Visa exempt countries - want to take the GF away at xmas

[Chazchallenger]

I spend time in Goa , India. With my Thai girlfriend. You do need a visa but it just a case of filling in the form and paying for it, flights a cheap with jet airways and it's a beautiful part of India. There are always a few Thai s there with there boyfriends so she might feel a little mores relaxed there. Defiantly a beach holiday though

[realfunster]

You've just sold me on it Klubex

Me too and I only came in this thread for a quick browse !

Amazing what some passion and enthusiasm can do.

[rct99q]

NEPAL

I can't say enough good about this place.

It ticks all your boxes, although there is a visa requirement for you both, you get a simple form to fill in on the plane, and as soon as you land in Kathmandu airport (which is mostly deserted) the visa is issued at passport control... Me and wifey were there 3 weeks ago for a week, and we got off the plane and were in a taxi within 10 minutes, visa and all (25USD).

The return flights were 15,000 THB with Thai Airways, direct flight took only 3 hours. We flew past Mt Everest poking above the clouds see my pic below.

FOOD.

They have Thai food if the wife gets homesick, Nepalese food is terrific and tasty, The western food is of a much higher standard than Thailand, Indian food is abound with probably the best chicken tikka masala you will find anywhere. The rice is of a much higher quality than the stodge you get in LOS, The food in restaurants costs around 30% of what it does in any Thai resort (including western food.) Restaurants are 100 times cleaner, staff much more professional and efficient, and most importantly to me, toilets are way more cleaner and hygienic than Thailand, with all restaurants I visited being of minimum 3 to 4 star hotel grade.

The People.

The people there are very very friendly, and I would say friendlier and more helpful than Thais. There is almost zero crime against tourists in Nepal, and that includes scams... The penalties are apparently disproportionately harsh for crime against a tourist and you can walk around Kathmandu at night freely with no fear of someone stabbing you in the neck for your wallet. It is one of the safest cities to visit.

The Culture.

Amazing culture, and full of vibrant festivals going on all over the place all of the time... Lots of temples, huge mix of Hindu and Buddhist... Some parts of Kathmandu will be like walking around India and other parts is like walking around in China. There are more festivals in Nepal per year than there are days in the year... I think around 380 annual festivals, so you will surely bump into one. Be sure to take an organized city tour of Kathmandu, only about $30 each and lasts about 5 hours in private car. You will see Hindus burning their dead on the river bank (ganges style) and the place is full of cows roaming the streets freely and of course the colourful Sadhu holy men can be seen everywhere chugging away of their pot filled chillum pipes. Bhuddist temples with hundredss of monkeys jumping around.... Lots to see really, too many to list.

A Sadhu (Stoned off his face)

The Himayayas

Kathmandu is in the foothills of the Himalayas, and you can see one or two snow capped peaks even from Kathmandu, although in around November - December it is actually a warm 25C average which is a change from sweltering LOS but not cold. In fact just right for me.

Take a 2 hour drive in a bus or private taxi into the mountains up to Nagarkot. Watch the sun rise over the range that includes Everest, with the clouds below your feet. Set at 6,500 feet you are above the clouds, and I just sat for hours on my balcony staring at the snow capped vistas and it is an experience that can not be even matched by sitting on a beach in SEA or anywhere else. It is just simply breathtaking and even the drive is amazing.

Views from my balcony.

Try to spend 2 days and nights in nagarkot, you will not regret it, again everything cheap and top quality.

Another must do is Lake Thewa at Pakhora which is a 6 hour mountain drive or you can fly for around $90 each way, but I recommend the drive through the mountains... It is breathtaking in parts, you just don't get it in a plane.

This is a big tourist destination but nothing on Patts or Phuket, this is pure cultural like the whiole country, it is like being in a time warp, and you will never see a hotel over 6 stories high and all traditional buildings, not these generic holiday glass facade things... it is very colonial still.

The lake can be stunning and changes at different times of the day.

This is not my photo, but gives you an idea...

An interesting thing to visit in Pokhara is the National Gurkha Museum... The most fearless (and feared) fighting unit in the world.

Or just laze by the lake drinking a beer and tucking in to a nice curry... Whatever floats your boat. Its cheap, do what you want. You can even take a days hike in the mountains and visit real Himalayan Buddhist temples... You wife would love that.

Again, the views are spectacular, here is some pics from my balcony in Pokhara.

These were taken in September, so that is the end of the monsoon season so the air was not as clear as it is from late October to January, where the shy is crystal clear. Also, you will hardly see any automobiles in Nagarkot and Pokhara which adds to the pollution free clarity.

December is probably the best time to go to Nepal, the skies are clear and the imagery of the backdrops is magnificent.

Myself and wifey are going back there in mid to end November for 2 weeks, I can't wait... I would live there in a heartbeat because the expat regulations are so simple and foreigners can own land, buy houses, start businesses.. It is welcomed there. But the wife will never move from LOS away from her family, even if it is only 3 hours flight. If we ever broke up, I would be there the following day and I mean that.

