Feted by royalty and friends with other intellectual luminaries of his day, George Forster was one history’s greatest explorers. An early advocate of racial and gender equality, retracing his journeys is an eye-opening way to see the world.

Framed by the soaring Himalayan skyline, Kathmandu is a timeless blend of Hindu temples, Buddhist stupas and royal relics that warrant days of backstreet wandering.

From grand palaces right in the heart of the city to a neighbourhood bolthole offering a taste of local life, here’s our pick of where to stay in Catalonia’s creative capital.