Blog
Notes from Kathmandu
Local food, getting around, what to skip, and what we're changing at Tiny Living. Written by the team that actually runs the apartments.
The Ultimate, Lived-In Guide to Getting a Nepal SIM Card (Physical & eSIM) for Tourists & Foreign Visitors
Ncell vs NTC, physical SIM vs eSIM, the 15-day MDMS phone-block rule nobody warns tourists about, exact documents to bring, airport kiosk hours and trekking-coverage realities — everything you need to land in Kathmandu and be online within an hour.
Jun 13, 202614 min read
Monsoon in Kathmandu: The Direct-Booking Guest’s Apartment Playbook (June–September)
Power cuts, leaky taxis, flooded alleys and slow Wi-Fi: how the right Kathmandu apartment turns four months of monsoon into the best-value, quietest stay of the year — what to look for, what to avoid, and which neighbourhoods actually drain.
Jun 12, 202610 min read
Wake Up to the Himalayas: A Lived-In Guide to Kathmandu’s Best Mountain-View Airbnbs and Apartments
Why the right floor, the right neighbourhood and the right backup utilities decide whether you wake up to snow-capped Langtang views or your neighbour’s concrete wall — plus a lived-in shortlist (Raniban / Boudha / Patan) and the seasonal visibility window to book around.
Jun 3, 202612 min read
Beyond the Teahouse: Why a Community Homestay in Nepal Will Ruin Regular Hotels for You
Swap your hotel keycard for a family home. A lived-in tour of the Community Homestay Network — Panauti tika welcomes, Kirtipur momo-folding, Barauli mud kitchens, Patlekhet leaf-plate weddings — and how 80% of your booking fee fuels women-led independence across rural Nepal.
Jun 3, 202614 min read
The Digital Nomad’s Guide to Jhamsikhel & Sanepa: Where to Stay, Work, and Live in Lalitpur
How to base yourself in Lalitpur’s expat heart — Jhamsikhel and Sanepa — for a month of remote work: where to stay, fiber speed checks, inverter vs generator, the cafe + yoga circuit, and the right questions to ask a host before you sign a lease.
Jun 3, 202613 min read
Finding Zen: The Ultimate Guide to Stays and Monasteries Near Boudhanath Stupa
A slow traveler's guide to Boudha — quiet monastery guest houses, stupa-view apartments, ROKPA's mission-driven sanctuary, and what the booking apps don't tell you about water, power and the kora.
Jun 3, 202612 min read
Backpacking Kathmandu: The Ultimate Lived-In Guide to Hostels, Budget Guesthouses, and Cheap Eats
A $20-a-day backpacker’s playbook for Kathmandu — the best Thamel hostels (Yakety Yak, Zostel, Alobar 1000, Flock, Holiday), peaceful Paknajol and Chhetrapati guesthouses, the dal-bhat-and-momo cheap-eats circuit, and the solar-hot-water, ride-share and stomach-bug realities that travel sites never mention.
Jun 3, 202615 min read
The Kathmandu Lodging Playbook: A Lived-In Guide to Neighborhoods, Homestays, and Hidden Courtyards
Thamel, Patan, Boudha, Jhamsikhel, Lazimpat and the surrounding valley — neighborhood-by-neighborhood, plus how hotels, Airbnbs and community homestays actually compare on water, power and warmth.
Jun 3, 202617 min read
Thamel vs. Patan: The Honest Neighborhood Guide for First-Time Visitors to Kathmandu
No sugarcoating, no generic travel brochure copy — the honest, lived-in reality of Kathmandu's two iconic neighborhoods, to help first-time visitors pick the right base.
Jun 3, 202611 min read
The Self Check-In Revolution: Why Direct Booking in Kathmandu Beats Hotels and Airbnb
Smart locks, instant confirmations and a WhatsApp host in Kathmandu — how the new wave of direct-booking apartments quietly leapfrogged both budget hotels and Airbnb.
Jun 3, 20268 min read
Sleeping in a 100-Year-Old Newari Heritage Homestay in Patan: A Lived-In Review
A 100-year-old Newari heritage homestay in Patan — what it is actually like to swap Thamel for low timber doorways, top-floor kitchens, family-cooked breakfasts and the quiet rhythm of a brick-paved gali.
Jun 3, 20269 min read