If anyone reading this has never been to Nepal, make sure you go there at least once in your lifetime.

Hotels are very cheap and very clean. Obviously depends on the star rating, but in Kathmandu we stayed in 'The Gaju Suite Hotel' which was 3.5 agoda stars and we had a very high end apartment for about 1500 baht a night with awesome restaurant and nightclub on the top floor... I personally recommend it. It is in Thamel District which is the only place to stay, don't stay outside Thamel, Everything you need is in Thamel. It is the culturalhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5Xl7fpqPA4 heart.

Off my head I can't remember the other hotel names in Nagarkot or Pokhara.. but again they were 3 to 4 star and around 1500 baht a night also. All clean and professional with high quality rooms, fittings and amenities.

If you decide to give Nepal a try and want to go hiking in the mountains, PM me and I can put you in touch with an English guy I met in Pokhara who run treks and is cheap and won't rip you off, he is also a great guy.

Although you can see snow on the mountains, it is still warm in the locations I mentioned. In Pakhora it was close to 30C and I was looking at the snow (strange feeling at first).

But when you get right up into the mountains it can drop especially at night, so if you go up high, take a jacket. You can get very cheap and A grade quality North Face jackets which I suspect are Chinese fakes, but who knows?

Everywhere in Nepal you can see large eagles soaring around you, mesmerizing to watch.

I really do hope that you consider Nepal, you will thank me if you do go.

Added a few videos of the 3 locations for you.

Nagarkot

http://youtu.be/O0Zq_Ezsqfs

Pokhara

http://youtu.be/tD-snFobH8E

Kathmandu

http://youtu.be/X5Xl7fpqPA4

Thai girlfriend hiking in Nepal......omg......please take photos if you go...this I would love to see!

[Soutpeel]

Maldives = oppressive regime.

also = bloody expensive

My Mrs loves Cape Town...but at time of the year if your worried about the heat, maybe wrong time of the year, as it gets rather toasty

Thai nationals 30 day visa waiver

I doubt anyone used to Thai weather would find Cape Town very hot in December. Usually in the mid 20's, rarely hitting 30 degrees and usually quite cool in the evening along with a continuing sea breeze.

Cape Town in December/Jan day time runs from around 25 to 35 degree's once you get into Feb you start getting the berg winds which can push the temperature up to around a max of 37 degree's at certain times granted the sea breezes are cool things down a bit, will concede you are not getting 35 degree temperatures every single day

Having been there many times, Mrs SP, has the said the heat over that time of year Dec/Jan/feb can be a bit unpleasant, although the upside is the tempratures are very changeable unlike Thailand were its constant, so this is what I based my comment on, but suspect knowing Mrs SP more to do with the fact unless its very hot ie +35 no one uses their aircons and she is used to the aircon being set at arctic temperatures in Thailand...

[phitsanulokjohn]

NEPAL

I can't say enough good about this place.

It ticks all your boxes, although there is a visa requirement for you both, you get a simple form to fill in on the plane, and as soon as you land in Kathmandu airport (which is mostly deserted) the visa is issued at passport control... Me and wifey were there 3 weeks ago for a week, and we got off the plane and were in a taxi within 10 minutes, visa and all (25USD).

The return flights were 15,000 THB with Thai Airways, direct flight took only 3 hours. We flew past Mt Everest poking above the clouds see my pic below.

FOOD.

They have Thai food if the wife gets homesick, Nepalese food is terrific and tasty, The western food is of a much higher standard than Thailand, Indian food is abound with probably the best chicken tikka masala you will find anywhere. The rice is of a much higher quality than the stodge you get in LOS, The food in restaurants costs around 30% of what it does in any Thai resort (including western food.) Restaurants are 100 times cleaner, staff much more professional and efficient, and most importantly to me, toilets are way more cleaner and hygienic than Thailand, with all restaurants I visited being of minimum 3 to 4 star hotel grade.

The People.

The people there are very very friendly, and I would say friendlier and more helpful than Thais. There is almost zero crime against tourists in Nepal, and that includes scams... The penalties are apparently disproportionately harsh for crime against a tourist and you can walk around Kathmandu at night freely with no fear of someone stabbing you in the neck for your wallet. It is one of the safest cities to visit.

The Culture.

Amazing culture, and full of vibrant festivals going on all over the place all of the time... Lots of temples, huge mix of Hindu and Buddhist... Some parts of Kathmandu will be like walking around India and other parts is like walking around in China. There are more festivals in Nepal per year than there are days in the year... I think around 380 annual festivals, so you will surely bump into one. Be sure to take an organized city tour of Kathmandu, only about $30 each and lasts about 5 hours in private car. You will see Hindus burning their dead on the river bank (ganges style) and the place is full of cows roaming the streets freely and of course the colourful Sadhu holy men can be seen everywhere chugging away of their pot filled chillum pipes. Bhuddist temples with hundredss of monkeys jumping around.... Lots to see really, too many to list.

