Nepal - Week of March 22, 2026

Namaste friends! 🙏

Greetings from Kathmandu! Welcome to my third week in Nepal. 

I hope the universe has been benevolent in your life and the lives of your loved ones in the past week. 

Dhaulagiri I

'Bistārai,  Bistārai' The operative Nepali phrase visitors needs to learn and adhere to while visiting Nepal. Slowly, Slowly! I, like many visitors new to Nepal, have a tendency to walk intentionally and quickly. Bad idea. This is the land of endless hills to ascend at every increasing altitude. Adopting a slow pace with small strides is the winning formula for successfully reaching your destination without gasping for air. Personal reflection - it's also a belated lesson learned I could have benefited from earlier in my life. 

'Jā'auṁ, Jā'auṁ' My second most favorite trekking phrase. 'Let's go' 

The start of every good hike begins with 'Let's go' followed by 'Slowly; Slowly' 

Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates this significant date in the Christian faith! 

May the universe bring endless blessings and moments of magic 🦄  to you and your loved ones in the week ahead. 🙏

Travel Administration

 My experience with getting a Nepal tourist visa is worth sharing given it's transactional uniqueness, at least in my case. It's the first time I submitted my visa application, paid my fee by credit card and failed to receive a confirmation or the visa itself. I made a stop at the Visa On Arrival payment desk when I arrived in the immigration area at the airport. The immigration officer reassured me that I could proceed to the immigration clearance area as well as confirming my visa allowed multiple entry. This latter fact was important when I was considering the possibility of visiting Bhutan. I would need to reenter Nepal for my flight to Indonesia.  

Travel Update

It's now more likely I'll be in Kathmandu for my remaining three days in Nepal because of the logistics related to my Hotel Everest View trek. I have to leave my suitcase in Kathmandu as I only need to take some of my stuff for the trek. The simplest solution is to leave my suitcase at the hotel I'm planning to stay at when I return to Kathmandu. 

Travel Maps

My week started in Resunga. On Monday, I took a HiAce van to Butwal bus park, then hopped in a taxi to Lumbini. I took a tourist coach from Lumbini to Narayangarh Bus Park, followed by a private car ride to Green Park hotel. On Saturday, I was on a tourist coach from Sauraha Bus Park to Kathmandu for a night at Maya Manor Boutique Hotel. 

Nepal: March 8 to April 6, 2026

Resunga

Welcome to Sunday's clear skies! What a stunning view of the Himalayas from my hotel which is situated above the city. This would be the only day of my three night stay that we had clear skies. Thank the universe for this small blessing!

Dhaulagiri I

Dhaulagiri I

Resunga Yagyashala

With the kind assistance of Karun, the young hotel manager, I hired a local guide to visit the Yagyashala Temple and Resunga Park. Karun was insistent that any visit to Resunga must include visiting the temple. The temple and viewing tower are about a 30 minute drive uphill from the hotel. 

He mentioned that there was about a 200 step ascent to reach the temple. I discovered later in the morning I had misunderstood what he said. There is 994 steps from the parking area to the temple. You know there is an important blessing when steps are constructed so they are evenly spaced. Walking up is so much easier if they are. The 200 step reference was related to the further distance I had to climb to reach the viewing tower above the temple. 

Sadly, the clouds had moved in by the time we reached the viewing tower. The entire valley and mountains were cloaked in cloud cover compromising the viewing experience! Did save me a few steps as I avoided climbing up the tower. 

Tank near the parking area

Temple entrance

Start of 994 step ascent

Success. We've reached the temple!

Temple

Viewing tower

My guide and me

Monks and me. I was keen to get a
photo the the monk on the right

Rhododendron

Rhododendron

View of valley while descending.

Temple to Resunga Park

I took the following two photos as we were driving down from the temple to Resunga Park. We were slowly moving from above the cloud cover to below the cloud cover. The valley depth and the sudden drop from roadside into the valley is breathtaking. 

Himalayas - so beautiful!

Resunga Park

This magnificent park was built above the city. It's a long drive up a steep road to get to this park. My reaction to its location showcases the contrast in expectations between someone new to such steep terrain and local residents who ascend/descend steep hills as a way of life.

Park entrance - 150 rupees for foreigners

Great view - on a clear day, that is!

Clean and well mainatined!

Children's play area

Resunga sign up close

Resunga - long ways down

Local artist sharing his artistry!

Majheri Agro Resorts

I had to make an expectations adjustment when I checked into my Resunga hotel. This hotel had the best ratings in the local area with the additional benefit of being outside the city centre. Ideal location in my mind to avoid the city noise and bustle. What I was unprepared for was the contrast between the king sized bed, access to hot shower and amenities of a four star hotel and my newest home.

I had a great stay, once I got over myself and my expectations. I experienced first-hand why I think the Nepalese tourist industry tries to keep foreign visitors on the 'tourist circuit' where there are a range of hotels more likely to meet tourist expectations. Karun, the hotel manager, was kind, thoughtful and considerate. The hotel staff were equally wonderful. 

