Since this board is full of travel planning, sharing something useful for anyone heading to Nepal or the Himalayas. Thangka paintings are one of the most common things people want to bring back, and the shops around Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan have everything from cheap prints to museum-level work.

A few points worth knowing before you shop:

Real thangkas are painted on cotton canvas stretched on a frame and coated with a chalk and glue base. Ask to see the back. Prints have a smooth, clean back.

Ask what pigments were used. Traditional pieces use ground minerals like malachite, azurite and cinnabar, mixed with animal glue. Cheaper ones use acrylic, which is fine as decoration but should be priced that way.

Size and detail drive the price far more than anything else. A small, simple thangka can take a couple of weeks; a large, detailed mandala can take many months.

Carry it rolled, not folded, in a tube. Folding cracks the paint.

If you would rather not carry one in your luggage, you can also look online after the trip. Something like the Buy authentic thangka painting collection at Nepa Thangka lets you compare sizes and styles at home, which is handy when you have only seen a few shops in person.

Happy travels, and take your time choosing.