Nepal is a beautiful country rich in culture, heritage, and beautiful landscape. Surrounded by mountains, the view is mesmerizing and breathtaking.

I visited Nepal for a short conference trip in 2018. This was my first international solo trip. Therefore, I had planned almost my entire stay in advance. I had pre-booked my hotel accommodation from India in one very nice hotel in Thamel, Kathmandu. I took a flight from Mumbai to New Delhi and on reaching New Delhi I took another flight to Kathmandu. One can even book accommodation at the Kathmandu airport or after reaching the hotel. The locals are helpful in guiding tourists to the right place. A piece of advice which I would have greatly appreciated then was that one should always exchange their currency into local currency in advance before entering the country or at the airport. Some hotels also provide an exchange of currency on special requests.

1. Chandragiri Hills: Chandragiri Hills is one of the beautiful places located on the mountain top. The ambiance is serene and exceptionally peaceful. I took a cable car to reach the top. One can easily spend an entire day in admits beautiful environment or even stay there for a mini-vacation as new resorts and hotels are coming up. The locals travel every day for their job in Chandragiri Hills. Located on the top is Valeshwar Temple. The most pleasurable experience I had was when I saw the neighboring Himalayan Mountains through a telescope from the top. To satiate my hunger I looked around and found fancy restaurants as well as food courts for the tourist.

2. Kathmandu Tour: I had the wonderful opportunity of taking a tour organized by locals where our guide took us through various places in and around Kathmandu, including UNESCO heritage places. One can self-visit these places if they feel comfortable.

3. Durbar (Central) Square: Patan Durbar Square is renowned for its ancient architecture.

4. Swayambhunath Temple: Swayambhunath Temple is a religious place on top of a hill in Kathmandu Valley. It is a sacred Bhoudist pilgrimage site.

5. Amideva Buddha Park: Amideva Buddha Park is located at a very short walkable distance from Swayambhunath Temple.

6. Shri Pashupatinath Temple: Shri Pashupatinath Temple is a Hindu temple located on the banks of the Bagmati River in Kathmandu.

The most interesting and popular dish here is momo’s served with different varieties of sauces. The authentic taste of momos is incomparable. I enjoyed Nepal's staple food of ‘dal’, ‘bhat’, and ‘tarkari’ (Rice, lentil soup, and curry vegetable) and savored the taste of fish dishes. Another popular dish is Thupka, a noodle soup usually preferred in winter. Nepal has fast foods chains like KFC’s and bakery shops.