Bikes, Buses, Boats, Beaches and Beer, on a Budget - Noddy's (mis)Adventures in Asia

KATHMANDU..... A QUICK TRIP TO NEPAL

After a near 12 month hiatus from traveling, it was finally time to get out of Thailand and away from work for a short break! My friend Troy was talking of his upcoming trip to Nepal, with biking being the main agenda.

It wasn't really a place I had considered before, but after a quick spot of research on Google, I thought "that sounds bloody awesome", and promptly invited myself along for the trip! It had been far too long since my last adventure, and a break from work was a very welcome thought.

Troy had been in Kathmandu last October for a brief stint and loved the place, though this time around, doing a bike trip on Royal Enfield 500's was the plan. As it turned out - a great plan!

We arrived in Kathmandu from Bangkok, (Troy also lives in Thailand), at around 1.30pm on a Wednesday, the flight a mere 3 and a half hours. As the taxi drove us into the heart of this dirty, dusty, chaotic labyrinth of bricks, bikes and people, it was clear that Kathmandu was not like any other place I had been before.

We checked into a new, fairly nice hotel - Lemon Tree, which we booked through cheaptickets.com and quickly headed out into the mess of muddy streets, all the while keeping a vigilant eye out for the motorbikes and cars that seem to use the tiny streets as a race track.

We are staying in the tourist area of Thamel, but it's a fascinating little part of town with its myriad of narrow dirt and paved alleyways, intriguing architecture, amazing food stalls and friendly locals.