When you go to Nepal you really need to plan well, but keep your options alive. Be particularly mindful of the travel time. During normal times in Kathmandu it can take up to an hour or more to go from the airport, for example, to Patan. Few taxis have air conditioning and it can get pollution-hot even on a normally pleasant day. That means you really need to enjoy the area where you are staying and then pack up to explore another area. You will save time, as well as money and frustration.
In this accompanying video and this blog I hope you'll be able to find the best destination for a day trek. It's my main aim to help you get the most out of your time in Nepal.
There is forest all the way around the Kathmandu Valley, so it's best to think of the Valley like a grit and explore it in sections. That's why we did this temple trek video. Now, all you need to do is take a look and think about where you'd like to explore. There is a map at the end.
There really isn't a problem with guesthouses being over-booked; booking online will often cost a bit more. However, if there is a festival in the particular area there is a possibility that you could have a problem and you'll need to pay a bit more for a room and for food. So, do check ahead, especially if it's during a full moon.
Of these temple treks and visits featured in this video you can expect to pay the following:
Please note: These prices can change at any time.
Chandragiri Hill
Prices for Cable Car: Round Trip Prices: SAARC 1120 NRs. $15 (Chinese) $22 (Westerners) For more information: https://www.stunningnepal.com/chandragiri-hills/
Swoyambhunath/Monkey Temple
Swayambhunath/Monkey Temple: Admission is 300 Nrs. for westerners Swamabu/Monkey Temple park at street level: Free
Kopan Monastery
Kopan Monastery: No charge to visit the grounds, but check for upcoming classes.
Boudhanath Stupa
Boudhanath Stupa: 300 Nrs. for Westerners
Bhaktapur
Bhaktapur
1,500 Nrs. for Westerners
Patan
Patan: 1,000 Nrs. for Westerners
Kirtipur
Kirtipur: 100 Nrs. for Westerners
I think we've all learned the value of Travl Insuance. If you get hurt or become ill in Nepal there are two distinct ways you'll be treated. If you have travel insurance you're much more likely to survive.
Our
affiliate link Travel Insurance link:
https://www.insuremytrip.com/?linkId=8517
I
know this pandemic has hit every country on the planet and every
person living in every country has their own hardship story. There
was even a COVID positive person at Mt. Everest Base Camp. And that
takes us to Nepal, home of Mt. Everest.
When
COVID first came to Nepal it was during Chinese New Year of 2020.
Amazingly Nepal was left safe. It could have been a disaster from
then, last February/March. Everyone wore a mask due to pollution and
that probably helped more than people know.
We
got locked-down right away and we all waited. I started feeding and
helping people from then but everything seemed fine. The lock-down
was worse than the virus at that point. Society held. Nepali took
care of their own and when people returned to Nepal many had to walk
home-from India. People and NGOs stepped up and even police
departments served as places to fed returning neighbors.
People so used to adversity share so freely.
Finally,
we were able to go outside and everyone had to wear a mask. Nepal was
managing quite well as I watched the cases in countries like the US
climb. Then the vaccines came and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
We could see the end in sight.
That’s
when the problems came. More people returned from abroad, mostly
India. The government made a mistake and opened tourism too soon. The
trekking guides and such were so happy to see tourists returning no
one wanted to confront our guests with the quarantine rules. One by
one many of these tourists and returning Nepalese became infected
during all this movement and BOOM! The numbers began to jump to
thousands of new cases in a single day.
There
were not enough oxygen tanks or hospital beds. The vaccine didn’t
come to Nepal in time. Although there was time to vaccinate many
healthcare workers, some elderly and other front-line workers, some
of the vaccinations were counterfeit and others may have been
contaminated with the heat of India while getting here.
Another
issue we really need help with is getting the first responders
the protection they need. Ambulance drivers and police officers do
not all have the protective clothing they need and many are refusing
to go to work for fear of their own lives. There is an agency that’s
making protective gear and providing them for only 1,400 Nrs., which
is about $12 for an entire set. If you’d like to help by purchasing
some of these just let me know. If you make a donation I will make
sure the money goes to this instead of food.
Now
we are all in lock-down again, of course, but it isn’t the same.
Now the food situation is really dire. It happened so fast. There was
no way for the Nepalese people to protect themselves from this
ordeal. What could they have done? When the COVID positive people
came many had the Indian variant. Without many shipments of supplies
it’s been difficult on top of impossible for the Nepali government
or the people to protect themselves.