A Sadhu (Stoned off his face)

The Himayayas

Kathmandu is in the foothills of the Himalayas, and you can see one or two snow capped peaks even from Kathmandu, although in around November - December it is actually a warm 25C average which is a change from sweltering LOS but not cold. In fact just right for me.

Take a 2 hour drive in a bus or private taxi into the mountains up to Nagarkot. Watch the sun rise over the range that includes Everest, with the clouds below your feet. Set at 6,500 feet you are above the clouds, and I just sat for hours on my balcony staring at the snow capped vistas and it is an experience that can not be even matched by sitting on a beach in SEA or anywhere else. It is just simply breathtaking and even the drive is amazing.

Views from my balcony.

Try to spend 2 days and nights in nagarkot, you will not regret it, again everything cheap and top quality.

Another must do is Lake Thewa at Pakhora which is a 6 hour mountain drive or you can fly for around $90 each way, but I recommend the drive through the mountains... It is breathtaking in parts, you just don't get it in a plane.

This is a big tourist destination but nothing on Patts or Phuket, this is pure cultural like the whiole country, it is like being in a time warp, and you will never see a hotel over 6 stories high and all traditional buildings, not these generic holiday glass facade things... it is very colonial still.

The lake can be stunning and changes at different times of the day.

This is not my photo, but gives you an idea...

An interesting thing to visit in Pokhara is the National Gurkha Museum... The most fearless (and feared) fighting unit in the world.

Or just laze by the lake drinking a beer and tucking in to a nice curry... Whatever floats your boat. Its cheap, do what you want. You can even take a days hike in the mountains and visit real Himalayan Buddhist temples... You wife would love that.

Again, the views are spectacular, here is some pics from my balcony in Pokhara.

These were taken in September, so that is the end of the monsoon season so the air was not as clear as it is from late October to January, where the shy is crystal clear. Also, you will hardly see any automobiles in Nagarkot and Pokhara which adds to the pollution free clarity.

December is probably the best time to go to Nepal, the skies are clear and the imagery of the backdrops is magnificent.

Myself and wifey are going back there in mid to end November for 2 weeks, I can't wait... I would live there in a heartbeat because the expat regulations are so simple and foreigners can own land, buy houses, start businesses.. It is welcomed there. But the wife will never move from LOS away from her family, even if it is only 3 hours flight. If we ever broke up, I would be there the following day and I mean that.

If anyone reading this has never been to Nepal, make sure you go there at least once in your lifetime.

Hotels are very cheap and very clean. Obviously depends on the star rating, but in Kathmandu we stayed in 'The Gaju Suite Hotel' which was 3.5 agoda stars and we had a very high end apartment for about 1500 baht a night with awesome restaurant and nightclub on the top floor... I personally recommend it. It is in Thamel District which is the only place to stay, don't stay outside Thamel, Everything you need is in Thamel. It is the culturalhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5Xl7fpqPA4 heart.

Off my head I can't remember the other hotel names in Nagarkot or Pokhara.. but again they were 3 to 4 star and around 1500 baht a night also. All clean and professional with high quality rooms, fittings and amenities.

If you decide to give Nepal a try and want to go hiking in the mountains, PM me and I can put you in touch with an English guy I met in Pokhara who run treks and is cheap and won't rip you off, he is also a great guy.

Although you can see snow on the mountains, it is still warm in the locations I mentioned. In Pakhora it was close to 30C and I was looking at the snow (strange feeling at first).

But when you get right up into the mountains it can drop especially at night, so if you go up high, take a jacket. You can get very cheap and A grade quality North Face jackets which I suspect are Chinese fakes, but who knows?

Everywhere in Nepal you can see large eagles soaring around you, mesmerizing to watch.

I really do hope that you consider Nepal, you will thank me if you do go.

Added a few videos of the 3 locations for you.

Nagarkot

http://youtu.be/O0Zq_Ezsqfs

Pokhara

http://youtu.be/tD-snFobH8E

Kathmandu

http://youtu.be/X5Xl7fpqPA4

To the Thai government.There's a mass exodus beginning from Los by all Thai visa forum members to Nepal,that'll teach you to treat farangs more decently.

[phitsanulokjohn]

NEPAL

I can't say enough good about this place.

It ticks all your boxes, although there is a visa requirement for you both, you get a simple form to fill in on the plane, and as soon as you land in Kathmandu airport (which is mostly deserted) the visa is issued at passport control... Me and wifey were there 3 weeks ago for a week, and we got off the plane and were in a taxi within 10 minutes, visa and all (25USD).

The return flights were 15,000 THB with Thai Airways, direct flight took only 3 hours. We flew past Mt Everest poking above the clouds see my pic below.

FOOD.

They have Thai food if the wife gets homesick, Nepalese food is terrific and tasty, The western food is of a much higher standard than Thailand, Indian food is abound with probably the best chicken tikka masala you will find anywhere. The rice is of a much higher quality than the stodge you get in LOS, The food in restaurants costs around 30% of what it does in any Thai resort (including western food.) Restaurants are 100 times cleaner, staff much more professional and efficient, and most importantly to me, toilets are way more cleaner and hygienic than Thailand, with all restaurants I visited being of minimum 3 to 4 star hotel grade.

