Nepal – 5 Overlooked Destinations

Posted on November 10, 2016 by Alan Stock

As many visitors to Nepal dedicate much of their trip to the tourist hubs of Kathmandu, Pokhara and Himalayan trekking, I wanted to share some overlooked destinations. I spent nearly three months in this amazing country (on a tight budget), and so had time to follow up on tips from locals and ex-pats of extra things to check out in Nepal. This led me to alternative locations that I wouldn’t have otherwise found, or perhaps bothered with. They are either culturally interesting, or offer a different experience to other parts of Nepal. Most of these spots aren’t too hard to get to, so be sure to factor them into your trip if you have the time!

1 – Bandipur

AlanStockPhotography-bandipur-sunrise-clouds-landscape-view-nepal

Sunrise at Bandipur: the faint ridgeline at the far top left is the Himalayas.

Nepal’s “lowlands” have some famous sunrise spots for epic views of the Himalayan mountains, such as Pokhara and Bhaktapur, but the quaint hilltop town of Bandipur has possibly the best. A steep twenty minute pre-dawn climb from the town center may leave you out of breath, but the view is definitely worth it – a 360 degree panorama over the lowlands, hills, mountains and finally the epic Himalayas towering beyond. It’s one of the best places in Nepal to get a sense of the mind boggling magnitude of the Himalayas thanks to the vast scale on offer here. If you’re lucky you’ll also get a sea of cloud covering the valley floors making for a really magical experience. Even if you’re too tired to catch the sunrise, the views around Bandipur are stunning at any time of the day – with the Himalayas clearly visible when its not too hazy or cloudy.

Bandipur is very laid back compared to Nepal’s other towns. Incredibly for this country, and props to the Bandipur council – traffic is banned in the town center making this a peaceful place. This combined with attractive guest houses, winding paved streets, bright colours and a street cafe/restaurant culture makes it feel very Mediterranean. Other things to do around Bandipur include mid-level forest and hill walks, mountain biking, cheap paragliding, and an adventurous cave tour. But really, the best thing about Bandipur is that its the perfect place to wind down for a few days and relax after the madness of Nepal’s cities, or to recover from a strenuous mountain trek. There’s a range of accommodation here, from super cheap guest houses to high end hotels. Infrequent tourist buses run here from the major tourist hubs, or you can make your way to the town of Dumre on the main road, and catch a local bus or jeep from there. Be warned, the narrow winding mountain road up to Bandipur is not for the faint-hearted (but it is at least sealed) – featuring low barriers and sheer cliff drops on one side – welcome to Nepal! Trust me though, the views once you get there are worth it!

2 – Chitwan National Park

Cute baby rhino having a snooze at Chitwan National Park. This infant was rescued after being orphaned when a tiger attacked and killed its mother, it managed to escape with minor wounds to its face. It seemed very content in the lodge garden!

With Nepal best known for the Himalayas, most people are pretty skeptical when you tell them that you can go on safari in Nepal. But sure enough, a lengthy bus ride down to Chitwan in the south reveals a completely different geography – a flat landscape of farmland which fleshes out with jungle and grassland as you approach the very touristy hub of Chitwan village. There’s a bunch of safari activities to do here – from elephant treks to bush walking, canoe rides and jeep tours. Aside from the likely chance of spotting wild rhinos, there’s a host of wildlife in this park you may spot including wild elephants, monkeys and boar. Going deeper into the park is usually needed to stand a chance of seeing the elusive sloth bears and Begnal tigers – good luck! If you can’t afford an expensive safari, don’t worry – I did one of the cheap package deals, starting with a peaceful misty sunrise river canoe trip, followed by a an adrenaline-pumping bush walk where you may come face to face with wild rhinos, elephants, wild pigs and other bush life. At lunch there was elephant washing in the river with their mahmouts (handlers) – which is great fun – but take a towel! The afternoon activity was an elephant jungle trek where we got really close to the wild rhinos, who were unphased by the horde of tourist-loaded elephants surrounding them. Be sure to take some bottom padding as the wooden elephant seating platforms are rock hard – super uncomfortable!

