As full-time travelers, my husband and I get asked this question all the time. Simple answer, we do it on a budget. When we decided that we wanted to travel around the world, at our own pace, whether this would take two years or ten, the first thing we did was look at our finances. We are not independently wealthy, and we definitely fall into the “budget traveler” category. Since we both retired early, and are not yet collecting social security, we do not have a monthly income to rely on, so we had to make a realistic budget we could stick to using our savings dividends until that time. For many years we made small sacrifices that helped us save money to travel with. Luckily, we have also discovered that we spend less money per month traveling the world than we did staying at home.
Taking the Leap
As our list of all the places we want to visit grew longer and longer, it became clear that it would be detrimental to our finances if we continually had to fly back to the U.S. just to check up on something that we had no sentimental attachment to. We had only been in our house about five years, so it was not a generational family home that everyone gathers to for holidays and reunions. Our family is scattered across the U.S. and it has always been easier for us to take trips to visit them. We could have turned our house into a rental or an Airbnb, these are very viable options many people use to help fund their travels. Frankly, we just didn’t want the hassle. By selling our house we were able to put that equity into our travel fund. This eliminated a monthly house payment, homeowners insurance, taxes, utilities, and maintenance. We also eliminated car insurance, gasoline, and mindless shopping for items that we don’t need or really even want. So for us it was a no brainer. I actually felt a weight lift off me as one by one, we got rid of our cars, furniture, and all the things that take up space in a house. For me, I felt new possibilities and adventure just around the corner every time another item was gone. Of course we do have a closet size storage unit for our art and sentimental items. There are a few things we just can’t part with.
Living On A Budget
We have always lived debt free (outside of our mortgage). Paying our credit card bill monthly and not having any extraneous loans made planning our travel budget easier. Of course this number will be different for everyone depending on your individual set of circumstances. Are you drawing a monthly retirement, using your 401-K, have you started collecting social security yet, or do you want to sell your house or use it for income, etc. We set a daily budget for ourselves that includes travel insurance, accommodation, food, transportation, cell phone, the cost of our storage unit, plus a small portion for miscellaneous. Some days we are under budget, which means we can splurge a little and be over budget in the coming days because we always find a nice restaurant we want to go to or a sight-seeing tour we want to get in on. We also spend less time in really expensive areas and slow down in the budget friendly places. This is what is so nice about slow travel. You can pace yourself, see new places, have fun, and still be able to manage your money. Please check out our YouTube Travel channel, Far Away Now, to see where we’ve been so far.
Accommodation
Places to stay can vary greatly depending on your taste and budget. We use Airbnb for our longer stays as this allows us to book a house or apartment that has a kitchen and a washing machine. Preparing one meal a day ourselves and doing our own laundry are both money savers. If we are only going to be in a place ten days or less we’ll usually book a hotel with good reviews.
Food
This is another thing that can vary greatly. It is also one of the fun parts of travel, discovering new foods and flavors. We always read up on what the local dishes are when going to a new place. There are always Western food options available, but they do cost more than the local cuisine. We ate in local and western style restaurants until we became comfortable eating street food and learned what to look for. Just like at home, gravitate to the places that are very busy. This means they are a local and tourist favorite and when a restaurant, food truck, or stall has a steady string of customers throughout the day their ingredients are sure to be fresh. Don’t be afraid to try something new! There are some street food stalls that have earned Michelin Stars! Eating local food has been a huge money saver for us and we’ve discovered some great cuisine. Taking a cooking class to learn to make local dishes has become one of our favorite things to do in a new place. It can also be a great introduction to the local cuisine. When we stay in an accommodation with a kitchen we usually fix our own breakfasts of oatmeal and fruit. Not only does this save us a lot of money it also helps us stay healthy. The longer we stay in a place, the cheaper our food costs become as we discover the best places to eat and to shop for food.
Currently we are in Cambodia and are staying in Phnom Penh, for a month. A few years ago we took a sabbatical and lived here, which means we know where to shop, eat, and where we wanted to be located. This makes our stay here much less expensive. That’s one reason we’re staying a whole month, to slow down and spend a little less money. We have found that we need so much less now that we only have to meet our daily needs and not maintain a house and vehicles. There was a lot of planning before we started off on our around the world adventure. It’s not just a one time thing either, we constantly make tweaks and adjustments to our plans. Is it worth all this planning and budgeting? Totally! We are so happy, and so blessed, to be having the adventure of a lifetime. Although we are living our dream, we’re not special, if we can do it so can you. Whether it’s across your state or across the ocean, if travel is your dream, plan a budget and see how far it takes you!
Article originally published in e-zine “Sixty & Me”.
For years all we seemed to think about was saving money to travel. We lived very frugal lifestyles in order to finally be able to slow travel. It’s now been over three years since we sold our house in the US and hit the road. During this time we have learned a lot about money, and not just spending it. Spending money sounds easy and it is, but knowing how to maximize your money and avoid fees and extra charges on the road will make your travels less stressful and allow you to live a little bit better. In this article we are going to share with you some tips and tricks we have learned during our time slow traveling the world.
Whether you are planning to slow travel the world or are just taking a ten day trip to Europe there are a few things you should think about now that will save you a lot of money down the road. Some of these things can take time to get organized so the sooner you start planning the better.
Debit Cards & ATM Fees
Even in you are in a country where credit cards are widely accepted, you are going to want to have some local cash on hand for small purchases and tips. If you are just going to one country this can be as easy as getting foreign currency from your bank before leaving home. Most major banks now allow you buy foreign currency on their website and they will send it directly to your home. This is nice as you won’t have to worry about using an ATM at an airport where the rates are often below what you will find elsewhere.
With that said you should absolutely have the ability to get cash from ATM’s. To do so there are several things you need to think about in advance. First and foremost, does your bank charge you an international fee when using your debit card at ATM’s in a foreign country? You can find this out by calling the number on the back of your debit card or searching your account terms online. If they do charge a international fee or conversion rate, these fees are going to add up in a hurry and can have a major impact on how much your trip will cost.
In addition to fees charged by your bank for using foreign ATM’s, there are also fees from the local banks for using cards not associated with that bank. Again, this can really add up fast and before you know it you are often paying and extra 10-15%. There are a few cards that will take care of these problems for you. We have a Charles Schwab Investor Checking account. We have been using debit cards associated with this account for years and it has saved us thousand of dollars. Charles Schwab does not have any international fees or conversion rates. This alone is great but the real benefit to having this account is that they actually reimburse us for any ATM fees charged by the local banks. We also carry a debit card connected to another online checking account, but it is only for emergencies only and we have yet to use it. As the Schwab checking is an investment account it takes some time to set up, so don’t wait until right before your trip starts to get this done.
So you have the right cards attached to the right accounts and you don’t have anything else to worry about, right? Every ATM is different and there are several things you need to know about. What is the daily limit from your bank and from the local ATM? Then a really big one is the exchange rate. This isn’t something you think you should have to worry about at the ATM. The biggest issue and the way lots of banks make money is by offering a poor exchange rate. In many countries we enter our pin and the amount we want to withdraw and then a screen pops up with a whole bunch of information about exchange rates and it normally gives you two options. You can choose to accept the rate the ATM is offering or you can decline the exchange rate. You ALWAYS want to hit decline. This does not decline the transaction or cancel anything. It simply means that your home bank will negotiate the rate of exchange and it will save you a lot of money.
So then you hit decline and the ATM dispenses a stack of large denomination notes. Not having small change can be such a difficultly in many places. That is why we always try to opt to withdraw smaller than round amounts. In Mexico for instance, if we were going to get 2000 pesos from an ATM, we would instead opt to enter 1900 pesos. Then at least we were starting with a few smaller notes.
Credit Card Fees
Now don’t forget about your credit cards. Make sure you have a card that does not charge international fees. This is just as important for the credit card if not more so as you will often be using them for large purchases such as hotels and meals in nice restaurants. Make sure you have at least one credit card with no international fees or foreign exchange fees. One more important thing to keep in mind is if at all possible do not use your credit card at the ATM to get a cash advance. You will likely be charged a large fee by your bank, up to 25% of the amount you take out.
Once you have the right credit and debit cards the only things left to do is notify your bank of your travel plans. You can do this online, though your banking app or by calling the number on your card.
Carry Some Cash
You should plan on carrying some cash in case of emergencies. Anything can happen. You could lose cards, have cards stolen or someone could get a hold of your card information and make unauthorized purchase. This happened to us recently and while we don’t know where they got our information we suspect it was from an ongoing online subscription. Of course, we are not liable for the fraudulent charges, but they do cancel your cards and getting new ones on the road can be difficult. So, it is always good to have a back up plan and no matter where you are, there are places you can change US dollars cash to local currency.
