes in Nepal than there were a few
years ago but it's still possible that you might be affected by a disturbance. Check news re-
ports and your own country's travel warnings for the current situation.
During the monsoon months landslides can affect travel from Tibet; in 2014 a massive
landslide blocked the Kathmandu-Tibet road for days.
