The Trip to Kathmandu - Day 1


Getting up at 5AM is always hard for us since we changed direction and took on a life of leisure. Well maybe not so much leisure but semi retirement. Knowing we had to be up early neither of us really slept much through the night. Wide awake at 4 AM we decided we may as well get up and start our long day. Everything was already packed and repacked so all that was left was to shower and head off.

Once the car was packed we said our goodbyes to the dogs and horses and headed to the airport. We are leaving the car in long term parking because it was heaps cheaper than an uber or taxi from our place. About 4 km from the airport, the low fuel light came on so a quick 20 splash in the tank would make sure we got there. No point in leaving a car full of fuel sitting for 2 weeks.At the car park, the entry was  quite easy with a QR code scanned for the pre-paid parking fee.


Tip no 1. Ann found that paying online saved us 30% on the regular fees. 


A brief walk later and we were at the terminal checking in.  With all the extra security since 911 we didn't know where we could keep power banks so when we asked it was a quick grope through my checked in luggage to find ours.


Tip no 2. Singapore air allow you to take power banks in hand luggage. It is not to be in checked in luggage.


With that all sorted it was now a 3 hour wait for boarding and then another 45 for departure. A Large coffee and several toilet breaks later we were on the plane and on our way. Aside from the occasional turbulence and a couple of movies and airline meals and snacks we landed at Changi International Airport, Singapore. For those who haven't been here, this is a massive airport with 4 terminals and numerous gates in each terminal. There are trains that take you between the terminals and as usual the countless duty free shops. They also have the Jewel which is something you must see if you go there. Because Changi is a major air hub, there are a few tips on getting the maximum out of your trip.


Tip no 3.  If you have a long lay over you can get a free tour of Singapore by bus. It is best to check the Singapore websites on how to do this.


Tip no 4. You can get $20 Sin transit dollars to spend during your time there but you need to fill out online requests at least 3 days before departure.




While you are there you can take a free movie and also walk around the butterfly house and also utilise the free airport wifi.

Waiting for our connecting flight we thought we would check out the air tags we bought. They worked well, at least 3 out of 4 did. One said it was last seen at Adelaide airport. That became a concern for us and we managed to get a seat where we could watch the plane being loaded. We saw one of our bags being loaded and 2 trailers later we still hadn't seen the second bag. These bags had all our bike gear and most of our clothes in them so it was imperative that we had them. The next 5 hours on the plane were wondering and hoping that everything was all there. Arriving at Kathmandu, brought back memories of my first plane flight. No air bridges here, down the mobile stairs and onto a waiting bus that then takes you to the terminal. Once in the terminal you can get your visa to enter Nepal.


Tip no 5.You can get your visa on arrival or do an online application. I recommend doing an online application the day before you travel as it appears my visa appeared to be expired. Well at least that is what immigration said.


After immigration, we made our way through customs. That was super simple, a smile and a wave through and we were onto another security check before we got to the luggage pick up. After some time one bag appeared, now the wait for bag 2. It seemed the baggage coming out had all but stopped, and then, out of the blue appears bag no.2. A huge sigh of relief from us both. Now we had to find our  transfer driver which was pretty simple, although we weren't prepared for the tip. The cheek buggers who held the sign for the driver tried to tell us a white note tip was due. That was 1000 rs or around $10 AUD. Fortunately I had some small denomination US Dollars so the got a $2 USD each tip just to hold up a sign. A short ride back to the hotel Moonlight and we get to finally retire for the night……… or so we thought!


Day 2 - Kathmandu to Pokhara

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