Working in Kathmandu as a digital nomad
Working Online in Nepal
Like many places in South Asia, Nepal can be a fantastic place to work remotely online. If you are a freelancer, teacher or working with a company, you have a wonderful time here. I wanted to create a small guide to help you decide if Kathmandu would be a good place for you to spend a month, or more, working remotely.
LET'S Talk about the internet
If you have been reading about coming to Nepal, you might have heard stories of unreliable internet, sporadic power cuts and slow speeds. Fortunately, times are changing and Nepal is suffering less and less from unreliable power. I have been here for over a month and have not yet experienced one power cut in Kathmandu. The internet is a different story. In many hotels, Airbnbs, restaurants and cafes, the internet is unreliable and has slow speeds. I have searched rigorously to find the best and most reliable wifi speeds in Kathmandu where I get over 100Mbps. luckily I have found them. Read on to see my top three cafes with fast internet in Kathmandu.
The Best coffee shops for digital nomads in kathmandu
Electric Pagoda
Pros:
100 Mbps+ internet
Friendly Staff
Fantastic coffee
Great workspaces
Cons:
On the more expensive side
Himalayan Arabica Beans
Pros:
200Mbps+ internet
Inexpensive menu
Brewed coffee
Many friendly travelers
Cons:
The food isn’t the best
Sometimes hard to find a seat
OR2K
Pros:
100Mbps+ internet
Fantastic menu
Amazing drinks
Great atmosphere
Cons:
Expensive
Seating can be uncomfortable for work
Health and SAFETY
Unfortunately, Kathmandu is one of the most polluted cities in the world. This is mainly due to overpopulation, poor vehicle emission standards and a lack of parks and green spaces to absorb dust and dirt. This pollution can lead to chronic health issues such as coughs and skin irritation. Myself and Kailani both have had coughs since our second week in the city, as many do when they spend time here. This is a sad tradeoff for the incredible, lively streets and urban atmosphere that Kathmandu has. If you are sensitive to pollution, Pokhara is a fantastic alternative to Kathmandu in Nepal for an extended stay.
We have never felt unsafe here from the people. The people in Nepal are some of the most kind, welcoming and warm people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Even walking the streets alone at night, neither of us have ever felt unsafe.
Quality of Life as a Digital Nomad in Kathmandu
Housing, Food, Transportation, Cost of Living
Accommodation
The accommodation in Kathmandu varies greatly. Hotels can be expensive, dirty and lacking in amenities, do your due diligence when booking ahead. There are many good quality hostels around Thamel with good privates and dorms, many times of higher quality than the hotels. Internet is also iffy at most hotels so I recommend booking a night or two somewhere, testing the internet there and in person at other hotels and then booking long term. We stayed at the New Orleans Apartments, a cozy place right in the heart of Thamel, unfortunately we booked long term in advance, not realizing that the internet was extremely unreliable (Even though the booking stated it had dedicated high speed internet and a dedicated workspace) This actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise as we were able to find some amazing internet cafes to do our work. We paid $600 for the apartment for the month so it was $300 for the month or $10/night for each of us. We had a large spacious living room, kitchen area, bathroom and separate bedroom.
Food
The food in Kathmandu is delicious and inexpensive. You can get a meal and drink from a local restaurant from Rs. 200 ($1.50 USD) A mid range meal and drink (coffee, juice) at a tourist or western restaurant will cost Rs. 500-800 ($4-$6 USD) and you can expect to spend up to $20 at a fine dining establishment. There is such a large range of restaurants here serving dishes from all around the world. All in all the quality of the food is decent, however the meat options are lacking and the quality of the meat is sub par. Beef is a rare commodity, being illegal to slaughter in Nepal and imported from other countries. That being said, there are many amazing vegan and vegetarian options here. Alcohol is another matter, beers start at around Rs.350 or $2.6 USD in the convenience store and can be as expensive as Rs. 850 at restaurants and bars thats $6.50 USD!
Curry and Alu Paratha from our favorite naan house in Thamel, we eat here at least once a day.
Curry - Rs. 90 or $.69 USD
Paratha - Rs. 40 or $.30 USD
Milk Tea - Rs. 25 or $.19 USD
$1.15 USD each
Two Smoothie Bowls, healthy and fresh, no sugar added. You can find healthy vegetarian and vegan options all over the city. Our favourites were OR2K in Thamel and Organic Smoothie Bowl a 20 minute walk away.
