Mountains, Nepal, Views Beautiful, Scenery, Landscape, salt & coconuts, travel

Nepal – An Exhaustingly Incredible Adventure!

After exploring countries like Thailand, Vietnam and Sri Lanka, we were pretty excited when planning Nepal as it seemed to be a place that could offer a combination of experiences that would capture the essence of what we loved so much throughout Southeast Asia, plus more. Some our favourite past times from the above countries include eating delicious food, staying in remote areas with local people and learning about a new culture through a variation of experiences, in a wide range of locations. It was clear to see from the offset that Nepal was a place that could provide all of these things; one day you could climb a mountain and the next you could be exploring a new city, as well as going on safaris, paragliding, bungee jumping and more.

Mountain Trekking, Nepal, Ghorepani, Poon Hill, Views, Landscape, Trees
Instagram – @Find_Louis

As soon as the trip began, so did the adventure – but not in a good way. Although we had heard many negative things about flying with Air India, the prices of their flights had us in a pickle as they were by far the cheapest. So we decided to take the hit and form our own opinion on the airline…and this opinion was quickly formed.
In a nut shell, in New Delhi whilst waiting to board our connecting flight, Sarah (and ten other passengers) was made to open her hold luggage as she had left a portable charger in there. Her and the other ten people had the chargers taken off them by the airport staff and not returned. After which, we arrived in Kathmandu – Nepal’s Capital – and our bags didn’t arrive with us. It turned out that Air India hadn’t put them on the flight from New Delhi and they were therefore arriving the next day. Not a great start to the holiday and no help or explanation offered by Air India, both then and even today. If this wasn’t stressful enough, we had a morning flight scheduled out of Kathmandu down to Bharatpur the next day so we wouldn’t be able to come and collect the bags when they eventually did arrive. Luckily, when we arrived at our first hotel – The Life Story Guesthouse – we informed the hotel manager Rabi of our problem and he was straight on the phone to the airport to try and find a resolution to the problem. Not only this, but he decided that – amazingly – he would go to the airport in the morning and collect the bags for us while we fly to another part of the country. Talk about great customer service! This was obviously a great help and, at this point we could see the light at the end of the tunnel. So we caught our flight at 9am down to Bharatpur which was a mere twenty minutes (by the time Sarah had listened to two Sean Paul songs we were pretty much ready to land). From here, we were picked up and began our drive to or first proper destination – Chitwan National Park.


If you’re looking to fly across the country in Nepal, the flights are relatively cheap (approximately $80-$90) and are very quick. However, if you plan to go by bus, they are ridiculously cheap (approximately $6 – $10 each) but last anything between 6-10 hours for the same journey. This is partly because of the long distance but mainly because the roads in Nepal are in seriously bad condition and therefore getting anywhere by road can be quite a bumpy and gruelling process.

Chitwan National Park

Located in the Central Terai and arguably the most famous National Park in Nepal, Chitwan consists of over 930 square kilometres of forests and marshland and is home to some seriously cool wildlife. Whether you’re looking to find rhinos, monkeys, sloth bears or elephants – they’re all hanging about in Chitwan. Also, if you are very lucky, there are a number of leopards and Royal Bengal tigers known to be living within the park but finding these are – by all accounts – quite difficult.

   As it was Sarah’s birthday the next day, we thought we’d splash out on something a little on the ‘nicer’ side and booked the Barahi Jungle Lodge. The Barahi Lodge is an eco friendly, wildlife-centred hotel situated alongside the Rapti River and on the edge of Chitwan National Park.

Nepal, Luxury Hotel, Chitwan, Wildlife, Eco-friendly

At Bharatpur airport, we were greeted by one of the hotel’s naturalists – Sakiin. The staff at the hotel are some of the friendliest that we have come across over the years and as soon as we were in his company all of our baggage troubles began to disappear. As we drove along the bumpy road with Sakiin he was cracking jokes and telling us all about his country and the work they do at the hotel for the local animals. It was the first time that we felt that we could begin to enjoy our holiday.

Chitwan National Park, Nepal, Drone, Accommodation, River, Views, Landscape

Upon arriving at the hotel, we were greeted by the hotel manager who showed us around the grounds and informed us of the activities that you can take part in whilst on your stay. The activities they have at this hotel are unbelievably cool and we knew that we wanted to get involved in as many as possible. Also, at this point unbeknown Sarah, not only was it her birthday the next day but I also had some plans of my own to make the day even more special than she had imagined. The next day was going to be big and me and the hotel manager created a plan for an unforgettable fun-filled day. Barahi Jungle Lodge was the perfect cure to a horrendous start.

