Kathmandu
The most interesting part of Kathmandu is the crowded backstreets of the rectangular-shaped old town. This is bordered to the north by the main tourist and backpacker district of Thamel (pronounced Tha-MEL) and to the east by the sprawling modern new town. Thamel is bursting with hundreds of hotels, restaurants, internet cafes, travel agencies and shops that can be rivalled only by Bangkok's Khao San Rd. In the centre of the old town is the historic Durbar Sq and Hanuman Dhoka (old Royal Palace). Freak St, the focus of Kathmandu's overland scene during the hippie era, runs south from here. Thamel is 15 or 20 minutes' walk north from Durbar Sq. Running east from Durbar Sq is New Rd, constructed after the great earthquake of 1934, and one of the main shopping streets in town. At the eastern end are the offices of Royal Nepal Airlines (RNAC). South of the junction of New Rd and Kantipath is the main post office and Sundhara district, easily located by the minaret-like Bhimsen Tower. The street known as Kantipath forms the boundary between the older and newer parts of the city. On the east side of Kantipath is a large, open parade ground known as Tundikhel, and on the eastern edge of this is the City (Ratna Park) bus station, for buses around the Kathmandu Valley. North of the Tundikhel is Durbar Marg, a wide street flanked by airline offices, restaurants and expensive hotels, and at its northern end is the New Royal Palace. Further north are the embassy and NGO districts of Lazimpat and Maharajganj. To the south of town is Patan, an historically distinct city, which has now partially merged with Kathmandu's southern sprawl. Both Kathmandu and Patan are encircled by the Ring Rd. On this road in the north of the city is the main Kathmandu bus station and on the eastern edge is Tribhuvan Airport.
