7. Trekking in the Langtang Region
The Langtang Region, home to Langtang National Park, is an incredible area for hiking, with high passes, extensive views, old monasteries, and beautiful mountain scenery. Rhododendron forests bloom during the spring hiking season adding color to the vistas.
The region, home to the Sherpa people, is less developed than some of the other popular trekking areas in Nepal and generally less busy on the trails, despite its close proximity to Kathmandu. Villages with guesthouses and food can be found along the route, although somewhat more spread out than in other trekking regions. Some villages in this area were completely devasted by the 2015 earthquake.
This area can be reached easily from Kathmandu by jeep in seven to eight hours. On a clear day, the peak of Langtang Lirung (7,245 meters), which dominates the surrounding area of the same name, is visible from Kathmandu.
Trekking lengths and duration in Langtang range from a few days to a couple of weeks depending on the routing. Some trekkers combine Helambu and Langtang for a longer trek.
8. Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple)
Set on a hilltop to the west of Kathmandu, Swayambhunath is the second most important shrine in the Kathmandu Valley after Boudhanath. Due to the resident monkeys that inhabit parts of the temple, it is more affectionately known as the Monkey Temple.
The Swayambhu Stupa, painted with the eyes of the omnipresent god, forms the centerpiece of the temple complex. It was originally a prehistoric cult site, but the temple complex dates to the 5th century. Swayambhu plays a major part in the lives of the Vajrayana Buddhists of Northern Nepal and Tibet, but especially of the Newari Buddhists of the Kathmandu Valley.
The 2015 earthquake caused some damage to the Swayambhunath temple complex; however, repairs are now complete, and the temple is back to its original condition.
