Погода: Лумбини, декабрь

December and January are the driest and clearest months in Nepal, which is why regulars recommend December over the spring for Annapurna views - more reliably clear daytime skies than April, and quieter trails with it. Down in Pokhara at 800m it is not cold: highs around 15 to 21C, lows near 8C, and late-December trek reports read like a good English spring day. The altitude is where it changes - rooms high on the trail sit near -10C in December and January, so the packing depends entirely on how high you go rather than on the town. Haze is possible but is far less the December problem than it is later in the winter. The record for Pokhara: 16.7C days, 8.4C nights, 11.5 precipitation days, 9.1 hours of sun and AQI 75.

Nepal forum threads describe the Terai lowlands, where Lumbini sits, as genuinely favorable in January - winter is the dry season here, so precipitation is minimal, with warm days and cool nights and morning fog that typically burns off well before midday. Posters specifically named Lumbini and nearby Chitwan as good picks for this window. The overall read across threads: while Kathmandu and the hills get cold and sometimes hazy, the Terai's lower elevation keeps January comfortable and dry, making it one of the better months to visit Buddha's birthplace without weather complications.

Forum posters note that Lumbini, Buddha's birthplace, sits in Nepal's low-lying Terai plain rather than the mountains, so it runs meaningfully warmer than Kathmandu or Pokhara at the same time of year - typical February highs in the low-to-mid 20sC, mild by most standards but enough direct sun exposure across the site's open, largely shadeless grounds that a cap or head covering is standard advice for an afternoon visit. One visitor who spent one night and two days there felt that was plenty of time; a longer two-night stay was described by another as potentially excessive given the heat and sun exposure and the relatively compact scale of the site. The sprawling monastic zone is best covered by cycle rickshaw rather than on foot, with the calm, contemplative Maya Devi Temple and surrounding monasteries, stupas and gardens the main draw, best visited in the cooler morning hours before the midday sun peaks.