A Walk around Bhaktapur Nepal

Rajasthani Portraits
Rajasthan Portraits from Jodhpur
September 19, 2013
A Digital Nomad in Kathmandu
A Digital Nomad in Kathmandu, Nepal
October 3, 2013

 

Upon landing in Nepal we were looking for a small city or quiet town to decompress after a hectic time in India. Kathmandu is crowded, sprawling, noisy, and polluted. Bhaktapur, a mere 10km from Kathmandu’s airport, fit the bill. As a bonus, it’s described as the best-preserved medieval city in all of Nepal.

 

Bhaktapur has a gorgeous main Durbar Square, temples, and other attractive squares and stone streets connecting them. But Bhaktapur is more than that. In an age of touristification and catering to foreigners, Bhaktapur has more or less maintained its integrity.

 

True, it gets a handful of daytrippers from Kathmandu, but most visitors don’t spend the night. You’re more likely to bump into elderly Newari men in traditional hats hanging out on the street corner than other tourists. You’ll also see chili peppers and grain drying in front of houses, old wells, goats in search of food, children playing cricket and football, and ancient monuments hidden off the main streets.

 

All it takes is a little walk around town.

 

Bhaktapur Durbar Square.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square.

Elephants of Taumadhi Tole.

Elephants of Taumadhi Tole.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square.

Bhaktapur’s Durbar Square.

Man in Bhaktapur Nepal.

Man in Bhaktapur, Nepal.

Looking into a well.

Looking into a well.

Chili peppers drying.

Chili peppers drying.

Holiday procession in Bhaktapur.

Holiday procession in Bhaktapur.

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Temple detail.

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A lake in Bhaktapur.

Boys returning from a festival

Boys returning from a festival.

Detail at Bhaktapur Durbar Square.

Detail at Bhaktapur Durbar Square.

grain drying

Grain drying on the street side.

Taumadhi Tole in Bhaktapur, Nepal.

Taumadhi Tole in Bhaktapur, Nepal.

Tachupal Tole.

Tachupal Tole.

Boy and mother at procession in Bhaktapur.

Boy and mother at procession in Bhaktapur.

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Stephen Bugno
Stephen Bugno
Stephen Bugno has been traveling the world and writing about it for the better part of 20 years. His articles and essays have appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Seattle Times, and Transitions Abroad magazine. He blogs at Bohemian Traveler and edits the independent travel magazine GoMadNomad.com. He most recently set up a tour company offering authentic, small group tours at Unquote Travel. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

6 Comments

  1. Maria says:

    Spellbinding shots! I can’t get enough, may I have some more…please

  2. You really have a talent! Please keep em coming!
    How do you find people react when you ask to take photos of them? Do you get mixed responses?

  3. Carmen says:

    Great photos! Nepal looks like a fascinating place, I’d love to go there.

  4. Stephen Bugno says:

    Hi Carmen, Thanks for stopping by to leave a comment. Nepal is a great destination for travel…and I’m not the only one who thinks so!

  5. Stephen Bugno says:

    Thanks Maria!! I appreciate your kind words and encouragement.

  6. Noel says:

    Another great article, congrats Stephen. I’ll definitely make a stop at Bhaktapur when I make it to Nepal. I really like the part when you said the place has more or less maintained it’s integrity, which in today’s world of tourism, is harder and harder to find.

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