The Freak Street in Kathmandu. On this page you find informations about the Freak Street area in Kathmandu and a short description of the lodges. This should help you to
find a Hotel in this interesting area of Kathmandu.
click in the corners of the picture to see it larger
All the hotels of freakstreat
withstood the earthquake in April 2015 without damage :-)
Freak Street , or Jhochhen Tole , is much more quieter and relax than the Thamel area where most of
travelers will go to. It is situaet just in vicinity of the old Palast and Temple area of Durbar square right in
the historical center of Kathmandu. In fact Freak street beginns right on the pituresque Basantapur Square where souvenir sellers display the marvels. The freakstreet area is still a lively nepali
neighbourhood where people live, make there business and many children who go to school.
The freak street was with the Pig Alley THE MAJOR place during the hippy
trail in the late 60ts and the seventies.During this time 3 hashish shops where open there ;-). In 1973 Nepal banned all cannabis products and they had to
close.. Picture of hashish shop by Roger McLassus
Already in 1967 the Kathmandu Guest House started with 13 rooms in an ancient Rana palace in an area called Thamel. In this time, it was surounded
by fields with some farmhouses. But it showed to be a powerfull competitor. In the densely populated Freak Street area there was no way to get enough
space for modern and bigger hotels so that they all started in Thamel where building ground was abundant and cheaper. And in the 80ts. most of the
cafeés and many hotels had moved to the new touristic center.
Dinesh Rai wrote the nice article “Looking Back in Wonder” about Freak Street in the seventies http://www.nepalnews.com.np/contents/englishweekly/sundaypost/2001/mar/mar18/head.htm
in WikiMapia you find an arial picture of this area. Freak Street is below the red basantapur place http://wikimapia.org/#lat=27.702891&lon=85.307642&z=18&v=2
Staues on the litle place at the end of Freak Street Statuen
Nowadays the visitors are mainly just normal budget travelers. The freak Street area is not so overcrowded but also less fancy. But i personaly prefer to stay here. For sure i go to Thamel to buy
trekkking stuff or other things or just for pilgrims book shop. But every time when I return I’m happy again coming back to my more quiet freakstreet. See an overview: http://freakstreetnepal.110mb.com/index.htm
An overview
Plan als PDF file
Most of the taxi drivers at the airport will tell you, that they dont know Freak street or Jhochhen Tole. The
reason ist, that they get commison from many hotels in Thamel so they first gonna try to bring you there. But when you tell them that you want to go to New Road or Basantapur place,
they will know, because these are main places of Kathmandu.
An overview to some Lodges and Restaurant
1. Restaurant Anand. Situated at the roundabout of New Road this “fast food” restaurant offers
delicious South Indian Food. It tastes very different than north indian food which we know from Indian
Restaurant abroad. Try Dossa, a crispy crepe (massala dosa has a potatoe filling) or idlis. Both a served
with hot and spicy sauces. It is definitively worth to have a try . One has to oreder first at the counter and bring the receipt to the kitchen bar.
2. On the roof terasse of the corner building there is a restaurant with a nice view. but I have forgotten the name.
3. Restaurant Cosmopolitan
is situated on the first floor an overlooks the Basantapur place.
You reach it through a gloomy and narrow tunnel . But from the two windows one has a wonderful sight over the busy life on the place. It will never be borring! Therefore the tables on the windows
are much coveted. Dont hesitate to ask if a chair ist free, normaly you can join the people, which are often interesting individual travellers so i had many nice
chats here. The toilets are not to recomend.
See also Dave Underwoods comment http://www.worldisround.com/articles/8968/text.html
4 Hotel Sugat Four double rooms are situated
towards the Basantapur place and you get a full progamm of right from your window.. Unfortunately there is more and more traffic on the place so you will
have noise in the night. But Sugat has also many other more quiet rooms to the back side.
Tel: 00977 1 4245824
email: maryman(at)mos.com.np
5. Royal Park Guest House. A newer hotel just
beside Sugat. On the Roof top you will find a Restaurant with a awsome view. Try “Mashed Potatous with cheese and vegetables”.
Beeing protected by some houses, it is a little bit less noisy than Sugat.