As
I mentioned, I found a few people I could help during this past year and
I’ve found a lot of joy in helping one family, more than I thought
possible. This family who have recently lost their father, consists
of two teenage children and the mother. She fell with her husband and
damaged her back before he died, but she doesn’t let that stop her
from caring for her son. You see, he has two ‘clubbed’ feet and
has to crawl on his hands and knees. The mother has to help him with
things like toilet because they don’t have anything like a wheel
chair or handicap bars or any kind of physical therapy type
apparatus. I was attempting to help with that, but it’s been
lock-down for most of this time.
Can you imagine being in this situation, being born into a family in abject poverty?
For
some reason, sharing with this family has really brought out my inner
hero or something, but I’ve bonded with them and hope to be able to
be there for them for many years. It's brought me so much joy that I’d like to help match other
families here with sponsors in the west. But I cannot do that until
after this crisis is over.
It's heart-touching to see a blind person being led by a child or carrying their own food. You can see these things in the video.
I’ve
been doing whatever I can; hiring people to work, have people staying in the home here with
us, providing assistance to an older man who worked as a musician and sarangi salesman on the streets of
Thamel, a shoe repair person who worked on a street corner, an older
woman without husband or children, and provided masks to a police
officer and nurse when there weren’t many masks here and even
bought more things than I needed just to support the local
businesses, but I cannot do much more by myself and there are so many
who genuinely will not have food if we cannot bring in money from
abroad.
For
now, I’d like to invite anyone with a little money to help to
participate in helping to feed some people here. We’ve connected
with a small agency that’s feeding people, day workers like
rickshaw drivers, blind street musicians and others who have no means
to feed themselves during this time.
There
are ‘soup kitchens’ open now and agencies are making up bags of
rice, lentils, oil and salt to last a few days to a couple of weeks
for people, but each new day brings more and more people out to find
food. Yesterday after feeding 600 people many had to be sent away
hungry. So, I’m asking that if you could send a little money I’ll
make sure the money goes to good use to help. Just $35 can feed a
family for about 2 weeks, but for now, it’s come down to one day at
a time for as many people as possible.
First the day workers and blind were given food to last a few weeks.
It's sad that the people were lined up for almost a km just for the food one can hold in one hand. Many were turned away.
There
was an earthquake earlier this week with several deaths and injuries
and that’s always a fear for Nepal. In 2015, for example, 9,000
people died in earthquakes. So many were left homeless, injured or
dead with their entire village. Yes, villages were disappeared from
landslides during that time. I guess you could say Nepal knows
hardship, but if you can help, even just a little, it would mean so
much.
Each
year we have flooding in the lower elevations and that time is coming
very soon. That means more homeless, more food insecurity, more COVID spreading and death. One of my Nepali family staying with us left to work with a tourist doing a film documentary during the time we had no lock-down. He ended up getting COVID
while he was away and quarantined for 10 days before coming home.
Both of his parents got COVID and his mother had to be hospitalized.
One of his aunts died from the virus during the same time. We learned
this morning that the young man who delivers our groceries is ill
with COVID.
Here’s
how you can help. If you can trust an old, retired, American widow
you can send the money through our agency’s Paypal account or if
you prefer sending to a Nepali person who’s been helping to feed
people in an organized way throughout this pandemic you can send to
him. He could also put you in touch with a family to help on a more
personal level if you prefer for after this crisis passes.
Just
send anything you can to https://gofund.me/01433799
which uses my Paypal (HelpChangunarayan@gmail.com) or contact this NGO directly to help. Menz Foundation Food
Cloth/bank. Free food.
I’m
also looking for people who can collect money for Nepal. If you can
do anything else please let me know so I can work with you. I’ll
help you even if you need me to give money to a friend you already
have here. 95% of the people here need help in one way or another, so
anything you do will help more than you know. Send inquiries to me,
Amanda Summers at FrugalTravelsNepal@gmail.com
Being
stuck in the house for so long during the 2020 pandemic I spent a
lot of time thinking about how I could help my planet, Nepal and the
people here in the Kathmandu Valley. Here’s what I came up with.
I’m looking for someone who knows the right someone to make this
happen. I’m an expat/immigrant to Nepal so I cannot conduct any
business here. I am here to help as much or as little as needed.
Please
help me to get this into the hands of the right politician or anyone
in a position to make this happen.
Overview
Modern, electric buses are needed in the Kathmandu Valley to help with pollution and with congestion. Although the benefits would be tremendous the cost would be just as enormous.
