Freak Street (Jhhonchen Tole)
Freak Street (Jhhonchen Tole)
Freak Street (Jhhonchen Tole)
3
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This area was once a thriving center for bargaining, eating and meeting other travelers; these days it's become quiet due to the popularity of the nearby Thamel district.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
3.0
173 reviews
Excellent
29
Very good
26
Average
82
Poor
27
Terrible
9
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macedonboy
Glasgow, UK186,657 contributions
Mar 2024 • Friends
This street is in a prime location near Kathmandu Durbar Square and named for its popularity with hippies back in the day. Now it’s just another street with shops selling stuff aimed at tourists such as restaurants, bubble tea, clothes etc. It’s really nothing special, but go ahead and take a look if you're in the area.
Written March 21, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sd JAZZ i SŁONIE
Skierniewice, Poland14,548 contributions
May 2023 • Solo
Even at the end of the last century it enjoyed special splendor. Over the years, it has become an ordinary street with many bars, cafes and small shops. I was here for the third time in the last 20 years. It used to be a mecca for hippies and people looking for legal drugs. Now sometimes someone will confidentially offer to sell hashish, but this is not a rule. There are a lot of bars but not as loud as before. The street has become "normal" and is similar to many nearby streets.
Written November 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GWVan
Port Orange, FL323 contributions
May 2017 • Solo
There is some interesting history here with the hippy movement in the 60's but that was all shut down under pressure from the US government to ban marijuana in the 70s. How arrogant and imperialistic of my country to dictate this sort of thing. Since this is an issue we are STILL working to sort out, maybe we should have minded our own business.
Nonetheless this street is as interesting as all the others in Kathmandu and has some nice restaurants and shops, certainly worth a stroll
Nonetheless this street is as interesting as all the others in Kathmandu and has some nice restaurants and shops, certainly worth a stroll
Written August 16, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JamesHarry W
Mullumbimby, Australia646 contributions
Nov 2017 • Solo
Not a 'happening' place anymore .... yesterday is history , tomorrow is a Mystery . I lived through those heady times although I never made it to Kathmandu I did in my head in a swirly Smoky Hashish Cloud . It wasn't such a 'peace and love' kind of a thing . Whatever Freak Street had ...it 'aint got it anymore . Not a bad Street to drive down though ....
Written November 9, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tom
Maple Grove, MN2,028 contributions
May 2016 • Friends
Agree with several reviewers - may have been big decades ago, but is now simply another street in Thamel. No unique reason to ensure you walk it, unless you want to say you were there. Simply enjoy your time walking the chaotic, loud, high-energy streets of the Thamel tourist area in Kathmandu and that's an experience to talk about when you get home.
Written May 21, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ram Prasad
53 contributions
Dec 2014 • Solo
Well there is not that much left to remind of the days of the Hippies and legal hashish! But still it has a kind of quiet air and I go sometimes when near the Durbar Square. People older than me who where here in the late 60s and early 70s probably are fairly nostalgic about the place. That was an innocent time before this world got so intense.
There are some semi funky games and laces to eat. There used to be some roof top restaurants that had views that were nice. Don't know how things are after the earthquake. A lot of the buildings were old and some of them may not have done well...
There are some semi funky games and laces to eat. There used to be some roof top restaurants that had views that were nice. Don't know how things are after the earthquake. A lot of the buildings were old and some of them may not have done well...
Written July 16, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MichaelAceTrekking
Sydney, Australia14 contributions
Oct 2014 • Solo
Personally I thought Freak St a very boring place & altho' I recognise it once held a historical significance, in as much as it housed many of the "hippies" of the 60's who were passing thro' on their way to India (or back), it is now a very ordinary street. Historically, I believe the old King eventually gave the "hippies" the boot out of the country, as they were a pretty drugged up, pot smoking bunch. He was fearful they would influence the younger & more impressionable youth of Kathmandu. This street in my opinion, is only worth the effort of walking down, primarily for historical reasons...
Written June 30, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
redeco
Warren, MA9,338 contributions
Nov 2014 • Friends
Freak Street was the place to be in hippie times, but it's faded and worn today, and frankly, no big deal. There is good shopping, but be sure to bargain.
I spent about two hours here; I had a bite to eat and bought quite a lot of jewelry. I found a vendor in the nearby square who had great stuff that she made herself. She had a baby on her hip and her mom was helping her. Nice experience speaking with her and many of our group bought from her. She had a good day.
Enjoy, but don't expect the 70's reborn.
I spent about two hours here; I had a bite to eat and bought quite a lot of jewelry. I found a vendor in the nearby square who had great stuff that she made herself. She had a baby on her hip and her mom was helping her. Nice experience speaking with her and many of our group bought from her. She had a good day.
Enjoy, but don't expect the 70's reborn.
Written December 17, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thomas P
Waterloo, Belgium1 contribution
May 2014 • Solo
I stayed on 'Freak Street' in late 1979 early 1980; Iranians in the US Embassy; Russians in Afghanistan . . . I was in Nepal to hike.... not smoke pot or eat pie; however, I did make a friend - a guy whose family owned an inexpensive hotel there; they had a solar water heater for guests... a hot shower; no small thing back then... imagine that. They also had an old VW bug parked a few streets over so the government wouldn't know it was theirs; we'd cruise around at night; it was great.
Anyway, I'm really here to say there is kind of a rule that if you're going to bash something or some place - at least make sure you spell the name correctly. Otherwise, you look like a fool.
For the record, it's Jhochhen Tole.
I haven't been back. Things change; they always do. :-) I'm not saying things were better or worse - only different. Really, though, I cannot imagine Jhochhen Tole as a tourist destination; it was just an inexpensive place to stay, close to some restaurants where they took care of our delicate western stomachs.
And, for all you bone heads out there, there were no more hippies after 1970. The sixties were over; it was time to move on.
Anyway, I'm really here to say there is kind of a rule that if you're going to bash something or some place - at least make sure you spell the name correctly. Otherwise, you look like a fool.
For the record, it's Jhochhen Tole.
I haven't been back. Things change; they always do. :-) I'm not saying things were better or worse - only different. Really, though, I cannot imagine Jhochhen Tole as a tourist destination; it was just an inexpensive place to stay, close to some restaurants where they took care of our delicate western stomachs.
And, for all you bone heads out there, there were no more hippies after 1970. The sixties were over; it was time to move on.
Written May 24, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marie B
Annecy, France36 contributions
Aug 2012
I like to stay around freak street, away from the crowd of Thamel there is lots of nice little shops, nice people, and guest houses. The atmosphere is particular just grab a cup of tea and sit dow on the stairs of Organic cafe and enjoy the time....
Written September 3, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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