The People.

The people there are very very friendly, and I would say friendlier and more helpful than Thais. There is almost zero crime against tourists in Nepal, and that includes scams... The penalties are apparently disproportionately harsh for crime against a tourist and you can walk around Kathmandu at night freely with no fear of someone stabbing you in the neck for your wallet. It is one of the safest cities to visit.

The Culture.

Amazing culture, and full of vibrant festivals going on all over the place all of the time... Lots of temples, huge mix of Hindu and Buddhist... Some parts of Kathmandu will be like walking around India and other parts is like walking around in China. There are more festivals in Nepal per year than there are days in the year... I think around 380 annual festivals, so you will surely bump into one. Be sure to take an organized city tour of Kathmandu, only about $30 each and lasts about 5 hours in private car. You will see Hindus burning their dead on the river bank (ganges style) and the place is full of cows roaming the streets freely and of course the colourful Sadhu holy men can be seen everywhere chugging away of their pot filled chillum pipes. Bhuddist temples with hundredss of monkeys jumping around.... Lots to see really, too many to list.

A Sadhu (Stoned off his face)

The Himayayas

Kathmandu is in the foothills of the Himalayas, and you can see one or two snow capped peaks even from Kathmandu, although in around November - December it is actually a warm 25C average which is a change from sweltering LOS but not cold. In fact just right for me.

Take a 2 hour drive in a bus or private taxi into the mountains up to Nagarkot. Watch the sun rise over the range that includes Everest, with the clouds below your feet. Set at 6,500 feet you are above the clouds, and I just sat for hours on my balcony staring at the snow capped vistas and it is an experience that can not be even matched by sitting on a beach in SEA or anywhere else. It is just simply breathtaking and even the drive is amazing.

Views from my balcony.

Try to spend 2 days and nights in nagarkot, you will not regret it, again everything cheap and top quality.

Another must do is Lake Thewa at Pakhora which is a 6 hour mountain drive or you can fly for around $90 each way, but I recommend the drive through the mountains... It is breathtaking in parts, you just don't get it in a plane.

This is a big tourist destination but nothing on Patts or Phuket, this is pure cultural like the whiole country, it is like being in a time warp, and you will never see a hotel over 6 stories high and all traditional buildings, not these generic holiday glass facade things... it is very colonial still.

The lake can be stunning and changes at different times of the day.

This is not my photo, but gives you an idea...

An interesting thing to visit in Pokhara is the National Gurkha Museum... The most fearless (and feared) fighting unit in the world.

Or just laze by the lake drinking a beer and tucking in to a nice curry... Whatever floats your boat. Its cheap, do what you want. You can even take a days hike in the mountains and visit real Himalayan Buddhist temples... You wife would love that.

Again, the views are spectacular, here is some pics from my balcony in Pokhara.

These were taken in September, so that is the end of the monsoon season so the air was not as clear as it is from late October to January, where the shy is crystal clear. Also, you will hardly see any automobiles in Nagarkot and Pokhara which adds to the pollution free clarity.

December is probably the best time to go to Nepal, the skies are clear and the imagery of the backdrops is magnificent.

Myself and wifey are going back there in mid to end November for 2 weeks, I can't wait... I would live there in a heartbeat because the expat regulations are so simple and foreigners can own land, buy houses, start businesses.. It is welcomed there. But the wife will never move from LOS away from her family, even if it is only 3 hours flight. If we ever broke up, I would be there the following day and I mean that.

If anyone reading this has never been to Nepal, make sure you go there at least once in your lifetime.

Hotels are very cheap and very clean. Obviously depends on the star rating, but in Kathmandu we stayed in 'The Gaju Suite Hotel' which was 3.5 agoda stars and we had a very high end apartment for about 1500 baht a night with awesome restaurant and nightclub on the top floor... I personally recommend it. It is in Thamel District which is the only place to stay, don't stay outside Thamel, Everything you need is in Thamel. It is the culturalhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5Xl7fpqPA4 heart.

Off my head I can't remember the other hotel names in Nagarkot or Pokhara.. but again they were 3 to 4 star and around 1500 baht a night also. All clean and professional with high quality rooms, fittings and amenities.

If you decide to give Nepal a try and want to go hiking in the mountains, PM me and I can put you in touch with an English guy I met in Pokhara who run treks and is cheap and won't rip you off, he is also a great guy.

Although you can see snow on the mountains, it is still warm in the locations I mentioned. In Pakhora it was close to 30C and I was looking at the snow (strange feeling at first).

But when you get right up into the mountains it can drop especially at night, so if you go up high, take a jacket. You can get very cheap and A grade quality North Face jackets which I suspect are Chinese fakes, but who knows?

Everywhere in Nepal you can see large eagles soaring around you, mesmerizing to watch.

I really do hope that you consider Nepal, you will thank me if you do go.

