Amanda S's Blog (21)

I was recently asked to write about the cultural complexity of Nepal, focusing on Buddhism and Hindu faiths. As i am not Nepali, Hindu or Buddhist, and I have only been living in Nepal for a short time this topic was way out of my area of experience. I am not one to turn away from a challenge so here is my attempt... please feel free to point out any errors as I am new to the topic and this is how we learn!

Life in Nepal is a confusing mix of religious, caste, cultural and…

There are mountains behind all that cloud... atleast that is what we were told.

A few weeks ago I wrote an article about ‘nearly trekking in Kathmandu Valley’. We walked from…

Boys urging the crowd to pull the Bhairav Chariot faster

The Bisket Jatra is considered one of the liveliest cultural festivals in the world. The celebration in Bhaktapur (14km, 1 hour drive, from Kathmandu) is a nine day celebration at the time of Nepalese New…

No floor covering, no stove or oven, no cabinets, no hot water - Nepali kitchens can be a shock.

I read a lot of the Nepal forums and I get asked all the time how to find long term accommodation in Kathmandu. It is difficult being a foreigner and looking for an apartment…

I have said it before and I will say it again, Nepal the some of the most fascinating and crazy festivals I have ever heard of. In Dhulikehel Gods chase you and steal your money, at Maha Shivaratri every one gets high, Newari girls marry fruit trees, and in some villages the trees marry each…

Every town in Nepal has its own special festival or celebration. Yesterday I headed out to Dhulikhel, 30 km SE of Kathmandu, to see their take on the Nava Durga Jatra.  I was told it is Nepal’s version of the Running of the Bulls, though instead of bulls masked Gods, expecting substantial pay offs, chase…

I was visiting a friend’s family when his mother flourished a number of worn pictures of a small boy, wrapped in orange, with big scared eyes, and even bigger ears painfully accentuated by his newly bald head. “He is ready for marriage” she proudly announced. My first impression was that Bratabandha was a haircut that turned boys into men.



Bratabandha is a Hindu ceremony where boys, between 8 and 12, take the first steps in learning the traditional laws, ceremonial roles and…

The Swasthani Purnima comes to an end today at Sankhu, 16 km from Kathmandu. After a month of fasting, worship and bathing in the frigid…

Two of my friends decided to accompany me on my first trek in Nepal. We had picked out a two day trek in the Kathmandu Valley but it didn’t exactly go to plan.

Our guide was an hour late. We were starting to think maybe we wouldn’t be going at all. We’d even started discussing what we should do with our day instead; Clean the apartment, go back to work, go back to bed?

When the guide arrived it seemed there had been a misunderstanding about the times. It also…

Martyr's Day in Nepal is the day Sukra Raj Shatri, Dharma Bhakta Mathema, Ganga Lal Shrestha and Dhasrath Chand are honored for sacrificing their lives for the rights of Nepali people. It seems people may have forgotten the great price these men paid for the freedoms they now…

If someoneasks you: “Do you want to go to Kusma? It is not so far.” Here are my suggestions to you:

• Clear your schedule and eat a good breakfast, you won't be back till dinner.
• Pack a jacket.
• Pack gloves.

I love traveling by motorbike in Nepal. It's a bit crazy, and a little dangerous, and definitely voids your travel insurance but when you are racing around those high mountain bends... When my friend asked if I wanted to go for a ride with…

This river, just outside Pokhara, was a beautiful picnic spot on my last visit.

Kathmandu is a great party town and has some good shopping but for me…

Three of my little friends, eating my favorite Dal Bhaat in Pokhara

I have been craving Dal Bhaat for 5 months while i was stuck in Australia. I tried cooking it for myself but it just isn't the same. I have no skill for preparing it.

Everyone tells me it…

Since I have to get my flights to get to Nepal I have been doing some research on stop over destinations. Where you take your stop over can vastly impact the price of your ticket due to airport taxes, transit visas, meals, and hotels. It isn't just about price, a bad stopover can be the difference between arriving at your destination in a stressed or pleasant state. So this is my feelings on my recent stopovers on the way to Nepal.…