Braving the monsoon

Skirt the crowds and brave the wet to enjoy Nepal during the rainy season. Intrepid traveler DJ Clark shares his itinerary.

Guidebooks advise against a trip to Nepal in July and August. It's the height of the monsoon. With daily downpours, the roads into the Himalayan passes become dangerous and the mountains disappear into thick clouds that hang over the country.

But, desperate to escape the Beijing summer heat, I shunned the advice and booked a ticket to Kathmandu, Nepal's ancient capital, only to be pleasantly surprised by the possibilities of holidaying in the rain.

There are two good reasons for making a city break to Kathmandu during the monsoon.

The first is that nobody else does. Good deals on flights and hotels are easy to find and all the popular tourist destinations are virtually empty. The second is the rain keeps the city at a pleasant temperature, which makes discovering it by foot an enjoyable experience, as long as you remember to bring your umbrella. It also only rains for a few hours each day so if you time it right, you can stay dry.

Kathmandu is compact and easy to walk in so it does not take too long to get your bearings.

The city was divided in the 15th century into three kingdoms: Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur and all have preserved their old city centers which make a good starting point for sightseeing.

As a tourist, you have to buy a ticket (around 20 yuan) to enter the old districts but once you have it, you can easily spend a day in each place wandering the streets and exploring the Nawari architecture.

I chose two other attractions, the Bouda Stupa in Jorpati and the Swayambhunath Stupa on the hill above the city. Getting to both these religious sites early makes the experience all the more real as crowds of devotees go about their morning rituals. Eating breakfast in one of the rooftop restaurants looking across to the Boudha Stupa and all the activity below was one of my most memorable experiences of the trip.

Away from the obvious destinations, the real charm of Kathmandu is in the back streets. I spent hours just wandering through and exploring little alleyways that open into ancient courtyards with their own temples and fading architecture. As the city modernises so these nooks will undoubtedly disappear - which makes it all the more important to visit sooner rather than later.

If you want to escape the city without risking your life on the monsoonal mountain roads, resorts near the city such as Nagarkot can be reached in a couple of hours.

Here you can walk in the hills and get a taste of village life beyond the city. It rains harder and longer in the surrounding hills so prepare for a cooler climate and waterproofs are essential. For rain lovers, it provides a welcome break from the hustle of the city. Find a caf on the side of a mountain and watch the clouds and rain sweep over the valley below.

China Southern, China Eastern and DragonAir all fly routes into Nepal from China. It's also possible to drive in from Lhasa but not recommended in the monsoon season due to landslides.

(China Daily 08/08/2010 page16)