As we flew over Nepal the Himalayas appeared in the distance. The snow-capped mountain peaks stood proudly above the clouds. People's faces were glued to the windows. We were literally on top of the world in this beautiful and spiritual place.

Kathmandu has a long history starting with the inhabitants of the Newars. In the 7th Century the Kiratis built the foundation but it didn't really thrive until the 12th Century when it was ruled by the Malla Dynasty. Traders and pilgrims swarmed the town using it as a trade route to Tibet.

After the great earthquake in 1934, Kathmandu had to literally rebuild itself. And during the 1960s, it became a mecca for hippies offering cheap drugs. But now it's considered a backpackers Disneyland with cheap trekking stores and treks promising to see the Himalayas up close and personal.

We wandered around the buzzing streets of Thamel and acquainted ourselves with the charm and colour that is Kathmandu. Crossing the street was a dance with death as we meandered through moving cars and motorbikes. The maze of streets all looked the same selling fake trekking gear, beautiful pashminas and exotic curios and souvenirs. It was easy to lose yourselves among the backpacker guest houses, hippy cafes and numerous tour agencies. "You want to do a trek?" We found booming book shops, incensed tea shops and a handful of tattoo parlours. Locals pulled along their rickshaws wanting to sell us bananas, popcorn and necklaces.

We arrived during the Diwali festival. Outside every doorway chains of marigold hung as locals painted murals with a path of candles leading inside. This is to lead the goddess of wealth inside their home. Every night there were processions on the streets with music playing, fireworks cracking and people chanting. Pilgrims walked along holding candles. Children would sing to shop owners for money and sweets.

We visited the Tibetan Buddhist stupa of Bodhnath. Built in 600 AD Tibetan traders would come here to pray to ensure a safe journey through the Himalayas. Inside we joined the many Tibetan, Nepalese and western pilgrims circumnavigating the stupa. At the base was a ring of prayer wheels while at the gilded central tower the Buddha eyes watched over.

The white washed stupa was covered in Tibetan prayer flags that swayed in the breeze. It emulated purity and spirituality. We watched Buddhist monks spin the prayer wheels while Tibetan and Nepalese Buddhists held onto prayer beads closing their eyes praying to the stupa.

Surrounding the stupa itself was an array of Tibetan stores selling singing bowls, butter lamps and murals as well as simple coffee houses and rooftop restaurants. Located within the complex stood Buddhist monasteries and market stalls selling toasty yak blankets and monk robes.

We attempted to do a self-walking tour to Durbar Square. But when we reached Thahiti Square we were approached by a rickshaw driver. "You want a tour". He offered to take us to the sites of interest and lead us to Durbar Square. Why not?

On route we stopped at Kathesimbhu Stupa. It was a small version of Bodhnath but beautiful all the same with prayer flags hanging above. Smaller stupas surrounded the area and to one side was a monastery. Our rickshaw driver took us inside and showed us the prayer room while novice monks sat outside in the sunshine.

We jumped back on the rickety rickshaw and slowly made our way through the busy narrow streets. Many locals were out preparing for Diwali buying food and flowers. Ladies were dressed in traditional saris with every colour you could imagine strolling down the street bartering for goods as men stood around smoking cigarettes.

Durbar Square is the heart of the old town where the kings were once crowned. The square is filled with temples and pagodas and you could spend hours wandering around the traditional architecture.

On one of the platforms locals prepared a chalk mural for the festival while tourists watched the magic of the square from the safety of one of the temples. We climbed the stairs onto the temple and watched the square below. It was like watching a movie bursting with action and colour.

There were people everywhere from the rooftop restaurants to the open square. Market stalls sold spices and fruits while hawkers tried to sell you beads and bags. Along the edges of the square were stores selling murals, puppets and curios.

We visited the Kumari Bahal, the home of the Kumari Devi of Kathmandu. The Kumari Devi is the town's living goddess. She is a young girl selected from numerous candidates. She must be between 4 years old and puberty, meet the strict physical requirements before being placed in a darkened room surrounded my masked men. The candidate who remains calm throughout the process is the chosen one. When she hits puberty, the next Kumari Devi is selected going through the same process.

