Exploring Old Kathmandu
Take a Walk and Discover Intriguing Markets, Monuments and Temples
From Thamel to Durbar Square, wandering the streets and discovering old Kathmandu will keep you busy for hours or even days. Here's a guide as to what you'll see.
Kathmandu’s tourist hub is called Thamel, and it’s the most convenient place to stay and start exploring the old city. Thamel is a buzzing and vibrant district, lined with well stocked shops selling brightly coloured clothes, jewellery, paper lanterns, traditional thangka paintings, wood carvings, music, and books. It’s a shopping haven and prices are cheap if you bargain hard (the usual rule of paying only half or a third the original quoted price applies).
Thamel is crowded and frenetic at times but it still manages to retain an old-world feel like the rest of the city, encouraged by the rows of Tibetan prayer flags hanging over the streets and the cycle rickshaws that trundle by. As the day starts fading, Thamel takes on a whole different feel as its streets glow with the warmth and colour of a multitude of lights and the sound of live music drifts from its bars. When there’s no electricity in the evenings, which is often the case due to the extreme shortage of power experienced by the city, candlelight envelopes those shops that don’t have a back-up source.
Intermingled with the shops are guesthouses and roof top restaurants, where you can treat your taste buds to a wide range of cuisine from Thai to Italian. However, as you wander the streets, don’t pass up the chance to grab some mouth-watering fresh momos (a Nepali specialty of steamed dumplings, with either meat or vegetables inside) from the food stalls on the side of the road. A plate of momos will cost you the equivalent of less than 50 cents, and is a delicious bargain. This is much cheaper than in any restaurant and business is booming, particularly with the young Nepali couples on a night out.
Sightseeing South of Thamel
South of Thamel, towards historic Durbar Square, is an incredible market area with a maze of narrow winding streets and alleyways. If you keep your eyes peeled, you’ll be surprised to find shrines, temples and statues hidden away in unlikely places. The streets of old Kathmandu weren’t given names and as of today, many still remain nameless. This is where a good map becomes invaluable.
Starting from Thamel, walk along the road leading away from the main Thamel Chowk and you’ll come to Thahiti Tole. It’s home to an ancient 15th century stupa and the Nateshwar temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. A little further south of this Tole is the Kathesimbhu Stupa, a 17th century copy of the great Swayambhunath Stupa located just outside Kathmandu.
Head in a diagonal direction south-east from Thahiti Tole, and you’ll reach Ason Tole. This six road junction is the busiest in Kathmandu. A mesmerizing mass of people ply this route from morning to night and it’s worth spending some time simply absorbing it all. Produce from all over the Kathmandu valley is sold here. There’s also a three story temple dedicated to Annapurna, the goddess of abundance, which draws the crowds.
In the same direction, past rows of houses knitted together, is Kel Tole and one of the most important and elaborate temples in Kathmandu – the Seto (White) Macchendranath Temple. Its courtyard reveals a number of ancient shrines and statues, including the revered Tara goddesses.
Proceed not far from Kel Tole along the same street and you’ll arrive at the bustling Indra Chowk. Here you’ll find the Akash Bhairab Temple, and a small but popular brass shrine of Lord Ganesh (the Hindu elephant headed god, worshiped for his ability to remove obstacles).
End your explorations at Durbar Square by following Makahan Tole, which runs from Indra Chowk to the north east corner of the Square. Durbar Square (admission charge Rs250/$4 for foreigners) is Kathmandu’s main tourist attraction. It has over 50 monuments steeped in history, with everyday life continuing on intensely around them.
While wandering the streets you’ll come across an assortment of markets. One of the best is the bead market at Indra Chowk, where you’ll find dozens of tiny shops completely drowning in brightly coloured beads and necklaces. Indra Chowk is also well known for its shawls, rugs, and cloth items. Makhan Tole is an excellent source of find thangkas, paintings, and clothes. Ason Tole lures shoppers with its collection of incense, spice, and dried fruit shops. West of Kel Tole is a variety of shops specializing in the Nepali caps.
Hotel and Dining Recommendations
A popular place to stay in Thamel that offers good value for money, and rooms to suit every budget, is the Hotel Horizon (ph 977-1-422094). This rambling place, set back on a side street next to the J P School, has two wings and a number of terraces lined with pot plants. One wing houses the economy rooms (expect to pay $US 5-7), and the other houses standard rooms (costing $US 10-15) and deluxe rooms (US$25-30). Discounts are possible during the off season. All rooms have hot water, although it can be unreliable due to the power cuts.
If you want to eat cheaply at a restaurant with a difference, you can’t pass up Mitho (which means delicious in Nepali). This small restaurant with an unimposing front has a warm ambience inside, with red paper lanterns hanging over the tables. It’s located near the Everest Steak House, on the street that heads towards Thamel from Chhetrapati. The distinguishing thing about this restaurant is that it’s been set up to give young Nepalese a start in the food and beverage industry, so by dining here you’ll be helping support them. The food is well presented and tasty, with generous servings that will ensure you won’t leave hungry. The menu is diverse and includes roast chicken (Rs 170/$2.60), burgers (Rs 60/$1) and of course Nepali thali (Rs 150/$2.40). A large bottle of Nepali beer with set you back Rs 135/$2.10, which is also much cheaper than most other places.
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