Nepal to Open Up for Gay Tourism

[Gaybutton]

Nepal Eyes Sexual Minorities for Tourism

 

http://www.ekantipur.com/tkp/news/news-detail.php?news_id=1226

 

KATHMANDU, OCT 22 - Almost three years after the Supreme Court established gay rights in Nepal, the country is awaiting to host

[Guest fountainhall]

I'm spending 5 days in Kathmandu and Pokhara in mid-November. I'll report back about any gay venues/activities I find.

[Gaybutton]

I'll report back about any gay venues/activities I find.

Great! That may be a little bit soon for anything substantial to happen, but it will be interesting to know what you are able to find out, even if it's nothing more than plans for the future.

[dapitt]

I'm spending 5 days in Kathmandu and Pokhara in mid-November. I'll report back about any gay venues/activities I find.

I'll be quite interested to read your reports. I'll look forward to them!

And not only about the 'gay/venues/activities' but other parts of your 'travelogue' as well. Fascinating country!

Thanks!

[Guest xiandarkthorne]

Anyone tried looking for gay Nepalis in Gayromeo, SilverDaddies or Gaydar yet?

[Guest fountainhall]

I'll be quite interested to read your reports

 

I was there 30 years ago almost to the day and I am keen to see how much the country has changed, Besides which, the view just outside Pokhara of dawn breaking over the Annapurna range is one of life's most glorious experiences. More later.

[Guest fountainhall]

I hesitate to comment on my recent trip to Nepal for the simple reason that I have very little to report! I stayed in Kathmandu for 3 nights and Pokhara for another 2. Armed with Utopia’s recommendations of a few mixed bars and clubs in Kathmandu, I was determined to try one. Unfortunately, as Utopia points out, these establishments are mostly active at the week-ends, especially Saturday being the main holiday of the week. I arrived on Sunday !

 

Three factors foiled my usual spirit of adventure. The first is I was based in a small hotel in the old city. This seems to resemble an Arab souk in that the endlessly winding streets and alleyways are tiny and it is almost impossible to find your way around - even with a map! I had the latest Lonely Planet Guide with me whose maps and suggested tour routes I found extremely complicated even in daylight hours. They would have been impossible at night.

 

Secondly, during my stay there was a gasoline shortage – something about tankers being unable to arrive from India. Consequently, every gas station had queues stretching around 2 kilometers in each direction, in itself contributing to the city’s horrendous traffic malaise. And with vehicles limited to just 10 litres, the queuing never stopped. Add to that the evening power outages that are a regular feature of Kathmandu life – these go on for about 3 hours – and I was just not prepared to venture into dark streets with no taxis around and little idea where I was going! It is after all a large city with well over a million inhabitants and a lot of immigrant labourers.

 

For those determined to find some action in Kathmandu, however, all is not lost. In the main Durbar Square, there seemed to be a bit of cruising going on. I was not aware of it until I climbed to the top level of one of the temples. I quickly became aware of two guys looking at me and following me as I walked around. One came up and chatted to me, but I was not interested and politely excused myself. Surprisingly, an hour later I bumped into him on my way to the hotel (if he had been following me, I certainly was not aware of it). He kind of hinted he wanted to come back with me, but it wasn’t his day!

 

200 kms west is the town of Pokhara nestled in a valley at the foot of the mighty Annapurna range. Pokhara has become very trendy in recent years and now has lots of restaurants, cafes and bars staffed mostly by young and lively Nepalese. In general, though, I found little to indicate any degree of opening up of gay society. And to my thinking, much more attractive were some of the gorgeous young Japanese and Korean backpackers !

 

Still, the country remains one of the great centres for cultural tourism. After you have risen at 5:00 to witness one of the great spectacles this planet can offer - dawn breaking over the vast, staggering panorama of the magnificent, awe-inspiring Annapurna range, most between 7,000 and 8,000 meters high – unfortunately a little misty the 2 mornings I ventured out, you don’t have much energy to hit a bar or a disco after 10:00 at night. At least I didn’t!

 

I am happy to make recommendations re sightseeing for a short trip - just mail me or ask questions on this thread.

[Gaybutton]

Very good report and excellent photos. If you have more photos, please feel free to post them.

[Guest fountainhall]

Never one to pass up an invitation, here are some more pics. Just one note about the cremation site. They really have it all organised so one can pass on to the hereafter (and back again, for all but a handful) with a minimum of fuss. By that small river is the main Hindu temple (on the right of the photo). On one side is the very elegant old people's home (but horribly basic inside!) run by the order of Mother Teresa. On the other is the hospice for the terminally ill. When someone is about to die, they place the person on a slanted slab by the river so they can hear the sounds of the temple and feel content. Once deceased, the body is taken 30 meters along the river or so to be cremated. A work study expert could hardly have organised it more efficiently!

[Gaybutton]

These are very impressive photos. I thank you for posting them. If you have more, the invitation to post them still stands . . .

[Guest fountainhall]

Many thanks, GB. Here's a final batch. My only concern about the pics is the programme I use to downsize them slightly bleaches the colour - so they are not quite as vibrant as the high resolution originals.

[Gaybutton]

they are not quite as vibrant as the high resolution originals.

Believe me, they're fine. I only wish my own photography was anywhere near as good.

[Guest fountainhall]

At the risk of hogging this thread, may I remind readers that Bhutan is another country in the Himalayas that is glorious for cultural tourism. It is far less developed than Nepal and has only really opened up to the outside world in the last dozen years or so. Even now, the number of tourists is limited to about 20,000 per year. The scenery is spectacular (especially the dzongs - the Buddhist temples), the people are wonderfully friendly and even the food is palatable. Flights leave Bangkok for Bhutan several times a week, so getting there is easy.

 

Penis 'worship' is everywhere in Bhutan. In one fertility temple, a monk will even bless you with a giant phallus. On my trip 2 years ago I met one elderly gay farang there who allegedly has a boyfriend in every town(!) - but I never saw him with one! Certainly any gay activity will be very discrete. There are more details on a Bhutan thread but I'm posting just a few pics here.

[dapitt]

fountainhall,

This is a wonderful report and your photography is quite superb! Thank you so very very much!

[Guest fountainhall]

Many thanks for your comments, dapitt. You are most welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed them.

[fedssocr]

those photos are gorgeous.

 

I am in the midst of planning a long trip to Bhutan for next year. I am very excited about it.

 

Here's a link to the reasons behind all of the phalluses painted everywhere.

The Phallus : an arcane symbol

[Guest ethan1066]

i love the kathmandu there..really a very spiritual and a must seen place...