She was due to appear at her window when we arrived. We stood inside the courtyard with other tourists waiting to get a glimpse of this living goddess. You are not permitted to take photos of her so all cameras must be put away. Then for 5 seconds, she appeared. The crowd watched her while she watched us before she disappeared into the darkness of the room.

Perched high on a hill is Swayambhunath Temple, otherwise known as Monkey Temple by the swarms of monkeys parading around the area. It's unknown when this temple was erected but reports confirm there was activity here in 460 AD.

The white-washed stupa gleams in the sunlight while the Buddha eyes follow your every move. The temple was busy with Buddhists in prayers and from the edge of the complex we could see Kathmandu Valley in all its glory with soaring eagles in the sky above.

While listening to Buddhist chants in the background and screams of fighting monkeys, we walked around the stupa several times, taking in its beauty at every angle. Around each turn we witnessed something new; monks praying, children ringing the bell, locals selling butter lamps and monkeys appearing from the roof tops.

Pashupatinath Temple is Nepal's most significant Hindu temple and was built in 1696. The pagoda style temple is used for Hindu and Buddhist worship and the complex by the river is used for cremations.

As we wandered through the complex, we came across the river front open-air cremations on the ghats. The bodies are wrapped in shrouds and placed on wooden beams before being set alight. Several cremations were taking place while a number of grieving locals stood around in prayer. Once the body had burnt, the remains were pushed into the slow flowing river.

Nagarkot is 2175 metres above sea level and is best known for the stunning views of the Langtang mountain range. Every evening just outside our hotel we watched the sunset. We watched the snow-capped peaks change colour from white to yellow to pink before fading out to grey behind the mist.

We did a couple of walks, the first being to the Lookout Tower which was only 4km away. It was a fairly easy walk with slight inclines, shaded areas and several viewpoints on route. We passed pecking chickens and grazing goats on the roadside. One part of the road took us to a breathtaking panoramic view of the mountains.

Around the bend from this viewpoint we walked through a forest of pine trees. The scent of pine filled the air before we arrived at the tower stairs. The area was lined with prayer flags and the tower itself was a decaying steel construction. Several locals climbed up for greater views but we chose to stay on the platform. We all stood viewing the mountains and taking in the beauty of the Himalayas.

Another walk took us to Kattike. The first part of the walk was a steep climb down and we bumped into locals coming up. They told us go slowly as one wrong step could send you sliding down. When we walked past the pine trees we came to a dirt road.

It was a rocky path that took us to a road that snaked down the terrace fields. With the Kusum Community Forest on our left hand side, we knew we were on the right track. Down the hill we could see a small village and found ourselves at the town of Kattike.

Kattike is a small town with only a handful of shops and homes. We passed by a herd of grazing goats and local ladies sitting on the side of the road in colourful garments. At the centre of town is a bamboo arch. Curious locals greeted us with "Namaste". We then noticed a local man with a chicken beneath his arm. He took a machete and laying the chicken on a rock, chopped its head off. The head rolled onto the grass while the body was still trembling within his hands. He then took the head and body into the café where we were sitting. Chicken anyone?

We then continued our journey following the road towards the valley. This was the longer and tougher road but it gave us panoramic views of the valleys and mountains while passing by small villages. We could see terrace fields as far as the eye could see with small houses dotted around the valley. Locals washed children, hung out their washing, toiled at their fields and some just sat around warming up in the sunshine.

When we reached a small village it was a dirt track all the way up. Many paths crossed us and some lead to the small houses on the valley wall. Once we reached the top of the track we found ourselves on the dirt road again. As we slowly walked back up towards Nagarkot, the clouds started rolling in. By the time we reached the town, we were cold and hungry and it felt like our legs were going to give up on us. But the views were worth it.

We caught a local bus to Bhaktapur which was packed with locals, sacks of rice, potatoes and goods. We were stopped at a police checkpoint where the bus was searched. The water canister that a local lady and her daughter brought on was confiscated and they were subsequently removed from the bus. We could only assume it was home-made alcohol.

Bhaktapur is Nepal's best preserved medieval town filled with traditional buildings, historical squares and cobblestone streets surrounded by rural fields. The town is filled with artisans weaving cloth, chiselling timber and firing pottery. It's now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We explored the old town and found ourselves at Pottery Square. Pottery Square is the centre of the ceramic industry and here we found rows upon rows of pottery drying in the sun. We watched locals sitting outside chatting as well as chickens hiding between the ceramic pots.