At the end of the day you can enjoy a cheap beer down at the river’s beach and watch the sunset over the grassland with the Himalayas in the distance. At night, the Tharu cultural dance show is also a good watch, showcasing traditional dances with energetic music and amazing costumes. Chitwan may be a very touristy spot but it’s definitely worth visiting for the wildlife and a completely different experience to the rest of Nepal.

3 – Kiritipur

De-husking rice in the streets of Kiritipur

This little hill town, only half an hour from Kathmandu, is a charming place to explore and surprisingly tourist-free. When we visited in low season, we didn’t see a single foreigner! There’s a few nice temples and shrines in Kiritipur, but the main reason to visit is its colourful architecture, narrow winding streets and friendly locals. Its a great place to see a slightly more sedate and genuine Nepalese lifestyle away from Kathmandu, yet is only a stone throw away from the city.

The hilltop also has great vistas over the Kathmandu valley. To get to Kiritipur, you can catch a local bus from the main bus station in Kathmandu, or its an affordable taxi ride. You could even cycle, as some of the locals do – although you’d want a mountain bike for the steep streets. A perfect place to get a slice of “real Nepal”.

4 – Pashupatinath Temple

This large temple complex on the outskirts of Kathmandu is often overlooked by tourists, yet is one of the most interesting Hindu temples in the country. Built on the banks of the holy Bagmati river, Pashupatinath is religiously significant and popular with worshippers. You may see cremations and funeral ceremonies by the river banks, as well as other ceremonies at this busy temple. Its a moving experience to witness the public funerals here, and if one is in progress when you arrive its important to be respectful. However, Pashupatinath isn’t all doom and gloom – there’s plenty of other things to see here – including some great old architecture and a forest path leading up to many lovely old stupas.

There’s also a large colony of the cheeky macaque monkeys here. As with all monkeys in Asia, be wary as they can be aggressive, but are fun to watch. Pashupatinath has a more serene vibe than the other Kathmandu temples and its large size makes it seem quieter – it’s a nice place to observe locals performing mediation, ceremonies and rituals. Its also relatively free of the tourist plague – a few “babus” (holy men) ply tourists for paid photographs and there’s some unsolicited guides, but generally harassment is very low and tourist numbers small. Allow an hour to explore the whole complex, plus extra time if there are ceremonies to watch. Getting here is easiest via organised tours or just grabbing a cheap taxi and exploring yourself. Taking local buses to and from this location is a bit of a nightmare, unless you have a Nepalese speaker to help.

Jomsom

In the far north of Nepal, just miles from the Tibetan border, lies the small trekking town of Jomsom. Nestled below the Annapura Himalayas, it acts as a starting point for the epic 30 day Annapurna circuit which loops the whole mountain range, or as a base for shorter treks. However, you don’t need to be really into trekking in order to make the trip to Jomsom worthwhile – it’s worth a visit just to experience this region. The scenery in this part of Nepal is unique and stunning – a barren and rocky landscape reminiscent of Afghanistan, with strange rock formations and the Himalayas towering overhead. The people in this region have Tibetan features and the villages are very different to other parts of Nepal, buildings are painted white with flat roofs, and firewood is neatly stacked on top. Coloured prayer flags ripple in the wind, stupas and cairns sit on clifftops and woolly yaks and mules haul farm goods. Although the landscape seems barren at first glance, in fact its an orchard growing region, famous for apples and cider.

The scenery around Jomsom is very impressive, and its easy to see with some fairly easy and flat day treks from the village offering amazing views. I also recommend ascending to the village of nearby Muktinath (which also has guest houses). The journey to Muktinath reveals even more amazing views of the Himalayas on an epic scale, and also has a nice mountainside temple and handicrafts. There’s even more trekking to be done here, just be wary of altitude sickness – which we suffered from – as Mukinath is quite a bit higher than Jomsom and the trip can be done in a few hours if you use the local jeeps (which are a great way to meet the locals, if uncomfortable!) – which might not give your body time to acclimatise. Be sure to read up about altitude sickness before you go (this also applies to other trekking in the Himalayas).