Don’t just leave home with the cash you have in your wallet. Decide how much you will need and go to your bank. Have them give you as perfect bills as they have. We have been to countries such as Myanmar where the bill must be perfect or nobody will take them. This means no tears, no writing and no folds. Get mostly 100 & 50 dollar notes as they will get the best exchange rate. Some currency exchanges won’t take smaller bills and if they do the rate is reduced. Educate yourself on the exchange rates of the countries you will be visiting. We use the XE Currency app as you can store several currencies and keep up to date on the rates.
Do not carry large sums of cash as you are required by many countries to declare with customs any amount over ten thousand US dollars. Getting additional US dollars while traveling can be expensive, especially if you are using a local currency to exchange to dollars. There are several places around the world that use dollars as their currency and these can be great places to stock up while traveling. In Cambodia the ATM’s give you the option to make withdrawals in either Cambodian Riel or US dollars. We have always received perfect brand new 100 dollar bills from these ATM’s. Other places to easily obtain dollars include Ecuador and Panama.
Payment Apps
Some countries we travel to just want cash. They are not interested in credit cards as the fees are too high for them. In other places you will see that the locals rarely use cash and use apps on their phones to pay for everything from hotels to street food. Across Europe you will find that many places allow you to pay with Apple Pay. This is less so in other parts of the world and there are often local payment apps that everyone uses. For many of the local payment apps you will need to have a local phone number. We have two phones. One that we use to get a local SIM cards that allows us to have local calls and data. We also sometimes use an eSIM which is just an app that we use to install an electronic SIM for each country or region we travel to. Even in places where the locals pay by app we haven’t had any issues paying with cash.
Keeping Your Money Safe
Our second phone is for banking. After having our credit card information stolen we now have two-step verification set up on all our accounts, so we need our US cell number that is associated with our bank accounts to log in and make payment. We also use a VPN. This allows us to set our location to anywhere in the world and encrypts all of our banking transactions. I highly recommend using a VPN if you plan to travel for a significant period of time or will need to do banking while on the road. There are lots of VPN apps out there, we use SurfShark and have been very happy with the service. As long as we are taking about security it’s good to think about where you will keep your cards, cash and passports. We highly advise against keeping everything in the same place and not carrying it all around with you. It is too easy to lose a wallet or bag and have it all gone. We suggest carrying some with you and keeping some in your hotel room, preferably in some sort of lockable travel safe.
Getting financially ready to hit the road can take a bit of time and planning, but the time you spend on these things before your trip will allow you to relax and enjoy your travels.
The roots of Portuguese food lie in both native peasant cooking and ingredients obtained through trade routes established many centuries ago. Bread, rice, spices, pastries, sausages, and seafood remain the staples of many Portuguese meals.
While we were in Porto, we definitely tried some of their iconic dishes at a few of their popular restaurants. Overall, we opted to bypass the over-priced tourist restaurants and find some local places in our neighborhood. This enabled us to eat at great restaurants that offer local prices, daily specials on food and wine, and generally better food. And we did find some gems! One of the first things we learned about some of the restaurants here is that after you sit down for a meal, they automatically bring your table a basket of bread, a plate of olives, and a plate of cheese or salsicha (sausage). This is for you to nibble on while you wait for your order. If you eat it, you will be charged for it, it is not complimentary. If you don’t eat it, the waiter will take it away when your order comes out. This is common practice at most eateries across Portugal and Spain. This is good to know as your bill can add up very quickly if you’re not careful.
The food, beer, and wine in Porto was fantastic! As I previously stated in my tour blog,
the first order of the day was always to head down to our corner bakery, the Cafe Batalha. Get a table in the morning sun, and order a cafe duplo, or double espresso, along with a croissant, or some other delightful sweet or savory pastry. I can’t forget to mention the pastéis de nata. A three-bite egg custard tart dusted with cinnamon and mouth wateringly delicious. There seems to be a bakery on almost every block in the city, great for breakfast, lunch, or an afternoon coffee. Big breakfasts are not really a thing with the locals here. Unless we wanted a full breakfast, our morning coffees and pastries for two were less than $5.00. The waiter at our morning cafe soon knew us by site and would just give us a hand signal for the coffee, then take our food order when he brought our coffees out.
Pastéis de NataPastéis de Nata
We had our first authentic Portugese meal the day after we arrived. We were in the historic old town on one of the side streets and decided to stop for lunch at a sidewalk cafe called Brasa Dos Leões. We were seated at a small outdoor table and the waiter brought out bread, chouriço, and olives that we munched on while we waited for our grilled sardines, batatas (potatoes), salad, and beer. The chourico and sardines were absolutely delicious, and we tried these at many different locations. This is when we found out that the side items brought to the table were not complimentary. But they were delicious and not very expensive. We were glad we ate them, but we knew what to look out for in the future.
SardinesSardines
We had lunch and afternoon coffee several times at a really nice bakery/restaurant called Confeitaria Tamisa. Located on the far upper edge of the historic zone, their sandwiches, salads, sausage and egg dishes, were all delicious. We also found their croissant de chocolate with a nice coffee to be heavenly and a great afternoon pick-me-up!
A couple of times we just stopped in the little local store near the park we liked to go to and bought fresh bread, olives, sausage, cheese, and a bottle of wine. All for only $10.00. The wine in the stores here is incredibly affordable and a picnic in the park on a sunny day is always fun.
Located in the neighborhood we were staying in was the Restaurante Baju. This is where we decided to try a sandwich Porto is famous for called the francesinha, which is a drowned sandwich. The sandwich is made with two thick slices of white bread, between goes wet-cured ham, a Portuguese sausage called linguiça, and either steak or roast beef. Then, the outside of the sandwich is covered with melted cheese, and lastly drowned in a special tomato and beer sauce. You can get a fried egg on top if you want as well. This was way to heavy for me to even come close to finishing, but it certainly was delicious. We ate dinner here several times because all their menu items were tasty and priced right. There were many restaurants located on these streets that surrounded Poveiros Square. We just happened upon this area while walking around our neighborhood. This area was quite a hike from the riverfront, but close to our Airbnb. So while it did have a few tourists like us wandering around, it was mainly locals eating here.
FrancesinhaFrancesinha
Another famous and local place in Poveiros Square is the Casa Guedes. They have three locations around the city. Here we had the best steak prego sandwich with carmelized onions, yummy! We also loved Portugals National Dish of bolinhas de bacalhau, or cod fish croquettes. We ate here at least three times.
Bolinhos de BacalhauBolinhos de BacalhauSteak Prego Roll
Another Poveiros Square restaurant we liked is Trigo de Cantos. We loved ordering plates of their pimentos padrão, or grilled chili peppers to go along with their charcuterie board called a mistos which had a variety of cheese, olives, meats, and bread.
pimentos padrãocharcuterie
We found a great place, famous with the locals, called Conga. We got right in the first time we went, but the next time we had a bit of a wait. This place had a great bifana. Bifanas are traditional Portuguese sandwiches made with thin slices of pork that have been marinated in white wine, garlic, and paprika. They’re served on soft rolls with plenty of mustard and peri-peri sauce. I also loved their caldo verde soup, which is a creamy soup made with linguiça sausage, potatoes, and finely chopped kale. I had this with my bifana instead of fries. Their most popular dish that the locals crowded the place for was the papas de serrabulho. This is a traditional Portuguese stew that combines pork, chicken, salpicão and chouriço sausages, ham, corn flour, cumin, lemon, cloves, and nutmeg with pig blood. It looked great, and smelled great, but I couldn’t get past the pigs blood which turns the soup a very deep brownish red color. However, I do plan on trying it next time I’m there.
Spicy Bifana
We visited another iconic little place called Gazela. This place is famous for it’s traditional Portuguese cachorrinho hotdog. A grilled pork sausage served on a thin, crispy bun. One of these with a cold beer goes down way to easy. This place was famous even before being featured on Anthony Bourdain some years ago. We ate here several times as it was also very affordable. We could each get a cachorrinho, fries, and a beer for around $15.00. Several places offer the cachorrinho done francesinha style with the cheese, sauce and egg.
CachorrinhoHot Dog
We splurged on a fancy dinner one night at Rio Tapas & Bar. Aaron made reservations, but somehow we showed up the night before our reservation. We were all dressed up and everything. Oh well, we got to dress up two nights in a row as we went back the next night when our actual reservation was for. We tried a variety of tempting small plates! We had air bread with beef loin and foie gras. Next were goat cheese puffs with walnuts. Then some crispy shrimp. Next on order was wild mushrooms in parchment paper. Lastly, and one of our favorite dishes was broken egg. This dish consists of fried potatoes with prezunto (cured pork), topped with a sunny side egg broken open. I don’t know what they do to this simple sounding dish, but it is fantastic. All this, served with a nice bottle of red wine. It was marvelous! You have to make reservations as they only have eight tables, so you know the service is outstanding as well. This was an expensive meal, but it is worth treating yourself to one really outstanding dining experience when visiting Porto.