Restaurant, Lunch, Curry, Barahi Jungle Lodge

I’d like to say that one of the next things we did at the hotel was drop our bags off at our room, but we didn’t have any of those, so we continued straight to the hotel restaurant. We started off in style with a delicious traditional curry and Nepalese beers. One of our favourite things when exploring a new country is being able to taste something new. Our first Nepalese dish – and one that we ate most of the time whilst in Nepal – was a Nepali Chicken Tarkari. This is where multiple dishes surround the rice and dal, typically called Dal Bhat. Considered the national dish, you’ll find it wherever you go in Nepal. It’s very yummy!

Chicken Tarkari, Dahl, Curry, Nepal, Nepalese, yummy

We took a walk around the grounds and luckily the manager allowed me to use my drone to get get some arial shots of the place. Currently drones are somewhat of a taboo subject in Nepal, with there recently being a law passed that requires anyone with a UAV to apply for a license from the Civil Aviation Authority. This apparently can take anywhere between three and nine days but I’ve read online from many that tourists the chances of securing the license are very little. However, you are able to use them within private property with the owner’s permission. Sadly, I didn’t know of these rules until after booking Nepal. So my drone usage was kept to a minimum during our time in the country, which was extremely frustrating as I’d just bought the new DJI Mavic Pro and witnessed some of the most beautiful sights that would have been drone-perfect.

Barahi Jungle Lodge, Chitwan National Park, Nepal, Asia, Drone DJI, Mavic Air
Boat Party

 We decided that, as it was an early start the next morning, an early night was due. Luckily, just before we hit the hay our bags showed up – we couldn’t believe it! This poor guy had driven all the way from Kathmandu to Chitwan which took him the total of six hours (plus six hours back).
Costing us $120 plus a $20 tip, it wasn’t the cheapest taxi that we’ve paid for that weren’t in, but it was worth every penny. Finally, I could take of my tracksuit, burn my socks that I’d been wearing for the last 48 hours and whack on some shorts – I would have paid $500 for the sense of satisfaction that moment gave me! A $20 tip hardly felt enough; if only the driver would have allowed me to give him a kiss then maybe he would have understand just how much we appreciated his efforts.

Boat Safari, Chitwan National Park, Nepal, Barahi Jungle Lodge

The next day was an early start at 5:30am. After wishing Sarah a happy birthday we headed toward our first activity – a boat safari. Being the only people on the river, this was such good way to wake up, trickling along the calm waters with the sun rising behind us whilst spotting Rhinos and crocodiles. Not having been on a safari before, we couldn’t believe how amazing it was to see a combination of different animals going about their day in their natural habitats. At one point we had a five meter Gharial crocodile swimming under us! With a huge bottle nose, these crocs are quite different to your typical ones.

 

Boat, River, Rapti, Chitwan National Park, Barahi Jungle Lodge, Activity, Safari
After sailing down the river for about an hour, we arrived at our next destination – breakfast – the second instalment devised by me and the manager. Greeted by an elephant, a private chef and a number of waiters, this was a breakfast like no other. With our own gazebo covered in flowers and a birthday cake awaiting, all strategically placed upon the cliff-side in the middle of the jungle, it still baffles me today that Sarah didn’t made the connection that this may be a breakfast with a special instalment.

Surprise breakfast, Chitwan National Park, Barahi Jungle Lodge, Nepal, Marquise

As we dined on our own, without a care in the world…
(Sarah) “I was opening my presents and I saw Louis get down on one knee!! Ahhhh! It was perfect and of course I said yes!”

It was a very special and heartfelt moment that I’d been leading up to for months. It all went perfectly and because of the staff at the Barahi they managed to sprinkle a little fairy dust on the occasion and turned it in to something magical. We couldn’t ever thank them enough for their help.

