Bandipur

Bandipur, one of Nepal's most lovely towns, is a living museum of Newari culture, a wonderfully maintained settlement crowning a towering ridge with traditional row buildings lining its main street. Although it has required a lot of work to keep the town's magic alive while expanding it as a tourist destination, time seems to have stood still here. Temples and municipal structures have been dragged back from the brink of ruin, while derelict buildings have been reincarnated as cafes and lodges.

Bandipur has been described as a "living museum" because of its array of 18th-century Newari homes and temples set on a ridge in the Middle Hills, high above the route from Kathmandu to Pokhara. It provides a mesmerizing mélange of appealing guest rooms, lovely cafes, pedestrianized streets, sprinkled shrines, breathtaking vistas, and several day hikes, and was formerly a key stop-off on the lucrative India-Tibet trade route, making it a great destination for a break from the crowds.

Entrance fee: N/A
Best time to visit: March to May
Hours: N/A