However, what if the money could be raised without creating a burden on the people or causing the government to have a heavier load than it already has? This project will provide all the money needed for this transition through a voluntary, rounding-up campaign sponsored by banks and other Nepali businesses.
Details
Small, metal banks in the shape of buses can be made and placed at cashier check-out desks where it will say, ‘Got a rupee? Give a rupee! Get an Electric Bus!’ or some other catchy slogan in Nepalese. These will be like the metal banks that are popular in the shape of a house that are readily available at aluminum/stainless steal workshops.
This money will be used for electric buses and the old buses will be exchanged as new buses are provided. Bus owners will be able to trade up by giving their old bus, which will be taken off the road. It will be a one for one exchange first then new, additional, electric buses will be put on the road. It can be 100% people funded.
The idea is that customers can donate a 5 rupee note or a coin they get in their change when they pay at checkout. Instead of putting it all into their pocket they can put it into the little bus shaped bank as they take their groceries or finish their bank transaction. Each store or bank in this project will have a display to encourage people to trust that it will work without corruption being an issue.
One way to encourage donations would be that the bank or store chain can advertise how much they have brought in with their customers and see which store or bank branch brings in the most money.
Another idea to encourage participation would be the following: Customers could enter a contest each time they shop at the store for a weekly drawing. Perhaps they could get an entry slip each time they donate. Prizes would be gift cards and other ‘in-kind’ donations from large, Nepali companies. They will get publicity in exchange for their participation.
Prizes can be things like a free bus pass for a year, 5 years or even a lifetime of free bus travel in the Kathmandu Valley. Ncell and other corporations can provide gifts as prizes: recharge cards, mountain flight tickets, gift certificates for shopping, etc.
The store or bank will be able to advertise on the buses they actually collect enough money to purchase. The buses or bus routes could be named after the corporation that sponsored the bus. For example, a bus or route may be called ‘Batbhatini 1,’ ‘Big Mart 2’ ‘NIB 1.’ The buses will actually be donated to the program by the companies through their customers’ donations.
Some of the money can be used for low interest loans for people to buy electric cars and scooters, as well. One grand prize could even be an electric scooter or electric car. It will all be paid for by customer donations, one rupee at a time. Summary
The much needed electric buses for the Kathmandu Valley can be purchased without a burden for the people or government. People can simply round up a bit from the change they get while shopping. Not only will this help the environment, but it will be enjoyable for the people.
The key to this program’s success is the enthusiasm the people have to support it. Therefore many gifts from merchants and possibly cash gifts out of the donations will be important. Additionally, it will be important to keep the transportation industry functioning well.
Kay Garnay for Nepal invites anyone to take this and make it your own. We have no attachment to this idea other than to help Nepal.
It took an ungodly amount of time to get it going, but we finally have our mountain bikes at the main entrance of Bhaktapur available for renting. The weather in the Kathmandu Valley is lovely throughout the winter. I'm actually sitting up on my rooftop without a jacket. It's been cold for a few days, but it's mild compared to most places in Europe or N. America.
Each bike comes with a helmet, spare inner tube and tools for repairing a flat. Although not brand new, our bicycles are in excellent shape and 21 gears. When you come to Bhaktapur just go to the main entrance and tell one of the trekking guides to help you rent some bikes. If you need a guide there are several who love doing bike tours.
How much will they cost? 1,000 NRs. per day (or any part of a day), plus 1,000 NRs. for your guide's bike if you would like to hire a guide. A guide will help you to see the more interesting things along the way and keep you safe. They will generally need at least 1,000 NRs. plus expenses per day.
One of the advantages of doing a bike ride with a local guide is that he will have excellent stamina in case you are planning a trek outside the Kathmandu Valley. If you find him helpful and enjoy his company you will be able to get a good price for a guide for a trek.
There are many excellent biking trails in and around Bhaktapur. With a couple of mobile apps you will have many options for destinations. I recently read a blog post that made several suggestions for moblile apps for bikers.
What is your money for the bike rental going to be used for? All our profit from this project will be to help the local farmers to transition to organic farming. If you plan to come to Nepal and would like to work in organic farming we can place you with a local family or host you at Star View Guest House.
If you've been to Nepal please give us your thoughts in the comments.
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel to get travel tips and tricks for travel through Nepal and other parts of Asia.
