The Colonel arrives to Kathmandu!

Photo: KFC on Durbar Marg, Kathmandu

The big news in Kathmandu this week is the arrival to Nepal of KFC and Pizza Hut, the new restaurants opened their doors on Durbar Marg on November 25th for the first time. For purely research purposes I went to visit yesterday and can confirm that the chicken at KFC tastes very similar to the last one I had in Rawalpindi last year!

It seems that Kathmanduites are pleased with the new arrivals and there was a long queue out of the door onto the street. It looks like Pizza Hut will give the established pizza restaurants in Kathmandu like Fire and Ice, Dolce Vita and The Road House a run for their money.

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk

Narayanhiti Palace Museum in Kathmandu

Photo: Narayanhiti Palace Museum

I have just come back from an interesting afternoon visiting the old Royal Palace in Kathmandu. This was the scene of the royal massacre on June 1st 2001 and is now called the Narayanhiti Palace Museum.

The buildings where the killings took place have been knocked down however it is chilling to still see the bullet holes in the walls and markers showing where various members of the Royal family were shot. I remember that day well as I had just come back from an expedition to Everest and was shocked to read about the massacre in the Himalayan Times over breakfast in my hotel in Kathmandu.

The palace opened to visitors on February 26th, 2009 when Nepal became a Republic. The entrance fee for foreigners is 500 rupees and the ticket office is open from 11am to 2pm. It is not possible to take photographs in the museum so cameras and bags have to be left in the locker room near the entrance.

The Mountain Company will include an option to visit the Narayanhiti Palace Museum during our sightseeing tour of Kathmandu before or after your trek in Nepal.

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk

Garden of Dreams at Keshar Mahal in Kathmandu

The Garden of Dreams at Keshar Mahal is located on the edge of the busy Thamel tourist area, however once you walk through the door into these gardens you are taken to a calm oasis away from the mayhem of modern Kathmandu.

The gardens and six pavilions were constructed in 1920s by Field Marshal General Kaiser Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana, however after his death in 1964 fell into decline and returned to jungle. In 1998 during the Visit Nepal year there were only two pavilions standing and at the last minute the decision was made to save the gardens and remaining pavilions. The project was taken on by an Austrian NGO Eco Himal and the gardens opened in 2006.

If you are visiting Kathmandu I recommend you take time to visit (the entrance fee is only 160 rupees), within the grounds there is also the Kaiser bar and restaurant operated by Dwarikas hotel group.

Photo: Entrance on Tridevi Marg

Photo: view of Basanta pavilion

Photo: view of Basanta pavilion with pond

Photo: statue of Laxshmi

Photo: statue of elephants

Photo: Kaiser restaurant

Former Nepalese royal place reopens as a museum

The former royal place in Kathmandu, known as Narayanhiti, opened as a public museum today. Hopefully The Mountain Company will incorporate visits to the Narayanhiti as part of sightseeing tours in Kathmandu before/after our treks.

For more information please take a look at the BBC website


Roland Hunter
www.themountaincompany.co.uk