Ask tourists where and what have they have been doing in Nepal and their answers are quite similar:
“Shopping in Thamel.”
“I went to a Vipassana meditation center there, it was amazing.”
“Elephant rides!”
“Monkey Temple.”
“Well, I’m going to visit Mount Everest. If I had been younger, I’d…”
It seems that people don’t do much besides hanging out in Kathmandu. In fact, it would be quite a delight for them to travel just five kilometers farther, and visit the second-largest city called Patan. Imagine yourself savoring delectable Nepali food, a nice novel in hand, great coffee, while overlooking the crowds from the rooftop. Yep, that’s what you can do there.
Patan, or Lalitpur, is referred as 'the city of beauty'. You’ll find peace there and still not miss seeing the crowds. It is a place that’s packed with numerous temples and monasteries, such as Kumbeshwor temple and Hiranya Varna Mahaa Vihar. Several cafes lurk within them where you can hop in for some refreshing lassi then hop out again to roam around the temples. Make sure you check out the following cafes:
Café de Patan
Established in 1982, this is still an all-time favorite among tourists, due to its unique dining area located in a small courtyard with a lovely rooftop garden. You can drop in anytime, as it serves all three meals and snacks. The banana lassi there is worth a shot. Price is fair and they serve Chinese, Nawari, Nepal and international food.
Café de Temple
As the name sounds, this is another restaurant with excellent views from the rooftop, overlooking the temple. Unfortunately, it's rather over-priced. Prepare to pay 700Rs for dal bhaat tarakari (literally: lentils rice vegetable curry), which you can easily find at a price of 50Rs.
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