Nepal

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One of Nepal's most charming towns, Bandipur is a living museum of Newari culture, a beautifully preserved village crowning a lofty ridge, its main street lined with traditional row houses. Time seems to have stood still here, although it has taken a lot of effort to preserve this magic while developing the town as a destination. Derelict buildings have been reborn as cafes and lodges, and temples and civic buildings have been pulled back from the edge of ruin. With its attractive 18th-century architecture, pedestrian zone and outdoor dining, it has a distinctly European feel.

Once a fiercely independent city-state, Patan (pah-tan) is now almost a suburb of Kathmandu, separated only by the murky Bagmati River. Many locals still call the city by its original Sanskrit name of Lalitpur (City of Beauty) or by its Newari name, Yala. Almost everyone who comes to Kathmandu also visits Patan’s spectacular Durbar Sq – even after the 2015 earthquake, this remains the finest collection of temples and palaces in the whole of Nepal.

Situated in the far east of Nepal, 56 miles (90km) from the border at Kakarbhitta, Ilam (‘ee-lam’) is reached via the Mechi Hwy, one of the Terai's great mountain roads, with plenty of switchbacks, vertiginous drops and valley views. It's also in excellent condition. Upon entering the mountain village you'll notice its charming wooden buildings, their balconies thrust out over the bustling street – unusual in the Terai.

With the upgrading of the path to Jomsom (Dzongsam) into a road, growing numbers of travellers are heading north into the mountains to savour the views and clean mountain air. As well as offering a shortcut to explore mountain villages such as Tatopani and Muktinath, which used to take days of trekking to reach, the road opens up opportunities to several trailheads.

Himalaya. Nepals krona. Vi vandrar mot okända Mardi Himals isglittrande toppar och upplever ett land där vandringen läker sår.

Man kan resa på olika sätt. Flyta med på ytan och vara nöjd med det. Eller så gör man som Andreas Kölling. Stannar kvar för att hjälpa till med att återuppbygga landet som drabbades av katastrofen.

One of the oldest towns in Nepal, Panauti offers a poignant look at the passage of time. From the crowded bus stand in the sprawling concrete mess of the new town, you slip down a brick street into the Old Bazaar, the remains of an ordered and prosperous medieval city that would have been a wonder to behold in its heyday. Located at the sacred confluence of the Roshi Khola and Pungamati Khola, it is dotted with ancient temples.

Nagarkot has a reputation as the top spot for enjoying Himalayan views from the comfort of your hotel balcony. Just 20 miles (32km) from Kathmandu, the village is packed with hotels lining a ridge, affording one of the broadest possible views of the Himalaya, with eight ranges visible (Annapurna, Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, Langtang, Jugal, Rolwaling, Everest and Numbur). However, timing is everything, as the mountains are notorious for disappearing behind cloudy skies. The best viewing seasons are October to December and March to April, when clear skies are likely.