Added a few videos of the 3 locations for you.

Nagarkot

http://youtu.be/O0Zq_Ezsqfs

Pokhara

http://youtu.be/tD-snFobH8E

Kathmandu

http://youtu.be/X5Xl7fpqPA4

To the Thai government.There's a mass exodus beginning from Los by all Thai visa forum members to Nepal,that'll teach you to treat farangs more decently.

[salapau]

Lapland she can meet Santa, the elves and see the reindeer, not too hot either.

[NewlyMintedThai]

Lapland she can meet Santa, the elves and see the reindeer, not too hot either.

Not without a visa...

[Soutpeel]

I can I make a humble request to posters on this thread....please stop reposting the the whole "Nepal" post, as nice as the photos and post is...it really getting F*kcing annoying now scrolling through all the same pic's and text

Thanks for your kind consideration

Soutie

[jpinx]

QUOTE ...

NEPAL

I can't say enough good about this place.

It ticks all your boxes, although there is a visa requirement for you both, you get a simple form to fill in on the plane, and as soon as you land in Kathmandu airport (which is mostly deserted) the visa is issued at passport control... Me and wifey were there 3 weeks ago for a week, and we got off the plane and were in a taxi within 10 minutes, visa and all (25USD).

The return flights were 15,000 THB with Thai Airways, direct flight took only 3 hours. We flew past Mt Everest poking above the clouds see my pic below.

........ END QUOTE

Just been checking flights and it seems that it is well over 20,000 baht direct during the winter. There are various other options taking about 8 hours including a transfer in New Dehli for about 300 euros, depending on which flight-search website you use - that's about the same as you quoted for Thai Airways, but you must have been well off-season or just lucky to get that price.

I am told by people who live there that the hotels are similarly priced up during the winter when all the tourists come, so probably good to be aware of your budget.

Having said that, and having lived at the other end of the Himalaya for a while many years ago, it is still a magic place - unless you're a beach-bum

[hellodolly]

Singapore or a decent resort in Bali would go down well. My ex couldn't believe she was in either place.

My wife loves Bali. Christmas time is there summer but they are so close to the equator it dosen't really matter.

Might want to check up on the rainy season there. We always went in June.

One year when I was traveling with a friend took a tour to see the Kamota dragons. Most interesting tour.

Grabbed all the brochures at the airport went through them all made a list of what we wanted to see

and Hired a Car and driver for around $60 US a day just gave him the list and told him to organize it

so we could see the most in one day. Have done two days of it and still have half the list.

I paid $25 US for my visa and the wife got hers free.

Same in Siem Reap when we went to see Angkor Wat.

Edit try to get it easy to read with out shifting the page back and forth. Well not to much

[AlexRRR]

I took one ex TGF to Sri Lanka, HK and Lao, Sri Lanka was to hmmm dirty and backwards for her, the train ride to candy was a nightmare (xmas season) and the van ride back to Colombo was a night mare ( Sri Lankans drive line Indians....) she had nightmares for days on our return to BKK even ordering a taxi driver to stop and let us out while wizzing on a freeway.

HK she liked and Lao was fine....Thai women like it nice modern and clean, Singapore is the go.

[klubex99]

If you choose Nepal, I would only do a very short time in Kathmandu. I spent 12 days there last year. Piles of garbage on the streets being rummaged by the cows and street dogs,

who also bark all night - equal or more dogs than in India- way more than in Thailandia.. Very disturbing to see children begging on the streets looking like the ones portrayed in the movie Slumdog Millionaire.

The air pollution is very bad. A lot of hotels there have rooftop terraces and one can barely see the nearby mountains sometimes. Streets and sidewalks way worse than here.

A lot of interesting street scenes and for children of the 60's Freak Street is a must.

Beaucoup art and high end handicrafts available.

Edit - I forgot to mention that the electricity goes off 8-10 hours a day due to power shortages. Every day.

I totally agree with you about getting out of Kathmandu as soon as you have seen what you need to. 2 Days is more than adequate because the best of Nepal lies outside of the capital.

We never really saw piles of garbage around Thamel, at about 6 am we would watch a fleet of Indian looking ladies rolling down the road with brooms sweeping the roads clean, into little piles and these were cleared by a cart. It was amazing to watch how they had it finely tuned. I found KTM cleaner than Thailand regarding garbage.

The street kids make interesting photos, they are a rag tag bunch but we were never once bothered by them, and the pavements were very bad if there were any at all, but that just adds to the charm of the place, its basically like being transported back in time by 100 years. But with all the modern touches in the right places.

The electricity did shut off once or twice which is basically load shedding, but never affected us because every hotel has generators to compensate, and when you are not in your hotel you don't need it anyway and only ever happens during the day, we never had one at night that we knew of. But from April next year they are importing it from India so it should improve by a lot. The new lines are being put in right now.

Freak Street was on my agenda, but we never got around to it. I will be deffo doing it next month.

