No matter how long you’ve been here or whether you’ve just landed on this place, Kathmandu will always be a beautiful city of havoc. Busy markets, restless crowds with big dreams, tallest buildings, chaotic traffic, rich ancient culture, humble inhabitants, all has made Kathmandu a melting pot of diversity and melange.
Already well known for its spiritual and lively aura, Kathmandu too has certain side of it that’s not very enchanting. Unmanaged roads, eccentric urbanisation, stray animals, water shortage, load shedding and several other problems are slowly stripping down the unique factor of this city and apparently, we’re doing nothing to save it!
If you think you know everything about this mesmerizing city, you’re wrong! Here’s the list of 9 Things They Don’t Tell You About Living In Kathmandu.
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1. Stray Dogs
Strays in Kathmandu is unfortunately not well managed. There are more than 22,500 such wild dogs that potentially carries rabies and most importantly suffering without proper care, surviving in hostile environment.
2. Famous intricate Newari Food
Kathmandu is the major place to try out authentic Newari food. There are several Newari food outlets in every nook and corners of the town within a reasonable price.
3. Expensive Taxis
Finding a reasonably priced taxi around Kathmandu can be quite tricky. There are only few taxi drivers who use meters and charge reasonable rates as most fix their own rate that are comparatively higher.
Not only this, during the night hours, they charge 50% extra which makes it difficult for the average earners use such cabs.
4. Online Cab service
Though finding a taxi that charges fairly good is difficult, with the advancement in technology, there’s now facility of online taxi booking service in the town. It provides easier and faster accessibility to commute with in the valley. Services like Eddy Cab, Sarathi Cab are popular these days as online cab service. If riding a cab is not your forte, try using local buses, micro buses and three-wheeler safa tempo if you’re new in town!
5. Humble Dwellers
Nepalese are non-complacent despite many short- comings in their own life. The local residents of the city are known for their friendly nature and hospitality who are always working hard with cheerful smile on their face, being proud to be a Nepali.
6. Tootle
Tootling is the ultimate travel tool around the valley and believe us, it’s cheap, fun and reliable as well. Tootle app is basically an app that lets you carpool but with a price.
https://youtu.be/L7z0x7gH1Mw
As the number of public transportation inside the city is limited and not well-managed, this new initiative of giving rides inside the valley with affordable charges is really becoming a popular tech trend.
7. Nepali fiddler or Sarangi
Sarangi is a traditional stringed musical instrument of Nepal and it’s something that you’ll definitely love hearing, if you’ve a knack towards folk music.
8. “Dhulomandu” (Dust Around Valley)
Dhulomandu is a slang given to the extreme pollution and dust around the valley. Ever since the Melamchi Drinking Water Project started and the government planted water pipes, the condition of roads have gone worse, causing air pollution in the valley. Hence if you’re planning to stay in Kathmandu for quite long then, be prepared with anti-pollution masks.
9. Nightlife in Kathmandu
Nightlife in Kathmandu has its own charm. You’ll find a lot of venues to entertain yourself. There are exclusive bars and clubs where you can hop in, or just enjoy the popular tourist spots like Thamel and Kathmandu Durbar Square.
