The Amazing Views from Chandragiri Hills in Kathmandu, Nepal

During our trip to Kathmandu, we had the opportunity to visit the Chandragiri Hills, which is right on the outskirts of the city. The final tour of our trip started with taking the cable car up the side of the mountain, which are really foothills, to see the temple of Bhaleshwor Mahadev. Unfortunately, it was a little cloudy on the day that we visited, but that didn’t diminish from the experience, although we’re sure that the views of the Kathmandu Valley would have been even better and we weren’t able to see the Himalayan Mountain Range. Since we had already taken a high-altitude helicopter up to base camp on Mount Everest, it wasn’t much of a disappointment to see the peaks off in the distance.

Riding the Cable Car
Fountains at the Cable Car Entrance
Ceremonial Bell
View Towards the Himalayan Mountains
Statue of Prithivi Narayan Shah

It can be very busy visiting Chandragiri Hills, partially because of its close proximity to the heart of Kathmandu and the views that can be seen. Perhaps because we visited on a weekday or because it was an overcast day, it wasn’t particularly busy during our visit. The views from the cable car were quite spectacular, especially during our trip back down from top as the clouds had begun to clear somewhat. In addition to the temple, there is also a zipline at the top of the hills as well as some activities for kids. We received a blessing from a Hindu Priest during the time that we spent at Bhaleshwor Mahadev, which was very memorable for us.

Priest that Blessed Us
View of the Hills
Zipline at the Top
Temple Building
View from the Cable Car on the Way Down

After visiting Chandragiri Hills, we continued on to Swayambhunath Stupa, also known as “Monkey Temple”, which was much busier than the cable car. We had many wonderful experiences during our time in Nepal and Chandragiri Hills was certainly one of them. It took about two hours between the time that it takes to go up and down on the cable car as well as walking around the temple. There is also a trail that you can take from a resort at the base of the hills if you would prefer a strenuous hike instead of taking the cable car.

Activities for Familes
Golden Relief at the Temple
Dona at the Bottom of the Hill
Golden Bull
Resort at the Bottom of Chandragiri Hills
Walking Through the Temple
Another Statue at the Temple

Church Towers and Skyscrapers Rising towards the Sky

We really enjoy seeing historic churches throughout the world and most of them can be found in the old town areas of the cities. There are times, though, when modern cities with skyscrapers surround the old churches and the images can be just as striking. Seeing the bell towers reaching towards the sky in parallel with the glass towers is quite a juxtaposition of images. Obviously it goes in direct opposition to the desire to have the churches and cathedrals be the tallest buildings in a city where people could see them from all of the surrounding areas as they ventured towards the city. Here are some of our favorite examples of churches and skyscrapers.

New York Cathedral
Sitting at the Base of the Skyscrapers
Bell Tower and Skyscraper Perfectly Parallel
Dwarfed by the City
Church Tower and Modern Buildings in Frankfurt

The Amazing Views from the Lounge at the Burg Khalifa in Dubai

During our trip to Nepal last week, we purposely gave ourselves a twenty-four-hour layover in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. It was definitely an interesting way to start our trip and provided a completely different experience than that of Kathmandu, but the highlight was going to the lounge at the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. We purposely chose our visit to coincide with sunset, which only enhanced the experience. We really hadn’t thought about it when we planned our trip, but before it was over we would visit the tallest manmade structure in the world as well as the tallest mountain peak on earth.

Watching the Sunset
Sign as You Enter the Lounge
Walking Up to Burj Khalifa
Fountain at the Base of Burj Khalifa Where a Performance will Occur After Dark

The lounge at the Burg Khalifa is actually higher than the observation deck and takes up floors 152 through 154. When you purchase a ticket to the lounge, you get a cocktail and some snacks as you enjoy the incredible views of the city of Dubai. It is important to purchase tickets in advance and you must be at the entrance in the Dubai Mall, the largest mall in the middle east, at or before the time of your entrance or your ticket will become invalid. Taking the elevator to the top is not only incredibly fast, but it is amazingly smooth. On one of the floors is an outside terrace where you can get unobstructed views above the glass protective wall.

Canapes
On and Off Ramps on the Highway Below
Sunset with City Views in the Foreground
Sweets

When the sun started to set, the view was absolutely breathtaking. Sitting on the coast of the Persian Gulf, the sun sets over the water, providing the typical reflections off of the water below. It is said that you can watch the sunset twice at the Burj Khalifa, but once was certainly enough for us during our visit. With a start like this to our trip to Nepal, it was clear that we were in store for one amazing experience after another and that certainly turned out to be the case.

Rising Above Other Skyscrapers
Looking Back at Burj Khalifa as We Left
One Last View of the Sunset
So Many Skyscrapers in Dubai
360 Degree Views