How to plan a mountain holiday in Nepal: when to go, which region to choose, permits, altitude and what to pack, from our team in Kathmandu.
Bhutan from Kathmandu: the Tiger’s Nest, Punakha, and what the SDF really pays for
Which side of the plane to sit on for Everest, why Bhutan costs what it does, and what the 700 steps before the Tiger’s Nest actually feel like.
Chitwan or Bardia? An honest jungle safari comparison
Rhino odds, tiger odds, jeep versus walking, Tharu villages and the elephant-ride question. Our guides’ straight answer to the question we hear most in the office.
Langtang a decade after the earthquake: walking a valley that rebuilt
More than ten years after the 2015 earthquake buried Langtang village, the valley has rebuilt. Here is what walking to Kyanjin Gompa is like now, from the memorial to the cheese factory.
Lumbini without rushing: five mistakes to avoid at the Buddha’s birthplace
Most visitors give Lumbini half a day and leave having seen very little. Here is how our guides would spend it instead: dawn in the Sacred Garden, a bicycle through the monastic zone, and the right season.
Mardi Himal, Poon Hill or Khopra Danda? How our guides help people choose
Three short treks from Pokhara, three very different walks. Here are the questions our guides ask before recommending Poon Hill, Mardi Himal or Khopra Danda.
Thailand as your first trip abroad from Nepal: visa, money, and which two places to pick
The conversation we have across our Thamel desk before anyone books Thailand: how the e-Visa works for Nepali passports, what to do about money, and how to tell a real elephant sanctuary from a fake one.
Slow days in the Kathmandu Valley, then Bandipur and Nagarkot
Patan before the shops open, Pashupati without a camera, Boudha at dusk, a full day in Bhaktapur, then two quieter days in Bandipur and Nagarkot. How our guides would show the valley to a friend.
Maldives on two budgets: a local guesthouse island or a water villa resort?
Same sea, very different holidays. What you actually get at a local-island guesthouse versus an overwater villa, the alcohol and dress rules, and how to choose between seaplane and speedboat.
Walking into the Annapurna Sanctuary: what changes on the way to ABC
From the Chhomrong stairs to the cold morning at 4,130 m, here is how the Annapurna Base Camp trek changes as you climb, including the avalanche stretch every trekker should understand.