View from my balcony

Two twins with A/C

Desk, kettle and tea bags

Missing door handle

Peanut Sadeko

 

Resunga to Lumbini via Butwal

My proposed trip to Lumbini involved a connection in Butwal. I was blessed to have Karun's assistance in booking my bus ride from Resunga to Butwal. Karun suggested I take a HiAce passenger van, instead of a local bus, because it was faster and more comfortable. I took his advice and enjoyed a comfortable ride. Karun arranged for the van to pick me up at the hotel. He also ensured I got on the right van and paid the correct bus fare for the two seats I wanted. Lesson learned - one seat would have been enough as there was lots more room between the seats.

We discovered from the van driver (only spoke Nepali) that finding a bus to Lumbini from Butwal was unlikely. His suggestion to Karun was to take a tuk tuk or a taxi. My initial thought was having the van driver's assistance to find a taxi when we arrived in Butwal. What a mistake that would have been as I discovered when we arrived in Butwal. I made the fortuitous decision to ask for Karun's help to book a taxi, on my behalf, to pick me up from the Butwal Bus Park. 

The universe was watching over me when the van arrived in Butwal. We arrived about 30 minutes later than what we had advised the taxi driver. The van stopped across on a four lane roadway across from the bus park. The van driver was absolutely zero help. I simultaneously learned from Karun that the taxi was also waiting for me on the same roadway across from the bus park's entrance. What a potential disaster! So I starting walking down the busy street with my suitcase looking for a safe way to cross the street. I then heard someone call out my name. It was my pissed off taxi driver who had been waiting over 30 minutes for my arrival.  I was so blessed the driver decided to wait for me. In the end I arrived at my Lumbini hotel safely. I also paid the driver extra for his wait time which I thought was the right thing to do. Like I say, I was incredibly fortunate all the forces aligned in my favor.

Van interior

Scenic gorge near Butwal

Lumbini

Lumbini is about 25 km (16 mi) from the Indian border. Buddha's birthplace is an important pilgrimage destination. Many thanks to my good friend Sajee for mentioning her recent trip to Lumbini. I added Lumbini to my itinerary based on her experience! 

Buddha's Birthplace

My primary objective in visiting Lumbini was witnessing Buddha's birthplace. I'm glad I had limited expectations because I arrived in Lumbini around 4 pm. The overall UNESCO World Heritage site is extensive which could take a full day to explore with the assistance of a tuk tuk driver. The link I've shared in this section's title has more info about what's available at the site. 

My hotel was a 15 minute walk from the Gate 5 entrance. The temple erected over Lord Buddha's birthplace was another 15 minute walk from the entrance. Visitors are prohibited from taking photos inside the temple. The birthplace is located in the temple's exact centre and is covered with glass for additional protection. 

Gate 5 entrance

Let's start the 

Important guidance to lead your life

Birthplace temple

Birthplace temple

Birthplace temple

Birthplace temple

Sign in front of column

Adjacent to temple

Bodhi tree

Around the Park

I took a few minutes to explore the walkway leading away from the temple prior to sunset. 

So much to see if you have the time and interest

Gift from Thailand

Dedication - Thailand

Waterway

You can rent a boat to travel this water

Sunset 

Enjoy the beautiful sunset over Buddha's birthplace!

Chitwan National Park

The six hour bus ride from Lumbini to Narayangarh was yet another slow, kidney jarring adventure. Make sure you have your barf bag handy if you have a queasy stomach. My blessing on this bus trip meeting Philip, a fellow Canadian traveler, who was also heading to Chitwan National Park. More details about Philip are in the Friends section below!

My Chitwan package included three nights at a five star (debatable) hotel, full board, a jeep safari, an elephant safari, local village visit, sunset experience, an hour early morning bird watching session, local dancing demo at hotel and a ride down the Rapti River in a local dugout boat. I traded the elephant ride (I object to how elephants are used/treated) for a second afternoon safari and skipped everything else. I also booked a fourth night to avoid more time in Kathmandu. 

Another example in my Nepal adventure where I had a low value experience due to my lack of due diligence when the option was first suggested by Bimal, my village visits guide. The entire visit was extremely well managed by Bimal and the hotel staff for which I am most grateful. 

Initial Highlights

Expansive boulevards, like this one in Narayangarh
are equally impressive and a contradiction with the
city's less developed roadways

How sweet, right!?

Sunset

Enjoy the sunset experience over the Rapti River!

Safari #1

I had low expectations for what we might see on our safari given we were entering the park around 8 am. The prime time for seeing animals in motion is around daybreak (6:30 am). We had about 4.5 hours of driving about the park. We had a stop at the government's crocodile breeding site which gave us an chance to see crocs up close. 

