Tell me about Kathmandu, /trv/. It's in the 3 places that

I just returned from Kathmandu last week. Spent 7 days there. In my opinion going only Katmandu isn't worth it.
The city doesn't really have that much to see. The earthquakes damage is still very visible. There are many temples and religious monuments etc but they're all fairly similar and they get kinda boring after seeing a few of them. Only a couple days in Kathmandu was enough for me to see everything there was to see. My advice would be to avoid the cities.
Also I wouldn't recommend traveling to Nepal in the summer months. In the monsoon season which lasts between June – August it rains every day and the mountains are hidden in the clouds. The roads are also in horrible condition and are very muddy.

Don't get me wrong tho. Nepal is an amazing country with its beautiful countryside and the amazing mountains. The people are also super nice and friendly. If you're going, don't go in the summer. Instead go trekking in the mountains in autumn or spring when it's actually sunny and not raining every single day.

>How long is the ideal trip to Kathmandu and Nepal in general?
If you're going trekking (you should), I'd say atleast 2 weeks. Totally depends on which trek you're going for.
>Is there any tour that takes me as close to Everest as possible without needing any climbing gear or acclimatizing?
Yes, The everest base camp trek. It's one of the most popular treks in nepal. From Kathmandu you take a plane to Lukla and trek to the base camp and back to Lukla. The total duration is like 2 weeks. You won't need any special climbing equipment but the base camp stands at 5300m so altitude sickness can be a problem. Nevertheless the trek is do-able by anyone in a decent shape.
In the treks you will go across many small mountain villages where you will spend your nights and eat. I doubt you even need a tent for the treks but i'm not sure.
(cont)

Even though the everest trek is very nice, I'd prefer the Annapurna circuit trek which starts from the Pokhara area. It's about 200km long and goes around the Annapurna massif. The lenght is from 2 to 3 weeks. Here's a great video from the region.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQy8rDxEdRU

>What are some must see things in Kathmandu/Nepal?
I really enjoyed Phaktapur. Definitely worth the day trip from Kathmandu. The Peacock Shop had some amazing wooden handcrafts. The owner showed us his massive house with almost every wall covered in wood carvings.

Also, can't remember the name but the area by the lake in Kathmandu where the hindu people do the crematation. The area was quite interesting. The monkey temple offers some nice views of the city if it's a clear day.

>Food recommendations?
Everything in general is cheap and good. Try the momo's. I personally prefered the vegetarian food in Nepal. Nepalese people don't eat beef or pork but chicken is very common. A notable thing is that beer is very expensive atleast in Kathmandu. Expect to pay up to 5 euros a beer. They're big bottles but still very expensive considering how poor the country is.

>Common scams to look out for?
Same as any other developing country I guess. Use common sense and watch your pockets especially in crowded areas. Taxis and merchants will always try to rip you off. Negotiate the price before you get in the cab.

I can answer other questions if I can.

I haven't been, but going in December and my impression is GTFO of Kathmandu ASAP and go to Pokhara or something.

I have another general question - I'm planning on doing the Annapurna circuit. I hope to just bring boots and hire literally everything else (jackets, thermals etc) as I'm going to Sri Lanka after and don't want to be lugging winter gear. Is this a stupid plan? I know lots of people hire down jackets etc but it's harder to get info about other gear.

>>1148375
December is quite late to do the trek. You should have proper winter clothing. The temperatures will go below freezing in the night, especially the closer you get to throng la

>>1148008
I've responded to earlier threads about Nepal and will repeat:
Was in Nepal 6 years ago, so it might be outdated. I was a volunteer and got some discount at some hotels when I showed my paper pass.

Patan (a suburb of KTM) has a pretty nice temple area too. If you take another entrance it's easy to evade the tourist tax thing.

On your way to Pokhara go to Bandipur, it's really on the way. From the mainroad you just take a Jeep (with the locals) and go to the top of the hill. I thought it had a very nice vibe.

Many foreigners go to Chitwan National Park, was able to see a rhino there although a Chinese tourbus parked behind it and all my photographs of it contain white hatted Asians... Go to Bardiya National Park instead (which I did) for a relatively cheap tour with a private guide. When I was there (in march or something) only 6 foreigners where there. Went by elephant to the middle of the savannah and hiked from there. Other day we took a jeeptour around the park. I think it costed me about 110USD for like 3 days including 18 hour bus ride from Pokhara.
On my way back I went to Lumbini, the place where Buddha supposedly was born? (Or did he die there??) Was OK to rent a bicycle and see some temples and stuff although it was very hot.

Didn't do the Annapurna trek. Went to Helambu instead (near KTM), on the way didnt see any tourists, only at the guesthouses (I guess 3 groups (of 2) in total).

Have fun!

How to permanently move there? I heard it's very cheap.