Engagement proposal, Chitwan National Park, Nepal, Say yes, Marriage, I do, Will you marry me?
“I was wondering whether you would like to spend the rest of your life with me?” Instagram – @Salt_and_Coconuts

Then – get a load of this! After breakfast – and a few tears – Sakiin asked me to sing a song as he and his colleagues would like to dance for us out of a sign of respect for our special occasion. This wasn’t part of my plan and as you can imagine, was probably one of the last things I expected to hear haha! I won’t tell you the song I sung, but I will say that it was an extremely unique moment 😉 After the song, they offered to return the favour of singing whilst we danced. This really was a very special moment and one that we will remember forever: standing in the middle of the jungle, upon a cliffside, having just got engaged and dancing and singing with the nicest Nepalese people …and an elephant. Not your typical Thursday morning.

Private Chef, Private Waiters, Chitwan, Nepal, Jungle, Breakfast

After breakfast, we continued on to the next part of the secret plan. We headed down to the waters where we were greeted by more, seriously huge Indian elephants! It was here that we were to feed them elephant sandwiches before hopping on to their backs via their trunks for a morning wash in the river. These elephants might have looked slightly intimidating, however, they were extremely friendly letting us hug their trunks before they used them to lift us up.

Elephants, Lunch Time, Bathing, Wash, River, Trunk
Barahi Jungle Lodge, Nepal, Elephant Bathing, Activity, Adventure
Instagram – @Salt_and_Coconuts

Elephant Bath, Chitwan National Park, Barahi Jungle Lodge, Nepal

After sandwiches, it was time for the third instalment. We couldn’t come to Chitwan without going in to the jungle, so we headed out on jeeps in search of rhinos… and hopefully more!
Our naturist Sakkin was extremely professional and knew absolutely everything there is to know about the park. It’s amazing to watch these guys in action, listening out to all of the sounds of the jungle, anticipating where the next animal might be.

Jeep Safari, Barahi Jungle Lodge, Nepal, Rhinos

Sarah – We had four hours in a jeep driving through Chitwan National Park where we saw a wild boar, deer, lots of birds and a mother and baby rhino up close!

Chitwan National Park, Nepal, Rhino, Baby

When we got back to the hotel the owner had arranged a complimentary ‘bush dinner’ as a congratulations for us both. Another incredible experience – just us, a private chef and hundreds of lanterns lighting up the jungle as we ate delicious food. Safe to say it was the most incredible day of my life, one I will remember forever and we can’t recommend Barahi Jungle Lodge enough for making it so special. The hospitality of their staff is astonishing and the place itself is unbelievably stunning. If you ever go to Nepal, make sure you check it out. It was $450 for two nights and any activities that you would like to take part in can be added on top.

Jeep Sarafi, Barahi Jungle Lodge, Chitwan, National Park

The activities on offer are:
– Boat Safari
– Jeep Safari
– Elephant Briefing
– Nature walks
– Canoeing
– Elephant Safari
– Cultural Performance
– Bullock Cart Village Visit
– Bush Dinner
– Jungle Picnic

For more information on the Barahi Jungle Lodge visit http://www.barahijunglelodge.com

Elephant, Eye, Nepal, Chitwan National Park, Wildlife

The next day, just like most in Nepal was another early start! At 6.15am we got driven back to Bharatpur where we hopped on a six hour bus to Pokhara. The bus costed $14 for both of us! Be careful if you are doing this journey – they’re currently doing works on the road (there is still so much devastating earth quake damage throughout Nepal and in many places, this makes for a very bumpy ride!) The main road between Chitwan and Pokhara is closed between 10am-4pm so you have to set off early or else the traffic comes to a compete standstill and it is very difficult to get through in less than ten hours!

We finally arrived in Pokhara with very sore bums. We stayed at Batika hotel which was great. It was $60 a night for a suite with an excellent view of Phewa Lake.

Pokhara

Pokhara, Nepal, Lakeside, Boats, Views, Mountains

Pokhara is place that ticks all the right boxes, with amazing scenery, adventure activities and some incredible restaurants. As it’s the gateway to the world famous treks in and around the Annapurna region, it’s a place where people recharge their batteries either before or after their trekking adventures. We were only staying here for one night before beginning our trek (luckily we did head back to Pokhara for five more days after the trek – see below). So we headed to a nice restaurant where we tried the other of Nepal’s famous dishes – Momos. Merely just a dumpling with either Chicken, Buffalo or Vegetables stuffed inside, it’s surprising just how nice they are. You can either request for them to be steamed or fried …and we quickly decided that fried wins every time! Served with a nice pickled sauce, they’re incredible! …We ate them every night after this 😉