Jomsom itself has some lovely guest houses, and be sure to try out the local specialities of yak cheese and yak steak – yummy! Getting to Jomsom if you’re not trekking there can be tricky – if you can afford it, and are feeling brave, opt for the rather scary flight on a tiny plane from Pokhara. Or go it alone on a long bus/jeep combo also starting from Pokhara. A few years ago, this was a long and uncomfortable two day (or longer) journey with local buses and unreliable connections on an entirely dirt road, and it seems that plans to upgrade it have not yet materialised. Don’t rely on many locals speaking English on this journey, but you may be joined by other travellers and locals are friendly and will be happy to assist if you run into trouble. The long drive is worth it though – the views on the drive up get better and better as you enter the mountains.

Get Out There!

I hope that gives you some new ideas for your trip to Nepal. I definitely recommend trying to get to some of the less touristy places like these, and also highly recommend homestays and accepting invites from locals – be sure to take up on the hospitality of these amazingly generous people (assuming you feel safe to do so) and see a bit of the “real” Nepal!

Back to Pokhara

Posted on February 9, 2013 by Alan Stock

Day 59 – Location: Bandipur; Nepal.

29/10/12

I had an awful night’s sleep with a dodgy tummy and unable to catch more than a few hours. As soon as the horrible hawking of the elderly people in the building began at around 4am, I couldn’t sleep at all. It sounded like they were literally hawking their guts up, and they’d revisit the toilet at regular intervals to do it – you could tell they were doing it in the loo as it echoed! After breakfast we walked around the rest of the backstreets we hadn’t explored, nice and quiet. Bandipur is the most quiet and chilled out place I’ve been to in Nepal, even compared to the mountains.

We hopped on top of a local bus heading back down to Dumre. This time I got the good view. It was a lot faster coming down and we soon reached the town. I was sitting in the hole of the spare tire this time so it was fairly comfy. Anja had to return to work tomorrow, so we said farewell and went our separate ways, from here she could catch a bus back up to Besisahar. I got on a local bus to Pokhara and even got a seat with decent leg room. Unfortunately for my knees, it wasn’t to last, as at another town on the way back we got transferred to another bus and I had to sit on the back row. I couldn’t sit in one seat because there wasn’t enough room for my legs, so I was squeezed in with my knees scrunched against the hard seat in front, as different locals came on and off for the next few hours. At one point I had a kid in my lap, it was that busy!

The Himalayas from Bandipur

I arrived in Pokhara bus station and got a taxi to Lakeside. I’d decided to come here so I could report my stolen things with the tourist police, and also I was interested in paragliding before leaving Nepal – having been let down in Bandipur. I found a hotel and as I needed to head back towards Kathmandu to sort out the passport, I booked a package tour to Chitwan national park which is in that direction. Chitwan is a jungle/long grass environment with elephants, rhinos and even the occasional tiger. I also booked a tandem paragliding session for the next morning. It’s really cheap in Nepal compared to other countries. I spent the rest of the day investigating the passport replacement process and catching up on my photos and blog. I also phoned the British embassy in Nepal to find out what to do about my stolen passport. The helpful lady at the British consular told me I’d need the police report, then I could come to their office in Kathmandu to arrange what to do next about getting a temporary replacement or apply for a full one. I told her I’d pop in within the week to sort it out. I still had a valid visa for two weeks so there was no urgency at the moment. I spent the rest of the day chilling out in a restaurant.

View from the bus on the way down from Bandipur

Sunrise at Bandipur and the Cave

Posted on February 9, 2013 by Alan Stock

Day 58 – Location: Bandipur; Nepal

28/10/12

In a fit of madness we’d decided to get up at 5:30am to watch the sunrise in this great location. After both struggling a bit we eventually managed to rise and get out whilst it was still dark. The Lonely Planet had suggested a little temple up on the rocky ridge above the town for one of the best views in Nepal, so we climbed the little path that zigzagged up the narrow ridge as it got lighter.

