Kathmandu might be a frenetic city, but thankfully, you don't have to travel far from the city centre to enjoy some fresh air, peace & quiet, breathtaking vistas, and a relaxed atmosphere. These locations, either on the outskirts of Kathmandu or just outside of it, are the ideal antidote to Nepal's leading metropolis.
Herb Nepal
A farm stays at Herb Nepal in Bhaktapur will undoubtedly be a unique and unforgettable trip experience. The location provides permaculture instruction as well as lodging. They collaborate with Nepali farmers to restore organic, sustainable land usage and herbal processing to impoverished rural areas.
Image Source: Ethical Holiday
Caption: Herb Nepal
Guests at this eco-friendly Resort dwell in structures built of rammed earth, sturdy and earthquake-resistant. Herb Nepal is ideal for families visiting Nepal since they have made a family-friendly place where children can play and parents can rest. There are farm animals to play with, a creek to splash about in, and huge grounds to run around in.
Price: $100
Shivapuri Height Cottages
The gorgeous and friendly Shivapuri Heights Cottages, just north of central Kathmandu, are family-run lodging at their best and undoubtedly the loveliest home-away-from-home you'll find in Kathmandu.
Image Source: Agoda
Caption: Shivapuri Height Cottage
This is the ideal spot to base oneself in Kathmandu for insider insights, as a British-Nepali couple with vast local expertise runs it. It's close enough to the city centre to be convenient for touring yet far enough away to be serene.
Each room and cottage is distinctive, with many personal touches, and is perched on a hillside with spectacular views of the valley below. Homemade meals are served on the patio with an idea or in the intimate family-style dining room.
The Shivapuri-Nagarjun National Park, the famed reclining Vishnu statue at Budhanilkantha, the Namkha Monastery, and the Dadagaon Tamang hamlet are all accessible from Shivapuri Heights Cottages. There's also an excellent spa and a tiny swimming pool for on-site leisure.
Price: $75
Dwarika's Resort Dhulikhel
The original Dwarika's Hotel in Kathmandu is one of Nepal's best hotels. Dwarika's Resort Dhulikhel relocates the previous hotel's richness and beauty to the hills outside the valley. Dhulikhel is 90 minutes from Kathmandu's centre, yet the ambience is wholly rural.
Image Source: Travel Age West
Caption: Dwarika's Resort, Dhulikhel
Dwarika's Resort provides some of the most incredible high-end lodgings in Nepal. The structures were built using primarily local materials, and the rooms are adorned with natural, earthy designs. The outside patio areas provide stunning mountain vistas, and the sunsets are particularly remarkable in this region, with the Himalayas lighting up. The on-site spa is influenced by Vedic philosophy and Buddhist medicine and provides a variety of therapies.
Gokarna Forest Resort
Gokarna Forest Resort, located just twenty minutes northeast of metropolitan Kathmandu, is set inside a 470-acre forest that was previously the exclusive hunting grounds of Nepal's monarchs.
Image Source: Gokarna
Caption: Gokarna Forest Resort
The Resort is situated by one of Nepal's few golf courses and a big, protected forest where you may see monkeys, deer, and even leopards! Guided hikes through the forest and to local temples may be organized.
Nepal's medieval royal palaces inspired the red-brick construction. The rooms are spacious and attractively appointed, with huge windows overlooking the forest and golf field. There is a spa, pool, and sauna on-site.
Namo Buddha Resort
The Namo Buddha Resort, perched high on a hill, offers spectacular Himalayan vistas. Namo Buddha is a couple hours' drive from central Kathmandu and a critical Tibetan Buddhist pilgrimage destination, so staying at the Namo Buddha Resort blends rustic comfort with cultural highlights.
Image Source: Agoda
Caption: Namo Buddha Resort
The resort's charming Nepali-style bungalows are set within well-kept gardens. The food is also well-known, with many journeys from Kathmandu only to eat here. It's 100% vegetarian and cooked using organic farm ingredients.
Short treks from the resort can take you to the surrounding Tamang villages, the Buddhist temple and stupa in the little town of Namo Buddha, or longer climbs to places like Dhulikhel or Panauti.
Himalayan Height Resort, Hattiban
The Himalayan Height Resort, Hattiban, is also in the valley's south, near Pharping. This excellent lodge is part of the Everest Summit Lodges network, which has lovely clubs throughout the Everest area for pleasant lodging when trekking.
Image Source: Hattiban Resort
Caption: Himalayan Height Resort
The Himalayan Height Resort is serene since it is the only resort surrounded by pine forests. On a clear sunny day, you can witness panoramic views of Kathmandu and the Himalayan ranges beyond. Individual cottages are placed among vast grounds, and there are bath and sauna amenities.
It's a fantastic spot to base oneself for a trek up Champa Devi, one of the highest peaks in the Kathmandu Valley at 2285 meters, and walking to Pharping/Dakshinkali from the resort. It's an important pilgrimage location on full moon days, with Hindu and Buddhist shrines at the top.
Nyedo Monastery Hotel, Pharping
The Neydo Hotel is located in Pharping, in the hills south of Kathmandu, and is linked to the Neydo Tashi Choling Monastery. There are vast gathering places and skilled monks who can discuss elements of Buddhist practice and theory, making it an especially ideal venue for a retreat, such as a yoga or meditation retreat. The giant Buddha within the monastery is stunning.
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Caption: Nyedo Tashi Choling Hotel Monastery
Pharping is a charming village surrounded by terraced farms. Just below the town lies an important Buddhist meditation cave. Pharping is also close to the famed Dakshinkali Temple, where animals are Offered in a ceremonial ritual to the goddess Kali.
