A new, youthful spirit is putting this city back on travellers’ radars

A three-piece jazz band plays on the fringes of the buzzing farmers’ market, as shoppers peruse dozens of stalls offering handmade cheeses and organic vegetables, artisan teas and fresh pastries, craft beers and kombucha.

It’s a scene that could easily have been plucked from the Northern Rivers of NSW. But this is Kathmandu, and this Saturday market is one of a growing cluster of projects run by young, environmentally conscious creatives bringing more thoughtful, upmarket offerings to the city.

Spices and fresh produce at Le Sherpa Farmers Market in Kathmandu.

Now in its eighth year, the market was started by Namgyal Sherpa, who co-founded it to connect residents and travellers with farmers who have been central to Nepal’s culture and economy for centuries.

Sherpa, 39, is managing director of Le Sherpa Concept, a collective of five venues that are raising Kathmandu’s food bar beyond the ubiquitous momo dumplings and dal bhat. These include La Casita tapas restaurant at Boudhanath Stupa, the chic Nomad Hotel in the emerging suburb of Lazimpat and Le Sherpa restaurant, which overlooks the market and where I soon find myself seated.

The restaurant buzzes with a who’s who of Kathmandu, while the menu brims with fresh local produce-focused dishes such as beetroot tortellini and Himalayan burrata on a bed of tomatoes, beetroot and capsicums.

Nepal’s brain drain has been well documented, with many educated and skilled young people leaving to seek better opportunities abroad, but Sherpa says that many, like him, are returning with a sense of purpose, driven to achieve something meaningful in their country.

Traditional dishes served at La Casita in Kathmandu.

“This new generation of passionate entrepreneurs takes risks and their efforts are making a significant impact,” Sherpa says. “They bridge the generation gap, combining tradition with modern standards, and show that the country has always had the resources; it’s only now that they’re being fully utilised.”

Nowhere is this more evident than at The Local Project Nepal, next door to Le Sherpa. Opened in 2017 by friends Sachin Shrestha and Binam Shakya, the store (one of two in Kathmandu) focuses solely on native and indigenous products crafted by local makers.

“Historically, Nepal has always been artistically blessed, and each era has had their share of amazing artisans,” says Shrestha as we chat in the morning sun outside his store, while market goers file past with bags full of fresh produce.

“We’re lucky enough now to be living through a period where young artists and creators are adopting a modern take on traditional Nepali elements.”

The wooden shelves of his store, lined with handmade ceramics, naturally dyed bedding by the store’s brand, Sapana, and merino and yak wool jumpers and scarves knitted by Nepali women from local brand Dinadi, illustrate this. There’s also incense, handcrafted brass and copper kitchenware that looks like it could have come straight out of a Newari palace and the cookbook Timmur from Nepali chef Prashanta Khanal, who highlights traditional recipes and Nepali ingredients to counter the influx of foreign foods. It’s all a world away from the mass-produced trinkets that are all too common in Kathmandu’s more touristy districts.

A 20-minute taxi ride across town is Dwarika’s, Nepal’s first luxury hotel that focuses on preserving the traditional Newari architecture indigenous to the Kathmandu valley. Crossing the hotel’s sprawling courtyard, past traditional red-brick buildings adorned with intricate wood carvings, I find Jijivisha boutique.

Run by Shavona Shrestha Einhaus since 2022, Jijivisha is filled with neutral-toned dresses, shirts and jackets in mostly naturally dyed materials, including hand-loomed cotton and hemp.

“Jijivisha was started to help create jobs and revive the traditional ways of creating clothing,” Einhaus says. “Many people are leaving Nepal to find work in other countries so we wanted to create opportunities here, and show how Nepali goods can be made to an international standard. We wanted to show that items don’t need to be imported and workers don’t need to leave their homes.”

I’m sold, and leave with one of her expensive, but beautifully made, dresses.

Happy House: “Trying to connect visitors with the essence of what made travellers fall in love with Nepal decades ago”.

This movement of balancing cultural preservation with cultural evolution is extending beyond Kathmandu’s city limits. The Happy House is a traditional stacked-stone Sherpa dwelling in the village of Phaplu, a 30-minute helicopter flight from Kathmandu. It’s also a place Sir Edmund Hillary rented on and off for almost 30 years while overseeing his Himalayan Trust projects. Since officially opening his family home to guests in 2018, the original owner’s grandson, Ang Tshering, now 35, has been looking for ways to combine his country’s past and future to entice a more respectful and engaged kind of traveller.

“At Happy House, we’re trying to connect visitors with the essence of what made travellers fall in love with Nepal decades ago, while also witnessing its dynamic evolution,” Tshering says.

Interior design is one clever way Tshering has achieved this. While the ground-floor walls are adorned with traditional thangka paintings, depicting Buddhist gods and demons, upstairs features works by Tsherin Sherpa, Nepal’s most celebrated contemporary artist, whose vibrant modern thangkas simultaneously preserve and transform Nepali culture. One that particularly catches my eye depicts a demon holding a Rubik’s cube decorated with symbols of globalisation, including a petrol bowser and dollar sign.

Recently, Tshering started a rug workshop that aims to revive local weaving traditions, and initiated the Phaplu Mountain Bike Club to encourage young people to stay. “They can see a future here that respects their traditions and offers them prospects for personal and professional growth,” he says.

A studio apartment at The Nomad in Kathmandu.

Tshering also uses the Happy House as a hub for his Himalayan adventure company Beyul Experiences, which is opening this and other little-visited areas of Nepal to visitors, including the barren highlands of the Mustang province. During my stay, I hike through rhododendron forests dotted with waterfalls and thickets of wild raspberries to a monastery, and spend a nature-shrouded night at their ger camp atop a ridge.

While the traditional trio of temples, trekking and tea houses offers travellers an undeniably good time in Nepal, it is more compelling to engage with dynamic businesses like these that are shedding light on Nepal’s rich heritage and cultural traditions. In a few days, I feel firsthand how the choices we make as travellers can lead to positive social change and opportunities for locals, and am convinced that this version of Kathmandu is the one that deserves a place on our wish lists.

THE DETAILS

STAY
Nights at Nomad Hotel from $148, including breakfast. Phone [phone]; see nomad.com.np

VISIT
Beyul Experiences offer bespoke itineraries for individuals, families and groups in lesser-visited areas of Nepal, including time in Kathmandu. The 10 ensuite rooms at the Happy House can be booked individually for $890 a person a night, including all meals, drinks, laundry, daily massages and activities, including overnight treks. See beyulexperiences.com

FLY
Singapore Airlines flies daily from Sydney and Melbourne to Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan airport, via Singapore. See singaporeair.com

The writer travelled with some support from Beyul Experiences.