My Nepal Trip Prep Struggle
Okay, I really wanted to plan this Nepal trip focused on Lumbini, birthplace of Buddha. Seemed straightforward at first. Pick the perfect time, right? Boy, was I wrong.
I started by just Googling “best time Nepal Lumbini”. So many articles popped up. Everyone kept saying “October to November” is ideal. Autumn, clear skies, nice temps. Sounded good. Wrote it down.
But wait. Then I found some forum posts where people who actually lived there were talking. They said something different. October-November is good… but that’s also peak season. Hotels get packed, flights shoot up, Lumbini Peace Park is BUSY. Like, selfie-sticks everywhere busy. Wasn’t what I imagined for a peaceful pilgrimage.
This threw me. So I dug deeper. Found another season nobody mentioned much: late February to April. Spring. Weather charts showed gradually warming temps before the real heat hit. Fewer tourist crowds listed on some travel calendars I saw. Prices looked less insane.
Here’s where I messed up my initial plan: I almost booked flights immediately after reading that “Oct-Nov” headline advice. Good thing I kept digging!
I started cross-referencing everything:
- Temperature reports: Found Lumbini gets crazy hot May onwards. Like, melt-your-face-off hot. Ruled that out fast.
- Monsoon season: June to September is WET. Like, serious rain, flooding possible. Pictures showed flooded paths around the sacred sites. Nope, didn’t want soggy sandals.
- Winter months: December and January? Supposedly dry, but mornings get COLD. Like, heavy mist, visibility poor for the morning lighting Buddha statues perfectly? Maybe not ideal for photography.
I ended up pushing my plan back. Went for early March instead of jumping on the October bandwagon. Booked flights a bit cheaper. Got a nicer hotel room without paying the peak ransom.
What did I learn? Don’t trust the first “best time” headline you see. Especially with weather and crowds:
- “Ideal” weather often means “most crowded and expensive” too.
- Shoulder seasons (like spring: Feb-April) can offer decent weather without the tourist stampede.
- Dig into specifics for your exact spot! Nepal’s weather isn’t the same everywhere. Lumbini plains are different from the mountains.
Planning “wisely” for Lumbini wasn’t just picking dates. It was avoiding the hype trap. Glad I took the time.
