Kathmandu, Nepal

What a paradise! Although many travelers find KTM a bit rough, it is delightful when compared to any city in India. It has great food, comfy hotels, a pretty skyline, and cool historical sights. You do have to ignore the horrendous traffic jams and the occasional gang of glue-sniffing street kids though. Every second shop in the tourist area sells trekking gear with a super selection of fake North Face, Arcteryx, Columbia, Mtn Hardware, Patagonia, etc. We rushed around to prep for our trek, buying permits, hiking boots, fleece-everything, extra socks and rented sleeping bags.