Beautiful Himalayas: A Journey to Nepal

 From November 12 to November 18, 2017, I traveled on a 7-day journey to Nepal, exploring the beautiful Himalayas. I departed from Kansai Airport and transferred in Hong Kong via Cathay Pacific Airways, then flew to Nepal with Cathay Dragon Airways.

Day 1  Departure from Kansai Airport: 10:00 AM, Cathay Pacific Airways, flight time 4 hours 25 minutes
Arrival in Hong Kong: 1:25 PM, Hong Kong International Airport
Time difference (Japan/Hong Kong): -1 hour
Time difference (Hong Kong/Nepal): -2 hours 15 minutes

Departure from Hong Kong: 7:00 PM, Cathay Dragon Airways, flight time 5 hours 20 minutes
Arrival in Kathmandu: 10:05 PM, Tribhuvan International Airport
Time difference (Japan/Nepal): -3 hours 15 minutes

The official name is the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. Nestled at the foot of the Himalayas, Nepal is rich in natural beauty. Located in a subtropical region, almost at the same latitude as Amami Island, the weather is not very cold unless you go to higher altitudes. The best season for Himalayan sightseeing is from November to February, during the dry season. The capital, Kathmandu, is situated at an altitude of 1,300 meters. A massive earthquake struck in April 2015, causing extensive damage, and even though more than two years have passed, infrastructure recovery is still a work in progress. On the first day, we arrived at our accommodation, Yak & Yeti, past 11 PM.

Day 2  In the early morning, there was an optional Everest scenic flight that lasts about one hour, but I chose not to participate. The cost was 27,000 yen. Some tour participants joined, but the price was on the higher side. Today, we went on a tour of Chitwan National Park. From Kathmandu, we took a flight for about 30 minutes and arrived at the small Bharatpur Airport. From there, we traveled by bus and dropped off our luggage at the Tigerland Safari Resort, where we then took a bullock cart to visit a Tharu village. Afterward, we headed to Chitwan, located in the Terai plains in southern Nepal. Once a royal hunting ground, it was designated as a national park and animal reserve in 1973. The highlight of our visit to Chitwan National Park was the jungle safari, where we explored the jungle on elephant back. It is said that rhinos, deer, wild boars, peacocks, and tigers live here, but the animals we actually saw and photographed were only a few. Before dinner, a Tharu dance performance was held in the hotel courtyard, and the tour participants joined in to dance together.

Day 3  Today, we moved to the much-anticipated Pokhara. Known for the Annapurna mountain range, Pokhara is the second-largest city in Nepal, situated by the shores of Phewa Lake. It is also famous as a base for trekking in the Himalayan mountains. Around the city, we saw many Westerners with large backpacks. Tonight, we will stay for two nights at the Himalayan Front Hotel & Resort, which offers a stunning view of the Annapurna range. After placing our luggage in the room, we took a mini trek from the hotel to the first viewpoint of Sarangkot Hill, where we enjoyed the sunset over the Annapurna range. After dinner at the hotel, we enjoyed the view of the city of Pokhara and the Annapurna range from the rooftop, before returning to our room to sleep. 

Day 4  Early in the morning, I set up a tripod on the rooftop and took photos of the city of Pokhara and the Annapurna range at dawn. The entrance to the rooftop is from the restaurant, and there is a self-service coffee station where I enjoyed a coffee while watching the sunrise. I spent about an hour there. Today, we toured Pokhara city. We visited Bindhyabasini Temple, Devi's Fall, and took a boat ride on Phewa Lake. Afterward, we walked along Phewa Lake and had lunch at a restaurant. After that, everyone returned to the hotel, and the tour split into two groups. One group stayed at the Himalayan Front Hotel & Resort, while the other paid an additional fee to hike about 3.5 km to Australian Camp and stay in cottages there. Before the trip, I had researched the hiking route online and found that while the sunset and sunrise views are beautiful, they are weather-dependent. The cottages are simple, and the food is quite different from what we had at the hotel. For these reasons, I chose not to join that group. The group staying at the hotel went on a local market tour in Pokhara with the guide in the evening, then returned to the hotel.

Day 5 I spent a relaxing morning at the hotel until noon. In the afternoon, the group who went on the hiking plan returned, and we all reunited. After that, we left Pokhara and headed to Kathmandu.

Departure from Pokhara: 14:25
Arrival in Kathmandu: 14:55

After arriving in Kathmandu, we started the city tour. First, we visited Durbar Square (Durbar means palace, referring to the square in front of the royal palace), followed by the Kumari's Residence (the palace where the living goddess, Kumari, resides), Hanuman Dhoka (the old royal palace), and Swayambhunath (a legendary site considered the origin of Kathmandu, also known as the Monkey Temple due to the large number of monkeys). After the tour, we stayed at the Yak & Yeti, the same hotel where we stayed when we first arrived in Kathmandu.

Day 6 In the morning, we toured Bhaktapur, also known as "Lalitpur" (the City of Beauty), which once flourished as the capital of the Malla Dynasty. We visited Durbar Square, the old royal palace, Dattatreya Temple, Thimi Square, and the Nyatapola Temple. For lunch, we dined at "Restaurant Himalaya Soba" located inside the Hotel Sunset View. Since the bus could only go partway, we walked the rest of the way. The restaurant serves hand-made soba made with Nepali-grown buckwheat, and the chef had trained in soba making in Togakushi, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. The menu was also in Japanese. I had tempura soba, which was very delicious. In the afternoon, we visited Patan, where we toured Durbar Square, the old royal palace, and the Golden Temple. After dinner at a restaurant, we began our journey back home.

Departure from Kathmandu: 23:15, Flight time: 4 hours 20 minutes
Arrival in Hong Kong: 05:50
Departure from Hong Kong: 07:55, Flight time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Arrival at Kansai Airport: 12:25