Thamel in Kathmandu is a maze of tiny streets with hundreds of shop packed in next to one another, their goods spilling out onto the street.
But it is here in this travellers epicentre, where you can find all that you need to fill your bag with souvineer goodies. You can pick up the embroided ‘My friend was in Nepal and all I got was this bloody t-shirt’ shirts or even some ‘authentic’ pashmina and cashmere shawls and cardigans.
Street In Thamel
And, of course there is the endless supply of trekking stores all selling everything North Face. From jackets to sleeping bags, to torches and water filters-you can really get everything you need here for your trek ahead!
The Big Orange Sign Meant I Wasn't Far From My Guest House!
The supermarkets and mini marts are equally well equipped for the overseas traveller and backpacker. Packed to the brim with cheap alcohol, last minute beauty supplies and the all important packs of chocolate to take with you on your trek. Quite often Ant or I would run down to one of the many mini marts and pick up some chocolates to go with one of the cheap dvd’s we just purchased too (okay and maybe a small flask of gin to go with our lime and tonic water!)
This supermarket pictured above was my return point. I am absolutely no good with directions, so this was landmark to help me navigate my way back to our guest house everytime I got lost!
Sun Rays Peek Through The Buildings In Thamel
You could easily spend a day walking through the streets and enjoy the buzz of activities that happens around you. Shop owners constantly throwing water out onto the street in front of their to reduce dust dirtying their items, school children running up through the street in their lunch break-their laughs being heard in between the honking of motorbike and fruit vendors selling their fruit to any who would like to buy delicious mandarins or apples.
Because it is such a popular place for tourists, you can actually be quite spoilt for choice when it comes to food. After eating vegetarian meals for two months in India I reveled in getting my western fix here.
We were enjoyed the best coffee we had over the course of our travels from ‘Cafe Chops’. It was our regular morning spot with a coffee and fresh croissant!
Best Coffee EVER!
Shawls Anyone?
It doesn’t take long before you have left the streets of Thamel and can begin to see the regular side of Kathmandu, without it’s WiFi signs at every corner or trekking stores & tours.
Just outside of Thamel we walked past a Barbers and really wondered how he cuts peoples hair so well in the space he has!
The World's Smallest Barber Shop!
A little further along and streets that once were packed with overflowing shops are replaced by ramshackled houses and daily life amongst the Nepalese.
Children Playing On The Steps
A Woman Enjoys The Sun, While Children Read The Paper With Their Dad
Of course, it only does take one left or right turn and you are then right back in the action of Kathmandu.
An Array Of Coloured Powder Being Sold For The Diwali Festival
There always seems to be some order amongst the chaos with people, rickshaws, cars and motorbikes all knowing and dodging there way around one another.
Busy Square In Kathmandu
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I LOVE the colors in these photos. A friend of mine just got back from Kathmandu after going on a whim for 2 weeks when she found a cheap flight from Italy! I haven’t had a chance to sit down and hear her stories, but I can only imagine what could come of such a place!
Thanks Annie!
We have been to Nepal twice now and still always find new, interesting, exciting things happening to us!
Did your friend do any trekking while she was there?
I think she did, I’m not 100% sure since I haven’t heard it straight from her but I’ve heard something about being in the mountains with locals. Not sure if it was for trekking or just a lucky encounter!
like annie said, the colours are off the charts! love the shot with the sun rays coming through. didnt pick nepal as a place to get good coffee!
Hey Jamie,
We didn’t pick Nepal as a good coffee place either and we stumbled on this place by chance-it is in sort of a new outdoor arcade/shopping area. As soon as we found it we were there everyday getting great coffee….I still think about it!
Beautiful shots! the colors are amazing.. I’d love to go there
Thanks…..it was around the Diwali Festival at that time, so there was coloured powder on the streets for sale everywhere! Plus, with all the fabric and jewellery stores around it was so bright and beautiful!
WOW these colours are out of this world! I love that you said you use the market as a landmark – I do exactly the same thing! lol Taking a picture of the hostel or street sign is also really helpful
Thanks for the beautiful post!
I’m always getting lost, I am just hopeless with directions! If I head out to do the most simplest errand, it takes me so much longer because I always end up turning down a wrong street or something..Thamel just made it that much more confusing because every street looks exactly the same!!
These pictures make me miss Kathmandu so much! I was there for ten days over Diwali last year (maybe we crossed paths?!) and I also did a lot of western food eating, kit-kat munching and dvd watching!
After a few weeks of eating only fried rice or 2 minute noodles in Tibet, Kathmandu was a beer and pizza (not to mention oxygen) dream come true.
We would of crossed paths then too for sure! We were there during Diwali as well!!
Well. if it was Kit Kats for you, then is was Snickers for me! We really loved eating at a great pizza place in Thamel…a little expensive but really good pizza…I think it was called the roudhouse or something!?
I think I know the one you mean! It’s really really popular and they do woodfired pizza? It was my first dinner in Nepal. And it was awesome.
Loved breakfasts at Gaia as well.
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I loved Gaia restaurant! Mostly because they always had wifi and electricity even when other places didn’t.
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I love your photos! Especially the shots where the sun is peeking through the buildings. I am really looking forward to spending some time in Kathmandu.
It really is quite a special place. The people are very very friendly. Heading into the smaller villages out of the bigger towns is also as rewarding. When are you heading to Kathmandu?
Really awesome photos and the writing is great… just wanted to thank you for ur precious efforts and its nice to see our country finally being taken in a positive way after those unstable and unpeaceful periods…. thank u so muchh for doing a great job
Wow! Fantastic photos and story. We just loved Kathmandu. Regarding the barber, I also wondered how they cut hair with such large scissors. We walked down the same street every day near our guesthouse and passed an outdoor barber where the guy had giant scissors that he cut people’s hair with. He did a great job! Kathmandu is so colourful and full of life and you captured it beautifully.
Thanks for the kind comments Deb….we really did love Kathmandu. I would have been interested in seeing how the haircut would have turned out from the barber with the giant scissors!!
Hey,..Love the photos,..I am a Nepalese now in London but when i was there in Thamel, Kathmandu..at night being drunk with my friends and enjoying the night life. I used to look at the tourists and i never guessed that they are having fun in this small crazy town..but now looking through your comments,..now i am happy to know that you guys can enjoy in that place,…
Dear Ant & Elise
Namaste!
I love your website & love very much, yes i am so happy to you both with shearing ur positive way of traveling this country to all,Yes i am 100% trust you what you write about Nepal Part, Thank you Very Much
Namaste!
Glad that you like our website. Spend some time and look around and if you have any questions we are more that happy to help out.
anyone that are about to come nepal(kathmandu) msg me up i can show u aroud..my holidayz r coming up so it wil b fun 2 hav new frens n enjoy nepal:)
Thank you for you offer. We don’t have any plans to go to Nepal this year. Thanks for connecting with us though.