Honeymoon in mid-May help please

Hello,

My fiancee and I will be getting married May 10th in Japan (she is Japanese). From there we want to go somewhere special for our honeymoon.

I know this is far from a simple question but we have narrowed it down (I think)to Bhutan, Mongolia, Nepal or Tibet. One caveat is that we have to catch a flight back to the US from Japan on May 20th.

We are not tour group, ';Let%26#39;s shuffle off to the next significant place'; type of people. Culture, people, some hiking, time to soak it in are more apt descriptions.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Concerned about weather and getting caught in a regimented, robotic tour.

Thanks in advance,

Bruce

(I also posted in Bhutan, Mongolia and Tibet. I apologize for the redundancy)

Honeymoon in mid-May help please

Bruce,

My wife and I have been to Kathmandu 4 times. So while I’m no local expert I can at least offer you some advice.

You shouldn’t need a tour of the Kathmandu, to stay busy there is so much to see and no matter how long you stay so little time.

We always stayed in a great little hotel called hotel Tibet (http://www.hotel-tibet.com/). Every time we went it seemed like coming home. The staff was friendly and attentive as are all who work in the service industry in Nepal. This particular hotel isn’t the biggest or the best. But is a nice place to stay. The family who runs the hotel also owns a rug factory where they hand tie Tibetan style wool rugs.

With in a hectic, nerve racking taxi ride (even for a new Yorker) you’ll be able to see many of the religious temples and other sites: Thamel, Swayambhunath, Durbar Square, Pashupatinath, and Bouddhanath. You can easily spend the better part of a day at each. While not a necessity a tour guide will make your visit easier and more informative. For the most part they will transport you to and from the site and pay to get you in tell you a bit about the place and then set you loose for a while.

The city itself by western standards is filthy. But if you can look past the dirty exterior you will see a lot of beauty and hundreds (and hundreds and hundreds) of years of history. The people are some of the most friendly I’ve every encountered. They raise hospitality to a level you can’t imagine. The merchants are at times something else. Many are not Nepali and are very adept at separating tourists from their cash. Bargaining is the norm and you will pay too much, way too much, until you get the hang of it.

Eating in Nepal can be a bit difficult for westerners. Even Nepalis who spend a few years abroad run into trouble when they return. One of our guides grew up in Kathmandu. He returned to do research every year and for about two weeks had a rather difficult time readjusting gastrointestinally to the foods and plethora of bacteria again. You should expect to eat at better restaurants and drink ONLY bottled water while there. Most hotels for westerners do a pretty good job of fixing foods safely for their guests. Also Fire and Ice in Thamel is a great place to get off all things a really nice Italian style Pizza.

All in all it’s not a trip for a delicate flower but an adventure for those seeking an unparalleled travel experience.

If you want, visit my wife’s website. I designed the site for students at Palmer College to get information on Nepal. It’s not all inclusive but should help a bit.

www.littrellradiology.com/Nepal03/nepal.htm

I unfortunately can’t comment on the state of affairs in Nepal after 2003. With the end of Monarchy and the rise of the communist party things may be a bit politically tumultuous. Fortunately tourists are considered outsiders and are not intentional targets for terrorism. Outside the valley it may be another story. Just check with the Embassy on the links page for travel advisories.

I hope I haven’t scared you away, it really is an adventure. And like any place else in the world if you are careful can be the adventure of a lifetime. I hope this helps.

Clay

Honeymoon in mid-May help please

I second Clay%26#39;s recommendation of the Hotel Tibet in Kathmandu. It%26#39;s a great spot and walking distance to Thamel, etc. We also stayed at the Yak and Yeti, but preferred Hotel Tibet.

We spent about a week in Kathmandu before and after visiting Tibet March 2007. I was concerned about our trip because of US travel warnings for Nepal, but I felt very safe and we had no problems. We saw many UN vehicles throughout Kathmandu.

Have fun planning and have a great trip wherever you end up.

Thank you Clay for such an informative post.

Regarding the hotel, is their on-line reservation system trustworthy?

Also, should I expect a discount from the listed tariffs for, say, April?

AAJetMan, I really don%26#39;t know but I%26#39;d say yes to the security of the on line system. You could always call. Tsering (sp?) is the owner and she her English, and German, and .... is very good.

All my trips were with a large group of students so you have to ask about the Tariffs.

I really like the Hotel Tibet. It%26#39;s close enough to walk to Thamel and if you have more time to Durbar Square. Some more adventurous students even hiked to the Monkey temple (Swayambhunath).

When you just can%26#39;t stand it any more Fire and Ice is right at the entrance to Thamel. You will never have a pizza that tastes so good.