The air pollution is caused by dust because KTM is situated in a valley bowl in the foothills, and is totally surrounded 360 degrees by mountains. The dust is kicked up by traffic during the day and settles again at night. The wife wore a dust mask some of the time, but I never bothered, it wasn't really that bad for me, and i am a smoker anyway so I have a pretty tough set of bagpipes in me. In the mornings the air is a lot clearer.

You don't get any of those negatives outside of KTM apart from maybe the electricity which really is not that bad if you stay out of the cheapo backpacker hostels.

Next month i will spend 1 day in KTM then get out to see the best of Nepal and stay another the night before our return.

[laocowboy2]

Excellent post. Lived in India for three years but never got to Nepal.

Definitely on the list now.

Thanks

R

NEPAL

I can't say enough good about this place.

It ticks all your boxes, although there is a visa requirement for you both, you get a simple form to fill in on the plane, and as soon as you land in Kathmandu airport (which is mostly deserted) the visa is issued at passport control... Me and wifey were there 3 weeks ago for a week, and we got off the plane and were in a taxi within 10 minutes, visa and all (25USD).

The return flights were 15,000 THB with Thai Airways, direct flight took only 3 hours. We flew past Mt Everest poking above the clouds see my pic below.

FOOD.

They have Thai food if the wife gets homesick, Nepalese food is terrific and tasty, The western food is of a much higher standard than Thailand, Indian food is abound with probably the best chicken tikka masala you will find anywhere. The rice is of a much higher quality than the stodge you get in LOS, The food in restaurants costs around 30% of what it does in any Thai resort (including western food.) Restaurants are 100 times cleaner, staff much more professional and efficient, and most importantly to me, toilets are way more cleaner and hygienic than Thailand, with all restaurants I visited being of minimum 3 to 4 star hotel grade.

The People.

The people there are very very friendly, and I would say friendlier and more helpful than Thais. There is almost zero crime against tourists in Nepal, and that includes scams... The penalties are apparently disproportionately harsh for crime against a tourist and you can walk around Kathmandu at night freely with no fear of someone stabbing you in the neck for your wallet. It is one of the safest cities to visit.

The Culture.

Amazing culture, and full of vibrant festivals going on all over the place all of the time... Lots of temples, huge mix of Hindu and Buddhist... Some parts of Kathmandu will be like walking around India and other parts is like walking around in China. There are more festivals in Nepal per year than there are days in the year... I think around 380 annual festivals, so you will surely bump into one. Be sure to take an organized city tour of Kathmandu, only about $30 each and lasts about 5 hours in private car. You will see Hindus burning their dead on the river bank (ganges style) and the place is full of cows roaming the streets freely and of course the colourful Sadhu holy men can be seen everywhere chugging away of their pot filled chillum pipes. Bhuddist temples with hundredss of monkeys jumping around.... Lots to see really, too many to list.

A Sadhu (Stoned off his face)

The Himayayas

Kathmandu is in the foothills of the Himalayas, and you can see one or two snow capped peaks even from Kathmandu, although in around November - December it is actually a warm 25C average which is a change from sweltering LOS but not cold. In fact just right for me.

Take a 2 hour drive in a bus or private taxi into the mountains up to Nagarkot. Watch the sun rise over the range that includes Everest, with the clouds below your feet. Set at 6,500 feet you are above the clouds, and I just sat for hours on my balcony staring at the snow capped vistas and it is an experience that can not be even matched by sitting on a beach in SEA or anywhere else. It is just simply breathtaking and even the drive is amazing.

Views from my balcony.

Try to spend 2 days and nights in nagarkot, you will not regret it, again everything cheap and top quality.

Another must do is Lake Thewa at Pakhora which is a 6 hour mountain drive or you can fly for around $90 each way, but I recommend the drive through the mountains... It is breathtaking in parts, you just don't get it in a plane.

This is a big tourist destination but nothing on Patts or Phuket, this is pure cultural like the whiole country, it is like being in a time warp, and you will never see a hotel over 6 stories high and all traditional buildings, not these generic holiday glass facade things... it is very colonial still.

The lake can be stunning and changes at different times of the day.

This is not my photo, but gives you an idea...

An interesting thing to visit in Pokhara is the National Gurkha Museum... The most fearless (and feared) fighting unit in the world.

Or just laze by the lake drinking a beer and tucking in to a nice curry... Whatever floats your boat. Its cheap, do what you want. You can even take a days hike in the mountains and visit real Himalayan Buddhist temples... You wife would love that.

Again, the views are spectacular, here is some pics from my balcony in Pokhara.

These were taken in September, so that is the end of the monsoon season so the air was not as clear as it is from late October to January, where the shy is crystal clear. Also, you will hardly see any automobiles in Nagarkot and Pokhara which adds to the pollution free clarity.

December is probably the best time to go to Nepal, the skies are clear and the imagery of the backdrops is magnificent.

Myself and wifey are going back there in mid to end November for 2 weeks, I can't wait... I would live there in a heartbeat because the expat regulations are so simple and foreigners can own land, buy houses, start businesses.. It is welcomed there. But the wife will never move from LOS away from her family, even if it is only 3 hours flight. If we ever broke up, I would be there the following day and I mean that.