This
blog post is supplemental to our video channel. If you enjoyed this
post, you'll enjoy our videos. We explore one topic at a time with the
intent to help you to have the best time in Nepal. https://www.youtube.com/channel
This blog is also supplemental to our eBook, Nepal: A Tourist's Manual. $19.95 Use Promo Code to get 50% off: WhatAboutNepal
We
also have a small guesthouse in Changunarayan Village, in the Kathmandu
Valley. If you have an interest in staying with us for short or
long-term stays, see our website at https://StarViewNepal.com
Follow along with us
Twitter:
@FrugalTravelsNe
@KayGarnay4Nepal
@StarViewChangu
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frugal.travels
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaygarnay/
HelpX.Net: http://www.helpx.net/host.asp?hostid=17074
HelpStay: https://helpstay.com/stays/Grant-Proposal-Writer-Nepal#overview
Websites:
http://WhatAboutNepal.org
http://StarViewNepal.com
http://TraditionalArtofNepal.com
http://KayGarnay.org
Some festivals in Nepal aren't as 'tourist-friendly' as others. Here's one you will surely enjoy if you come around the end of August or the first part of September. Be sure to check the Nepali calendar before you book your flight.
The Kay Garnay for Nepal registered NGO in Nepal is a grassroots agency to help the people of Nepal. As you probably know, depending on the economic index,Nepal is the second poorest country in Asia, just ahead of North Korea. It's our desire to enrich and empower our members, the people of our village and Nepal. Check out our website to see our work.
Our first priority is to get the start-up funded and and our gifts made. Each of our trainees are specializing in just one stlye. We have their bios and pictures up on our page. Donors can look at our hats being modeled by our knitters, each proudly wearing their own handiwork. We are asking for donations of just $30 (plus $15 shipping/handling) and will be sending hat/glove sets as 'thank you' gifts. Our donors will be able to select the style and colors they want. Here's our youtube video demonstrating our backpack you can have sent with your donation for an additional $15, about 50% its retail value in Europe. https://youtu.be/6mnc1EXivo8
How our money is to be disbursed:
Approximately 1/3 to 1/2 of the proceeds are used for expenses. After a small portion for each woman to save a little bit we will help 7 of these women and any who enter into our program in the future with such a need, with assistance in rebuilding their earthquake-damaged homes. Then the rest of the money will be used for our village projects.
There was a kind tourist who came to Changunarayan and made so many connections we all felt like he belonged here. He noticed a young man, a cook at a nearby guesthouse, who had lost his home during the earthquakes of 2015 and was still living in an earthquake shelter. The man had a wife and baby and the baby had been in the hospital several times due to diarehea and dehydration from the living conditions. The young man was such a hard worker and easy to get along with that our volunteer inspired others in the village to help this family with a home. Altogether, we collected 3,000 euro and the family has a safer place to raise their baby.
As time goes on, we hope to have an additional little bit for our own hardship fund to be used by members for micro-loans and hardship gifts.
We are also working on getting connections with high-end boutiques whereby we can provide non-sweatshop, above average paying jobs in Nepal and exceptional values for our western partners and donors.
Our vision for Changunarayan Village:
We hope first to help people rebuild after the earthquakes and then do projects for village beautification. We hope to help farmers transition from low-end produce to fruit trees and other higher yield crops.
Additionally, we hope to help women with female issues, such as prolapsed uterus and fibroid cysts. There is a high number of women with such issues that could be taken care of for well under $500. This is often a low priority in the family, as they would need to borrow on their land, therefore, most women suffer in silence. We hope to sponsor women's health seminars and similar such programs.
It's been the long-term goal of Kay Garnay for Nepal to encourage and help farmers to transition to organic, higher yield crops through projects such as a tool lending project, village recycling project, natural outdoor lighting, etc. Give us just 2 years and come to Changunarayan in 2020. It will be the highlight of your time in Nepal. Ultimately, we hope to make Changunarayan a 'Butterfly Village' worthy of a visit from every tourist coming to Nepal.
By the way, if you save $50 a month from this month, you will have enough money for an amazing trip to Nepal in 2020. If you need a part-time job to help you pay for the trip please let us know.
One of our long term goals is to promte and support Nepal's manufacturing industry. The idea is to change the society's dialogue. Presently, Nepal has a large import fee/tariff on imported items, but the people think the western goods like Sony and Panasonic are better, even when they cost 30% more than products manufactured or assembled in Nepal like CG and Wega. We, at Star View Guest House are commited to buying only Nepali mad products and will be using the logo here to make stickers for buses, etc.
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