Kantipur Temple House, Eco-Hotel in Thamel Kathmandu

On our last day in Nepal, we were booked at Kantipur Temple House in Thamel Kathmandu. It is walking distance to the shopping center and night life of Thamel, but at the same time, quite situated away from the chaos which was just perfect.

After our long drive from Pokhara and exploring the places on the way like Bandipur and the Trisuli River, Niraj of Himalayan Encounters invited us for dinner and took quickly around Thamel.  Here I got to see the markets still alive at night bustling with tourists and people enjoying then night.  It was a Monday night though and Niraj said, it is more active on the weekends.

We wanted to get a massage after the entire day’s activities but we decided to head back to the hotel to rest and relax.

First Impressions

I’ve already seen pictures of Kantipur Temple House and I was very excited to stay in this hotel mainly because of the architectural design and its features.

Outside view of the hotel and its hallways

We arrived at the hotel at night and even though it was quite a bit dark to judge the entire building, I felt like I wasn’t only in a different country, but I felt like I just stepped inside a time capsule.  It has modern facilities but the design and structure preserves the traditional nepalese architecture. 

The Hallways are quite dramatic.

*cues Game of Thrones theme song cover by Jiggypuff*

C’mon hit PLAY!

The hotel seems like a temple on the outside that serves a tranquil setting.  But you can also take advantage of the beautiful landscaped gardens and pation because it has ample space for dining and meeting areas.  The rooftop terras has panoramic views of Kathmandu and the surrounding hills. 

Our room

I actually felt like I was in the TV series “Game of Thrones” or one of those movies set in medieval time.  The rooms are appointed with heating and hot showers.  Wifi is free in common areas like reception, restaurant and garden, but sometimes the signal goes up to our room.

Game of Thrones? Should be Khaleesi and Khal Drogo’s room or something

The room doesn’t have air conditioning facilities.  They provide fans in summer and electric blankets and hot water bags during winter.  It was autum when we were there so the room temperature was just comfortable even without using A/C or electric blankets even.  

Our bed with electric blankets. Take note of the deco above the headboard.  There are detailed carvings by hand, a common craft in Nepal.

They also don’t provide televisions in the hotel rooms.  This forces you to INDULGE in your holiday experience away from modern chaos.  You have no choice but to enjoy your vacation and have quite a few serene time for rest.

The Patio – view from our room.

Door to our room. Wooden Floor.

“No Plastic Policy” – they don’t give you water bottles, instead they serve you free water inside these jars 🙂

Social Responsibility

One feature that’s quite unique for Kantipur Temple house is that they are one of the finest eco-hotels in Kathmandu.  Apart from the aforementioned no A/C, no TV policy, they also care for environment preservation and this is their priority while providing their customer’s needs.

Kantipur Temple House is an eco-hotel with a social responsible philosophy.  The hotel tries to protect the environment and preserves the cultural heritage of Kathmandu Valley.  In doing this, they do the following:

• Solar heated water is provided to all guests for bathing.
• Towels and bed sheets are not changed everyday unless specifically requested.
• A green purchasing policy using local materials and food has been adopted.
• Traditional architecture and construction methods are used in building and maintenance.
• “No plastic philosophy” is maintained.
• Purchases made for the restaurant are done without using polythene bags.
• Mineral water bottles are not sold to guests, instead free water is provided in jugs.
• An in-house waste management system of biodegradable waste is set up.
• Employment opportunities are given to locals.
• All staffs are encouraged to volunteer on clean ups of heritage sites.
• There are no televisions/bathtubs/AC/central heating system to avoid excessive energy consumption. We use traditional and energy saving mediums for comfort like hot water bags, electric blankets.

Restaurant

There’s really nothing special about the restaurant.  Like most hotels in Kathmandu Valley, they offer Nepali, Indian, Chinese, Thai and Continental cuisine.  

One notable thing about the food selection though is that the restaurant provides an Organic selection and offerst most of the food fresh and home-made.

Other Facilities

They offer the usual:

Free Wifi Service in the common areas like reception, restaurant and garden.
Free Use of Internet in the Hotel’s Computer Center
Tailor-made guided tours to Kathmandu Valley’s cultural heritage sites.
Exclusive tours all over Nepal, from city tours, rafting and trekking.
Laundry Service
Restaurant Room Service

Hang-out areas

The Hotel’s cat 🙂

Purrrrr!

Outside the tall gates of our hotel – MONKEYS!

Wild monkeys are as common as stray dogs in Nepal.

Here’s another beauty. A GRAY CAT! First time I’ve ever seen one by this color.

View more photos of Kantipur Temple House here.

Visit my other blog posts about Nepal here.

Book at Nepal Hotels via Agoda.com

Hotel Booking through Agoda.com

You can book through Agoda.com via FlairCandy.com! Book just right below the title post 🙂

Registered tour guides for hassle-free trip

Tour Guides: Himalayan Encounters

PO Box 21218(Courtyard Kathmandu Guest House), Thamel, Kathmandu, NEPAL
Tel: +977-1-4700426, 4700335

Fax: +977-1-4700354

[email protected]

himalayanencounters.com

Til the next blog post…

Namaste.

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