IMAGES OF NEPAL / Panoramas from Nepal

Here is my usual collection of panoramic shots, taken from our 10-day holiday to Nepal from 30 November to 9 December. As expected, it was colourful and a little bit exotic. Expect us to visit the former Himalayan kingdom again sometime soon.

Kathmandu's Durbar Square, 

also known as Hanuman Dhoka Square, 

with the Maju Dega Temple in the middle, 

and the Shiva Parvathi Temple on the right.

An aerial view of Kathmandu Durbar Square 

and the old city, as seen from the 

Kasthamandap rooftop restaurant.

The Buddhist centre of Bouddhnath 

(or Bouddha), with Nepal's largest stupa, 

has the highest concentration of 

Tibetan monasteries or gompas.

The Hindu temple of Pashupatinath 

is set on the sacred Bagmati River, 

and is the scene of daily cremations.

The Garden of Dreams, or Kaiser Mahal, 

is a formal garden set in the old Victorian style, 

constructed by Field Marshal 

Keshar Shumsher Rana. Its just a quiet walk 

away from the bustling Thamel.

The organised chaos of Thamel, 

where guesthouses, restaurants, touristy shops 

and bars lie cheek by jowl, 

the centre of Kathmandu nightlife.

Patan (Lalitpur) Durbar Square, 

just south of Kathmandu.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square, 

another 18th century historical site, 

which appeared in the filming of 

Bertolucci's film Little Buddha.

Mustard fields of Sauraha, 

near Chitwan National Park, 

which looks like a landscape 

by Vincent Van Gogh.

Sunset over the Rapti River, 

Chitwan National Park.

Boating on Pokhara's Phewa Lake. 

The mountains have been obscured by thick mist.

Finally, a view of the Himalayas, 

including Everest (centre), 

Lhotse (to its right) and Makalu (far right), 

three of the world's five highest peaks, 

from the aeroplane. Just be sure to sit 

on the left side of the plane 

when departing Kathmandu.