Kakani, Nepal: Village Guide & Photography

Kakani, Nepal is a small village located on the ridge of the Kathmandu Valley rim. Its prime location makes it the perfect place to view the Himalayas. Every year, tourists flock to Nagarkot for its view, but frankly, the view from Kakani is better. The only reason this little village hasn’t hit tourist’s radar is because it’s a little harder to get to. The roads to get there aren’t great which makes it a difficult bus ride. It doesn’t help that the only buses that go are the fairly uncomfortable and run down local buses. But don’t let this deter you. Kakani is worth the bumpy trip.

The small Tamang Village is famous for several things, but the biggest one is the Japanese trout fish. It’s a popular destination for locals to go and have a fancy meal. The fish is raised in local fish farms and cooked quickly after being caught which keeps them incredibly fresh. For about $20 USD you can have 1kg of fish. In our case, that was two fish cooked in a wonderful curry sauce and two fish cooked on the BBQ.

The area isn’t just famous for its fisheries. It also has a reputation for its strawberry and radish farms. While I can’t say that I could tell the difference in the radishes, I could definitely tell the difference in the strawberries. We were given a handful from a local farmer to taste, and they were the sweetest strawberries I’d ever had. We ended up buying 1kg to take home. I honestly can’t explain how sweet they were. They were delicious.

But what does one do in Kakani besides eat? The easy answer is that you relax. The views from this tiny town are tremendous. On a clear day, you can see from the Annapurnas to Everest. It’s the perfect place to get away from the chaos of Kathmandu. It’s a bit off the radar so WiFi is weak. We went on Valentine’s day, and it really was the perfect escape from work and reality. If you’re outdoorsy or don’t like to sit still, you can go for a hike through Shivapur National Park or even go bird watching there.

There’s also two memorial parks in the area worth seeing. The first is for a Thai Airway plane crash in 1992. The plane crashed in the mountains and Kakani has a beautiful view of the location. They decided to set up the memorial there where people could visit since the mountains are too hard to reach. At the top of the park, there’s an arrow on the ground pointing in the direction of the crash site, and there are plaques for the names of the deceased. It’s really beautifully done.

The second memorial park is for mountaineers. There used to be a rock climbing wall, but it’s deserted now and hasn’t been up kept. Regardless, the park surrounding it is beautiful and a great place to watch the sunset. We went during the winter and everything was a bit brown, but in the spring this area is known for having beautiful green slopes.

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Kakani, Nepal Village Guide

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Major ethnicity: Tamang

Major religion: Buddhism

Language: Nepali

Altitude: 2,030m (6,660ft)

Location: 22km Northwest of Kathmandu

How to get there: You can take a local bus from Kathmandu, but it’s a very bumpy journey. You can also hike from Kathmandu, but the trail can be a little dusty.

What to eat: Oddly, Japanese Trout is famous in this area. I highly recommend having as much as you can while visiting since it’s some of the best fish I’ve had in all of Nepal. You can eat it in a curry or have it grilled on a BBQ. Both were amazing! The area is also popular for its strawberry and radish farms. We tried a few strawberries and they were the sweetest I’ve ever had. Ever.

What to see and do: Hike through Shivapuri National Park. Visit Kakani Memorial Park which was built in memory of the Thai Aircraft Crash of 1992. See the International Mountaineers Memorial Park. Unfortunately, the rock climbing wall situated inside the park has not been maintained, but the park itself is nice to visit. Visit or camp at the Scouts of Nepal campground which offers great views of the mountain range.

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Kakani Hotels & Accommodations

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We stayed at View Himalaya Resort. We were meant to stay down the street at the Hotel Kakani Mountain View, but they canceled on us the day before. It ended up working out better that way because we booked a nicer place down the street. We were their very first booking.com guests. It was really fun to see how excited they were for their first online booking. The hotel was amazing with incredible views and large spacious rooms. The food was beyond delicious and the staff were so friendly. Not to mention, the grounds are kept beautifully with an array of interesting flowers that I’d never seen before.

Booking.com

Kakani Photography

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