Are You Ready For A Shopping Spree In Nepal?
Nepal is a spanking destination for all the big-time shopaholics existing on this planet. From miniature paintings to junk jewelry, modern motifs to erotic cravings, Tibetan carpets to jute baskets, Nepal's specialties will surely delight the discerning shoppers. Kathmandu and Pokhara are the two best places to check out the typical shopping scene of Nepal. Bhaktapur and Patan are equally nice stations for those who have a thing for pottery and metalwork.
The most colorful and bustling bazaars of Nepal include Namche Bazaar, The Old Bazaar of Pokhara and Nepali Bazaar.
Namche Bazaar is such a huge part of Nepal that a visit to the country is incomplete without a visit to this lively bazaar. The bazaar enjoys a splendid setting on a mountain surrounded hillside on the trek way towards the Everest. It remains thronged by masses evenly all round the year but on Saturdays, when it is the actual market day, the bazaar is flooded by a humongous crowd, indeed! Namche bazaar sells everything from clothes to fruits to homemade chocolates. Travelers from other countries usually end up picking a lot of stuff from here because of the sheer brilliance of goods found here.
The Old Bazaar is the traditional colorful bazaar of Pokhara. Its merchandise is assorted and diverse and so are its traders. One can catch the typical quaint charm of Nepal from the multihued lanes of this Old Bazaar. It is a great place to pick up some dainty jewelry pieces, handmade paper bags and other traditional items.
Nepali Bazaar sells some freaking cool stuff that has many different flavors to it including that of Buddhist, Tibetan, Hindu and Nepalese cultures. As the travelers step inside this vivacious bazaar, their senses are enraptured by the seductive aroma of incense wafting in the air all around! A whole lot of people revisit the bazaar again and again because of this absolutely irresistible scent emanating from the marts. Now you must be thinking that the bazaar sells just the incense sticks but in fact it is the clothing merchandise and nifty jewelry for which Nepali Bazaar is so very popular amongst the locals as well as foreigners.
Shopping in Nepal is a pretty easy affair for those people who are artful at bargaining and dickering. Although most of the articles are downright cheap, yet one should be clever enough to outfox the brainy shopkeepers. These storekeepers quote highly blown up prices to foreigners and hence negotiating and haggling are always worth it. Money so saved may be used for tipping the guards on-duty outside the shopping marts. They say one should tip generously in Nepal's shopping stores to avoid bigger problems that may crop up ahead. The normally acceptable tipping amount ranges somewhere between 10 to 20% of the total billing amount. First time travelers should take a local alongside if possible. When you have somebody with you who knows the place at the back of his hand, it gets very easy to strike the right deals.