 Ghorepani – Poon Hill Trek

Diagram, Trek, Map, Nepal, Annapurna Circuit

The next morning we were picked up and driven about two hours in to the mountains to start our five day trek. We used a company called ‘Eco Adventure Tours’ which was recommended to us by a friend. There are many different treks that you can complete in Nepal which vary in distance, height, length and price. After much research, we found that the Ghorepani – Poon Hill circuit – within the Annapurna region – was the most popular choice for beginners, lasting for a total of four nights/five days. The trek reaches a maximum height of 3210 metres so the likelihood of having to deal with things like altitude sickness are very slim. In total this costed $900 for us both, which at first hand felt like quite a hefty sum. However, on reflection it actually was extremely reasonable when considering the following things that were included:

  • Three meals a day (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner) during the trek.
  • Fresh fruit every night after dinner.
  • Trekking lodge accommodation during the trek.
  • Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) entry permit & Tourist Information Management System (TIMS) permits
  • Tourist bus to Pokhara and again tourist bus from Pokhara – Kathmandu.
  • Private transport Pokhara-Nayapul- Pokhara.
  • English speaking guide with all his salary, food, drinks, accommodation, transport and insurance.
  • A Strong, helpful porter with proper equipment (one porter for two people).
  • Medical supplies (first aid kit will be available).
  • Use of Sleeping bags, Down Jacket, Duffel bag and Walking Poles (if you do not have your own, to be return after you complete the trip).
  • Nepal Eco Adventure branded T-shirt and cap as souvenir.  
  • Government taxes and official expenses.
  • Oxymeter to check your pulse and oxygen saturation and heart rate twice daily (Very useful to check Altitude Mountain Sickness(AMS) symptoms) Which will ensure you trek is in the safest hands possible for all levels of trekker.

The above list is representational of what most trekking companies in Nepal would offer during you trek. It’s important to note here though that anybody can plan their own treks in Nepal without having to go through an agency. However, in doing so all of the above would need to be organised yourself. The first thing anyone needs to do before even arriving at the entry gates is pre-arrange their Annapurna entry and information management systems permits and, I don’t know about you but I would much rather have someone who speaks the local language to organise this for me in order for everything to go as smoothly as possible. Secondly, the one thing that me and Sarah both said was worth a fair proportion of the $900 is having a porter to carry our bags. Luckily for our porter, we left most of our belongings at the hotel in Pokhara beforehand. But even still, the bag we gave him weighed approximately 20kgs …and this is a bag that he carried throughout the duration of our trek, in the blinding heat, up-hill for two days and down-hill for the next three! (there were times that we struggled with the walk and we were carrying about 4kgs each!) Just a side note – upon talking to our guide, he said that it’s not unreasonable for a porter to carry up to 35kgs of weight on treks – absolute madness! The people of Nepal are seriously tough! Throughout the trek you’ll notice people of all shapes and sizes and both genders walking up and down the mountains carrying a serious amount of weight on their shoulders. So many times did we find ourselves being overtaken by local villagers with an abundance of cargo on their backs.

Ghorepani, Poon Hill Trek, Trekking, Nepal, Porter, Friend, Nepal
Our poter Dawson – ‘strong like Ox’

We began the trek in Nayapul and worked our way up to 1540  metres on the first day. This was quite a strenuous three-hour trek that apparently was”quite easy” according to our guide. I’m not sure how easy an up-hill climb in 25 degree heat is, but it was enjoyable all the same! On the first evening we stayed in a guest house within the mountains which was very cool. These guest houses are jotted throughout the mountains and work well as checkpoints throughout the day. We occasionally stopped at these for brief intervals, catching our breath and having a bite and a drink. Be aware, the locals charge tourists quite a lot for snacks and drinks along the way. I guess this could be expected as eating a Mars bar in the mountains could be considered somewhat of a luxury. However, the prices are extremely inconsistent from one place to the next and it doesn’t take you long to realise that the cost is made up on the spot on most occasions. Luckily our porter, the great guy that he was, bought some bits for us pretending they were for himself. He usually secured these for half the price we would have had to pay ourselves.

Nepal, Ghorepani - Poonhill, Mountain Range, Annapurna, trek, Couple

The accommodation, as you can imagine in these places is quite basic. We anticipated this beforehand but were actually somewhat surprised at just how they good they were considering we were in the middle of a mountain. When trekking through the jungle whilst on our Thailand trip the accommodation was so basic that we were sleeping on the floor. However, during the Nepal trek we were provided with a bed each night …and even a light switch – just saying 😉 On one of the nights, were were even given a room with an en-suite. I mean, it wasn’t The Goring Hotel in London, but this place had hot-water and a bar of soap which very exciting after a long day’s trek.

