Nepal Travel Experiences: Inspiring Stories from Travelers Around The World

Nepal’s natural beauty, cultural diversity and people’s warmth is talked about all over the world. It always feels special to listen to people talking so fondly about their Nepal travel experiences; it makes you want to pack your bags and leave immediately. One of my colleagues in Germany recalled his recent trip to Nepal—“I have traveled to many remote places in the world, but there was something so uniquely beautiful about the villages of Nepal!” The way people exclaim when they realize you’re from Nepal—’Oh, you’re from Nepaaaalll? The Himalayas?’—immediately takes you home, no matter where you are in the world.

I believe people from Nepal are the best ambassadors a country can have. We’re always eager to share the best bits of our country and invite others to visit. I’m guilty of this myself, as I often take on the role of unofficial ambassador whenever I meet people from abroad. This post is another form of that same enthusiasm, but here, I’m letting those who have traveled to Nepal be the ambassadors.

I asked some of my friends and travel bloggers online to share their impressions of traveling in Nepal. I have compiled their responses below, sharing their responses in their own authentic words. Hope you enjoy reading their stories.

Table of Contents

How Nepal’s Serenity Changed My Perspective on Life

By Michelle

Introduction: Michelle is a travel blogger (Fulltime explorer) who originally set out on a one-year journey through South and Southeast Asia. Nepal was one of her stops on that trip, and she fell so in love with the country that she returned the following year for five months. Since then, she has married a local Nepali and now lives in Kathmandu.

Nepal was one of the favorite countries I’ve ever visited. I remember being amazed at the relaxed lifestyle and how calm and kind the locals were. I had lived in New York City for 10 years, where we always worry about the next thing, like promotions at work and reaching life goals. We are constantly in a rush and rarely live in or appreciate the moment. Nepal was the exact opposite. It felt like everyone was living in the now without too much worry about what’s next. I remember one of the first Nepali sayings I learned was “Ke garne,” which means “what to do?” It’s often used when there’s a problem, and it’s said with a nonchalant shrug. For me, this was such a relaxed and carefree way to live.

My first trek was to Everest Base Camp, and the following year I returned to do the Annapurna Circuit and Mera Peak trek. I met so many incredible locals on the way. They were genuinely nice without an ulterior motive, which was a contrast to the other countries I visited. I still keep in touch with some of the people I met on my first and second trips to Nepal, even if it was only a brief encounter. The mountains are beautiful, but it was honestly the people and the culture of Nepal that kept drawing me back.

Nepal in an Emotion: Nepal itself gave me an adrenaline rush, but Nepali people made me feel safe and at home.

Nepal: The Beginning of It All

By Aman Saxena

Aman in awe observing the inspiring architectures of Kathmandu

Introduction: Aman is a travel enthusiast and storyteller behind Stories of Raku, where he shares his love for adventure, culture, and the meaningful moments experienced on his journeys. He visited Nepal in June 2018.

Nepal happened to me by chance in 2018, when my life was taking a turn, and I had a couple of weeks to explore while stuck in Delhi. Out of nowhere, Nepal popped up for me, and I was on the road in the next three days. It also happened to be my first ever solo trip.

As soon as I arrived in Kathmandu, it looked like any other city, and then getting scammed in Thamel made me rethink why I was doing this trip. But when I reached Nagarkot and was helped by the locals in finding a place to stay and helping me with the food, I started falling in love with it. When I reached Pokhara, I knew I had made the right decision to come to Nepal. I almost lost my GoPro in Pokhara, and that has to be the biggest adventure—running back, almost teary-eyed, to find it.

Visiting Lumbini was a sweet ending to my Nepal trip. I hope I can visit Nepal once again and do a lot more treks and meet my friends there.

If I have to describe Nepal in one word, it has to be BEGINNING—the beginning of my travel journey!

Falling for Nepal’s Hidden Charms

By Ava and Sush

Introduction: Ava and Sush are travel bloggers from India. They believe in authentic travel and discovering hidden gems wherever they go, hoping to inspire others through their adventures. They document their journeys on their blog, The Roaming Shoes. They visited Nepal in 2019.

Most memorable experience we had in Nepal: Trek to Ghandruk Village. Everything was amazing about this trek, starting from the adventurous bus ride from Pokhara through the countryside roads, packed with humans as well as livestock, to walking to the village and watching a gorgeous sunset on the way. But the best part was having some Bhatmas Sadeko with coffee in the evening at our homestay and then waking up the next morning to a sweeping view of the snow-capped mountains. It was like waking up in heaven. This is the Nepal we fell in love with, and we knew we would be back again to explore more such offbeat places in the future.

We also loved the people. In general, people were very friendly and welcoming. Many people speaking Hindi in the country made us feel at home. We never faced any kind of issues during our stay.

