Durbar Square in Kathmandu was pretty incredible, with so much to see. It's no wonder it's a World Heritage Site! It cost 200 Rupees to get in, but you could easily spend a day wandering around. The monuments and temples were beautiful but I found the Kumari Chowk really intresting. This is the home of the Raj Kumari, a young girl chosen through an ancient and mystical selection process to become the human incarnation of the Hindu mother goddess, Durba. She is worshipped during religious festivals and makes public appearances at other times for a fee paid to her guards. Of course we didn't see her, but it's a very curious attraction!

What's not to like in Bhaktapur? Bhaktapur is one of the three 'king cities' in the Kathmandu valley (the other two are Patan and Kathmandu). It has the same 'vibe' as Kathmandu but it's much smaller and the inner city is closed for motorized traffic. It has a medieval feel. You can find beautiful examples of Buddhist and Hinduist architecture here. Everything is within walking distance of most guesthouses. The only 'negative' thing: you have to pay a relatively high entrance fee (about 10 US dollars), but the money goes to preservation and the ticket is valid for more than one day.

what a great collection of historic buildings, and such an inspiring place. see the Kumari, the holy men, the Hindu temples - have diner on the roof of a building where you can admire from another perspective. A place that seems to live in the past still - only the hippies are gone (the spirits and hash remain)

Bhaktapur probably gives you the best taste of Old Nepal and is definitely worth a few days to simply take in all the old buildings, people watch and to check out the markets. Amazing place! It is a World Heritage Site that does not disappoint.

An amazing place and well worthy of people a World Heritage Site. Unfortunately I only had half a day to spend there and really wish I'd had longer. So many stories there and learnt much more than I could have from a guide book.