Trekking
Annapurna Base Camp is no longer quiet. The teahouses from Chhomrong upwards run at near capacity in October. What that has done to the trail - and what the trek still delivers that the Everest circuit doesn't.
Travel
Lukla's runway is 527 metres long, set on a 12 percent gradient, and closes for days when cloud rolls in from the east. What the approach actually asks of you before the Everest trek begins.
Travel Planning
The Nepal visa on arrival process works. What it does not do is move quickly. What to prepare before landing, how the queue breaks down at peak arrival times, and what to do if the system is down.
Places
The rental shops on Lakeside don't open until 8am. For a couple of hours before that, Pokhara looks like itself. At that hour the lake is still. Machhapuchhre, the sacred unclimbed Fishtail peak, reflects in the water with a precision that feels calculated. A woman carries a steel
Food & Drink
Ask someone what Nepal tastes like and they will probably say momos. Ask again after two weeks in the country and they will say dal bhat. Ask after a month and they will pause, because the honest answer is: it depends entirely on where you were. Nepal's food
Kathmandu
The contemporary art scene in Kathmandu is not large. What it is, is serious - galleries in converted courtyards, artists working with earthquake rubble, a conversation not aimed at tourists.
Trekking
The teahouse menu looks identical from Lukla to Thorong La. What's behind it - how the food gets there, what the kitchen conditions are, and why dal bhat is the only thing you should order above 3,500 metres.
Travel Planning
Nepal monsoon runs from June to September. Here is what the season actually does to the country, where to go, what to expect, and the case for going anyway.
Mustang
The restricted area permit for Upper Mustang is non-negotiable. A licensed guide used to be. In 2026, the regulations have shifted and the ground rules are different from what most trekking agencies will tell you.
Trekking
Mardi Himal follows a ridge above Pokhara that most trekkers walk straight past on their way to Annapurna Base Camp. Five days, 4,500 metres of high camp, and the point where the clouds finally clear.
Travel
Sindhupalchok lost more people in the 2015 earthquake than any other district in Nepal. A decade later, the reconstruction is still incomplete. This is what the district looks like now.
Travel
The cave monasteries above Mustang hold 55,000 square feet of painted murals dated to the 12th century. Getting inside requires a restricted area permit and some careful climbing.