Walking across the Dom Luis Bridge to Gaia, we found restaurants lining the Douro river and looking back across to Porto. The first restaurant we tried in Gaia was the Casa Adao. Here we ordered the arroz caldoso, this is similar to a paella. The arroz caldoso was loaded with shrimp, had a rich broth, and came with bread. It is served in a large casserole dish and one order easily serves two people. This along with our drinks came to less than $20.00.
Arroz Caldoso
Our favorite restaurant in this area was the Taberinha do Manel. We ended up coming here twice, even though it was a little more than what we normally spend on a meal because the location, atmosphere, food, and staff were outstanding. Here we tried the braised beef cheeks stewed in port wine, the pica pau, which translates to woodpecker beef. It is a traditional snack often referred to as pecking food and eaten with a toothpick. We also had chouriço served with rye bread and goat butter, empanadas with iberian pig and serra de estrella cheese, beans and wild mushrooms stew, and the prezunto plate with artisan breads and olives. They had some really nice wines here as well. On our second visit, we happened to be seated by a couple from the U.S. who had recently moved to Porto and opened a wine export business. We chatted with them for a bit and while we were eating, they sent us over two really nice glasses of white wine. They’ve clearly been doing their research as this was one of the best white wines we had in Porto.
Pica Pau (Woodpecker Beef)Brasied Beef Cheek
As far as beer and wine go. . . You don’t just order a beer, you order um fino, and you get a small beer. Super Bock is served by almost every restaurant in town, exclusively at many places. The wine here is much more than just Port. The sweet Port wine is for, or with dessert. The nearby Douro Valley also produces some phenomenal red and white wines, as well as a green wine called Vino Verde which we really enjoyed. Vino Verde is not a variety of grape, or green in color, it is a way of producing wine. It is lower in alcohol and is consumed shortly after being bottled.
Port WineWords To Live ByUm FinoSuper Bock StoutRed Wine
The food in Porto is very heavy in meat, bread, and potatoes. In many ways it feels like comfort food. We did our best to sample it all, and I’m sure we missed a few things. Everything we ate in Porto was delicious! The food scene here is extensive and I know we’ll be back to eat our way around Porto again.
Porto, Portugal is a fascinating city full of history, delicious wine and wonderful architecture. Find out what to see and do what you visit Porto!
Finally, I found myself on a plane to Europe. Portugal would be my first introduction to Europe and I could hardly wait. As budget travelers we have steered clear of Europe so far, as it can be very expensive, or so we thought. We definitely plan on doing Europe in depth, but we want to get our hardest travel destinations done first. Then we found ourselves with three free weeks when going from one continent to another, and started exploring affordable places to go in Europe. The main destination that kept popping up was Portugal.
The Douro River in PortoPorto City View
Instead of trying to tour the whole country, which would have been more costly, we picked the popular destination of Porto, the second largest city in Portugal, and one of the oldest and most historic cities in Europe. We went in the spring shoulder season. School’s not out yet, the nights are very cool but the days are warm and generally sunny, and the summer vacation crowds haven’t hit yet. Porto is one of the most ancient cities in all of Europe dating back to the 8th century BC. So if you’re a history or archeology buff like we are, this city is for you. Ancient Celtic settlements, old Roman Outposts, cathedrals, towers, the ancient city wall, forts, bridges, knights, royalty, birthplace of Henry the Navigator and the Age of Discovery! It’s all here and it’s all walkable!
Our plane landed in the late afternoon, so by the time we got in the airport, through customs, collected our bags, hit the ATM and caught an Uber to where we were staying, it was dark. It was also cloudy and had been raining, so it was a little cold and dreary. But that did not dampen my excitement at being there.
Porto offers everything from high-end resorts and hotels down to budget backpacker hostels. We found a small, but very nice, apartment on Airbnb, in a neighborhood just outside the main historic area. Here we spent three weeks which got us a long term stay discount. Plus it had a washer/dryer, another cost saving feature. Three weeks also let us take our time getting to know the city, seeing all the beautiful historic sites, and sampling all the great food and wine. If you don’t mind a few hills, all of the UNESCO World Heritage historic sites are very walkable. If you don’t want to walk you can use Uber, a taxi, a city bus, the metro, bicycles, electric scooters, and there’s even a historic tram system in one section. We found it very easy to get around and just walked every where.
Porto Neighborhood Porto Tram
Our apartment was on a small friendly street and we quickly settled into the flow of the neighborhood. After dropping our bags, we were done in. So we just walked down to the end of the block and crossed the street where there was an excellent Italian restaurant. We waited for daylight to seek out local Portuguese restaurants. Our apartment was also directly across the street from the neighborhood pub. This was not a problem as they closed at 10:00 pm on weeknights and midnight on Friday and Saturday. There were some funny old curmudgeons that frequented the place on a daily basis, who we became very friendly with as they liked to sit on our stoop and smoke until the pub opened. The first order of the day was always to head down to the corner bakery, get a table in the morning sun, and order a cafe duplo, or double espresso, along with a Pastel de Nata (Portuguese egg tart) or some other delightful sweet or savory pastry. There seems to be a bakery on almost every block in the city, great for breakfast, lunch, or an afternoon coffee. Unless we wanted a full breakfast, our morning coffees and pastries for two were less than $5.00 for us both. The breads and rolls here are amazing, as is the coffee! We opted to bypass the over-priced tourist restaurants that line the riverside and find some local places in our neighborhood. This enabled us to find great places that offer local prices, daily specials on food and wine, and generally better food. And we did find some gems! Of course we did go to a couple of renowned places to try their specialties, but we kept that limited. For a more in-depth dive into the food, check out my food blog for Porto!
There are so many ancient, and historical sites to visit here. Many of them are free to enter or cost $3.00 or less. Staying just outside of the historic city center meant we were still in walking distance to all of the major sites within the UNESCO World Heritage historic part of the city. We started our explorations with the São Bento Railway Station. Even though it is a historic landmark, it is still a busy, operating railway station with thousands passing through it everyday. This building is not all that old, construction started in 1904 and it opened in 1916. What makes this railway station special is the 20,000 blue and white, hand-painted azulejo tiles that decorate the walls. These tiles were designed and hand-painted by artist Jorge Colaco. The tiles form panels that depict rural people from different regions of Portugal and important historical events. It really is beautiful to look at, I felt like I was in an art gallery instead of a railway station. This place is free to visit.
São Bento Train StationSão Bento TrainSão Bento Tiles
Not far from the São Bento Station, we walked across the Dom Luis I Bridge. Built in 1886 by Gustave Eiffel (of the Eiffel Tower), this double-decker bridge spans the Douro River and connects Porto with the city of Vila Nova de Gaia on the other side. The upper deck is for the railway and pedestrians. The lower deck is for automobile traffic. It seemed like we walked across it every day. It’s an amazing bridge and you get stunning views of both sides of the river, and all the way out to the Pacific. You can also get a really good view of some of the remains of the ancient medieval wall that once surrounded the city.
Dom Luiz Bridge ViewDom Luiz Bridge at Sunset
Next we visited the Porto Cathedral. Originally built in the year 1110, in Romanesque style, the centuries since then have seen additions done in Gothic and Baroque style architecture. But the main look of the cathedral remains Romanesque. I felt like I had stepped back into medieval times as I strolled around this huge complex. And I guess I had, this is a medieval construction. I can’t even begin to describe how stunning it is outside and inside, with its large, classic rosette window above the cathedral doors. The place is full of beautiful art, ancient artifacts, and history. You can visit the funerary chapel of Knight Joao Gordo. His tomb has his recumbent figure carved into the top, sword and all, with the apostles carved around the sides. He was a Knight Hospitaller. Founded in the 1200s, the Knights Hospitaller and the Knights Templar were the only two Catholic military orders founded in the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Then in 1387, King John I married English Princess Phillipa of Lancaster here. Talk about some fascinating history. I was hooked! You can enter the church for free, and it costs $3.00 to go into the cloisters, the tower, the chapels, and the treasure museum. Believe me, you’ll want to pay the $3.00. This place was visually and historically stunning.
