Nepal is an incredibly special place for me. I was there 14 years ago on a life-changing trek with my dad. Both of us were celebrating milestone birthdays, and we set out to hike the Annapurna Trek with just a guide and a porter who became dear friends. This experience inspired me to start my blog, Thirdeyemom, and set me on the path of writing about sustainable, impactful travel for years to come.

In May, I returned to Nepal with Community Homestay Network (CHN) for a whirlwind trip exploring the rural communities of Kathmandu Valley for a week-long trip. During the week, I stayed with local families at two different community homestays and captured an intimate glimpse of local life in Nepal. It was truly amazing, and I am excited to share more stories in the coming weeks here on my blog and in other publications.  (ICYM: I shared a lot of reels on Instagram during my trip. Check them out here). 

Before the press trip began, I had a day on my own to revisit some of the special places in Kathmandu. I hired a local guide, named Dhiroj,  through Community Homestay, and did an afternoon tour of three top sacred sights: Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath, and Kathmandu Durbar Square. While I’d been to Swayambhunath and Kathmandu Durbar Square on my first visit to Nepal 14 years ago, I had never been to the sacred religious site of Pashupatinath. I was in for a delightful spiritual surprise and a warm welcome back to the beauty of Nepal’s people, culture, religions, traditions, and rituals.

My tour began at Pashupatinath, one of the most sacred, revered Hindu temples in Nepal. The Pashupatinath Temple lies along the banks of Bagmati River on the eastern outskirts of Kathmandu and is dedicated to Pashupati, a form of Shiva.

As I entered the temple complex, I was instantly mesmerized by its sacredness. Worshipers were everywhere, offering their respects to the Gods and there were also traditional cremations happening alongside the sacred river.  As a non-Hindu I was not allowed to go inside the temple itself but I was allowed to walk around the terraces of the complex and also back along the expansive temple grounds, a UNESCO World Culture Site since 1979.

My guide Dhiroj was a wealth of information on both Hindu and Buddhist traditions and explained to me in great detail how these traditions and rituals work. I found it truly fascinating and was excited to learn more over the coming week in Nepal.

I was instantly blessed by a friend by the banks of the river.

Traditional blessings in Nepal include a tika, a red dot, which is placed upon either the “third-eye” of your forehead or at the hairline along with a sprinkling of flowers on top of your head. Dhiroj told me that the head is the closest part of one’s body to Heaven, so it is blessed.

I also encountered a group of Sadhus –holy men who have renounced their worldly possessions on a journey to find moksha (liberation) in Hinduism. They were quite friendly and I got to sit down and do a chant with them.

We walked around the temple and Dhiroj explained what some of the various Hindu symbols meant and also with the important deities and gods.

I was overwhelmed by all the brilliant colors, reminding me of why I love Nepal so much. There is so much beauty in this country, and it is so steeped in culture, warmth, and magic.

Our next stop was Swayambhunath (also known as “Monkey Temple”), one of Nepal’s oldest, most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage sights. It looked as lovely and majestic as I’d remembered from my first visit 14 years before.

Our last stop was back to the heart of the ancient city of Kathmandu, Durbar Square. A World Heritage Site, Durbar Square is a complex of beautiful temples and shrines representing Buddhist and Hindu culture and architecture.  Most of the buildings were built between the 12^th and 18^th centuries and were where the kings lived and were crowned until the early 20^th century. Unfortunately, the 2015 earthquake did quite a bit of damage and remnants of its aftermath could still be seen today. But it still held the magic that it has for generations and is a beautiful place to visit.

I ended my tour, hot, sweaty, and tired. It was my first day back in Nepal and I could hardly wait to get out of Kathmandu and visit our community homestays.