Kathmandu, AI, and the Mountains: My Tradigital Month in Nepal
In February 2026, my digital nomad journey moved from India to Nepal. As well as the mountains, lakes and cities, I explored the 3D Modeling & AI Workflow,
Growing up in one of the flattest parts of England, I was obsessed with the mountains and explorers—the kind of thing that can obsess you in your early 20s. But this time in my life, the trip to this rooftop of the world, my goals were a bit more grounded: I wanted a nice place to swim in some pools, some day hikes explore the local “Maker” scene, architectural sites and culture. I also wanted to explore how my Tradigital workflow now including AI would land with creative makers in Kathmandu.
The Tradigital Workshop at FabLab Nepal
After my time at FabLab Auroville in December, I reached out to FabLab Nepal in the Lalitpur district, Kathmandu. I would really recommend this district if you stay Kathmandu. It is a lot less touristy than areas to the north in the city centre and the FabLab here means that if you are a creative maker, you can get some projects made here too.
I wanted to volunteer and test one of my latest tuition structures regarding using AI to speed up the “boring” parts of 3D modeling so artists can stay in their flow. As of early 2026 this is a workflow problem I am working on, check this other blog post for more information.
I was allowed to volunteer and run this course over three afternoons. It was great to see so many local Nepalese students turn up.
Most had little to no experience with Blender but many had experience with CAD applications such as Fusion 360. Due to this, we focused on digital sculpting—something the 3D application Blender is incredible at compared to rigid CAD programs and comes in as a close second to the industry standard sculpting tool Zbrush. We used AI image generation as a starting point to get organic forms moving quickly. I focused on using the image to AI application Tripo to show them as I currently had a proffesional month membership with it.
My message to them was the same one I use in my own studio: The technology should never stop the artistic creative flow. AI is just the helper/assistant for the first stage; the real “soul” comes from the sculpting and the artist driving the mouse (or the clay).
FabLab Nepal Meeting Room
Sketching the Old to Build the New
When I wasn’t in the Lab, I enjoyed walking around the Durbar Squares in Kathmandu. I spent hours in Patan and Kathmandu Durbar Square sketching Buddhist and Hindu artifacts. I would really recommend the Patan museum with its many artifacts including Hindu and Buddhist ornaments and sculptures.
Kathmandu is full of intricate wood carvings on doors, temples and in many places you would not expect.
While thinking about 3D printing. This region is so rich in arts and culture—after all, the Buddha was meant to have been born nearby.
Reflections on the Road (and why I’ll fly next time)
Travel in this part of the world always has an element of danger from earthquakes to traffic accidents and even greater dangers if you are a mountaineer. I headed to Pokhara , a beautiful lakeside city that serves as a starting point for mountaineers who want to walk into the Annapurna range. I went for a bit of a retreat, but the bus journey there and back was a reminder of how precious life is.
A night bus on the same route crashed the night before on the way back to Kathmandu
It was scary and definitely makes you pause. The road is windy, bumpy and has huge steep drops into rivers and valleys. Many of the roadside bollards and missing, damaged or non existent too that would offer some protection if a vehicle veers off the road.
Honestly? If you’re heading that way, just fly. Having said that, the bus company I went with were good drivers, it was one of the more expensive, night buses with better suspension. So if you do decide to go to Pokchara by bus, try to get the higher priced buses, which are only about 15 pounds as of 2026!
Despite the heavy thoughts, Pokhara was beautiful—plenty of photos, more sketching, and I found a good swimming pools for my lap training. I also went on some day hikes including and an amazing cable car down and also a the Peace Pagoda a lovely trek through forest paths up to this viewpoint where you can meditate and then get a coffee from one of the cafes and sit and look down on amazing views.
What I’m Bringing Back
This trip wasn’t just about travel; it was a “stress test” for my tuition methods. Seeing students in Kathmandu quickly get over “technical walls” using the tools I teach proved that this Tradigital approach mixed with image to AI works everywhere. It’s about giving people the technical language to thrive in the future without losing their creative spark.
If you’re stuck on a “technical wall” with your own 3D project, or if you want to learn how to bridge the gap between your sketches and a finished 3D model, let’s talk. I’m opening a few slots for project-based mentorship this month. You can book a free 30-minute session here and we can see where your creative journey is headed.