Porto CathedralPorto Cathedral
Walking down the hill towards the river we found the Church of St. Francis. Built in 1383, it is the most prominent Gothic monument in Porto. While the outside is relatively plain, don’t let that fool you. You will find the inside extensively covered with intricately carved gilt woodwork. These intricate carvings reflect biblical stories. Everything is covered in gold. This was done in the early 1800s in Baroque style and is considered some of the most outstanding work in Portugal. You can also see some 16th century paintings, and tombs from the Renaissance. Don’t miss the room with ancient tombs in the wall and the plexi-glass covered floor of the Ossuary. This cathedral does not allow pictures to be taken inside. Or they request that you don’t. We saw several people trying to sneak their cellphones out to take a picture. Price of admission here was $10.00 to enter but it really was worth it.
Literally right next door is the Bolsa Palace. We had to wait in line for a little while here. The weather was nice and we were in the shade so it made for a pleasant wait. This site was formerly a convent that was attached to the Church of St. Francis. It burned down in 1832, luckily the church was saved. Queen Mary II donated the convent ruins to the merchants of Porto who decided to build the seat of the Commercial Association here. This beautiful building is done in Neoclassical style and is filled with the most interesting paintings of Portugals royals throughout its history. There is one room that is truly spectacular called “The Arab Room”. I would go there again just to see that room alone. Price of admission here was $12.00 and you can see why if you go there.
Bolsa Palace ExteriorBolsa Palace InteriorBolsa Palace Interior
The Casa do Infante, or House of the Prince was a really interesting place to visit. Built in 1325 as a customs house and house of coin, or a mint, it was the only royal quarters for King John I and Princess Phillipa to stay in when they were in Porto. This is also where the Prince, Henry the Navigator was born in 1392. Henry the Navigator that launched the Age of Discovery. There is a lot of great information in this museum. But, one of the most intriguing details is that this building was constructed on top of an old Roman Villa. This has been partially excavated and can be seen under a plexiglass floor. One section of the tiled mosaic floor of the Roman villa is in excellent condition and really beautiful. The Romans were in Portugal well over 2,000 years ago, from 300 BC to 400 AD. There are also remains of a human settlement along the river that date back to 800 BC. A lot of interesting history here for an entry fee of $2.40.
Another spot not to be missed is the Clérigos Church and Tower, also known as Church of the Clergymen. The church was completed in 1750 and is done in Baroque style. It is absolutely gorgeous inside. The highlight is the tower which was added in 1754. Standing at 246 feet high, it can be seen from many points across the city. We climbed the tower and were rewarded with fantastic views of the city and river. This is an iconic place with many visitors. We went early and didn’t have to stand in line to long, but it was a tight fit going up and down the tower stairs. Admission here is $8.50 and well worth it. While at the top of the tower, we spotted a nice park right across the street so we went there when we were done at the church. It turned out to be a nice beer garden called The Base. It had a main area to order your drink from and then you can either sit at a table under an umbrella, or on the grass beneath the shady trees. We found ourselves enjoying an afternoon with a beer here on several occasions.
The Base PortoThe Base Porto
There were many more historic churches and buildings that we didn’t go into. We just looked at their beautiful facades and took pictures. We hit all the big ones. Located outside the historic center is the Crystal Palace Gardens. We walked over there a couple of times, and it is a lovely, green oasis in the middle of the city. Sitting on about 20 acres, the park is actually a mosaic of different gardens that feature different flowers, plants, fountains, and sculptures. You can also get some stunning views of the Douro River from up on this hillside. Beautiful peacocks freely roam the gardens and just add another layer of enchantment to the place. The Crystal Palace itself, was built in 1865 to host the International Exhibition. After almost a century of hosting everything from exhibitions, to concerts, it was torn down in 1951 and replaced a few years later with a sports pavilion. You can see this UFO shaped building if you visit the gardens. The gardens are free to visit, but plan to spend at least two hours or more there.
Crystal Palace GardensCrystal Palace Gardens
By accident, we found Vertudes Park while walking around the historic center. We came here several times, and picnicked here as well. It’s a big park with different levels you can walk up, or down, to. It has some water features and sculptures as well as nice green grass and shady trees. We found it unique as many of its supporting walls were built by the Romans and contain some interesting sculpture and carvings. You also get some stunning views from here and there was never many people here when we were there.
We walked across the Dom Luis I Bridge quite a number of times. Even though it was just across the river, the Gaia side had a completely different feel, and fewer people wandering about. There are a few historic things on this side of the river as well. The first one we visited was the Monastery Serra do Pilar. It has a unique circular shape church and cloister that still hold church services today. Construction of the monastery began in 1538 and was an ongoing project through the mid 1700s as there were always more monks coming in than they had room for. The monastery and grounds are situated high above the Douro River and this site became of great military importance during the Peninsular War in 1807, the siege of Porto in 1832, and right up through World War I. In 1947 some of the monastery grounds were converted into military barracks that remain there today. You can tour the church, monastery, and grounds for $2.50. The view from here at sunset is breathtaking as you can see Porto and the Dom Luis Bridge light up.
Dom Luiz BridgeMonastery
If you didn’t already know. . . Port wine is one of Portugals most famous exports, and named after the city of Porto. In particular, the cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia. The side of the river opposite Porto. There are several old port houses here that you can do tours and tastings at. We visited Taylor Fladgate, founded in 1692. This was an amazing experience to walk through these vast rooms and see these enormous barrels that the port is stored in. Taylor vintage ports are some of the most sought after and expensive port wines in the world. We paid $40.00 each to do a tasting paired with appetizers, seated in their lovely rose garden. I had previously only tasted a Port style wine produced in the U.S. and I didn’t care for it very much. But these Ports were on a whole different level, WOW! I loved the red, the white, and the tawny. We splurged here and did tastings of two vintage varieties as well. Needless to say, I am now a fan!
Port Wine TastingVery Old PortTaylor’s Port WinePort Wine Barrel Room
One afternoon we did a two hour boat tour on the Douro River to see six of the awesome bridges that span the river. You also get a really good look at life on both sides of the river starting at the ocean, going past the city, and out to the edge of the countryside. It was just a really nice day out on the water and it was only $12.00 per person.
We headed down to the riverside promenade early one morning and rented bicycles for $6.00 each for the whole day. We rode across the Dom Luis I Bridge, through Gaia’s riverside, and up the coast. We stopped at a couple of beaches and boardwalks along the way to take in the beautiful landscape. We did dip our toes in the ocean, even though the sun and the air were nice and warm, the water was still frigid. We followed the bike path for 10 miles before stopping at a little seaside community and having a wonderful, and inexpensive fresh seafood lunch. We gazed out at the ocean for a bit, then headed back. It was a perfect day.
Cycling by the OceanBeautiful Beach near Porto
Lastly, we splurged on one amazing tour. We did a boat tour up the Douro River Valley where all the grapes for wine and port are grown, along with olives for olive oil. The wine estates we sailed past were beautiful. There was port sampling on the boat, along with a delightful array of finger foods. Next, we stopped at a winery for a tour and tasting of their wines and olive oil. Both were absolutely fantastic. To give you an idea of how big their wine barrels are, you could get inside one and have your picture taken. After leaving the wine estate we were taken to a 200 year old home/restaurant that was open only to our group. They served us an awesome lunch featuring many local dishes accompanied by several varieties of wine. Our plates and wineglasses were truly bottomless! They just kept refilling both until we turned our glasses upside down. It was a wonderful day full of beautiful scenery, relaxing river cruising, hearing stories, learning the areas history, lively entertainment, and some of the most delicious food and drink ever. This was an all day tour that covered our lunch and dinner. We met some really fun people on the tour as well. This was considered a mid-range tour at $132.00 per person, and it was so worth it. I would love to do it again!
Wine TastingDouro ValleyInside Wine BarrelDouro River
Since our visit to Porto we have been investigating other places in Europe we want to visit and finding some very affordable options. Our bucket list continues to grow and I am looking forward to more European adventures!
Check Out Our Video Guide to Porto
We just loved the food in Porto. Check out our Porto Food Guide to see where we ate and what food you don’t want to miss during your trip to Porto.
There are three lakes in the Pokhara valley. Fewa, located in Pokhara is the largest. Lying ten miles outside of Pokhara are Begnas Lake, the second largest, and Rupa Lake, the third largest. The hillsides around both lakes are dotted with guest houses, boutique resorts, and yoga retreats.
After hearing many great things about the lakes, we booked a four night stay at the Rupa View Guest House. This turned out to be a great decision. We took a taxi from Pokhara and about 90 minutes later, were dropped off at a small shop. The shop owner showed us the path to the guesthouse. It was an easy walk and a stairway led us up the hill where the guesthouse sits by itself. The drive through the rural countryside was beautiful and our guesthouse truly was in a quiet and rural location.
