10 Lessons I Learnt in Nepal

Hey everyone, instead of doing a travel guide or like a “How to trek the Annapurna Circuit” type post I thought I would just go through some personal things I experienced in Nepal.

1. Nepal has poor transport conditions

I wasn’t sure whether it would be safer to travel by bus or plane because bus accidents are frequent and the air safety record is poor. I ended up travelling by bus mostly and the roads are bumpy and dusty which is not very nice! I will take the plane next time!

2. The scenery is amazing

Even if you are not a fan of mountains its pretty hard to not be amazed by the incredible views that Nepal has to offer. I’ve been fortunate to visit a few different countries and I think only Iceland gets close in terms of the scenery. The best part of my trip was definitely the incredible views! If you do love mountains then Nepal is a must see!

3. Altitude sickness is very unpleasant

I got mild altitude sickness when I was trekking above 3500 meters. I had to go back on myself to the nearest town and see a doctor and after 2 days rest I was able to continue. In hindsight I would’ve taken preventative action and taken medication beforehand. As for the effects of altitude sickness, I got shortness of breath, fast heartbeat at rest and nausea, all very unpleasant.

4. Most villagers are so happy and super nice

Many people in the villages I passed through are genuinely happy, very welcoming and super nice. Not everyone is nice but the general consensus is true. For example the girl I met in Tal said she loved where she stayed and would never leave. And well to be fair it was a beautiful place.

5. Tourists get ripped off a lot

Unless you’re savvy, tourists end up paying a lot more than locals for a lot of things. This includes tourist attractions, food, stay and transport even. When I was shopping or taking taxis I was haggling for a more reasonable price. But saying that I think its fair for tourists to pay a little extra because of the disparity in living between us and them. I’m sure I overpaid for taxis but I paid less for tourist attractions.

6. The food is amazing

If you’re in Kathmandu or Pokhara then you will be able to find any cuisine you want. If you’re trekking then you’ll have to make do with locally sourced home food. But the home food is so so delicious! I think its a mix between Tibetan food and Indian food… although Indian food varies a lot from state to state so perhaps I can’t use that analogy… I guess you’ll just have to go and experience it for yourself!

7. The earthquake signs are still there

In 2015 Nepal was hit by a large earthquake and Kathmandu was close to the epicenter. I still occasionally saw some rubble and reconstruction in the capital, even in Durbar square a popular tourist attraction. I listened to a couple of sad stories at the hostels, one of the workers had to quit his studies to look after his family after their house collapsed.

8. Pokhara is one of the nicest places to chill

If I were to give a top 3 list of towns/cities to chill it would probably go something like Manali, Pokhara, Chiang Mai. But bear in mind I’ve haven’t been to many countries! Nonetheless the lake and surrounding mountains makes Pokhara a peaceful and relaxing destination, I spent 8 days here and loved every minute of it!

9. Kathmandu is dusty and polluted

Kathmandu has some great places to experience and visit. But the roads are so dusty and polluted that after a few days it all becomes a little too much. Thankfully you can escape to the mountains to get some fresh air pretty easily from Kathmandu, I left after 3 days which I think was plenty of time to see some of the city.

10. Sense of accomplishment

With there being so many trekking opportunities you can set yourself many challenges, like a multi day trek or scaling a mountain. I trekked the Annapurna circuit and I felt a great deal of satisfaction in completing it, those 20 or so days trekking were super refreshing and a real physical and mental challenge for myself.

Once is not enough

A message you’ll probably see a lot in Nepal. And it is probably true, the awesome experiences outweigh the negative ones and you will definitely want to see more of Nepal again. I’ve added a couple of extra treks to my bucket list including the Everest base camp and the 3 pass trek.

Yes I have a bucket list… don’t you?