Himalayas sitting on a sea of cloud

It was pretty cold but the twenty minute walk warmed us up. At the top of the ridge was a little wood with a shrine. From up here you could see around in all directions, in ten seconds you could be at the other side of the hilltop looking at a different view. A western couple were hugging behind the temple, apart from that we were alone up here. A layer of cloud lay above the big valley floor, obscuring it completely, and a river of cloud flowed over the far ridge beyond the town, wisping into nothinginness futher down. Very nice.

Out of the cloud layer protruded the hills, one set looking like a giant hand. And beyond that was an 180 degree view of the snow topped mountains, completely clear. It was the biggest and best view of the range I’d seen yet. In the other direction, the stepped valleys poked out of the cloud cover and cloud wisped over smaller ridges. A magical place for sure.

As we waited, more people arrived, mostly Nepalese tourists. There weren’t many but unfortunately they made enough noise to shatter the peace. Still, it was nothing compared to Sarangkot or Poon hill. The mountains started to line with gold and the sun appeared over the cloudy ridge. Awesome. If you want somewhere romantic to propose, Bandipur is it. We walked back down and went back to bed for a few hours.

After breakfast we set off in search of one of the biggest cave in Asia. The directions in the Lonely Planet were very vague and we climbed up the hill behind the town, saying hello to locals and made our way through a forest for about half an hour in what we thought was the right way, through the mossy trees rammed with spiderwebs. We met an English guy coming the other way who told us the cave was In a completely different direction, great. We backtracked and asked the locals until we were pointed the right way. Unhelpfully the official metal signs pointing the way were mostly missing, probably part of someone’s roof now. We started descending a long flight of slippery stone steps. At a rest stop a local chap asked if we wanted to buy maruina, producing a big ball of the stuff, presumably plucked locally. He joined us down the path for a bit pointing us in the right direction as we chatted to him.

We had been descending for about an hour, passing no one, working our way through a forest traversing the hillside. We reached a junction with no indication of where to go, so we went up, and reached a house with lots of beehives in logs, like I’d seen when trekking. A few guys were there and when we asked for directions an old man tottered out to lead us on a little path in the right direction. He showed us with hand signs which way to go and we continued. After one junction, following the guys directions, we came to another junction with a clear stone path in one direction and decided to go that way. It led to a big rocky outcrop in the forest, with a cave entrance going down steeply into the blackness. This must be it. However, the guide book had said you could hire guides at flashlights at the cave. We guessed as it was the holiday no one was around.

Field up in Bandipur

The cave entrance was pretty cool and I clambered down to check out further inside. Unfortunately I’d forgotten to bring my headtorch so I couldn’t get far before complete blackness. I could hear echoey water running inside and at one point faint voices. I shouted hello but got no response. As I’d heard voices, I thought it would be a good idea to wait for the group to come out, maybe there would be a guide we could use or torches. But after half an hour, no one had showed up, apart from some grazing buffalo ravaging the jungle. We gave up and started the long climb back up the hillside. On the way we passed a few other groups with guides plus a small group with climbing equipment and wondered if we’d come completely unprepared.

The cave entrance

After navigating a herd of sheep and goats a man was leading up the hill with his dog, we reached the top again and walked in the sunshine to the town, it was mid afternoon now. The mountains were covered in cloud again. We had lunch and Anja chatted to some other Swiss German women on another table, who joined us for a bit. One of them came with us later when we went to see the sunset again. Unfortunately we were a bit late, so settled on the wall of the larger temple which had a good view of the layered hills and valleys. We stayed admiring the orange beauty before us, and I watched day turn to night and the stars come out in the clear sky, as Anja chatted in her native language to the other woman, something which is a rare treat for her out here! Because I don’t speak German the conversation was a soothing background noise. We played Anjas game of spotting faces in the contours of the hills’ silhouettes. We went for a beer and dinner together and called it a night.

Alan Stock Photography

My travelling (mis)adventures. It's ok to cry.

Tag Archives: Bandipur