Thamel

Thamel
Neighbourhood in Kathmandu
Country    Nepal
Province Province No. 3
District Kathmandu
Postal Code 44600
Rooftops of Thamel

Thamel (Nepali: ठमेल) is a commercial neighbourhood located in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Thamel has been the centre of the tourist industry in Kathmandu for over four decades, starting from the hippie days when many artists came to Nepal and spent weeks in Thamel. It is the hottest-spot for tourism inside the Kathmandu valley.[1]

Thamel is known by its narrow alleys crowded with various shops and vendors. Commonly sold goods include food, fresh vegetables/fruits, pastries, trekking gear, walking gear, music, DVDs, handicrafts, souvenirs, woolen items and clothes. Travel agencies, small grocery stores, budget hotels, restaurants, pubs and clubs also line the streets. Cars, cycle rickshaws, two-wheelers and taxis ply these narrow streets alongside hundreds of pedestrians. Recently many roads in Thamel have been declared vehicle free zones to avoid crowd and traffic havoc.

There are many restaurants in Thamel that serve traditional and continental cuisine, although prices are significantly higher than in non-tourist areas. Thamel also acts as the pre-base camp for mountaineers. It boasts a wide range of mountaineering gear shops, foreign money exchange booths, mobile phone shops, along with the numerous travel agents and guest houses. Thamel probably is the best place to enjoy night-life when you are in Kathmandu. Thamel is home to a wide range of the Nepalese population, and serves both entertainment and employment purposes for the locals around the area.

On Wednesday, 28 September 2011, Thamel was declared a full Wi-Fi zone. It is the first Wi-Fi zone of Nepal.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Arora, Vishal (April 24, 2017). "Exploring Kathmandu's 'Dark Star'". The Diplomat. Retrieved May 28, 2017. It’s one of the favorite neighborhoods of foreign backpackers in Nepal, who check in to budget hotels here before leaving for trekking tours or Mount Everest base camps. At first sight, Thamel might look like a tourist hotspot or a red light district, as it boasts numerous hotels, bars, cafés, bookshops, and temples as well as massage parlors and dance bars.
  2. ↑ Thamel declared WiFi Zone Archived 2012-09-05 at Archive.is

See also


Coordinates: 27°42′54.56″N 85°18′36.79″E / 27.7151556°N 85.3102194°E / 27.7151556; 85.3102194

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