Children of Nepal, Trekking, Trek, Ghorepani, Nepal, Villagers

The second day, we continued on up to Ghorepani which was seven hour ascend, up what I can only imagine was 687896 steps. The views throughout the day were somewhat overcast, with many clouds covering the skies. However – clouds or not – the reflective pauses taken throughout the duration of the day were quite breathtaking and something a photo couldn’t really do any justice.

Nepal, Trekking, Ghorepani, Poon Hill, Views, Landscape, Beautiful

Upon arriving at Ghorepani (2874 metres) our legs were beginning to seize and our energy levels running low. We stocked up on very expensive packets of Haribos, pots of Pringles and a few packets of Oreos. The nights at these places were quite special. Staying in a local village, high up in the mountains with different people from all over the world, sitting around a log burner exchanging stories and playing cards.
As you can imagine, people are tired and because of this the villages becomes extremely quiet from 7:30pm onwards with everyone calling it a night ready to continue their trek in the morning.

Mountain Trekking, Ghorepani, Poon Hill, Nepal, Jungle, Landscape

The main attraction for people on the Ghorepani-Poon Hill circuit is catching the sunrise at Poon Hill. Poon Hill is still an hours’ walk away from Ghorepani so again, it’s an early start at 4:30am. After a freezing cold night’s sleep we woke and continued on our way. This was quite a cool little morning actually, waking up and turning on our torches and heading up another few hundred steps. It’s quite a tough climb so bring lots of water and wear lots of layers so you can strip them off as you get higher. We reached the top, alongside another few hundred people … and the views were something out of a fairy-tale. The sun makes quite the spectacle, beginning it’s ascent from behind the hills, coating the ice-capped mountains with a soft glow that results in lots of ‘oooohs’ and ‘ahhhhhs’ from the large crowds.

Mountains, Views, Poon Hill, Trek, Sunrise, Beautiful Salt and Coconuts

Luckily for us, the sky was really clear on this day – the best we had during the five days – so we could see all the snowy mountains and the views were breath taking. Annoyingly, it’s quite hard to take a great photo here due to all of the other people trying to do the same. Luckily, this wasn’t the only place we could witness the incredible views of the mountains.

Ghorepani, Poonhill, Trek, Mountain, Nepal, Views, Landscape, Beautiful
Mountain Sip – Instagram @Find_Louis

Whilst descending, we came across another place that had even better ones than Poon Hill. I forget the name of it, but this was a place where your eyes struggle to comprehend just how beautiful the scenery really is. After taking numerous photos, we realised that it’s just something that needs to be seen with the eyes to truly do it any justice.

 

 We then trekked for a further five hours which we presumed would be down hill. However, it was very up and down with many more steps – probably our most strenuous trek yet, actually! We later learnt of the well-known saying in Nepal ‘a little bit up, a little bit down’. The idea of flat terrain doesn’t seem to exist.
Our next stop was Tadapani where we spent the night playing cricket at 1510 meters with the local people. This was a great little moment and one that we’ll always remember. These kids had fashioned an old piece of wood in to a cricket bat and were using a gas canister as a stump and they were as happy as ever. It’s moments like this that really make you remember what you have at home and we were so humbled to have shared that experience with them.

 Tadapani was a beautiful place to wake up to in the morning with another mountain view.

Nepal, Trekking, Trek, mountain, breakfast, Views

One would assume that going down is the easier part of trekking, whereas it was just as hard as going up in some cases. Whilst descending, you really have to concentrate on every step you take; it’s very easy to place your foot in the wrong place and damage your feet if you’re not concentrating. Also, after walking down hill for five hours the impact on your knees really starts to take its’ toll. Conclusion – going down sometimes isn’t all it’s cracked up to be!

The next day was the final stage of our trek. We walked through some villages, met some more people and sang songs with our guide. By this time, we were ready to finish the trek and continue with the next part of our holiday. The trek was such a good experience but we were more than happy to be back in a hotel by the end of it, having a nice shower, changing our clothes and being back in the warm.