Being located outside the city, the food and lodging here are even cheaper than it is in Pokhara. Our guesthouse was a peaceful escape into nature. The owners, Mr. And Mrs. Thapa, were wonderful hosts. Their beautiful property is covered with flowering plants that attract a large array of colorful birds and butterflies like I had never seen before. Mr. Thapa is a photographer and has taken some beautiful shots of these birds and butterflies. The lovely guesthouse, built in traditional red brick and wood style, has basic but very nice rooms, a wrap around balcony, and an amazing rooftop deck. This rooftop gives you a 360 degree view of the surrounding forest, Rupa Lake, the suspension bridge, and best of all, you get outstanding views of the Himalaya mountain range. Depending on the time of year, you don’t always get views of these spectacular mountains. They stay shrouded in mist and clouds much of the time. This was definitely the longest stretching view of the Himalayas we had while we were in Nepal. The setting sun turns the snow-capped mountains from bright white, to gold, and then to pinks, purples, and blues. It was truly amazing! We were up there for sunset every night. I honestly did not realize how long the mountain range was, and I still didn’t see it all. Nor could I, they stretch for 1,500 miles, crossing the borders of Tibet (China), Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The Himalayas are truly epic to look at. Many afternoons it was so nice to just sit on the balcony, breathing in the fresh air, and watching all the different birds that would come through. Since the guesthouse is located in a slightly rural location but you can order all your meals there, and the food was delicious, home cooked, and organic. They grow pretty much everything on the property. Mr. Thapa even keeps bees. We had their honey served up with Mrs. Thapa’s wonderful Tibetan bread for breakfast. It was a great place to stay and only $9 a night! We will definitely stay here again.
Located close to the Rupa View Guest House is the Zoological Preserve and Wild Animal Rescue Center. We visited here one morning and hiked one of the trails in the preserve. This forested area was returned to its natural state and you can visit the rescue center and see the animals. Unfortunately, some of the birds and animals can never be returned to the wild due to injuries. But it was amazing to see a Himalayan Condor and a Griffon up close. I did not realize the different types of big cats that are found in the Himalayas either. They also had deer, including the barking deer, eagles, owls, and a boa constrictor. They are operating on a shoestring and trying very hard to do all they can to preserve forested areas and the wildlife that lives there.
We also hiked around Rupa Lake and the surrounding area, and crossed the awesome suspension bridge that spans the lake. You also get great views of the conservation area for the White Lotus flowers, and the small fish farming operations scattered across the lake.
One morning we were up and out early and hiked over to Begnas Lake. Walking along we passed by farms, schools, shops, homes and even a small Hindu temple. It was such a pleasant way to observe Nepalese village daily life. The area around Begnas is more populated than around Rupa Lake. More people come here than go to Rupa and there is a little more infrastructure. The number and size of guesthouses and resorts are greater here and there are a few bars and even some fancy coffee shops and restaurants. There are no boating activities taking place on Rupa Lake, but Begnas offers non-motorized water activities like kayaking and paddle boards.
The hike over didn’t take as long as we thought it would and we arrived way to early for lunch. We passed a really nice coffee shop and restaurant and decided we could use another cup of coffee. They had covered seating on their rooftop and it offered a spectacular view of the lake below. We enjoyed a great cup of coffee and killed a little time before we hiked down to the lakeside restaurants.
Begnas Lake is known for it’s delicious fish. Run by the local communities, fish farming is done in both lakes along with the protection of certain endangered species. The fish is served here in the local restaurants and is known for it’s freshness and flavor. The fish farms here are held to strict standards of health and cleanliness for both the lakes and the fish. Our mission was to hike down to the lake where there are several restaurants known for their grilled fish.
Begnas Lake, Nepal
After leaving the coffee shop, it was still a pretty good hike down to the lake. Once we arrived, there were so many restaurants advertising grilled fish that we thought we would have a hard time choosing which one to go to. But after stopping at several of them the only one we found open was the Lake Peace Restaurant and Resort. It was still only 10:00 am and we were just to early. They were very accommodating and let me order the grilled fish. About 20 minutes later a small rowboat pulled up to the shore and a large lady got out and handed the fresh caught fish (our order) to our waiter. Then she came and sat at our table and chatted with us until she caught her breath. In most of the places we go, people will just come up and start chatting. They want to know where you’re from and why you chose to come to their little corner of the world. This lady was the same, she just wanted to see where we were from and say hello after she had caught our fish and rowed it over in her little boat. I love it. The fish came wrapped in foil and stuffed with spinach, mushrooms, and garlic. I don’t normally eat fresh water fish but I wanted to try this and it was delicious and grilled to perfection. Unfortunately it did not come with any sides. While it was extra delicious, it wasn’t very filling. By this time we had already been there two hours, so we decided to head back.
Hiking back to our guesthouse I was reminded why we had left so early in the first place, to avoid the heat of the day. Our return hike was all uphill and it had definitely started to heat up. We had to stop again, at the same coffee shop, and order cold drinks and some appetizers. We also just needed to sit in their air-conditioning for awhile and cool down. We must have looked ready to fall over because our waiter wheeled a portable air-conditioner over to our table to blow directly on us. But it was a nice hike and it allowed us a close up view of the peaceful countryside.
Our four night stay at the guesthouse was so nice, relaxing, and completely different from staying in the city. We did a lot of hiking, and ate some terrific food. I later found out that Mrs. Thapa used to run cooking classes. No wonder she is such a terrific chef. We would definitely go back here again for a few more nights!
Pokhara is known as the tourism capital of Nepal and the gateway to the Annapurna massif in the Himalayas. Most people come to Pokhara for trekking, but there is so much else to see and do here. This includes a wide variety of adventure sports like river rafting, para-gliding, bungee jumping, ATV tours, and more. All of this, combined with Lake Fewa, where you can paddle board, kayak, boat, and fish, it really is a destination to visit in itself. Our six weeks here was packed full even though we didn’t get to do any trekking because the rainy season had started right as we arrived. We are planning a return trip for early next spring to trek and visit some of the lovely friends we made here.
Being budget travelers, we opted to take the $15 bus ride from Kathmandu to Pokhara, over the 25 minute, $100 flight. We paid a little extra to take the sofa bus which has very comfortable seats and air conditioning. When booking a bus ticket, be aware that not all the buses have A/C and comfortable seats. Due to a landslide that closed the highway, our trip to Pokhara was delayed by a day, and it ended up taking 18 hours instead of 7, on the following day. It made for a long trip, but it wasn’t a big deal. The bus driver made plenty of stops for food and restroom breaks, and we got to see the beautiful countryside. The bus was also very comfortable and conducive to napping. The bus was packed with a conglomeration of Nepalis and Western tourists on the bus, including a group of exuberant young Russians that brought their own Vodka and Pepsi onto the bus. It actually turned out to be quite an interesting trip. The “highway” (2 lane dirt & gravel with intermittent paving) was a massive traffic jam in many places. There were several cars with wedding parties trying to get through and the other drivers would try to pull aside and make way for. And it turned out to be a way for some of the rural farmers to make a little extra money. We saw people hurrying to cut up cucumbers, watermelons, etc. to sell when traffic came to a standstill. A young man boarded our bus with bags full of fresh cucumber spears sprinkled with chili to sell. I bought a bag for fifteen cents and it was way more than Aaron and I could finish. Unfortunately, our bus did not pull into the bus station until after midnight. The taxi drivers knew a bus was coming in and were lined up waiting. Here we were late at night, in a city we had never been to, not knowing how far it was to our guesthouse, so we agreed to the 1,000 rupees the taxi driver quoted us. We knew that was way over priced, but in the end it worked out to only $7.63 and we just wanted to get to our hotel after a really long day.
As slow travelers, we were in Pokhara for six weeks and stayed in three locations around the city. All great, and highly recommended. Our first stay was at the Namman Guest House, located close to the lakeside and near many good restaurants. Our room was great and the family was so nice. They made sure we had everything we needed and made us feel like part of their family. The family lives on the first floor. The second and third floors each have four rooms plus a TV room with sofas. We had the large rooftop room with a wonderful view. Bimal, the owner, even gave us a ride to the next place we were staying! We ended up staying here again at the end of our time in Pokhara. Our next stay was at The Lotus Apartments. It was located a few blocks farther away from the action, but turned out to be right where I needed to be. The apartment was new, modern and fully equipped. Again, run by a very nice family. Thankfully it was located next door to the International Medicare Clinic. I arrived in Nepal with a cough, which turned into walking pneumonia. I received the best care from Dr. Mukesh, and I was so glad he was right next door because I had to have breathing treatments twice a day for seven days. The third place we stayed in the city was the Urban Boutique,a new, modern hotel located in the lakeside area. Our room was spacious, comfortable and had a large balcony that gave us a great view of the lake, and free breakfast included. This was a great place to stay and close to many good restaurants and the lakeside promenade.
