The Magical Nepal | Kathmandu Valley

Namaste!!!! The only word that I know before landed in Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu. So excited writing this journey note since Nepal already on my bucket list for years and here I am celebrating my birthday, maigatttt so excited. 

It was a 5 days thoughtful trip for me and end up beyond my expectation. So this is my Nepal journey! 

Why Nepal? 3 places on the top of my bucket list are : Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet. I'm a mountain person and I like nature & culture, not city, as you can see for the places I visited all is these type. The feeling is like you finally got something in front of you that you pray for years. 

It starts from the flight searching. You should have a flight to Kathmandu (Tribhuvan International Airport) the capital city of Nepal. I got Himalaya Airlines from Kuala Lumpur, actually I'm not sure it was a budget airlines or not, since the fare is quiet affordable but have in flight meal & 40 kg baggage. 

Why I chose Himalaya Airlines because its arrived in the morning at Kathmandu, others arrived on night time. 

Only 5 of the passenger is woman haha and the flight is full. Well, things you should know before goes to Nepal : 

1. Hard to find Nepali Rupee in Indo money changer, so just bring USD and its convenience enough to change it in airport or any tourist area 
2. GMT +5:45, you will calculate your time different with 45 min haha even the time standard also unique 
3. Purchase Nepal sim card in airport, prepare 1 passport photo for it and it cost USD 5 or NPR 500 for 7 days internet package 
4. Why you should purchase SIM card because the online taxi app here is only Pathao & Indrive (no Grab no uber) in order to have Pathao account you need to have Nepal phone number 
5. Indo passport allow for VoA, fill the online form before you go and show the receipt + pay in the airport, convenience enough USD 30 for 15 days stay 
6. Oh ya, Nepal start the week on Sunday, so they only have Saturday as their day off, Sunday is working day 
7. Most of Nepalese can speak english and they are friendly enough, greet with Namaste

Where to stay in Kathmandu? Choose Thamel area, its tourist area with lots of hotel. Be prepare most of the hotel here dont have elevator haha. I stay at Satkar Boutique Home, they are nice enough, I arrived at 8 in the morning and they let me to early check in, got my room without additional fee. USD 100 for 4 nights, nice enough.

Love that bright window and tiles

Feels so local Nepali

Look at that sink! So Nepaliii

Window view haha

What to see in Kathmandu? Try some cafe in Thamel area, comfortable enough to enjoy the breeze of Kathmandu city and in walking distance from the hotel. As I am a milk tea lover, I do like Nepal milk tea. Combination of black tea, spices (cinnamon, cloves, etc), and buffalo milk. 

OR2K also famous cafe in traveler bucket list, but I try this in front of OR2K just because it has window seat to feel the breeze of Nepal haha

One pan fry, that sausage with potato you can find in any Nepal breakfast store

Another cafe Nepal Garden cafe, the ambience nice and again, milk tea is my favorite haha

This called momo, like dumpling with thicker skin. The local one is buffalo momo, the sauce taste like mushroom soup and the chili is hot. Another famous one in Thamel area is Yangling Tibetan Momo but I tried this local one out from tourist area and I dont know what is the name since I follow Nepalese haha

Nah this is drinking water that provided by the store and how you drink it is directly pour to your mouth and cant touch the lips, okay this is how Nepalese doing but if me, maybe i will do like shower haha

The portion of Nepal food is too big, at least for me, mostly I can't finish it. Haha. The story behind is because Nepalese usually have big lunch at 10-11 then, have afternoon tea on 2-3, and another big meal for dinner. 

Around walking distance 15-20 minutes you can visit Garden of Dreams. Entrance fee : NPR 400. So this is a huge private garden that built in early 1920 with classical theme, ya actually for me it's not that huge but since it was built in 1920 it worth to visit also. 

Kathmandu Durbar Square is a must visit. You should take the walk from Thamel area, Chinatown, straight to Durbar Square so you can see how is the local life within tourist area and local market area. Entrance fee : NPR 1,000. 

Rickshaw, and the back of it is where it turn to local cafe place on the night

the entrnace of Kathmandu Durbar Square

crossing this local alley to go to Durbar Sqare

So Nepallll, thousand temples here and so magical

Local convenience store which is so cuteee

Nepali national costume

What you can see here in Kathamndu Durbar Square are Kumari house, Palace, Museum, temples. 

Kumari known as living god in Nepal. The stories appear on google also, so there is a child that will be Kumari before they adult, once they has the first period cycle they finish the Kumari journey and need to choose other children to become Kumari. How they can succeed to be chosen as Kumari? Good appearance and they need to be lock on dark room for days if she passed it then it means she had the power and able to be Kumari.

What Kumari do after they finish the period is like normal people but when she is a Kumari she need to live in this house and people not be able to see her face by face only in special timing.

Inside the museum is prohibited to take the picture so just enjoy the history and your heart will be full. Each corner of Nepal is so photogenic and thoughtful. 

You must know Nepal identical with its 5 color flag in white stupa and praying wheel --- cause it was the reason Nepal in my bucket list andddd the real scenery is so magicalll you will love it as I do. 

