 | Suspension bridge, Annapurna circuit trek | | | | | Brekke Fletcher | Newsletter Editor | | | When I was little, I remember sitting with my dad, turning the thick pages of his gigantic, red, cloth-covered atlas, spread on the carpet of our living room. I remember the texture of the pages, the colors of the maps, the typography and the smell of the pages. My father pointed out Nepal, the Himalayas (particularly Everest), and I marveled at the intricate colors and representations of the country's spellbinding topography, ranging from the literal top of the world to sea level. Such a world wonder boggled my developing mind, though it also made me curious to know as much as I could. Of course, it's impossible to truly know what Nepal is like unless, you know, you actually go to Nepal. I'm totally excited by the prospect and considering a woman-only adventure to Nepal in October. |
 | Lhamo Choeki Sherpa | | | I asked my colleague Sebastian Modak to introduce me to Tsering Ngodup Lama, who had recently written this extraordinary article about the harrowing lives of Sherpa widows for Lonely Planet (he is also a food and travel reporter for The Kathmandu Post). My hope was to glean as much information about what it was like to visit Nepal and to learn more about his day-to-day life – which includes a lot of eating, drinking and live music, as well as extensive travel across Nepal. Tsering joined me on Zoom from his home in Boudha, Kathmandu, where Nepal's largest stupa, a holy site of pilgrimage for Tibetan Buddhists, is located. | | | | | Brekke Fletcher is a travel writer and editor whose work has appeared in TIME Magazine, The Wall Street Journal and CNN. Now she oversees Newsletters for Lonely Planet and loves every minute of it. | | | Boudha-based food and travel writer Tsering Lama answers questions on all things Nepal. | |
Tsering on a motorbike in Upper Mustang | | | | | | | Trek to Upper Mustang for the Tiji Festival. The three-day festival is one of Nepal's most popular, where monks from The Choede Monastery perform ritual mask dances in elaborate costumes in a celebration of good over evil. | | | | | Go to Thamel and Boudhanath in Kathmandu for their thriving Chinese restaurant scene. Thamel's Man Tang Hong and Boudhanath's Boudha Potala Guest House are my go-to places. For Nepali food beyond momos and dal bhat, eat at Raithane, lauded for its Indigenous cuisine. | | | | | Try Nepali beer. Our craft beer scene is booming. Aside from Gorkha and Everest, one Nepali beer brand that has recently become hugely popular is Barahsinghe. | | | Two magnificent weeks in Nepal | Get to know Kathmandu, visit shrines and temples, spot wildlife on safari, visit remote villages – with an awesome local guide who will answer all your questions. | | Bodhnath Stupa in Kathmandu | | | | | Nepal is budget-friendly overall, though all national parks and reserves require an entry fee. | | | | Meditate and visit monasteries in Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha | | | Immerse yourself in some of Nepal's most unique and diverse experiences on this Group Adventure from Elsewhere. | | | | Nifuk Gompa, a monastery in Upper Mustang | | | | | How did you decide to do the story about the Sherpa families for Lonely Planet? | I wanted to know what it takes for a woman to have her husband go into the mountains, knowing they may not come back. Sherpas are mostly Buddhists, and the final rights, the ritual aspects, the cremation, it's all very important. And they do not get their husbands' bodies back. What better way to tell that story than to go where they live and spend time with them to see how they're navigating raising their children alone? That's what I wanted to let the world know. | | | Do you think people understand what kind of place Nepal is? | I have found many people limit Nepal to just Kathmandu. And Kathmandu is chaotic and polluted, and the rest of Nepal isn't like that. Or they only think only of Everest. | | | Where do you recommend travelers go? | Well, just outside of Kathmandu, there are many beautiful villages to explore. And Chitwan National Park is very popular for wildlife and jungle safaris. The Annapurna region receives a lot of travelers. Upper Mustang is very beautiful. But if you're willing to go a little bit further, Bardia National Park is incredible. It all depends on what kind of traveler you are. | | | | | Have you noticed tourists coming to Nepal in search of spiritual experiences? | Yes, I have come across this. You can see hundreds of thousands of Buddhists