Uncharted Thoughts.

Now, I am not much of a shopper. You can tell by the state of my jeans and shirts. Shoes, well I have walking boots, work trainers, trainers and a pair of black boots for nice occasions. What can I say, I am a practical guy. But Nepal is full of practical trinkets. Let this be your guide to the markets of Kathmandu, what to buy and where.

Although I am not a shopper as previously mentioned, I do collect travel memorabilia so that when I do have a house and finally settle down. I can plaster my treasures all over the walls to be seen by friends and family. Nepal, is where I purchased some of my favourite treasures.

A worthy note for your reading here. If you are thinking of travelling to Nepal, or Asia in general, Nepalis the best place to start. You can arrive here with little on your person, perhaps just a carry on. Then, go shopping. Buy all your travel needs there, rather than paying for the extra baggage. Just a tip for you if are trying to save money and travelling on a shoe-string budget.

Uncharted Thoughts has provided you with a list of items every traveller must get before returning home:

• Tibetan Masks
• Prayer Flags
• Singing Bowls
• Hiking Gear
• Incense

Thamel district

If you want to shop the Thamel district is the place to go. It is a tourist hub no doubt, but there is a good reason for this attraction… Antiques and hiking gear at incredible prices. Located in the centre of this marvellous city, there is no escaping its pull. For each shop has a unique look, a new trinket and lure to its smiling keepers.#

I spend three days in Kathmandu, and each day I made sure to visit the Thamel, to see if I missed anything from the night before. To see what treasures I could fill me new 50l “North Face” duffle bag I purchased for £10. With the intension of flying it home filled with goodies.

Anyway, lets look at what goodies you can walk away with..

Masks

It is hard to ignore antique shops in the Thamel. Not only are their paintings of mountains and Gods, swords made from Ivory, ornaments that’ll make your friends go “Wow, that’s cool’ and of course prayer flag. But nothing sticks out from these narrow crowded shops like the gigantic masks who’s eyes follow you menacingly down the street.

These masks are of Hindu and Buddhist Gods, most are made from the trunks of Peepal trees, sacred to those that worship the teachings of Buddha. For it was under one of these epic trees that he attained enlightenment.

Each mask has its own power, I purchased the ‘Red Mahakala Mask’. It was made to chase off evil spirits and to protect a place form negative energy.

However there are hundreds to choose from, Ganesh, Shiva, Mahakala, Bhairab, Tara, Buddha, and more.

Prices for these masks range from cheap and cheerful to the need for a loan from a willing bank. Of course with higher prices comes better quality. The cheaper masks, range from £20-£35 pounds and are often made from other cheaper wood. These are usually smaller and less detailed, the paintwork is botched, but its is far more practical for travellers, both economically and in terms of transport.

My mask was £55. It is large, made form the sacred wood and well painted. The man who sold it to me threw in a sherpa doll as well. He claimed the mask was over eighty years old, however, on retrospect I highly doubt it.

Then you get the expensive masks. These can range from £300-£1500. Professionally made, often much larger and with finer detailing. Sometimes coming with animal hair attached to the masks back in an attempt to hide the wearer. They are great works of art that the carvers take care and time over for many weeks.

Prayer Flags

What is more iconic to Nepal than the colourful prayer flags that are found draped along the mountain passes, over the temples and shrines and in the bustling streets of Kathmandu.

Traditionally sold in set of five, these prayer flags are used to promote peace, compassion, strength and wisdom. It is believed that the flags when blown in the high winds of the Himalayas will spread these virtues across the land.

Five flags, five colours, each representing a element of the earth. Blue is the symbol of sky and space. White, air and wind. Red is fire. Green is water, strangely enough and yellow is earth.

These flags can be purchased at most tourist hotspots, I purchased mine at the Monkey Temple for £2.50. It came with about 40 flags, each tied by a old fashioned weaved rope. The woman at the stall said that the flags she sells have been blessed by monks in the temple.

These are easy to store, cheap and a great way to buy multiple gifts for friends and family back home. Five flags, in a large bundle of 40 means 8 gifts. Also, you are spreading peace, compassion, strength and wisdom to those you love. So it a win win.

Singing Bowls

While masks and flags are great to look at in a house filled with travel trinkets. Singing Bowls are a practical ornament, that can be used as instruments and for meditation.

Like the masks, these bowls have a massive price range. The lower the price the cheaper the metals used in its creation. While the more pricey ones are filled with precious metals and craftsmanship. And of course, the bigger the bowl the more money you’ll have to spend.

The bowl I purchased was cheap, small and perfect for a traveller to stash away in a large bag. It came with the bowl a prayer mat for the bowl and a mallet.

I never used my bowl, I gave it to a friend of mine who works in therapy as a tool to help his customers with meditation. It is believed that sound therapy help with lowering blood pressure, relaxation, circulation and reduce stress and anxiety.

Perhaps a good gift to someone you know that is struggling or does meditation or that crystal person in your life that has tattoos of dreamcatchers.

Hats and hiking gear

There is no place in the world I have visited that promotes both quality and cheap hiking gear like Kathmandu. Of course a lot of the items that are sold here are fake, and manufactured in some sweat shop on the outskirts of the city. But the quality of the fake stuff is beyond any I have seen before.

Tents, hiking boots, trousers, water purifying tablets, backpacks, hats, socks, underwear, belts, you name it. The outdoor shops in Kathmandu will supply you with all an outdoorsman needs to get things done in the Himalayan mountains.

As mentioned before, if you do not possess any hiking gear and are planning to fly out to Kathmandu before taking one of the many treks across the country. Do not buy before you go. Gear in the UK and across the world is expensive. Why buy something for full price when you can get it for a third or less in the country you are already visiting.

If you don’t have to funds to get hiking gear, it is always a fun day out trying on hats that don’t fit westerners.

Incense

Whenever I smell incense it takes me back to Nepal. It takes me to windswept mountains and ancient monasteries where the humming of prayer soothes a wonderers soul. Even now, back in my flat in Manchester UK, whenever I smell the herbal intake of these burning sticks I am sent back, 4600 miles to a place of peace and comfort.

In Kathmandu there is no shortage of incense sticks, neither the wooden stands they are placed upon. In the Thamel district, there is a shop called Lovely Incense (HERE). At affordable prices, these sticks of smelly goodness are crafted in its traditional craft. Within hundreds of smells to