Swayambhunath Temple or known as Monkey Temple is the one you must visit. It located on the hill like 20 mins drive from Kathmandu. Entrance fee : NPR 200. It was so beautiful and magical, love it so muchhhh, and it feels so excited when finally I run the prayer wheel by myself. 

Kathmandy valley view. Why it called valley, because the shape of Nepal itself is mountain in the outer ring and myths said Kathmandu was a lake before it become land and city now.

Another UNESCO stupa you should visit is Boudhanath or Boudha Stupa. It was the point when Tibetan come to Nepal by walking and it will be the monk rest area. It is the largest spherical stupa in Nepal and in the world, so thats why it become the icon of Nepal. Entrance fee : NPR 400 

Obsessed with these Nepal Buddha iconic flag

You will feel the magical and so Nepali when you see these kind of stupa and that color flag. So that flag color represent the 5 element : yellow - earth, green - water, red - fire, white - air, blue - space Buddha was born in Nepal.

Nah, how is the night of Kathmandu? Well, you can enjoy a sip of tea like local in durbar square haha. So local! And its so hottt, they said because Nepalese like hot tea not warm, wellll

And this is where local met friend like the cafe and they really enjoy the ambience, so do I 

And in Kathmandu if you are interest enough with the history, join the walking tour through Guru Walk, you should have interesting guide to introduce you Kathmandu. I join with Guru Santosh this time and I enjoy to listen to him telling the story like how Nepal transform from King to President now, how is the Kumari story, why the Nepal flag the only non square flag on the world have sun and moon. 

Just day 1 and already have many experience, lets go to the next day, I'm going to visit outside Kathmandu! 

Strolling Around Pasar Baru Hidden Gems | Jakarta, Indonesia

The 5th walking tour and it goes to Pasar Baru route, same as my 4th walking tour, we start from Juanda station. You can join this walking tour through @jktgoodguide and suddenly this Pasar Baru route become my favorite walking tour route so far. LOL. 

It was my first time come to Pasar Baru even some of my friend have business there. And if I ask people what Pasar Baru has? They will said it just a pasar (market) that sell lot of fabric & cloth. But I told you should join this walking tour, it open my mind and give another score for Pasar Baru. It really above my expectation of Pasar Baru. 

They said its the famous soto padang from 1966

Start from Juanda station, did you know why Juanda station is blue color? Actually each station have their own identity but for Juanda there are 2 things. First, Juanda is the one who raised to declare Indonesia as archipelago and set maritime boundary. He plays role on this maritime aspect and blue is sea color so Juanda station where this place previously was Juanda place given with blue color. Second, on rupiah 50k you can see Juanda also in blue color. 

What is the story behind the name of Pasar Baru or Passer Baroe for ejaan lama? So in that era, all pasar named with days. Pasar Senin, Pasar Selasa, Pasar Rabu, Pasar Kamis, all the way until Pasar Minggu. Nah then the 8th pasar is Pasar Baru, oke since the day dont have the eight one so they give this is the new pasar so it called Pasar Baru. 

Since 1820 this area is already a big pasar area. Who is the important trader here? He is Tio Tek Hong 道德鳳 a chinese that start to open recording store and sell laser disc and follow with his big supermarket at that time that people said it was the first supermarket that sell many things (palugada store). 

This is his first recording store that ever on the scene of Galih Ratna someone said

He lives & trade in Pasar Baru, so when you stroll some place will relate with him. 

it was his home that now become a hidden cafe - Kopi Maru

see, a really hidden right inside this alley

It was his palugada store before with the eagle statue - the history is they said Pasar Baru on google map is like centipede and across have Pniel Church which has cock statue and based on fengshui the cock will eat the centipede so once upon a time this pasar become very silent and less visitor, so he made this eagle statue to afraid cock to eat the centipede and visitor come again

Nah this is Gereja Pniel, a beautiful old building that people called it Gereja Ayam or Cock Church that build in Dutch era. A very beautiful church and inside have a bible from 1855 from Dutch. It only have 2 in the world, one is here, another one is in Dutch. 

the cock

Including Toko Kompak that you may found the video on youtube. This building previously is Tio Tek Ho house, he is sibling of Tio Tek Hong and major at that time. If you see on the youtube its really like time traveling, an old building but still operating. 

Here also inside a hidden alley there is the second oldest temple in Batavia. While the first one is in Glodok. 

Nah, other side of this temple now become Bakmi Aboen, if you see from this side, the alley called Gang Kelinci. You can see the famous Bakmi Gang Kelinci and Cakwe Ko Atek.

Also suprisingly here have a genuine leather shoes store from1943 which famous with is durability & affordable price. 

A hidden ice cream store is this Tropica, they said its underrated store, yet I havent try. 

Why I say it beyond my expectation of Pasar Baru, this really have many things to know to learn to see. Also there is old theatre here called Capitol that only the story left with us since its being burned because across of it is Istiqlal Mosque then at that time the resto of this theatre sell alcohol so it become contradict. 

And here also has the new centre that pro dutch at that time now become anchor learning centre. 

and this is the opposite one, news centre for that who pro indo (pribumi) but now already become HAKA resto. 

Thanks Pasar Baru to open my eye and waiting for next walking tour again yeay!