Panauti
A small, intact Newar town at a sacred river confluence, with a 13th-century Indreshwar temple and Nepal's first community homestays.
Panauti sits where the Roshi and Punyamati rivers meet, and a third, invisible river is believed to join them, making it a sacred confluence. The Indreshwar Mahadev temple, first built in 1294, is one of the oldest and largest pagoda temples in Nepal.
The whole town feels like Bhaktapur in miniature, without the crowds. Its community homestay programme lets visitors stay with Newar families, and the Makar Mela fair held every twelve years draws huge crowds.