If anyone reading this has never been to Nepal, make sure you go there at least once in your lifetime.

Hotels are very cheap and very clean. Obviously depends on the star rating, but in Kathmandu we stayed in 'The Gaju Suite Hotel' which was 3.5 agoda stars and we had a very high end apartment for about 1500 baht a night with awesome restaurant and nightclub on the top floor... I personally recommend it. It is in Thamel District which is the only place to stay, don't stay outside Thamel, Everything you need is in Thamel. It is the culturalhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5Xl7fpqPA4 heart.

Off my head I can't remember the other hotel names in Nagarkot or Pokhara.. but again they were 3 to 4 star and around 1500 baht a night also. All clean and professional with high quality rooms, fittings and amenities.

If you decide to give Nepal a try and want to go hiking in the mountains, PM me and I can put you in touch with an English guy I met in Pokhara who run treks and is cheap and won't rip you off, he is also a great guy.

Although you can see snow on the mountains, it is still warm in the locations I mentioned. In Pakhora it was close to 30C and I was looking at the snow (strange feeling at first).

But when you get right up into the mountains it can drop especially at night, so if you go up high, take a jacket. You can get very cheap and A grade quality North Face jackets which I suspect are Chinese fakes, but who knows?

Everywhere in Nepal you can see large eagles soaring around you, mesmerizing to watch.

I really do hope that you consider Nepal, you will thank me if you do go.

Added a few videos of the 3 locations for you.

Nagarkot

http://youtu.be/O0Zq_Ezsqfs

Pokhara

http://youtu.be/tD-snFobH8E

Kathmandu

http://youtu.be/X5Xl7fpqPA4

[klubex99]

Excellent post. Lived in India for three years but never got to Nepal.

Definitely on the list now.

Thanks

R

I have had a few PMs thanking me with a vow to go there and a few comments here.

I wonder if I can get money for this from the Nepal Tourist Board

[bkk_mike]

I think someone else already mentioned Japan, but if you're specifically after snow, you could go to Hokkaido.

Nepal works obviously for snow, but some people have problems coping with altitude, which you don't really know until you try it.

I also thought there were elections coming up (next month?), which might not be the safest time to go there. (Politically, Nepal makes Thailand's red shirts and yellow shirts look positively tame).

[metaben]

NEPAL

I can't say enough good about this place.

It ticks all your boxes, although there is a visa requirement for you both, you get a simple form to fill in on the plane, and as soon as you land in Kathmandu airport (which is mostly deserted) the visa is issued at passport control... Me and wifey were there 3 weeks ago for a week, and we got off the plane and were in a taxi within 10 minutes, visa and all (25USD).

The return flights were 15,000 THB with Thai Airways, direct flight took only 3 hours. We flew past Mt Everest poking above the clouds see my pic below.

FOOD.

They have Thai food if the wife gets homesick, Nepalese food is terrific and tasty, The western food is of a much higher standard than Thailand, Indian food is abound with probably the best chicken tikka masala you will find anywhere. The rice is of a much higher quality than the stodge you get in LOS, The food in restaurants costs around 30% of what it does in any Thai resort (including western food.) Restaurants are 100 times cleaner, staff much more professional and efficient, and most importantly to me, toilets are way more cleaner and hygienic than Thailand, with all restaurants I visited being of minimum 3 to 4 star hotel grade.

The People.

The people there are very very friendly, and I would say friendlier and more helpful than Thais. There is almost zero crime against tourists in Nepal, and that includes scams... The penalties are apparently disproportionately harsh for crime against a tourist and you can walk around Kathmandu at night freely with no fear of someone stabbing you in the neck for your wallet. It is one of the safest cities to visit.

The Culture.

Amazing culture, and full of vibrant festivals going on all over the place all of the time... Lots of temples, huge mix of Hindu and Buddhist... Some parts of Kathmandu will be like walking around India and other parts is like walking around in China. There are more festivals in Nepal per year than there are days in the year... I think around 380 annual festivals, so you will surely bump into one. Be sure to take an organized city tour of Kathmandu, only about $30 each and lasts about 5 hours in private car. You will see Hindus burning their dead on the river bank (ganges style) and the place is full of cows roaming the streets freely and of course the colourful Sadhu holy men can be seen everywhere chugging away of their pot filled chillum pipes. Bhuddist temples with hundredss of monkeys jumping around.... Lots to see really, too many to list.

A Sadhu (Stoned off his face)

The Himayayas

Kathmandu is in the foothills of the Himalayas, and you can see one or two snow capped peaks even from Kathmandu, although in around November - December it is actually a warm 25C average which is a change from sweltering LOS but not cold. In fact just right for me.

