Nepal expert Paul Darlow reveals the top five cons and tricks to be aware of while walking the streets of Kathmandu.

The vast majority of people trekking in Nepal will begin their journey in Kathmandu, and typically they will spend a couple of days exploring the city's sights.

I still vividly remember my first 24 hours in the Nepali capital. It was incredibly fun and exciting, but also rather disorienting. As with all major cities I have been to, a few people try to take advantage of tourists' confusion. To help avoid becoming a victim, here's my list of the top five tricks and cons to avoid in Kathmandu. More...

Seasoned traveller Paul Darlow reveals his top five useful words and phrases while trekking in Nepal.

If you're going trekking along one of the main routes in Nepal like Everest, Annapurna or Langtang, the good news is that you don't have to know a word of the Nepali language - many locals along these routes speak remarkably good English.

However, my most memorable experiences in Nepal were only accessible because I had learned a few words of the language. Because most tourists don't bother to learn any Nepali, those who make the effort get rewarded many times over. More...

Four years ago, Alan Curr was a man on a mission. His goal? To play the world's highest ever game of cricket on the slopes of Mount Everest. A plan that started over a beer quickly turned into record-setting adventure...

In 2006, Alan Curr's friend Richard Kirtley completed the Everest Base Camp trek. Coming from a cricket family - his cousin played for England - he noticed a frozen lake bed during the climb and immediately visualised the world's highest game of cricket. On his return, he pitched his thoughts to Alan.

"I loved the idea, and by 2008 we had put it out More...

After experiencing Nepali hospitality first hand, Paul Darlow's first rule of travel - go slowly and talk to as many people as you can - was reaffirmed.

Nepali hospitality

During one of my first visits to Nepal, I was looking around the Monkey Temple in Kathmandu. As I sat on a stone step contemplating what little I had learned about Buddhism, I saw out of the corner of my eye a Nepali man feeding a chapatti to a dog. Something told me to go over and talk to him.

Binod was his name. His mother having died when More...

China and Nepal have resolved a long-running dispute over the height of Mount Everest.

They have now agreed that the world's highest mountain - which straddles the border between the two countries - should be officially recognised as being 8,848m tall.

The Chinese previously argued it should be measured by its rock height, while Nepal said it should be measured by its snow height - four metres higher. During talks in Nepal's capital Kathmandu, China accepted that claim. Nepal also recognises China's claim that the rock height of Everest is 8,844m.

The mountain’s exact height has been disputed ever since the first measurement was made in 1856. The widely accepted height of 8,848m was first recorded by an Indian survey in 1955, which measured the mountain's snow cap, rather than the rock beneath it.

But geologists say that both the estimates could be wrong as they say the mountain is becoming higher as India is gradually pushed More...

In quest of the spectacular beauty and unique culture of Nepal

Stanfords proudly sponsored UCL student Krzysztof Przetacznik on his expedition into Nepal’s culture, and provided him with maps and products from our store. Here’s his report.

The ethnic mosaic

A monarchy throughout most of its history, Nepal is now the world's youngest republic and its official name is the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. It is well known for its highly diverse geography and boasts eight of the world's ten highest mountains. There is, however, yet another reason for the country's exceptional uniqueness - its remarkably rich culture. Nepal lies in South East Asia and is bordered to the west, south, and east by the Republic of India, and to the north by the Tibet region of the People's Republic of China. This means Nepal is interposed between the centres of two major Asiatic civilisations More...

Peaks of 8,000 metres, Earth’s deepest valley and a dizzyingly high mountain pass are just some of the attractions to draw you into Nepal’s Annapurna region. Also on offer is a complete absence of cars and a veritable feast, both literally and figuratively speaking, of yak-based products!

Having longed to visit Nepal for years, my eventual arrival as I travelled overland from Delhi could not have been more anticlimactic. A combination of 36 hours solid travel, a road accident, and being More...

I have the distinct memory of standing high above Thulo Syabru, a ridge village in the Langtang region. The sun was highlighting the magnificent Langtang range we had just trekked through and it had turned into a good day, after a somewhat shaky start. Kay, Hori and I had just walked up 500m of steep mountainside, with over 600m to go.

The Langtang region is considered one of the most accessible trekking regions from Kathmandu, a mere 11 hours of a bottom-numbing bus More...

Rivers are one of our planet's natural highways. They can also provide a jolting, roller-coaster ride through a very big bathtub, an exhilarating tussle with the forces of nature. You don't have to be experienced, you just need a healthy appetite for adventure, don't mind being wet all day, have a sense of humour and the desire to experience something new.

Nepal is a river runner's paradise. Rightly famed for its trekking credentials, Nepal is also renowned for its wilderness rafting. No other country has such a choice of multi-day trips, away from the roads in magnificent mountain settings, with warm rivers, a temperate climate, exotic cultures and friendly people.

Of the trips available, a popular, medium length river descent is the one that travels the length of the Kali Gandaki river, combining exhilarating white water and spectacular scenery. This is one of the famous names of Himalayan rivers. The Kali Gandaki rises in Mustang, an enclave of More...