Three Nights in the Himalayas – A Traveller’s Journal

Kathmandu – The Alleyway Budget Stay

Thamel at night is a sensory assault. Music spills from bars. Vendors call out prices for pashminas and singing bowls. Motorbikes weave through pedestrians. After a few hours, you crave quiet.

Hotel Silver Home is hidden in a side alley off the main strip. The entrance is unassuming. The lobby is small. But the rooftop terrace, when I found it, offered a view of the Kathmandu Valley that made the climb worthwhile.

The hotel is a 1‑star budget property. That means dormitory beds for $5, standard rooms for a few dollars more, and deluxe singles with private bathrooms. Everything is clean. The staff speak English and several other languages. The Wi‑Fi works.

What I appreciated most was the location. Thamel is central – walking distance to Durbar Square, Freak Street, and the tourist bus stop. But the alleyway kept the noise out. I slept well.

For backpackers on a tight budget, Hotel Silver Home is a reliable choice. It is not luxury. It is not trying to be. It is a clean, cheap, quiet place to sleep between adventures.

Pokhara – The Resort with a Fishing Pond

Pokhara is slower than Kathmandu. The air is fresher. Phewa Lake reflects the Annapurna range. Paragliders circle overhead like colourful birds.

Green Peace Resort is north of the main Lakeside area – a 15‑minute walk or a 5‑minute taxi ride. The property has a large garden, a fishing pond, and an island café. I sat by the pond one afternoon, watched a kingfisher dive, and felt the tension leave my shoulders.

The rooms are comfortable. Standard rooms face the garden. Deluxe rooms have private balconies with lake and mountain views. Both categories include free Wi‑Fi, LED TV, and attached bathrooms. The restaurant uses local produce from surrounding villages. The solar power system means blackouts are not an issue.

The resort also arranges adventure activities: paragliding, trekking, jungle safaris, white water rafting. I did not have time for all of them, but the option was there.

Green Peace Resort is for travellers who want more than a bed. It is for those who want a garden to wander in, a pond to watch, and a base for adventure.

Haputale – The Mountain Top with Tea Plantations

Haputale is not on every traveller’s itinerary. It should be. At 4,000 feet, the air is cool. Tea plantations cover the hills like a green patchwork quilt. From the top of Srilak View Holiday Inn, you can see north to Nuwara Eliya, south to the distant sea, and east over the Buduruwagala valley.

The hotel does not need air conditioning. The mountain breeze is enough. The rooms are elegant, with large windows that frame the view. The restaurant serves a variety of cuisines – I had a Sri Lankan curry that was among the best I have tasted.

Haputale is a four‑hour drive from Colombo. The road winds through tea country, past waterfalls and small villages. By the time you arrive, you feel as though you have entered a different world.

Srilak View Holiday Inn is ideal for honeymooners or anyone seeking silence. There is no nightlife. There are no crowds. There is only the view, the tea, and the cool air.

Final Thoughts

Three hotels. Three moods.

• Hotel Silver Home for the budget traveller who needs a clean, quiet base in chaotic Kathmandu.
• Green Peace Resort for the adventurer who wants lake views, a garden, and paragliding.
• Srilak View Holiday Inn for the romantic or the weary soul seeking hill country silence.

Each one gave me exactly what I needed at that moment in the journey.