Rs. 400 or $3 each
Electric Pagoda, rice, shrimp, chicken, egg. This is one of the more expensive items on the menu. It’s worth the price of the food to come use the fantastic internet and enjoy the jungle ambiance of this secluded cafe in Thamel.
Rs. 650 or $5
Transportation
I recommend using the app inDrive to get around the city. You can find a taxi for around half the price of hailing one the old fashioned way and can even get a motorcycle taxi for a fraction of the cost. a 20 minute trip will cost you around $3 in a cab or $1 on a moto taxi.
Traveling around the country is mainly accomplished by bus. The roads here are infamous for their dangerous conditions, constant repair and packed space. All in all… They are an amazing experience for some and a nightmare for others. The local busses are the cheapest option but you can pay an extra $5-$10 for a luxury tourist bus, saving you from the heat and discomfort of the local bus.
Recreation
The Best things to do in Kathmandu
Explore Swayambhunath and The Monkey Temple
The monkey temple rests upon a hill in one of Kathmandu’s few green spaces. Walking up the 365 steps to the temple, you will see hundreds of monkeys, raucously causing mischief as they pilfer anything they can get their hands on. Reaching the top, you will be greeted by a frenzy of activity as locals burn incense and light candles, ring gongs and spin prayer wheels. The monkeys search and scavenge for the rice that is left as an offering at one of the many carved statues. There are fantastic 360 degree views of the kathmandu valley from the top, and, on a clear day you can see the imposing Himalayas in the distance. This is a fantastic place to go to get your bearings of the city and is best visited in the early morning or at sunset. It is a 30-45 minute walk from Thamel or a 10 minute taxi. This became one of our favourite spots as the walk there is full of bustling energy and there are some fantastic local shops for breakfast or tea.
Witness the Cremations at Pashupatinath
Pashupatinath is a temple complex dedicated to Shiva situated on the banks of the Bagmati River. It is a holy place for Hindus and many ceremonies and celebrations take place here. The most notable occurrence is the constant cremation by the banks. As a western traveler, this can be challenging to see as you will be no less than 20 meters away from the bodies of the dead as they are set onto large wooden pyres and then set alight. When you come here, please be respectful of the dead, these are real people with grieving families. The temples here are stunning and it is easy to lose yourself in the complex for an entire afternoon. Pashupatinath is around an hours walk from Thamel or a 20 minute taxi. Be careful for “guides” and the Sadus as they will try to get as much money as possible for a less than adequate tour or a photo. There is a small cafe at the top of the complex that sells water and some snacks if you get hungry while you’re there!
If you were already thinking about coming to Nepal to work remotely, i’d bet you were drawn here by the world class trekking through the Himalayas. Nepal is home to a plethora of long distance hikes that take you through historic villages, gorgeous mountains and tropical jungles. The most popular and best treks in Nepal are: The Annapurna Circuit Trek, Annapurna Base Camp, Everest Base Camp, The Langtang Valley Trek, and the Manaslu Circuit Trek. There are many many more and the hiking tourism scene in Nepal is huge. I have personally done the Annapurna circuit trek twice and the Everest Base Camp Trek.
Trekking is not the only thing to do while you are here! You can embark on a safari in Chitwan to see the elusive White Rhino and the Bengal Tiger, whitewater raft down one of the many Himalayan rivers, paraglide in Pokhara, mountain bike or even bungey jump! Nepal is an outdoor enthusiasts playground, you will never run out of things to do here!
Trekking
If you are interested in doing the Annapurna Circuit trek I wrote a comprehensive guidebook on how to do it with no guide!
Or click on the button to check out my youtube channel, where we show you the best places in SE Asia to live, work and play!
I also vlogged the entire experience! watch us trek through the stunning Annapurna range by clicking here.
Nice to meet you!
I’m Nick and this is Kailani, We are both from Santa Fe, New Mexico in the USA. We are web designers who caught the travel bug! We are currently based in South East Asia. Thanks for joining us here, I hope you found this information useful. If you need a website, feel free to reach out anytime!