From here we wandered down the narrow streets and came across Tachupal Tole. This open square was the original central square until the late 16th Century. In the centre of the square is the beautiful Dattatreya Temple which is believed to be built from a single tree.

We decided to weave through the local backstreets. Hidden in the shadows we watched old local ladies weaving, local men banging brass and children playing around them. The scent of spices filled the air.

Our backstreet adventure took us back to towards Taumadhi Tole where the Nyatapola Temple is located. This temple is the highest in the valley and after perching ourselves at the top of the narrow stairs, we could see all the people passing by in their colour traditional dress as tourists poked cameras around them.

We then strolled over to Durbar Square. It used to be a bustling square packed with temples but an earthquake in 1934 reduced it to rubble. It was since rebuilt and beckons visitors to walk through and explore the surrounding temples and museums.

Erotic Elephants Temple is well known for its erotic images carved into the wooden roof and columns. Nearby is the Taleju Bell which was erected in 1737 to mark the morning and evening prayers at the Taleju Temple. Further on are the Ugrachandi and Bhairab statues guarded by stone lions. It is believed that the sculptor had his hands cut off after completing the masterpiece for fear of duplicating the work. We stayed here a moment enjoying the ambience of an old worldly square while waving away want-to-be tour guides.

Our flight to Pokhara was a small 32 seater propeller plane and since we requested seats on the right hand side, we were able to see the snow-capped mountains on route. The flight was noisy and bumpy but ever so quick, we arrived in Pokhara 20 minutes later.

Pokhara is a chilled-out town nestled beneath the Annapurna mountain range. Being the gateway to one of the most famous treks, it sprawls with a mix of adventurers as well as the hippy types who spend their days lazing by the most spectacular scenery in the world.

We walked the length of the main street passing many cheap guest houses and fancy resorts, restaurants and bars advertising all cuisines and stores selling everything from trekking gear to Nepalese trinkets. We passed by the lake and noticed all the colourful boats moored waiting for tourists to cross the river. In the distance, all we could see was haze.

Further on we came to a small Hindu shrine by the river. We stopped to take in the views and watch the haze slowly clear. A Tibetan woman approached us and told us her story. She was from a Tibetan village not located on the map. She walks 2 hours to Pokhara with a bag load of jewellery she makes herself. Feeling sympathetic towards her, I ended up buying a simple bracelet.

We continued our walk taking in the Nepalese ambience. Dirty children ran by, an amputee was begging for money and a crazy man carrying a potato sack was talking to someone that wasn't there. While having lunch we watched the world go by. After the convoy of locals on their mules we noticed mountain villagers wrapped in blankets walk by. Then a runaway bull appeared almost knocking the mountain villagers off their feet.

While Shiraz was nursing an upset stomach, I caught up with my former trekking guide from 2007. He invited me to the trekking office for dinner as he was making a tasty dalbhat for all the staff. We all sat around the small kitchen table illuminated by candlelight. After dinner, we went outside and sat by the bonfire and they told me some trekking stories as well as the work they do for nearby orphanages. I felt at home here.

The weather wasn't kind to us during our week in Pokhara. Most days it was cold and cloudy. But on the only day the sun came out, we decided to make the most of it and walk up to the World Peace Pagoda.

Located across the lake, we hired a boat to take us across to the foothills of where the pagoda stood. It was a peaceful row on the glassy water and we watched the town disappear behind us. Looking around we noticed paragliders flying near the mountains as the Annapurna range stood majestically in the distance.

The walk to the World Peace Pagoda left us breathless and every so often we had to pause to catch our breath. After half an hour of walking we came across a couple of small cafes at a viewpoint. While we sat down for a drink, we had magical views of Pokhara and the mountain ranges.

We then slowly climbed through rainforests passing several local women with bundles of grass and fern on their backs. When we almost reached the top a local man on his way down stopped for a chat. He asked us where we were from and whether we spoke Nepali. He then told us only 5 minutes more to go.