circumambulating the shrines every day, but if you're serious about studying Buddhism, studying your mind and meditation, we have institutions where you can get a degree. You can choose between long-term and short-term courses; you can visit shrines and monasteries. There are also Hindu priests and temples that teach meditation. | I have a friend from Canada who's here studying to get a Master's degree in Buddhism and translation. I was trying to do a story on how Boudha has become a center for people looking to understand and study Buddhism, and he gave me this very interesting quote, "Bouddha is like a Disneyland of Buddhism." Because there are dozens of monasteries. Every day there is one thing or another you can do. One day you can go to one monastery to attend a prayer, and then you can go to another monastery and study. I thought it was an interesting way to look at it. | | | | | "After Covid, people have realized you can die anytime or any day, so they are more open to going out and living a good life." | | | How would you describe what it's like to live in Nepal? | It's a completely different experience compared to what life is like in the West. It's chaotic, you know things don't often work in the way they are supposed to. But that has charm. It's also quite similar to the way things are in the West. During the weekends, you want to go out to clubs and bars, or you want to go for a quick getaway. | | | Nepal's dining scene has changed a lot over the years or so. Going out to eat wasn't something that people were really into. Now it's become a culture. We have some wonderful Italian restaurants. We have Indian restaurants, and Chinese, especially Szechuan Chinese cuisine. Fire & Ice in Thamel serves one of the best pizzas. As someone with Tibetan heritage, Boudha has a lot of authentic Tibetan food. And there are so many places you can get momos, Tibetan dumplings, for a dollar. | Another really popular food is dal bat, lentils and rice. We have this saying, "Dal Bat Power 24/7," once you have Dal Bat, you're good to go for 24 hours. If you're into trekking, it's a dish you'll eat. It's easy to make, filling and cheap. | | | And where do you like to go out at night? | There's a pub in Thamel called Purple Haze Rock Bar, named after one of Jimmy Hendrix's songs. I also go to Reggae Bar, though the name is sort of deceiving – it's more rock and soft-rock music. There's this nightclub called L.O.D. (Lord of the Drinks) that's really hot right now. When I was doing the Lonely Planet story in Namche Bazaar, high in the mountains, I went to The Irish Pub. It has an impressive array of imported and domestic liquor, beer and wine for a bar located at such a remote location. | | | Where do travelers stay most frequently? | Homestays have become really popular in the last few years. If it's a really high-profile destination, in places like Nagarkot and Dhuikhel, you can stay in a five-star resort. But if you want to get to know the people and the culture in the more remote villages, homestays are the way to go. | | | You mentioned Chitwan and Bardia National Parks. Which one is your favorite? | Chitwan National Park is about five to six hours from Kathmandu by bus. There's easy access and a lot of hotels to choose from. But in my experience, because it's so popular, you don't get the quiet. You see a lot of other groups. But Bardia National Park is about 600 kilometers away or a 90-minute flight. When I was there five years ago, I did a day-long jeep ride, and I saw only one other group. It's not as developed as Chitwan. It retains its old-world village charm. Life is not as hectic. Wildlife is similar, you get to see rhinoceroses, deer, and tigers. But from what I hear, there are higher chances of seeing tigers in Bardia. However, there are high-end, exclusive experiences that give you more privacy. | | | | Nepal made Lonely Planet's Best in Travel list this year. Why do you think it's the best? | It's the sheer variety of experiences. You can be near Everest in the morning, and in the same evening you get down to the plains in the country, where it's sweltering hot. It is probably one of the only places on this earth where you can see Tibetan culture as it existed centuries ago. Then there's the people – they are very hospitable, and the food, the wildlife, it's everything. | | | How would you rate this newsletter? | | | This email was sent to you by: | Lonely Planet Publications Ltd. | 1101 Red Ventures Drive, Fort Mill, SC 29707 | | | |
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