Pokhara is much smaller and much more laid back than Kathmandu, while still having that exotic flair. I loved the incense, the brightly colored prayer flags, and the sounds of singing bowls, bells, and cymbals that you can hear when walking down the streets. Pokhara also sits on the lakeside of Fewa Lake. There is a nice promenade on the lakeside that runs almost two miles. It is lined with cafes, bars, fruit stands, boat rental booths, and even Pokhara Disneyland. They have the fastest spinning Ferris Wheel I have ever seen. It was actually scary to watch! At night and on weekends the lakeside really comes alive with live music, cultural shows and the vendors turn out with their carts selling balloons, cotton candy, roasted peanuts, toys, etc. We found ourselves down on the lakeside a lot. One afternoon when we were walking the promenade after lunch, a group of Hari Krishnas were coming down the sidewalk. They were dressed in their orange toga like outfits, beating on a tambourine and a drum, while dancing and singing the “Hari Krishna” song. They were picking up quite a following behind them. People of all ages, locals and tourists, were joining in on this little parade. The kids were the funniest to watch. I had never seen anything quite like this outside of a movie and I found it delightful and hilarious. We actually saw a lot of interesting things and people, some of it way out there, but all good natured and harmless.
I have to mention that there are a lot of dogs in Pokhara, both pets and strays. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference. Not all, but most of the strays we saw were very well cared for by the locals. They were well fed, good looking and friendly. The streets are lined with water bowls and food is put out regularly by businesses and residents. I really liked that. In SE Asia I had noticed that all the stray dogs and cats live at the Buddhist temples and are fed and cared for by the monks. But here in Nepal it is taken on by the communities.
One of the first things we did was head up to the Annapurna Cable Car. This is a must do activity on a clear day. The Annapurna Cable Car is a short taxi ride away from the lakeside area. It costs $9 for a round-trip ticket for foreigners, and so worth it. Prepare to have your mind blown as you glimpse the Annapurna massif of the Himalayas as you near the top of the ridge. I can’t explain the feeling that came over me as I gazed at the mountains. It was a combination of joy, awe, and overwhelm at the magnitude of their beauty. When you’re on top, you can walk around and take in views of the mountain range on one side and the Pokhara valley on the other. There is a temple at the top you can visit and you can also walk around the village of Sarangkot. We stopped at a nice coffee shop with rooftop deck that gave us sweeping views of Annapurnas peaks and provided an epic spot to drink our coffee.
Our next outing was to the Tal Barahi Temple. Being located on a small island in Fewa Lake, the temple can only be reached by boat. This temple is the most important religious Hindu monument in Pokhara. It is visited by multitudes of devotees and tourists, especially during October when the two week long harvest Festival of Dashain is celebrated. We rented a small wooden boat called a “doonga” and were rowed over and back for only a few dollars. We went on a Saturday, not knowing that Saturdays are very significant to Hindus. Because of this, the small island really had a lot going on. There were two small temples with people lined up to go inside, areas to feed the fish, and a couple of booths selling items for offerings and souvenirs. Best of all there was a DJ and I loved the festive music being played and seeing the locals dance. Everyone was smiling and happy and very welcoming.
Every evening, at 7 pm on the lakeside, you can see the Aarti ceremony, also known as the ceremony of light. This is a religious ritual performed by three Hindu priests dressed in red and gold. Aarti is a series of venerations using ringing bells, flames, wicks soaked in ghee, and incense to attract love, energy, and blessings from the Deities. The Aarti music eulogizes specific deities and is delightful to hear. Before long most of the Hindu devotees were dancing with their arms above their heads. This hour long ceremony is free to the public and takes place every night, year round in many locations across Nepal and India. Even though it was pretty crowded, the atmosphere and the people were fantastic. We discovered it by accident and feel so lucky we were able to see it.
For our next outing we caught a taxi across town to visit two interesting places. Originating in the Himalayas, the Seti River has cut a chasm so deep through the city of Pokhara, that you really can’t see it, and don’t even realize a river is there. We went to the Seti River Park where they pump the water up through an aqueduct that you can walk across to see the rivers milky white water. Also known as the Milk River, the Seti picks up minerals that turn the water white. From the bridge you can also look down into the chasm the river cuts through town and see that it is only six and a half feet wide, but 197 feet deep. We met the nicest elderly gentleman working here, Ram B. Karki. We took pictures with him and he gave us each a blessing in the form of a red dot on our foreheads known as a tika. As he had us sign his guest book, he showed us many pictures of tourists he had his picture taken with over the last 40 years. Meeting someone like him and seeing the joy he takes in his job, and in meeting new people, really made the place feel special.
After leaving the river gorge park, we walked one block up to the Royal Gurkha Museum. This surprising museum is three levels of photos, storyboards, memorabilia, and relics that tell the fascinating history of the Gurkhas. Originating in the eighth century, the Gurkhas were soldiers known to be naturally warlike and fierce. In 1814, they faced the British in the Anglo-Nepalese War. The British were so impressed by them that in 1816 they were made part of the British Army. “The Royal Gurkha’s” have been serving worldwide, with distinction for over 200 years now. Their motto is “It is better to die than to be a coward”. We often saw groups of Gurkha hopefuls in training, as they ran through the streets of Pokhara in formation. Over 1,000 apply each year, but only 140 are chosen. Demonstrating their grit and determination, while we were here in Pokhara, a former Gurkha that had lost both his legs in Afghanistan, became the first double, above the knee, amputee to summit Mount Everest.
I found the history of the Gurkhas so interesting. Chief of Staff Field Marshall Sam Manekshaw summed up the Gurkhas very well when he stated that “If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or he is a Gurkha”. We found a great little craft brewery that had some really tasty beers, and we also sampled a Nepalese scotch called “Gurkhas and Guns”. Because of the Gurkhas being part of the British Army, they have close ties with Great Britain and the Gurkhas even do some training in the Scottish Highlands. The producer of this scotch has peat sent over from Scotland, and special barrels to age the scotch in. There are actually several of these scotches here in Nepal. They seem to be highly sought after and not cheap either.
We also visited the Devil’s Falls and the Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave, which are both supposed to be epic during the rainy season. We were there at the beginning of the rainy season so not enough rain had fallen yet to make the falls epic. The cave made for a nice visit as there are shrines inside, and lovely spiral steps that take you down into the earth, but not much water here either as the water from the falls run through this cave. The cave attracts many Hindu devotees year round so go early to avoid the crowds. Even though I found these rather anti-climatic, I did enjoy seeing another part of the town and the daily activities of the area.
We always start our day early, to avoid the heat and the crowds. On our next outing we took an early taxi to the Lord Shiva Pumdikot from the city center, which took about 25 minutes. The handsome statue of Lord Shiva is visible from Pokhara as it sits on a hilltop at about 4,900 feet. The Hindu temple itself is 108 feet high and the Lord Shiva statue on top is 51 feet high, but looks much bigger when you’re standing next to it. It really is impressive and the beauty of the statue combines with it’s natural surroundings. This is an active temple that sees many daily worshippers and religious activities. The grounds surrounding the temple are beautiful with an enormous golden statue of Shiva’s bull, “Nandi”, plus other statues. On a clear day you get fantastic views of the snow covered Himalayas, Pokhara, and Fewa Lake. Instead of taking a taxi back, we did a hike down, stopping first at the World Peace Pagoda.
A very scenic 30 minute hike from the Lord Shiva statue is the World Peace Pagoda. This is a buddhist monument to world peace built by the Nipponzan-Myohoji, a Japanese religious movement and activist group actively engaged in the peace movement worldwide. They have built 80 of these pagodas around the world so far, two here in Nepal. The gardens surrounding the pagoda are beautiful and full of blooming flowers and shady places to rest. The pagoda itself is 117 feet tall and pure white with four large golden statues of the Buddha that sit in recesses on the second tier. We were surprised that no videography is allowed here, only photos. There were many signs warning against making Tik-Tok videos and being loud and disruptive. There were also guards there to help you remember. This has been a big problem in the past.
Hiking through the countryside keeps us in touch with nature. We hiked through hills and tall green forests, and past farms with large fields of grains and pastures. It was really lovely. From the pagoda, we took a trail that led us through The Queen’s Forest and down to the lakeside. It was a great hike and mostly in the shade. At the lakeside we had a really good lunch at a small, local place called “Typical Restaurant”. Then we hired a small row-boat right there at the restaurant for $2.50. To our surprise the young man that rowed us across the lake, back to the Pokhara lakeside promenade, was the same young man that cooked our food and served it to us. It was a great day!