Once we reached the top we came across several cafes perched high on the mountain all advertising the best views. We had to climb more stairs to reach the World Peace Pagoda. It was built by Japanese Buddhist monks in 1996 to promote world peace. The white-washed pagoda shined brilliantly in the sun while the snow-capped peaks dominated the distance.

After lunch we followed the trail on the other side of the pagoda to reach Chhore Patan. It was a steady walk down the shale and dirt track passing by road workers banging on shale to make a semi-sealed road. When we reached the town we decided to visit Devi's Falls which is Pokhara's most famous falls where the Pardi Khola stream disappears underground. But it's best viewed during the monsoon season as at this time of year it was only a small waterfall. The limestone rock formations were more interesting than the falls itself.

We also went to visit Tashiling Tibetan Refugee Camp just outside of Pokhara town. We came across a Buddhist monastery and saw a few young monks playing outside. Further along there was a small stupa symbolising the establishment of the refugee camp. Down the road were a few shops selling Tibetan handicrafts. We ventured further in the hope of witnessing Tibetan locals going about their day.

The streets were fairly empty with only a few convenience stores open for business. We saw ladies talking amongst themselves in a corner as well as a few children playing on the street. Looking up, we saw many homes covered in Tibetan prayer flags as well as colourful clothing hanging out to dry. After glancing around, we went around the back of the complex noticing the refugee was well equipped with a medical centre, pharmacy and guest house.

We then spoke to some of the store owners. One lady told us she has been living here for 48 years and it was the work of community that made the handicrafts. Then her son appeared and while she went out, he minded the store. He called us inside and spoke to us about his education. He was just about to finish an MBA in business but his main goal was to speak fluent English. His English was near perfect and we suggested he complete an online TEFL course, not only to learn but to set himself up for a certification to work as a teacher anywhere in the world.

While in Nepal, we arranged to spend 3 months volunteering in an orphanage. We had met an Irish couple in Sri Lanka who told us about Nepali Children's Welfare Service Centre located in Godawari, only an hour's drive from Kathmandu.

The orphanage was built in 2007 and was located on a piece of land nestled by the paddy fields. Behind the fields is Pulchowki Mountain and down the road from the orphanage is the town centre. On our arrival, we were greeted with marigold necklaces and flowers before sharing a Diwali feast with the children.

There are 25 children at the orphanage ranging from 3 years old to 18 years old. The 18 year old is the "big brother" keeping an eye on everyone and making sure they do they right thing. They have a strict daily schedule which sets out cleaning duties, prayers, play, study and eating times. They rise at 6am and should be in bed by 9pm. Most of the children attend school which is Sunday to Friday - 6 days a week. On Saturday mornings they attend church so the only free time they have is on Saturday afternoons.

In those 3 months we were there, there were festivals, political strikes and school holidays so we had plenty of time to get to know the children with all their different personalities and quirks. Since they get regular volunteers and learn English at school, it was easy to talk to them, just as long as we spoke slowly using simple English words. Shiraz was more fortunate though when it came to language. Since he understands Hindi he could make out their conversations in Newari, a dialect of Nepali. In my time, I learnt some words and how to count to 10 but the words I used most were Namaste (hello) and dhan-ya-bad (thank you).

When they wanted our attention, they would refer to us Brother and Sister. They called each other brother and sister as well as all volunteers. For elder folk, they called them Uncle and Aunty as a sign of respect. Since I was the oldest in the house, I was grateful they didn't call me Aunty.

Volunteers had their own room and kitchen. On a typical day we would rise early to make our own breakfast before joining the children downstairs for prayers and their breakfast of dalbhat. Before they got ready for school, they had to clean their room and corridors.

There were two school groups, the private school children and the government school children. We would take turns walking each group to their respective school. Once dropped off, we had free time. We would wander around the town of Toukhel or catch a micro bus (more like a mini-van) to Lagankhel where there were more markets, stores and internet cafes. Sometimes we spent time at the orphanage doing our own chores, we had to keep our room and kitchen clean and tidy and hand wash our clothes.

Late in the afternoon, we would pick up the school children and take them back to the orphanage where they had some play time. At the beginning they played soccer or basketball outside but as they came to know us, they would borrow my mobile phone or laptop to play games. They did have a TV but with no antenna, all they could do was watch DVDs. But electricity cuts are a part of Nepalese life, there was no electricity most of the time. And when it came on, the children would shout out, "Light is coming". During play time or Saturday afternoons, they would run upstairs into the TV room and put on a DVD.

