“On a Mish” #442 No Place Like Nepal. Thamel Eco Resort. Kathmandu, Nepal. 21.10.2025. There really is no other place on earth like Nepal (at least as far as I know!). From the moment you arrive, and once you have negotiated the airport, you are in a place of wonder and excitement. The majority of visitors have a bigger purpose than just wandering around the country’s biggest city, so along with the excitement there is a feeling of anticipation of what comes next. As said, Kathmandu is pretty cool, but once you get away from the hustle and bustle of the city you will really see that there is no other place like Nepal…
Nepal is a land many know about, but few understand due to never visiting. Every year I tell people that I am traveling to Nepal and am immediately asked “are you going to climb Mt Everest?” I enjoy educating folks about the country and telling them that there is so much more there than the world’s tallest peak.
The main reason (along with seeing the Himalaya) is helping those in need. At one stage Nepal was the third poorest country on the planet, which is made so much sadder when you hear people pay more than $100,000 to climb that mountain. So much more money is spent in the Everest Region than anywhere else, and little to none of that cash makes it out to the rest of the country. From what I have read (and depending on the list), Nepal is now the 11th poorest country in the world, so things have slowly improved over the years.
Another deterrent is getting there, especially when coming from New Zealand. Each trip has had its excitement even before getting into the country, and this mish was no different. It started in Christchurch as high winds battered the South Island. We were warned about some turbulence, and when the pilot tells the crew to get into their seat and strap-up you know it is about to get bumpy! One jolt in particular had many people making uncontrolled noises of fear as the plane dropped a 100 feet or so.
Another unexpected, annoying but also exciting part of the mission was when the plane was repeatedly delayed while attempting to land in Changi International Airport. The constant circling had about half the people in the plane running to make their connecting flights. Moving quickly in the heat from one terminal in Singapore to another is a great way to get a sweat up, and just some more training for our trek!
The final fight to Kathmandu finally got away after gathering up all of the late ones (like me!), and thankfully the fight was smooth and uneventful (unlike the first!). By the time I got to Tribhuvan International (Kathmandu) I was shattered and in need of a bed to rest in. After navigating the terminal, I spotted the face of our driver Raju, and he helped me gather up all of my belongings as well as all of the donated clothing I had brought from NZ. Luckily I was heading back to Thamel Eco Resort, which is a hotel I am very familiar with. The guys there remembered me from all of the other visits, and I was whisked away to a room to catch some shut-eye.
We have arrived during the Nepali Festival season, and the next part of our mish will be to partake in the Bhai Tika celebration at the house of one of our good friends and the expedition Head Chef, Gokul. Kindness and generosity go hand in hand with the people of Nepal, and it is these people who keep me coming back each year. I couldn’t think of a better way to start out our mish, and it is a real reminder how magical this mountainous land really is, and that there is no place on earth like Nepal…