Nepal, Trek, Tadapani, Village, Annapurna, Salt and Coconuts, Local, Villager

Pokhara – Round Two 

Pokhara, Rooftop, skyline, View, Mountains, Nepal


Salt and Coconuts Top Picks for Pokhara:

Restaurants:
1. The Harbour – Serves the most amazing Momos and Nepali Chicken Tarkari. We visited this place three out of our five evenings in Pokhara.
2. Bayanjan Bar and Restaurant

Bars:
1. Crazy Gecko Bar
2. Bamboo Bar
3. Freedom Bar

Activities:
Water Rafting – Paddle Nepal
Paragliding – (we didn’t end up doing this because of overcast weather, but heard from many that it’s an unbelievable experience)


We were dropped back off in Pokhara where we said goodbye to our guide and Porter. We couldn’t be thankful enough for the porter’s effort carrying our bags. I know that it was his job, but we can only presume that he doesn’t get paid much to do so, therefore giving him a little tip was a must. He was a really nice guy and because of this, we actually met up with him again in Pokhara where he showed us around some of the town.

Lakeside Pokhara, Nepal, Views, Beautiful, Mountains, Fishing, Boy, Boats, Stunning

There are many adjectives that can be used to describe Pokhara. The words ‘beautiful, ‘peaceful’ and ‘tranquil’ come to mind and all conjure up the idea that Pokhara is a place where you can relax. This is the first place and only place on our trip where we actually just stopped and rested. Lakeside Pokhara is the perfect place to sit and unwind either day or night and this is exactly what we did during our five days here. On our first day we took out a boat for an hour around Phewa Tal Lake which was beautiful. You have the choice to get them out on your own or hire someone to row for you for an hour.

Lakeside Pokhara, Nepal, Mountains, Lake, Fishing, Boys

The lake is beautiful with the snow-capped mountains surrounding the town, the colourful boats dotted around the waters and the abundance of ‘chill bars’ and restaurants situated all around the water. Each morning, we started off the day with a little walk around the lake and a stop off at a cool juice bar.

Pokhara, Lakeside, Nepal, Chill Bar, Juice

Over the first few days here we tried a number of bars and restaurants which were all lovely, but none of these compared to the one we happened to stumble across on the third day – Krazy Gecko Bar. Just by chance, after taking a stroll around Phewa Lake we came across a big colourful sign saying ‘NAMASTE’ and as we walked in we were greeted by these amazing tree house/huts made out of bamboo and looking on to the lake. It certainly was the epitome of chill. One of those places that you can literally lie down in and fall asleep over a nice cocktail.

Chill Bar, Pokhara, Nepal, Lakeside, Relax, Unwind
Lakeside, Pokhara, Crazy Gecko Bar, Salt and Coconuts
Instagram – @Salt_and_Coconuts
 Crazy Gecko Bar, Pokhara, Lakeside, Chill, Relax, Sticks, Huts

There are many things that you can do whilst staying in Pokhara. The list is endless with things such a paragliding, kayaking, mountain biking, boating in the lake, zip wiring all on offer! As we were in much need for a rest, we kept our visit in Pokhara quite tame. However, one thing we did do was water rafting. This was a present bought for Sarah’s birthday by her sister and brother in law (thanks guys!) We had been water rafting before in Thailand (see Thailand Tales) but that was nothing in comparison to the rafting in Pokhara! We completed a half-day excursion with a company called Paddle Nepal along the Upper Setti River. The company were very professional and explained everything we needed to know in depth before entering the water and the rafting was incredible throughout. The water was very choppy but so much fun – a must do!

On our last night win Pokhara, we were hoping to catch a good sunset and it just so happened that our hotel that we had being staying in for the last four nights had a roof terrace that we didn’t know about. So we headed on up an the views were pretty insane…

 

After Pokhara, we headed back to Kathmandu via bus. The journey time for this is around nine hours and costs anything between $8 each to $25 each.


(You can fly from Pokhara to Kathmandu in twenty minutes which, when you compare to nine hours on a bus, is unbelievable! However, the price for this works out to be around $90 each. We found it hard to decide the best plan of action here but as it was coming toward the end of our holiday we felt a flight was maybe a bit of an extravagance, so decided to take the bus.