During play time, they would be called downstairs for Tiffin (snack time). Every day they had a different snack and sometimes we would join them. Popcorn was my favourite snack. But play time came to an end too quickly as at 5pm they had study time.

They either had to do their homework or read/draw. If the big brother wasn't in the room, it became an extension of play time. Children would chatter, play games or just run around. When big brother was there, the children would call us over to help them with their maths or English. As we helped them, they took the opportunity to ask us questions about our lives back home. It was more interesting than algebra or grammar.

After study time, they had devotion time. All the children are brought up as Christians but once they leave the orphanage they can choose their own religion. Devotion time was a mix of singing and praying. Between prayers they sang with passion, tapped the tables and clapped their hands. On Tuesday nights we all had to get up and give thanks and on Friday nights we all had to ask for forgiveness.

Dinner was then served. We ate dalbhat and curried potatoes with the children. As we were served, they would call out to us, "Sit with me". It was hard to choose who to sit with so we had to alternate our seating arrangements to keep everyone happy. After dinner everyone is expected to wash their own plates and utensils. As we finished our plates, the children would take turns washing our plates for us.

A couple of nights a week, if there was electricity, the children were allowed half an hour DVD time. But most nights there was no electricity so everyone went to their rooms to prepare for bed. But over time, the children realised we weren't actually going to bed but making ourselves tea or hot chocolate. Eventually, they came up to see us when they should have been in bed. Sometimes I set up the laptop so they could play games. We called these the kitchen parties and I'd make them hot chocolate or hot milk and give them any snacks we had on hand. Eventually we had to send them back downstairs, if it was after 9pm they would get into trouble.

During those days the children weren't at school, we either played around with them at the orphanage or took them out for meals, walks and outings. They were happy to get out of the house even it was to buy some biscuits or chips from the local convenience store. Dry instant noodles were their favourite snack. We treated them to daily treats but sometimes we took them to our favourite cafe which served Nepalese and western food delights.

There are several walks in the area, all of them being a steady uphill climb passing the nearby villages. We visited Shanti Ban Buddha, Santaneshwor Mahadev Mandir Temple and Pulchowki Mountain. We took them for walks across wheat fields, through villages, to the fishing farm for a dip in the stream and to the internet café. They were always eager to play on the internet, some were new to the experience and others knew how to navigate their way better than we did.

Then there were the outings. Anything involving a bus trip was an outing. They would put on their best clothes and smiles for these occasions. We took them to the cinema a few times as well as to an amusement park. It made us feel like children ourselves.

We were fortunate enough to spend Christmas and New Year's with the children. They don't usually get volunteers during winter time as it's bitterly cold this time of year. We loved shopping for Christmas presents for them as much as they loved receiving them. Before Christmas we joined them for carolling in the local area. It was more of a party than carol singing with plenty of dancing and good food.

For Christmas we built a Nepalese BBQ using bricks and mud for them and served burgers, hot dogs and chicken. And for New Year's Eve we took them out to a local restaurant before returning to the orphanage for hot chocolate and singing by the bonfire. But in Nepal there were no fireworks - midnight was celebrated by shouting out Happy New Year!

We also organised a birthday party for the big brother. He was overjoyed, not only by the party snacks and cakes but because it was the first time he had a birthday party. The simple gesture of a card with everyone's message touched him as he had never received a birthday card before either.

During our time there the orphanage had a couple of overseas visitors. Any visitor to the orphanage is a special occasion. A chicken lunch was provided and the children put on performances. There were beautiful dances, amazing breakdances and amusing jokes. But we could never understand the jokes as there were all in Nepali.

The night before we left, they put on a performance for us. There were a few tears shed as Thank You and Farewell cards were given to us that the children had made for us. Although our time here was to help these children learn and play, they helped us learn about their culture. They welcomed us with open arms allowing us into their lives and hearts. The whole experience was an infusion of love and chaos. They looked after each other, they fought with each other, they behaved and they misbehaved. We became a part of this family and from here we will take these memories home with us and cherish them. Next stop, Home…