West of the city of Kathmandu lies this cluster of temples, shrines and other religious structures, one of the oldest and holiest places in the whole country, revered by Buddhists and Hindus alike. Also known as Monkey Temple, because of its many resident monkeys, devotees and visitors flock here, often preferring to tackle the 365 step ascent, rather than driving up.

Since 2004, the Carlsbadians of So Cal Surf Lessons have been teaching the art of riding the wave. Year round, you may learn to be 'one with the board' from safe, qualified, CPR and First Aid trained instructors, some of whom are professional surfers.

From Kathmandu to the small village Kakani — this hiking path leads you through the sub-alpine forests of Nepal. The trek itself is graded easy with only a slight incline. Keep in mind that the walk might take up to 5-6 hours, though. It is recommended to hire a local agency for secured transport and experienced guides along the way.

Ain Zubaidah stands as a testament to ancient engineering, a water system commissioned over 1,200 years ago by Zubaidah, wife of the Abbasid Caliph Harun al-Rashid. Moved by the plight of pilgrims, she ordered the creation of a complex network to channel water from the Al-Kar mountains to the holy sites of Makkah. This 35-kilometre feat of engineering combined underground channels, surface aqueducts, and deep reservoirs, some reaching 40 metres underground, to traverse the arid landscape. Though time has left much of the original structure in fragments, sections have been restored, including a major renovation in the 1920s. The system's scale remains awe-inspiring, with its gentle gradients, 132 inspection chambers, and strategic storage tanks. Today, visitors can explore remnants of the conduits in the foothills around Makkah, a tangible link to a visionary project that sustained generations of pilgrims.