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I arrive in Kathmandu on the last day of August, just five days after devastating flash floods—caused by a glacier and rock collapse along Nepal’s border with China—swept through the Rasuwa district. Entire villages and communities were wiped out, hundreds killed, and thousands more are still missing, including many tourists. It’s an unthinkable tragedy that has unfolded with devastating consequences across parts of Nepal and neighboring Tibet.
As I exit baggage claim at Tribhuvan International Airport, one of a tiny handful of non-Nepalis on my flight from Dubai, I see a Flood Related Information & Help Desk manned by police. Outside the airport, the streets are busy, a cacophony of honking horns and motorbikes buzzing between cars, buses, and tuk-tuks as people travel around the Nepalese capital. Here, at least on the surface, things seem normal.
I’m welcomed at The Dwarika’s hotel by René Vijay Shrestha Einhaus, owner and CEO of Dwarika’s Collection. After a warm hello, the floods are the first thing we speak of; they’re in the minds and heavy hearts of everyone here. It’s a grave catastrophe that has shaken the nation. But what’s also in the minds of Nepalis is the concern that travelers to the tourism-dependent country, about to come into its peak travel season, will stop visiting.
Drinking tea in the courtyard of The Dwarika’s hotel, surrounded by centuries-old Newari wood carvings, the twittering of sparrows, and the chattering of mynahs coming home to roost, feels surreally calm. As we chat, monsoon rains start pouring from the sky, a constant, thunderous downpour that hammers on the rooftops and trees, only letting up in the early hours of the following morning. It doesn’t bode well for those in the areas directly affected by the floods, or for those trying to help them.
Look at a map of Nepal and the devastated areas don’t appear all that far from the capital, but the country’s mountainous topography means that there’s no direct route between them, and the roaring rivers have no outlet into the Kathmandu Valley. The Nepal Tourism Board, and practically everyone I speak to on the ground, is keen to highlight that the devastation is concentrated in a specific area, primarily the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river corridors in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, and parts of Dhading district. The rest of Nepal, from popular trekking areas like Everest and Annapurna, and cities like Kathmandu and Pokhara, remains unaffected and open to visitors.