One thing that truly surprised us was the beauty of Nepal if you go a little off the beaten path. There is so much more to see and experience, like Ghandruk. The same goes for the cities. If you look beyond the chaos of Kathmandu, the city has some great architecture, delicious food, and a very tourist-friendly scene.

How Nepal Became a Magical Memory

By Deborah

Deborah during her recent 2023 visit — Deborah during her 1984 visit

Introduction: Deborah left her hometown in the USA and went to Hawaii when she was just 19 years old and discovered the richness of different cultures. Her travels brought her to Nepal in 1984, and she kept coming back. She was an invaluable member during the founding years of GATE College in Nepal and still keeps returning to the country she finds challenging and welcoming.

I first heard about the Kingdom of Nepal from a patient, a member of the Nepal royal family I met while working at Queens Hospital, Hawaii in 1975.

Being in my 20s, I became fascinated with visiting the country where water flowed down from the mountains, fields of rice covered the landscape, and there were pictures of old palaces they shared with me. It seemed like a magical country. At the age of 25, I decided that I must visit Nepal, even though it was far out of my expectations. At 34, I had enough money saved and finally headed off to travel to Nepal.

1984 is not that long ago in my mind. I stayed in the Greeting Palace in Thamel. I got a room next to the top floor, where if you went up one more floor, there was a platform looking over all of Thamel to the Ring Road, and beyond the Ring Road were nothing but green fields of rice all the way up to Shivapuri. I could clearly see Boudhanath, Swayambhunath, and the millstone to the east and west up to Nagarkot.

I suppose the thing that most struck me was the moving of goods in the streets. Most streets were narrow, and men carried many boxes on their backs with the strap around their foreheads.

Bouddha was like another world with a very rough atmosphere. There were mountain men with beards and Mongoloid eyes and yellow and blue beads around their necks. They would stand together, and I was told they were trading. There were many butter tea lamps all over, and it felt totally mystical with the monks chanting. It felt like it was a private and scarce world.

During Deborah's recent 2023 trip to Nepal — During Deborah’s recent 2023 trip to Nepal

At Swayambhunath, I was greeted by gurus in small rooms with incense burning, surrounded by monkeys. I think I was asked if I wanted my horoscope read, but I was too frightened to come close to the sadhus living there. We looked out over the balcony and saw the Himalayas, and the fresh mountain air was just glorious.

Pashupatinath was more touristy, with many poor people lining the entrance asking for help. It was my first encounter with such suffering, and I regret not understanding how much difference I could have made back then. Later, I learned from my Nepali guide to give to those whom the locals supported, and I’ve followed that advice ever since.

I will soon cover a detailed remembrance of Deborah’s 1984 trip to Nepal. Stay tuned for that! : )

Finding Home in Nepal’s Warm Simplicity

By Anna

Introduction: Anna is a solo traveler from Bury, Lancashire in the UK. In 2019, she moved to Beijing, China – to teach English, and she’s been there ever since! She visited Nepal in June 2024. She shares her travels via SoloTravelAnna.

My visit to Nepal was really eye-opening. Staying in a small village outside Kathmandu and volunteering at a local school let me experience the vibrant culture. The people I met were so warm and kind—they all made me feel very welcome. Seeing the historic cities of Patan, Bhaktapur, and Nagarkot was fascinating and gave me a look at Nepal’s rich history.

The pace of life was different from what I’m used to, but I really enjoyed the simple pleasures, like sharing meals, talking with locals, and taking in the beautiful nature. Overall, my time in Nepal left me feeling humble and inspired.

In one word, Nepal made me feel rejuvenated.

Reflections on a Decade Living in Nepal

By Marianne

Introduction: Marianne was taking a break from her job in London to travel around Asia for a year in 2005, but found herself staying in Nepal for ten years. She continues to have close contacts with the country, in particular sending medical volunteers to a hospital in Manthali and sees it as very much her second home.

I’m not sure what I can say, as I spent 10 years living in Nepal until 2015, doing a lot of different things—from working in a big INGO, teaching, training teachers, sponsoring teachers’ salaries in government schools, and working with health posts, to trekking and promoting sustainable tourism with Travelife (which I still do).

I saw the Maoist insurgency and everything since. Fun and games with bandas and load-shedding. Sadly, now nearly everyone wants to leave the country, whereas when I lived in Kathmandu, it wasn’t quite so bad.

Once is not enough. You come to Nepal and keep coming back. Chaos, beauty, curiosity, charm – this is what appeals to me. I like to return to Nepal to keep in contact with my Nepalese friends. I’m looking forward to returning in January, this time for an art residency in Kathmandu.

I hope you enjoyed this collection of beautiful stories from brilliant travelers. Have you visited Nepal? Let me know your impressions of Nepal in the comments below! : )

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