In the end, our original plans for Pokhara had to be set aside for another visit. We didn’t get to do a trek into the Himalayas or go para-gliding like we had planned. The weather and my illness got in the way. I could not believe our time in Pokhara went by so fast. We had found our favorite spots to eat, go for coffee, or craft beer, and discovered many new and delicious dishes. A place to have our laundry done, our favorite stores, and had made some nice friends. We also fit in a yoga and meditation retreat, a cooking class, and a four day getaway. Pokhara was fantastic! The people there are friendly, welcoming, and have a tranquil and easy going air about them. It is an easy place to spend some time. I found it very calming and relaxing there.
Even though we had a really long day getting from Kathmandu to Pokhara, we decided to take the bus back to Kathmandu when our six weeks in Pokhara were up. We used Baba Adventures sofa bus to get to and back from Pokhara. There are lots of bus companies but we found this one to be great. The return trip took exactly the estimated time of 7 hours and that was with stopping for lunch and two additional breaks. Our time in Pokhara did not go as we had planned originally, but that has turned out to be a blessing as we are already planning our next trip back.
CHECK OUT OUR POKHARA VIDEO!
Nepal’s capital city of Kathmandu is exotic, colorful packed with incredible places to explore. From its beautiful temples to its delicious food this is a city that surprised us at every turn.
I was so excited I really couldn’t believe I was actually on my way to exotic Kathmandu, Nepal. Gateway to the Himalayas! Visions of temples, prayer flags, the snow covered Himalayas, and Mount Everest ran through my head. I could almost smell the incense even before my plane landed. I had that exciting feeling you only get when arriving in a new country for the first time.
In my younger days, after reading several books on the subject, I had dreams of climbing Mount Everest. But reality sets in with adulthood, along with the pre-requisites and cost of such a climb, which is well over $100,000.00. After I retired early and started traveling, I thought Everest Base Camp might be a real possibility. And at the time it was. But, I ended up traveling to other places higher on my bucket list.
During our visit to Kathmandu, we stayed in the neighborhood of Thamel. Thamel has been Kathmandu’s main tourist hub for almost 50 years and is known for its crowded streets, noise, and partying. But this was not our experience. We stayed at a hotel located at the very end of a dead-end street. It was quiet and relaxing, not the noisy experience we had prepared ourselves for. The Everland is run by wonderful people and has spacious, comfortable rooms, with free breakfast included (it was delicious). Our street had several really good restaurants, a small grocery store, and was in walking distance to quite a number of local attractions. It was a great location. We actually stayed here again at the very end of our time in Nepal.
There is something here for every budget. From hostels to guest houses, hotels, AirBnbs, and international hotel chains. On our block there was a Courtyard by Marriott, and a street over was the Hilton, to name a couple.
Turning off of our block onto the Main Street, we were greeted by streets full of stores selling hiking and mountaineering gear. Things I had never seen before made for extreme climbing in the Himalayas. I saw boots that looked like they were made for walking on the moon along with every type of cold weather, sub-zero gear and accessory you can imagine. There were also many colorful shops selling beautiful, handmade pashmina and cashmere scarves and wraps, along with jewelry stores, book shops, and souvenir stores. Stores that sold a variety of incense, mini prayer flags, Yak soap, colorful clothing and I just needed to dive in and check them all out.
The traffic here can be quite hectic, especially on some of the narrow, old town streets that don’t have sidewalks. That first night, I had my heart in my throat while out walking around. Luckily, the time I have spent in SE Asia had given me some experience with walking in heavy traffic. I find it amazing how quickly you can get used to things, after a few days I didn’t even notice the traffic any longer. There were too many other things calling for my attention.
For our first meal that night at the Cafe Mitra, we were introduced to the Thakali Dahl Bhat set, a traditional Nepalese/Indian meal. Served on a round tray, small dishes form a circle around the mound of rice in the center. The small dishes contain Dahl (lentil & bean soup), a couple of vegetable curries, spinach or some other green, spicy pickled vegetables or mango (achar), fresh veggies, chapati bread and papadums. The dishes vary slightly from place to place. Little did I know that Nepali food was going to become some of the best I’ve had anywhere in the world. The Momos (similar to a dumpling), the noodle soups, the Curry’s, the Ting-Mo, the Tibetan bread, it was all so delicious. I am hooked! I ate mostly vegetarian (except for eggs and some fish) the entire two months we were in Nepal and found it very easy to do! Being so close to India, the Indian food was dynamite as well. Nepal also produces some of the best coffee in the world and you can find a very nice coffee shop or two on every street.
Just like with lodging, you can find very affordable to very expensive places to eat. We like to immerse ourselves into the local food, where ever we are, and found so many delicious and affordable places to eat.
Nepal is the first Hindu country we’ve been to, I mean really Hindu, 82%, the highest percentage of any country in the world. Buddhists come in at only 8%, Islam is at 5%, with the remaining 5% classified as “other”. I mention this because you do see a lot of Buddhist monks. Many of the temples and holy sites serve both Hindu and Buddhist followers. There are elements of Hinduism deeply entwined in Buddhism, which I find very satisfying and cogent.
There is so much to see and do in Kathmandu, we could not fit it all in on this visit. There are four different Durbar Palace Squares located around Kathmandu, and all are worth a visit. They all sustained damages during the 2015 earthquake resulting in minor repairs to some temples and the complete rebuilding of others. The first one we visited was Kathmandu Durbar Square. The walk over was an adventure in itself. I love watching the daily happenings of a place. The morning markets, people on their way to work, kids on their way to school, street vendors and bicycle rickshaws. An endless parade of things I’ve never seen before and foods I want to try.
Sadhu at Kathmandu Durbar Square
One of the first things we saw after entering the Kathmandu Durbar Square was a small temple with a Sadhu. There were Sadhus scattered throughout the complex and the city streets. Dressed in bright orange with designs painted on their faces, and beards that can be measured by the foot. These are Hindu ascetics that have given up all worldly possessions and follow a path of spiritual discipline. They are allowed to smoke cannabis and hash “to enhance meditation and connect the disciple with the deity”. Interestingly, some Sadhus have this life chosen for them and are actually donated to a temple, by their parents, at age six. The temples, shrines, statues, museum, palace, and royal garden here are amazing.
Another cultural first for me was the “Kumari” or the living Goddess. She lives in a royal house in Durbar Square. She comes to the balcony once a day and looks out at the crowd for about five minutes, no pictures allowed. There are actually four “Kumari” around Nepal. Revered by Buddhists and Hindus, the Kumari is a prepubescent girl, as young as two, that has to meet a rigorous set of criteria. She is selected by Buddhist monks, separated from her family (reminiscent of the Dali Lama) and raised on palace grounds. Surrounded by caretakers and tutors, only coming out for festivals, and allowed to see her parents only once a year, much is expected of her. Her duties end when she hits puberty, then she returns to her family, and a new Kumari is chosen. The retiring Kumari will collect a pension from the government for the rest of her life. The Kumari I saw was eight years old and assumed her position at the age of three. One of the Kumari from the past few, went to college, earned her MBA, and is now nationally promoting education for girls across the country. I hope more follow her example.
There was also a very interesting addition to the centuries old Kathmandu Durbar Square that really stands out from the rest of the traditional architecture. Built in 1908 by King Rana is the Gaddi Baithak, or Royal Seat. This is a neoclassical palace built after the King’s visit to the royal palace in England, which he was very impressed by. It is quite beautiful inside and completely different from the rest of the buildings and architecture in the square. It was used by the King to conduct business, coronations, and to welcome heads of states from other countries.
The next Durbar Square we visited was the Bhaktapur Durbar Square. It had a completely different feel than the first one we visited. Bhaktapur is considered a city in itself and divided into four different sections known by Durbar, Taumadhi, Dattatreya, and Pottery. Located about seven miles from the city center, we took a taxi and arrived at Bhaktapur early. With fewer tourists here in the morning, it was pretty quiet until about 10:00 am. There is so much to see here, and we started with the 55 Window Palace, an amazing tribute to Nepali architecture. You enter the palace through the beautiful and ornate Golden Gate (made from real gold). Directly across from the Golden Gate is a very high and mesmerizing statue of King Bhupatindra Malla. The visually striking Vatsala Devi temple, famous for its large silver bell that has been rung every morning since 1737! The tallest pagoda temple in Nepal is also found here, the beautiful Nyatapola Temple, which is open only once a year during the Dashain festival. Also not to be missed is the Lion’s Gate which was designed and built by master craftsmen in the 1600s. Upon its completion the hands of the artisans were severed by the King of Bhadgaon so it could never be replicated. The narrow side streets that run off of the ancient square took us into the other three sections of Bhaktapur. They were full of residences, businesses, shops, and restaurants. We walked to the pottery section and a very old and wizened gentleman demonstrated his pottery making method for us. On a large wooden wheel, at ground level, he used a long wooden rod to get the wheel spinning very fast. He then put a lump of clay in the center and proceeded to show us all the different forms he could shape this clay into. All while standing and bending over it. It was fascinating to watch. I always feel privileged to watch a true artisan at work. We saw some beautiful pottery items on display in the shops throughout this neighborhood.
