Pair milk masala tea (75¢),  served in a pretty teacup and garnished with saffron threads, with a honey pancake ($1.50)  from Chikusa (chikusacafe.com) in touristy Thamel. Wander the chaotic streets to reach World Heritage-listed Kathmandu Durbar Square (entry $9.50)  showcasing spectacular centuries-old architecture. Find a shaded temple step from which to people-watch. Lunch on momos (steamed dumplings) at the rooftop Festive Fare restaurant ($4.50)  and soak up views over the part of the square where royal elephants were once stabled. Return to Thamel via Freak Street and shop up a storm at the fixed-price Amrita Craft (amritacraft.com, $7.50 goes a long way). Drop into Hotel Utse for a set meal of curry, dhal, potatoes and more ($4) and tongba (hot millet beer, $2,  utsehotel.com). Bed down at the landmark Kathmandu Guest House: room types include an "ultra-basic" double (ktmgh.com, $5).

Total: $34.75

EASY DOES IT

A pizzeria might seem an odd place to breakfast but, hey, anything goes in crazy Kathmandu. Fire and Ice's continental brekky ($3.75)  includes focaccia, local kanchan cheese, egg, tomato and meat or mushrooms (fireandicepizzeria.com). Cross the road to soak up the serenity of Garden of Dreams, a neo-classical 1920s garden and pavilions that were recently restored (gardenofdreams.org.np, $2.50  entry). Grab a falafel wrap ($2.45)  from the always-busy Chick'n'Falafel stand at the entrance to pedestrian-only Mandala Street. Hop a taxi (about $3.75) from Thamel to Swayambhunath Temple – popularly known as Monkey Temple (entry $2.50)  – for an eye-popping view over sprawling Kathmandu. Shake off the dust at the rooftop infinity pool of Hotel Shanker, a converted palace with idiosyncratic rooms (shankerhotel.com.np, doubles from $75).  Fill up at Black Olives (bolivescafe.com) with goat kebab ($3.75), chicken biryani  ($4) and Everest beer ($3.75).

Total: $101.45

SPLASH OUT 

Enjoy total serenity at Gokarna Forest Resort on Kathmandu's outskirts. Sitting on former royal hunting grounds, it's surrounded by forests said to be inhabited by leopards. You're more likely to see cheeky monkeys swinging from rooftops and spotted deer grazing the golf course. The best room in the house is the Gokarna Suite, complete with attic  ($890 a night, gokarna.com). Treat yourself to a 2.5-hour session at the Hyatt Regency Kathmandu's Club Oasis spa: the Forest Path package includes an Indian head massage, Ayurvedic Abhyanga oil massage and herbal salt scrub  ($175 a person, kathmandu.regency.hyatt.com). Dwarika's Hotel, in the east near the airport, is famed for the Newari cuisine served at its elegant fine-diner Krishnarpan. Go on an empty stomach for the epic 22-course feast that includes 14 starters, soup, fish, a "farmer's meal" of polenta and much more  ($80 a person, dwarikas.com). Total: $1145

The writer travelled as a guest of Aurora Expeditions and China Southern Airlines.