For thousands of years, the valley of Kathmandu has been home to ancient mountain tribes, an extraordinary mosaic of cultures steeped in tradition and unique culture.

As your plane approaches Nepal, and clouds obliterate the ground, yet suddenly, and almost miraculously; the clouds dissipate and you see the hilly aspects of the Kathmandu Valley spread out below you.

There is much to see and do in the Kathmandu Valley! Explore the almost iconic Stupa, the Boudanath Stupa, with its wonderful eyes that seem to look out over the entire valley. Walk around the domed-shaped stupa and twirl the many bells encircling the walk. Marvel at the intricate designs and splendid artwork that enhances all of the valley’s temples. Move on to Bhaktapur where the magic of temples like the Changunarayan temple, will delight photographers and casual tourists alike. As pictures go there is nothing as delightful as the Monkey Temple. Sitting high on a hill top the temple seems to be guarded by a vast number of monkeys. Closer observation will delight young and old alike as the monkeys perch on walls and almost seem to pose for pictures.

There are numerous reasons to fall in love with Nepal, an otherworldly nation of rituals, customs and incredible spiritual awakening. Its customs are magnificently ancient, it’s beautiful shrines dotted with ornate grandeur, thousands in attendance, and extravagant ceremonies that mark the way across this mesmerizing world of ritualistic expressions. The Rato Machhendranath Jatra explores one of them, delving into one of the country’s most spectacular and coveted religious proceedings. Beginning at South Patan, Rato Machhendranath Jatra is a Chariot procession ceremony of a deity, along city roads and alleys, across a sea of devotees and observers, where the ceremony is both inward and outward, a reserved experience and also a public spectacle.