My college buddy has been trying to get me to visit Nepal for two decades now. It seemed like I would get there earlier, but I did not. When we caught up a year ago, I swore up and down that I would go see him once I could travel again... and I finally made it.

A few photos from that trip to Kathmandu and Pokhara, October 2026.

A Nepal Airlines plane parked on a wet airport apron beneath a cloudy sky

When we arrived in Kathmandu airport from Delhi, it was pouring buckets of rain.

Plump steamed momos on a black plate beside a bowl of orange dipping sauce

I thought I'd known what momos tasted like, but I was not prepared for how much better they are in their home country.

Two cooks plating food beneath copper pendant lights in a kitchen framed by brickwork and carved wood

My friend planned a beautiful birthday dinner for me. He took me to Restaurant Tusa, Nepal's first modernist, fine dining spot. They forage for ingredients, make their own bread, present local items in a fresh new way... he remembered that when we were in college, I made it my life's mission to go to El Bulli (and I did).

A monkey balancing on a thick bundle of overhead cables in front of wooden windows

We saw lots and lots of monkeys.

A person wearing a red headdress and marigold garland faces a stone shrine, surrounded by people in an ornate temple courtyard

We did a wonderful walking tour with Queermandu. Highly recommended. If you're headed to Kathmandu, even if you're not queer, you should definitely do a local tour with these good folks.

Three brown clay cups filled with a pale, frothy drink, with a wooden spoon resting in each

I'm a big fan of South Asian yogurts. I'd never had juju dhau before, but found it quite similar to Bengal's mishti doi.

Snow-covered mountains rise behind green hills and city rooftops, viewed from a balcony beneath a clear blue sky

Pokhara took my breath away. Now I know why my friend always used to laugh at Singaporean friends referring to anything below 6000m as a 'mountain'.

I'm hoping to be able to make "coming to Nepal" a regular thing. Other than delicious food and good friends, there's just so much to see.

Next trip: Manang, and the Annapurna Circuit?