Nepal on a Shoestring Budget

Visiting Nepal on a shoestring budget is no problem at all, in fact even if your shoes don’t have strings (as most Nepalese shoes don’t) you can go a long way wearing just sandals and carrying just a few hundred dollars. Nepal must be one of the best “value for the dollar” tourist spots in the world today, where you can still get a healthy lunch for less then a buck, and stay in a guest lodge overnight for less then ten.

Any trip to Nepal on a shoestring budget starts in Thamel, which is akin to the popular tourist spot of Khaosan Rd, Bangkok, Thailand. Thamel lies in the heart of the country’s capital of Kathmandu, and is within walking and rickshaw distance to many UNESCO World Heritage Sites that are important in both the Hindu and Buddhist religions. Thamel offers food, lodging, and entertainment priced for the budget backpacker, as well as offering numerous 5-star locations for higher-end fun. But just a few nights in the bustle of Kathmandu will convince you to get out of town and see the countryside.

Find Budget Accommodation in Nepal

Once outside of the city, several low-cost “Nepal on a shoestring budget” opportunities are presented: a trip to the birthplace of Buddha is a nice three or four day trip by tourist bus to Lumbini on the southern border of Nepal (where Nepal meets India). Transportation by local bus or tourist coach is relatively inexpensive wherever you go in the country, and there is such competition by tour operators that package deals abound in the hundred’s of dollars for full accommodations, food, and transportation – for weeks on end.

One of the best overall bargains in Nepal is Trekking, where for a few hundred dollars you can get away from it all and walk into the Himalayans without a worry in the world, complete with porter and guide you can explore caves, waterfalls, village life, and watch for any of Nepal’s 600 species of bird. Treks run from 1 day to 30 days, depending on far you want to walk and how strenuous you want the hike to be; there is a walk for everyone in Nepal, from the youngest to the oldest of hikers.

One of the most popular tourist destinations is the lakeside town of Pokhara, about 200 km from Kathmandu, and you can get there by ground transportation, or for about $100, you can catch a quick 1-hour mountain flight. Pokhara is where you can book your trek into the Annapurnas, or just kick back and relax by Fewa Lake. Fewa Lake offers paddle boating and canoeing and even has a popular Hindu temple stationed on a small island in the middle of the lake. There is also the famous Peace Pagoda, one of the most famous of Stupas in the area that sits atop a small mountain overlooking the lake and is just a short day hike from town.

All in all, visiting Nepal on a shoestring budget is sure to get you much more then you bargained for, as far as finding spectacular historical sites, with friendlily village life rich in culture and traditions, and pleasant weather surrounding many natural wonders.