March 13: Many of us complain about there not being enough fun things you can do in your free time in Kathmandu. But in the last few years, paying heed to that complain, a number of organizations have introduced different fun activities that you can participate in—either as a one-time thing or as a hobby. Here are five fun activities you can be a part of in Kathmandu.
Learn about Mithila art
Mithila House
Location: Bhanimandal, Lalitpur
Opening hours: 10:30 am to 6:00 pm, closed on Mondays
Charges: Rs 2500, includes art supplies, snacks and drinks
Contact: 9818659805
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Mithila House, a venture that promotes Mithila art and culture, organizes a Mithila art session on the third Saturday of every month. The session is led by a registered Mithila artist from Janakpur and is about three hours long. At this session, the attendees get to know the history and importance of Mithila art while trying to recreate an artwork brought in by the artist who also explains the symbols in the artwork and the meanings behind them. Interested people can book these sessions by messaging Mithila House on social media or through phone calls and visit their outlet at Bhanimandal at least two days prior to the session to pay for the class.
Besides this, you can also visit Mithila House on other days to look through their gallery, learn more about Mithila culture or buy their products, all of which feature detailed Mithila artworks.
House of Palettes
Just weekend things
Sketch and paint to relax your mind
Location: Inside Evoke Cafe, Jhamsikhel, Lalitpur
Opening hours: 12:00 pm to 7:00 pm, closed on Mondays and Thursdays
Charges: Rs 1500 for a standard-sized canvas, includes all the art supplies
Contact : 9802071128
Ever since it launched in 2018, House of Palettes has been a popular hangout spot for art enthusiasts and artists alike where they go to paint, relax and unwind. The art studio is located inside the premises of Evoke Cafe in Jhamsikhel and opens five days a week—besides Monday and Thursday—from noon till 7:00 pm. When you enter the studio, you are presented with an option to choose from a variety of different sizes of canvas. The standard size—that Amul Shakya, an employee at the studio recommends beginners use—costs Rs 1500. The price you have to pay depends on the size of the canvas—bigger the canvas, more the price. And that is basically everything you pay for, the studio provides you with all the art supplies you require and space—for as long as it takes you to finish your piece. Their in-house artists will also guide you and add finishing touches to your piece once it’s done.
Additionally, House of Palettes also organizes two-hour-long workshops every other Saturday on different topics related to art. You can find out about these through their social media accounts.
Get lost in a mirror maze
Mirror Maze Nepal
Location: Kumaripati, Lalitpur and Chabahil, Kathmandu
Opening hours: 10 am to 7 pm on Saturdays, 10 am to 6 pm on Sundays and closed on Tuesdays
Charges: Rs 250 for each theme (Rs 50 discount is available if you present your student ID card)
Contact : 9823505187
The newly opened Mirror Maze is, as the name suggests, a series of mazes (a network of paths designed as a puzzle) made from mirrors that you have to find your way out of. Although it sounds relatively simple, once you enter the maze, the multitude of mirrors will confuse you to no end and while you are looking for a way out, you might even bump into the mirrors or try to walk through them thinking they are new paths.
The first outlet of Mirror Maze at Kumaripati has three different themes of mazes: Blue, Dark and Horror. The second outlet at Chabahil is also similar with an extra Infinity Room added to the line up that Nima Sherpa, the shareholder of Mirror Maze, says is mainly there for photo-taking purposes. A total of five people can explore one maze theme at a time—for around 10 minutes.
Try your hand at pottery making
KTM Haat
Location: Bhanimandal, Lalitpur
Opening hours: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Charges: Rs 1200 for children & Rs 2000 for adults
Contact : 9823698487
KTM Haat, a retail platform that promotes and sells ‘Made in Nepal’ items, has been conducting pottery sessions every Saturday since its launch in mid-2018. These classes are conducted by a professional potter from Bhaktapur and generally run for two to three hours. While one-on-one classes are offered for adults, group classes are conducted for children (where they’re also provided with light snacks). You have to book your class a few days beforehand either by contacting KTM Haat through their social media pages or through a phone call. The payment can be done on the day of the class.
Those who are interested learn pottery beyond the basic level (that is taught during the one-day session) can also take up either the four-session plan (Rs 4,500 for kids and Rs 7,500 for adults) where you attend four different classes over a period of one month or eight-session plan (Rs 8,500 for kids and Rs 14,000 for adults) where you attend eight different classes over a period of two months. You can schedule these classes according to your timing.
Aim and shoot
The Best Archery
Location: Jhamsikhel, Laliptur
Opening hours: 9:00 am to 7:00 pm, also open on Saturdays
Charges: Rs 600 and Rs 400 per person for one hour and half-an-hour
sessions respectively
Contact : 01-5535065
The Best Archery is the first and only running archery range in Nepal. Launched in 2014, the archery welcomes anyone above the age of eight. Although you can also visit the place for a single session to try out archery for fun, The Best Archery also coaches individuals who want to seriously pursue archery. Three archery instructors including Nabin Basnet, a level three coach at World Federation and the founder of the archery range, are present there at all times and will guide beginners and first-time visitors on the basics of archery.
10 individuals can shoot at the range at once. You don’t have to book your sessions or pre-inform and can just visit the place during their operating hours. But in case you are coming in a big group (with more than 10 people), Basnet suggests you do inform the venue before visiting so that they can sort out an appropriate time for you.
