From Himalayan dawns to jungle safaris and ancient cities, Nepal reveals itself as a land where the wild and the sacred are inseparable, writes Cathy Wagstaff.
Kathmandu
Kathmandu is a city that wears its heritage in plain sight. Carved wooden windows lean over narrow alleys, incense drifts from shrines tucked into courtyards, and medieval temples rise beside markets that pulse with life. This valley is home to seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, a density of history and devotion that few places on earth can rival.
Amid the colour and chaos, Dwarika’s Hotel offers a retreat into that very legacy. Every hand-moulded brick, carved window and salvaged timber beam carries the imprint of the 13th-century artisans. It is little wonder the hotel has earned a UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award, one of only two in Nepal. Dinner is at Krishnarpan, the hotel’s acclaimed restaurant, where each menu unfolds like a ritual rather than a meal. Dishes arrive in graceful procession: lentil-rich dals, delicate momos, aromatic curries and saffron-laced sweets, each plate carrying the flavours of a region, a community, a history. It is a feast that mirrors the journey itself – complex and steeped in tradition, best savoured slowly, in the present moment.
More than a sanctuary, Dwarika’s is the perfect base from which to explore the capital, a place where the city’s living traditions are not just admired, but experienced.
Bhaktapur is a living museum of medieval art and architecture. In Durbar Square, the Palace of 55 Windows looms with intricate latticework, while the five-storey Nyatapola Temple rises as Nepal’s tallest pagoda. Markets buzz with potters, weavers and spice sellers.
In Patan, the City of Fine Arts, the Patan Museum preserves treasures restored in collaboration with UNESCO. Through Ventours, our group is granted a rare privilege, a blessing from the Living Goddess Kumari, who resides in her traditional house nearby. Her presence feels both ethereal and grounding.
At Boudhanath Stupa, a great white dome rises against the sky, its painted eyes gazing serenely in every direction. Prayer flags ripple in the breeze, monks circle in endless procession, pilgrims spin prayer wheels inset along the base. First established in the 7th century, it became a bastion of Tibetan culture after thousands of refugees settled here in 1959. Today it remains one of the most sacred places in the Buddhist world.
Around the stupa, alleys are lined with Thangka painting workshops and craft stalls. I slip into one to purchase a Mandala, a vivid circle of colour and geometry, from an artist who explains how each line is as much meditation as it is art. Many of these workshops also serve as restoration centres, where generations of artists safeguard sacred paintings using age-old techniques.