On this occasion and because it was a long distance, we decided to pay the $25 each and go with a bus company that boasted a more ‘comfortable’ ride …and we couldn’t have been more happier that we did. We found the roads from Pokhara to Kathmandu to be a lot less bumpy. Surprisingly the journey was absolutely fine – it felt like it went relatively quick. Included in the price was also a stop off at a restaurant where we were provided with an inclusive Nepalese buffet, which again, was surprisingly good. The last part of the journey as we entered Kathmandu was really congested and extremely dusty. The dust created by traffic on the roads in Kathmandu is quite serious problem, with many people using face-masks. On this occasion, the dust even came through in to the bus so we had to cover up.
Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, was the most affected area during the 2015 earthquake. Today the city still appears to be very much recovering from the quake with many buildings still in pieces and spread across the streets.
We stayed in an area called Patan, located in the south-central part of Kathmandu. The area is built up from ancient temples and has a real traditional and religious feel to it. Again, we were only staying Kathmandu for one night before we headed off in the morning to our final activity-based location – The Last Resort.

Patan, Temples, Religious, Kathmandu, Nepal, The Life Story Guest House

The Last Resort

Luxury Tent, Yurt, Adventure, Activities, Bunjee Jumping

We had found this place online months back and immediately knew that we wanted to stay here. Located on top of a river gorge close to the Tibetan border, it’s a four hour bus journey from Kathmandu and boasts some of the best adventure activities in the country. This is also the home to the most famous bungee jump in Nepal at 160 metres high and the accommodation is made up from a number of yurt-style tents dotted around the grounds.
We knew that, as it was our penultimate night in Nepal, we wanted our stay at the Last Resort to be relaxing before the long journey home in a couple of days. However, there was a small part of me that thought ‘maybe when I get to the resort, I’ll consider doing a bungee jump’ or ‘maybe I could convince Sarah to do a tandem swing with me’. As soon as we arrived, these ideas very quickly changed! To enter the site you have to walk over the bridge … and this was pretyyyyyyy high! I mean, I’m one for trying everything once but jumping off this thing for a thrill was never gonna happen! Walking across it was an achievement in itself!
The stay at the resort was very nice with us chilling in the evening with some other guests, playing cards and sipping beers. However, we did feel that as we weren’t taking part in any of the activities, the staff weren’t too bothered about us and it wasn’t until just before we left the next day where a member of staff eventually spoke to us.
The tents were quite cool – they definitely weren’t the luxury tents that the accommodation makes out, but nonetheless it was very different and for that we enjoyed it.
I’d recommend coming here if you are going to take part in the activities and if you intend to spend more than one night. The activities on offer include bungee jumping; canyon swing; water rafting; canoeing; canyoning and rock climbing. We only stayed for one night and whilst on the journey home the next day, I decided that actually the eight-hour round trip wasn’t worth it. Any longer than one night with a potential bungee jump, I might reconsider.

So we arrived back in Kathmandu for the last time. We finished off the evening by visiting a restaurant recommended to us by Rabi – our hotel manager – called the Newari Kitchen. He said the food is slightly different from traditional Nepalese food and although we were somewhat hesitant to steer away from our favourite dish on the last night, it certainly didn’t disappoint! It’s a five-minute walk from the Life Story guest house and I recommend ordering the Newari platter – it was amazing! We also had delicious Dahl Baht, off course – Louis’ favourite on the trip so far!

We woke up in the morning, headed for the airport and caught our return fight back to the UK. Air India were much better with their service …and our bags were the first to arrive on the baggage carousel in London – the perfect way to end our holiday!

If you have any questions about our trip to Nepal or if you’re looking for some advice for your own Nepalese adventure, feel free to message us on saltandcoconuts@gmail.com or find us on Instagram at:

@salt_and_coconuts
@find_Louis

Lakeside, Pokhara, Lake, Nepal, View, Mountains, Salt and Coconuts

Enjoy x
S&C

19 thoughts on “Nepal – An Exhaustingly Incredible Adventure!”

  1. Amazing read… i remember my first time walking thru them suspension bridges in the mountains of Nepal. my legs were jammed up then,while my friends were running thru it and with much effort once i made it to halfway, they would try to swing the bridge by pulling it on either side and that was like i am gonna fall off for sure n die.
    fast forward now i can cross the bridge riding a bike

    if you get back to nepal again, i recommend you guys to do the bungy on the last resort.
    afterall Nepal is for adventure with its rigorous terrains and mountains

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    1. Cheers for that mate. That experience sounds pretty insane! 😀 not sure I would have coped with that.
      Maybe next time we’ll think about the bungy. Might have to start with something a bit smaller though haha

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