Located near Kathmandus Durbar Square is the infamous “Freak Street”. A once famous hippie nirvana from the early 1960s to the mid 1970s, but virtually unknown to younger travelers today. Government run hashish and marijuana shops attracted artists like The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jimmy Hendrix and others, along with many young people from the West wanting to separate themselves from political and social frustrations of the day. I wanted to check the street out just to see if there happened to be a little museum with memorabilia and photos. But today Freak Street is inhabited by cell phone stores, clothing shops, and mini-marts.
Just like when you visit a beautiful cathedral, there is an air of calm and tranquility in all the temples I have visited. And I have visited A LOT of temples going through SE Asia. The temples in Nepal are completely different and gave me more than a feeling of tranquility. I had a feeling of connectedness and joy. I think that is due in part to the open welcome and friendliness of the people I encountered at them.
The first temple we went to in Kathmandu was the Swayambhunath, or Monkey Temple. Built in the year 640 CE (AD), this is one of the oldest religious sites in Nepal and is used by Buddhists and Hindus. This is a big complex with many different temples, an ancient monastery and a Buddhist library that are all still in use. Chedi and various statues of the Buddha greet you at the front, along with the monkeys. These little monkeys are considered holy and have the run of the place. I love watching them and think they really add to the experience. Next you encounter the 365 steps (days in the Buddhist calendar year) that lead up to the main stupa. We stopped about two-thirds of the way up to buy our entry tickets, and catch our breath. At the top we were greeted by the giant white stupa which is completely surrounded with prayer wheels, offerings of fresh flowers, and burning incense. This was the first place I observed the “Eyes of the Buddha”. On top of the stupa is a cube shaped structure, on each of the four sides is painted the “Eyes of Buddha”, representing wisdom and compassion. The third eye is represented by a small circle, in the center and slightly above the two eyes. The nose is represented by the Nepalese sign for the number one which represents the unity of all things existing in the world. I was immediately captivated by it. I was surprised at the number of people, both local devotees and tourists, circumambulating the stupa. Besides the main stupa, there are two giant white towers that represent a past King and Queen, and many chedi, of various ages and sizes, which contain cremation ashes. Farther back on the hill there is a large fountain, and viewing areas to take in the city below. It was very peaceful and we could hear the monks chanting from inside the ancient monastery walls. We exited out the back and the steps led down and around the base of the hill to the Swayambhunath Buddha Park. This park is also worth a visit with its three, 67 foot tall statues of different Buddhas. We met several interesting people at each site we visited that would give some history of the place, or tell us the correct direction to circumambulate a religious site (it’s always clockwise), or what to do for good luck. There were a couple of places that had so much going on that we hired a guide at the entrance booth. This is inexpensive and an official guide can give you so much history and information to make your visit even better.
The Boudhanath Temple was my favorite site that I visited while in Kathmandu. This is one of the largest spherical stupas in the world, and one of the most popular sites in Kathmandu for Buddhists, Hindus, and tourists. It has a long and colorful history going back to the 5th century, it also holds the ashes of the 27th Buddha, Kassapa Buddha. We arrived early but it never seemed overwhelming or chaotic even after the daily worshippers and tourists started rolling in. The whole complex had the most welcoming and serene feel. This amazing stupa was on the ancient trade route from Tibet to India and has hosted worshippers and travelers for many centuries. The giant mandala of the stupa has prayer wheels running around its entire circumference. You can also go inside the mandala. Inside, we found several levels and gardens. You’re supposed to circumambulate the inside, three times for good luck! It is topped with the four sided cube that has the “Eyes of the Buddha” on each side, and a solid gold spire on top. It really is beautiful! Around the giant stupa are coffee shops, restaurants, guest houses, souvenir shops, an art school, singing bowl studios, and several Buddhist monasteries. We walked round and round the giant stupa, seeing something new with every pass. We met the most interesting Buddhist monk, Rhamden Lama. Using our exact birth dates and days, he was able to tell us many things about ourselves. He looked at mine and looked up at me and said “You’ve had digestive issues all your life”. Wow, did he hit the nail on the head. He wanted to bless us by sprinkling water on our heads, but he didn’t have any. He did, however, have a bottle of Orange Fanta, so he used that instead. He was completely enchanting! After a few hours of walking, we went up to the third floor of a really nice coffee shop and had breakfast. We got a great view of the beautiful Boudhanath and just relaxed and soaked up the sunshine and the blissful vibe that the temple gives off.
Our next temple visit was to the Pashputinath Temple. Dedicated to the god Shiva, Pashputinath is one of the largest and oldest Hindu temples in the world. It attracts not only local devotees, but the faithful make pilgrimages from all over Nepal and India. Only Hindus can enter the main temple, but all other sites are open to everyone. This huge complex contains over 500 temples, ashrams, sculptures, and two hospice facilities for those who travel here for their final journey in this life. The Bagmati River runs through the complex, it is considered to be holy and an integral part of the Pashputinath Temple complex.
I had read about Pashputinath before I visited. I knew cremations were carried out here, but I did not realize it was such an important part of this complex, and such an active and visible thing. Here, death is approached in a much different manner than it is in the West. Hindus try to cremate the body of the deceased within one hour after death so the cycle of life remains undisturbed. That’s why there are hospice facilities here in the temple complex. Fifty to sixty cremations take place next to the river everyday. An ambulance even delivered a body from the hospital while we were there. The funeral pyres are built and lit by the family members, and they stay until the cremation process is complete. Then the ashes are scattered into the Holy Bagmati River. The Bagmati meets up with the Holy River Ganges on downstream. In the West, the death of a loved one can be stretched out for a week or longer. Here, death is seen as just a small piece of a much larger journey.
I had a little trouble taking it in when we first arrived. It was just so different from what I am used to, and reading about something does not prepare you for the actual experience. But after witnessing several cremations being carried out and learning more about the process from our guide, I find it very compelling. However, even with the use of incense and sweet grasses used in the fires, I did not get used to the smell of the smoke.
Kathmandu is an adventure, it is exotic, chaotic, fascinating, and I absolutely loved it. It was totally captivating and so much more than I was expecting in every way. Next we were off to Pokhara, the adventure capital of Nepal!
Nepal Visa On Arrival
We did the “Visa on Arrival” after arriving in Kathmandu. It was an easy process to fill out the paperwork and we paid $125 each, for a multiple entry, 90 day stay. The whole process took about 20 minutes. There is also the option to get a 30 day Visa for $50, or a 15 day Visa for $30. There are also a couple of ATMs right there if you don’t have any cash with you. The visa situation is highly dependent on which passport you hold and you should thoroughly research your own situation before traveling.
SIM Card
After collecting our luggage the next stop was to get a SIM card for my phone. I went to the NCell store located inside the airport. I got 84 days of cell service (including calls and text) plus 60 gigabytes of data for $11. A great deal!
Getting From the Airport
There are several options to get from the airport into the city. You can take a bus, get a taxi, or have a ride pre-arranged from the airport to where we will be staying. We used the taxi service located inside the airport that quotes a standard fees to where ever you are staying. This is always the best way to go if you don’t have a pre-arranged ride waiting for you.
Ride App
We used the ride share app “Pathao” in Kathmandu. It had a few bugs in it when showing our pick-up location, but all in all it was a decent app and saved us quite a bit of money over using a taxi. The few times the app didn’t work for us, we would show a taxi driver what Pathao was quoting for a ride to a particular location and they would always say okay and agree to that price. Currently, this app only works in Kathmandu.
Food
We honestly did not have a bad meal during our stay in Kathmandu. On average we spent $6 for the two of us to eat a meal, including a drink. A couple of our favorite restaurants in the Thamel area were the Western Tandoori and Naan & The Royal Garden.
CHECK OUT OUR GUIDE TO KATHMANDU VIDEO
Pokhara is Nepal’s adventure capital and the gateway to the Annapurna Mountains. Set on Lake Fewa, Pokhara is a beautiful and laid back city with a lot to see and do.
