distance: 30 km from kathmandu, altitude: 1,625m, driving time one hour thirty minutes – a scenic and ancient town located about 30 kms from kathmandu. it is a major tourist spot of kavre district and is famous for natural and historical reasons. on clear sunny day from here visitors can see the grand view of the whole himalayan range from west to east. it’s a two night destination as it gives visitors ample time to explore cultural heritage and enjoy the nature. the local people living there are called newars. line of old style newari houses built in victorian style decorated with fine traditional craftsmanship can be seen in this medieval town. visitor can have a visual treat by admiring bare-brick houses with carved wooden windows, pagoda temples and sacred statues. a short walk to namo buddha from main town which takes around 2 – 3 hours is highly recommended. it has become a very popular weekend destination. the best time to visit is in autumn and winter seasons when skies are generally clear. key attracts around here include:

• harisiddhi temple: located in the main square, this temple dedicated to lord vishnu is decorated with beautiful wood carvings.
• narayan temple: also located in main square which is dedicated to lord vishnu and has yellow roofs. it is also decorated with intricate wooden carvings.
• kali temple: also known as ‘thousand steps temple’, here in order to reach temple visitors have to climb steep steps and is located on the way to namo buddha. from the top one can get very beautiful view of himalayas on clear sunny day. it is also very popular place to watch the sunrise over the mountains
• bhagwati mandir: located in northwest part of town from where there are good views of the mountains on clear days. this three tiered temple is built in newari style.
• gaukhureswar mahadev temple: 30-minute walk to the eastern part of town near tundikhel recreation park.
• namo buddha: a beautiful place meaning ‘greetings to buddha’ which is one of most important religious sites in nepal. it is better known by tibetans as tag-mo lu-jin which means the place where the buddha offered his body to the hungry mother tigress. there are a couple monasteries and one ancient stupa nearby in which visitors can make offerings, pray to god, and light butter lamps. the place is quiet, pure and has a clean environment with fresh natural air. it can be reached by an easy drive or by hike.