Take a 2 hour drive in a bus or private taxi into the mountains up to Nagarkot. Watch the sun rise over the range that includes Everest, with the clouds below your feet. Set at 6,500 feet you are above the clouds, and I just sat for hours on my balcony staring at the snow capped vistas and it is an experience that can not be even matched by sitting on a beach in SEA or anywhere else. It is just simply breathtaking and even the drive is amazing.

Views from my balcony.

Try to spend 2 days and nights in nagarkot, you will not regret it, again everything cheap and top quality.

Another must do is Lake Thewa at Pakhora which is a 6 hour mountain drive or you can fly for around $90 each way, but I recommend the drive through the mountains... It is breathtaking in parts, you just don't get it in a plane.

This is a big tourist destination but nothing on Patts or Phuket, this is pure cultural like the whiole country, it is like being in a time warp, and you will never see a hotel over 6 stories high and all traditional buildings, not these generic holiday glass facade things... it is very colonial still.

The lake can be stunning and changes at different times of the day.

This is not my photo, but gives you an idea...

An interesting thing to visit in Pokhara is the National Gurkha Museum... The most fearless (and feared) fighting unit in the world.

Or just laze by the lake drinking a beer and tucking in to a nice curry... Whatever floats your boat. Its cheap, do what you want. You can even take a days hike in the mountains and visit real Himalayan Buddhist temples... You wife would love that.

Again, the views are spectacular, here is some pics from my balcony in Pokhara.

These were taken in September, so that is the end of the monsoon season so the air was not as clear as it is from late October to January, where the shy is crystal clear. Also, you will hardly see any automobiles in Nagarkot and Pokhara which adds to the pollution free clarity.

December is probably the best time to go to Nepal, the skies are clear and the imagery of the backdrops is magnificent.

Myself and wifey are going back there in mid to end November for 2 weeks, I can't wait... I would live there in a heartbeat because the expat regulations are so simple and foreigners can own land, buy houses, start businesses.. It is welcomed there. But the wife will never move from LOS away from her family, even if it is only 3 hours flight. If we ever broke up, I would be there the following day and I mean that.

If anyone reading this has never been to Nepal, make sure you go there at least once in your lifetime.

Hotels are very cheap and very clean. Obviously depends on the star rating, but in Kathmandu we stayed in 'The Gaju Suite Hotel' which was 3.5 agoda stars and we had a very high end apartment for about 1500 baht a night with awesome restaurant and nightclub on the top floor... I personally recommend it. It is in Thamel District which is the only place to stay, don't stay outside Thamel, Everything you need is in Thamel. It is the culturalhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5Xl7fpqPA4 heart.

Off my head I can't remember the other hotel names in Nagarkot or Pokhara.. but again they were 3 to 4 star and around 1500 baht a night also. All clean and professional with high quality rooms, fittings and amenities.

If you decide to give Nepal a try and want to go hiking in the mountains, PM me and I can put you in touch with an English guy I met in Pokhara who run treks and is cheap and won't rip you off, he is also a great guy.

Although you can see snow on the mountains, it is still warm in the locations I mentioned. In Pakhora it was close to 30C and I was looking at the snow (strange feeling at first).

But when you get right up into the mountains it can drop especially at night, so if you go up high, take a jacket. You can get very cheap and A grade quality North Face jackets which I suspect are Chinese fakes, but who knows?

Everywhere in Nepal you can see large eagles soaring around you, mesmerizing to watch.

I really do hope that you consider Nepal, you will thank me if you do go.

Added a few videos of the 3 locations for you.

Nagarkot

http://youtu.be/O0Zq_Ezsqfs

Pokhara

http://youtu.be/tD-snFobH8E

Kathmandu

http://youtu.be/X5Xl7fpqPA4

Sorry to quote the whole post. Just so I can retrieve the info at a later date.

Very interesting, thanks.

Was the 15 500 Baht ticket for 2?

[klubex99]

Sorry to quote the whole post. Just so I can retrieve the info at a later date.

Very interesting, thanks.

Was the 15 500 Baht ticket for 2?

No, that was each

BKK_Mike

When we were there last, there were maoist strikes going on demanding the elections. But as far as I am aware, it is still not decided.

We were caught up in a strike, they only happen in KTM and are over by 4PM, all it does is generate traffic problems... There was no violence, they are very routine happenings.

According to the English guy I met over there who has live there for years, he said that he feels for the maoists because they come largely from the west and there is nothing there for them, no roads, infrastructure, amenities, electricity etc.... I guess I feel for them too. But the violence in Nepal was quashed many years ago, and there really hasn't been any since as they have settled into a system of peaceful but disruptive strikes instead.

KTM is far too secure for violence to erupt, the place is full of army bases and they are ready to strike if there is any problems. The maoists know this and that they would not come off intact.

[ableguy]

Try Saigon, not too far no visa for gf do yours on line , we love it here come every year at least once

[klubex99]

Try Saigon, not too far no visa for gf do yours on line , we love it here come every year at least once

We were there last Christmas, and its like being in Oxford Street, London.

They really push the boat out to decorate the city for Christmas, much better than 90% of British towns and cities.... unbelievably.

[hereforgood36]

Bali