Tel: 0977 1 4247487
Email: royalparkgst(at) hotmail.com
6. Nippon Guesthouse. Situated in a narrow side
road at the beginn of freakstreat, this Guesthouse has the reputation to be one of the cleanest ones of the whole area. Also most rooms ar protected from the streat noise
http://www.freakstreetnepal.110mb.com/nippon_guest_house_.htm#r
+977 104251701
nipponguesthouse(at)mail.com.np
La Casa Lodge. Throught a smal paasage you reach a quiet inner courtyard and the casa lodge. all
rooms a well protected from the streat noise. you will find simple rooms with common bath up to rather
spacious double rooms with attached bathrooms. If yiz want to cook for yourself you may use the kitchen on the roof.
7. Century Lodge. This old lodge dates back from
many years. You reach the rooms by many narrow stairs. Beeing a litle bit apart from Freak street, it is pretty quiet..
+977 1 4247641
www.centurylodge.4t.com
8. Pagoda Lodge. here you will always find groups of
young people in colourful clothes. Pagoda lodge is on of the budget lodges.
9 Yello Lodge . is situated in the inner court yard an pretty dark. Begin 2009 it was closed for renovation..
10: New Monumental Lodge This lodge was the first
modern building in Freak street build with traditional ornamentel bricks . The spacious double rooms are all with attached bathrooms.
11. Cafe Snowman .
This famous Cake Cafée is the only one remaining from the many in the better times of freak street. Even Jimy hendrix has been there !
Nowadays many young nepalese people meet her , eat cake or play chess. But also for us travellers, Snowman is wonderfull and the cakes are delicious. I crave for their Cream Caramel ;-).
When ever I have brought in groups of friends, they wanted to return every day. ;-)) Then the average was 2-3 cakes per person a day!!
just delicious !!!
12. Green House Lodge. A new lodge just before Snowmann
009770104241888 greenhouse_robin(at) hotmail.com
13. Daulagiri Lodge: A new lodge in a side street, http://freakstreetnepal.110mb.com/dhaulagiri.htm
14. Himalaya Guesthouse. The owner of Himalay Guest house started
in the 70 ts with the Himalaya coffe shop Restaurant on Basantapur place. They invested the earnings in their new Guest house with has
good recomendations. It is situated in a rather quiet side road and offer single rooms and double with or wihtour attached bath rooms.
Her daughter Moni was the first newar woman to climb Everest and married her Sherpa friend on the top!
the little plaza of Freak Street
At the End of Freak Street you will find a little triangular place with two statues.
From it a little street branches off to the right where you can find the lodges Little Wings, Ganesh und the Annapurna Lodge.
Just next to budget money changer there is a new cafe selling organic caffe, where many people come to drink espresso or capucino , sitting and chatting on small bamboo stools just before the cafe.
The money changers had during the last 3 years a better rate than the ones in thamel.
15. Annapurna Lodge. At the end of the littles side street. This is actually my favorite lodge because it is
absolutely quiet. In the mornig one does not hear any motorcycles or horning cars, but instaed singing
birds. And this right in the center of Kathmandu. Half of the room have attached bathrooms. On the ground
floor there is the quiet Restaurant Diyalo, a perfect place to relax. They offer an excellent dal bhaat .
Annapurna lodge does not make reservation exept for the same day. 00977-1-4247684
16 Moonlight lodge. a basic lodge. The walls are painted with rather stoned pictures Tel: 0977 1 4242976 moonstaylodge(at) yahoo.com
17. Loundy saloon. Bring you dirty clothes an have them washed for you, if there is enought electricity. It has cheaper fares then in Thamel
18. Barber shop. It is worth to try a local barber. Like many barbers in Nepal they are originating from
Bihar in India. They use a new blade for every client and after 20 minutes you will feel like having a baby skin.
19. Asian Holyday Hotel. Just a few meters after the little place this hotel has double rooms with attached bathroom for a very low rate. Probably one of the best values. +977 1 4246579,
email: asia_hoiday62(at)yahoo.com
20. Little Wings Residence.
You will find the owner in his little interne caffe just oposie the lodge in the little side street. Its the fastest one in freak streat area. In his website, he calls the Hotel an exclusive Residence which may be a little bit
over the top. But guest tend to stay for longer periods and during 5 days i could newer have a look to a room, as they always where occupied.
http://littlewings.110mb.com/lill_lodge.htm
21. Ganesh Hotel is situated just behind “Little Wings” and therefore also very quiet. They have a restaurant with some tables in the garden in the inner court. http://littlewings.110mb.com/ganesh.htm
|