The park itself lacks the diversity I've seen in India and Sri Lanka. I struggle to recommend spending time on the Chitwan National Park activities unless this is your first safari and you have an interest in staged cultural events. Well marketed and underwhelming. 

My crocodile sighting

Park ticket office

Deer

More deer

Peacock

Peacock in tree!

Monkey

Look, more deer

Sample roadway

Crocodile breeding pen

Crocodile breeding pen

Crocodile breeding pen

Our first rhino sighting

Safari #2

I traded my elephant ride safari for a much more comfortable jeep safari. Thankfully, we ventured into a different part of the park for the prospect of seeing different wildlife for our three-hour afternoon safari. No Bengal tiger though. 

Eagle

Rhino foraging

Stork - I think?

Stork in motion

More deer

My Bengal Tiger Sighting

A draw for a Chitwan National Park safari is the possibility of seeing a Bengal tiger. Unfortunately, the tiger remained elusive for my two safaris. Our tour guide had video of the Bengal tiger he saw about four months ago. Yes, the tigers do exist. The best chance of seeing a tiger is either becoming a park ranger or camping out on a multi-day safari to wait for the tiger to travel its known trails. 

On roadway outside my hotel!

Flora

Green Park, the hotel where I was staying, had an incredible variety of beautiful flowers lining the walkways. See how many flowers you can identify. Sorry, this is where I'm of zero assistance!

Local delight

Delicious Yak cheese

Sauraha (Chitwan National Park) to Kathmandu

What a bus ride! We left Sauraha at 8 am, arriving in Kathmandu around 4 pm. Thank goodness for the coach's comfort on Nepal's torturous roads. I had loads of personal time given I had a single seat. Kathmandu is located in the Kathmandu Valley which requires ascending up one side of the Kathmandu Valley before descending into the Valley. The road snakes up the side of the mountain which I tried to capture in the photos below. The other experience I'm trying to capture is the perilous drop from the road's edge into the valley below! The lack of guardrails adds to the drama of traveling on Nepal's roads. 

Entering ascent to Kathmandu Valley

Road up mountainside

Long ways down

Oh look, a concrete barrier!

Look way down

Spectacular views!

Friends

Phillip

I was blessed with the most interesting traveling companion for my coach trip from Lumbini to Chitwan National Park. Remarkable as this may sound, Philip was from Edmonton, Alberta - the same city I attended university and lived/worked in until I was 27. 

Philip was a free lance humanitarian rights assessor who was contracted by NGOs for on the ground assessment in countries where the NGOs wanted to provide support. His job was to provide his clients with an assessment to increase their effectiveness from day 1 and prevent/minimize the possibility of taking actions which would undermine their effectiveness. He spoke at some length about his four months living/traveling in Afghanistan. He had an opportunity to meet with senior Taliban government officials who were fluently English. They learned English during their Bagram prison imprisonment. He said he knew it was time to leave when he was asked about when he planned to leave. 

He had traveled to Nepal from Mumbai where he had been invited by the Indian government to attend an international conference on a topic I'm unable to recall. Imagine that! There were six other Canadians attending, including Stephen Harper, a former Canadian prime minister. Philip's story just kept getting richer!

In my haste to exit the coach, I lost my chance to take a memory pic (photo) with Philip (he had agreed to being in a photo). Through the universe's benevolence I got a second chance later in the week to take his photo. He happened to be in a dugout boat about to depart on a river cruise as I was making my way to start my safari. 

Susmita

My highlight in returning to Kathmandu on Saturday was meeting with Asmii's sister Susmita and Susmita's boyfriend. I met Asmii who was working at the Dharavandhoo hotel (Maldives) I was staying at. Asmii, who most recently was with her sister in Kathmandu, was in Maldives on a two year work visa. Asmii mentioned that she and her sister had operated their own cafe in Kathmandu. She also suggested I should meet up with her sister when I was in the city. Susmita had recently sold the cafe to a close friend. She was now seeking a work visa for Greece!

What a fantastic evening! Susmita is a 26 year old force to be reckoned with. Ambitious, articulate, engaging and energetic.  A woman with her qualities would be intimidating in Nepal's traditional society as been her experience. A timely reminder of the challenges women in Nepal encounter as compared to the Western world. We had a chance to visit her cafe as well as meet her close friend who owned the cafe. The art work was of particular interest as Asmii mentioned the two of them had done much of the painting! I was also treated to a most excellent dinner. Finally, the couple ordered a taxi to return me to my hotel. 

Their generosity also extended to giving me a small Buddha statue.

 

Next Week

It's off for my six day/five night trek from Lukla to Hotel Everest View for a closer look at Mount Everest! I fly to Lukla early Sunday morning to kick off the trek. Fingers crossed for good weather throughout the trek, especially for my flights on Sunday and Friday. The weather is notoriously unpredictable causing flights being cancelled on a regular basis. Here's an introduction to the airport I'm flying to on Sunday!