After the highs of trekking in the Himalayas, it is time to descend into the Kathmandu Valley, the cultural heartland of Nepal.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
This 30-kilometre wide valley is home to no less than seven Unesco World Heritage sites - more than most countries - and in spite of the extensive damage done by a 2015 earthquake, each of them presents a colourful and compelling record, stretching back to medieval times, when three kingdoms fought for supremacy in Nepal.
Over two days, I am fortunate to visit four sites in the company of knowledgeable local guide, Rajesh Baidya, from Kathmandu Travels and Tours - kathmandu-travels.com.
We begin in the centre of Kathmandu at Durbar Square, which can trace its origins back to the fourth century and feels like an extensive labyrinth of royal palaces, temples, courtyards and shrines, all featuring the most intricate carving you'll see anywhere in the world. While Nepal became a republic, in 2008, following the shocking massacre of most of the royal family seven years earlier, purportedly carried out by the Crown Prince, this extraordinary place recalls a time when monarchs were regarded as human representatives of the Hindu God Vishnu.
We move on next to Patan, across the Bagmati River, which once vied with Kathmandu as a powerful medieval city. It is another unmissable centre of palaces, temples and courtyards, with more than a thousand Buddhist monuments. Strolling amongst some of the most ornately beautiful architecture anywhere in Nepal, I am besotted with Patan and only wish I could dwell longer in its open squares and busy alleyways.
Our last stop is at the giant Bodnath stupa, which reaches 100 metres across and is 40 metres high and has its origins over 2000 years ago.
The next day, it is time to leave Kathmandu again and head for Dwarikas Resort -Dwarikas-Dhulikhel.com - in Dhulikhel, on the fringes of the valley, where I'm due to follow a Nepalese wellness program to help me recover from my trek.
On the way there we stop at another World Heritage site and a third medieval powerhouse, Bhaktapur, half an hour outside Kathmandu. Walking between the city's east and west gate, we track through quiet backstreets that open into ostentatious squares, with many buildings dating to its heyday between the 15th and 18th centuries. Most intriguing of all the edifices here is the Shiva temple, with its erotic representations of many animals, from armadillos to elephants, having sex, invariably in missionary style!
Like all the other sites I have visited, Bhaktapur remains a vibrant centre for worship and festivals, ensuring that Nepal's deep heritage stays alive.
When I first arrive at Dwarikas Resort, I wonder whether I have booked into a ghost town, so hushed, empty and sprawling does it seem. At 10 hectares and reaching up a steep slope above the valley, it requires a map and an orientation from lovely receptionist Ashmita not to feel lost in a wellness daze.
Yet over two days and nights, this is a soulful place that I come to love.
Days here begin at 7am with yoga, in a small group session led by the almost rubber-limbed guru, Ganesh, continue with guided Pranayama Breathwork with the same teacher and include multiple opportunities to try different forms of meditation, among them tuning into the sound of singing bowls.
Also on the agenda is a consultation with resident Ayurvedic doctor Sadu, during which I am declared a "Pitta" (primarily comprising fire and water elements) body type with a need to calm strong emotions with cooling exercise and cold showers. Two Ayurvedic treatments - firm massages using herbally-infused oils - and my "prana" (energy) is back up following my trek and I am effortlessly finding my way between the infinity pool, yoga room, Himalayan salt house and the meditation maze.
It is at the maze that, on my final evening, I have my most profound experience at the resort, a blessing by young Hindu priest, Rajesh Padal.
First Padal takes me through a series of offerings and prayers to the gods Brahma (the creator), Ganesh (the elephant god of wisdom) and Shiva (the supreme god). Then we process through the maze, me leading Padal carrying some burning material in a bowl, as behind me he blows into a conch (startling me at first), tups a small drum and waves a yak's tail.
Moving and mystical, the ceremony caps 16 unforgettable days in Nepal.
