Your Himalaya, planned by locals

Mahendra Cave and the Bat Cave sit close together at Batulechaur, north of Pokhara. One is lit, with limestone formations and a Shiva shrine; the other is dark, wet and full of bats, with a tight squeeze at the exit. Here is what each is like, who should skip which, and what we know about tickets.

Everest Base Camp or Annapurna Base Camp? We compare the two side by side: how high each goes, how many days you need, flight or road to the start, permits and official fees, crowds, ATMs and what has changed on both trails this November.

Nyatapola is the five-roofed temple in Bhaktapur's Taumadhi Square, completed in 1702 under King Bhupatindra Malla. Our Kathmandu team explains the goddess inside, the guardians on the stairway, how it came through two earthquakes, Bisket Jatra and how to visit.

Treks from Pokhara run from one night on a ridge to ten days or more over Thorong La. We compare the short and long options by days, height, road head and permit, with honest notes on altitude, teahouses, children and the season.

The Kathmandu Valley holds three old royal cities and one UNESCO World Heritage property of seven monument zones. Here is its area, its history, the entry fee for each zone, the best season and one and two day sightseeing plans, checked by our Kathmandu team.

Thorong Phedi (about 4,450 to 4,550 m) or High Camp (about 4,850 to 4,925 m) the night before Thorong La? We compare height gain, the crossing morning, lodges, cold and acclimatisation, with the trail status after Cyclone Arnab.

What you will see at Mountain Museum Pokhara, the International Mountain Museum run by the Nepal Mountaineering Association: the three halls, the Annapurna 1950 story, the Manaslu model, entry fees as reported in October 2025, and how to fit a visit around the mountain views.

Kasthamandap is the wooden rest house Kathmandu is said to be named after. How old it really is, the single-tree legend, the 2015 collapse and rebuild, why it was reported locked after 2022, and what to see around Maru Tole.