Dhulikhel- Perfect getaway from Kathmandu.

Far from the chaos of Kathmandu and very close to the stunning panoramic views of high mountains lies Dhulikhel. Hardly 25 km from Kathmandu, one gets to experience and enjoy quiet, calm, peaceful & a serene town.

Apart from spectacular views, the tranquility is what makes you fall in love with this place almost immediately. A perfect place to relax and welcome the festival of lights- Deepavali or Tihar (in Nepal.) We pretty much felt at home celebrating Deepavali here in Dhulikhel. Everyone was in festive mood, decorating their homes with flowers, lights and preparing yummy delicacies. This experience taught us more about the Tihar festival and their culture- they not only worship Goddess Lakshmi but also worship crows, cows and dogs. Also, it is only during this time of the entire year that they play Bhailini songs. Group of girls sing Bhailo door to door giving blessings to the family in exchange for money or homemade treats.

It was such a wonderful sight to see the whole town gather together and celebrate Tihar/Diwali with live music and dance and surprisingly with not much of fire crackers. The atmosphere can be easily mistaken for a live concert band.

We recommend Dhulikhel over Nagarkot, Dhulikhel not only offers stunning views of Himalaya ranges but also many other spectacular attractions such as Nammo Buddha, Shanti Ban, Kali temple and Shiva temple.

Nammo Buddha: Legend has it that Buddha in his previous form as a Prince fed his own arm to a hungry Tigress. A Gompa stands here today dedicated to this selfless act. This is one of the holiest places for Buddhists in Nepal. Right behind the Gompa is the Thrangu Tashi Yangtse monastery.

Thrangu Tashi Yangtse monastery is breathtaking and the views from here are very dramatic. There are multiple options to reach the monastery and Gompa, the most challenging one is to trek up which takes 5 hours and its not an easy trek. The most comfortable way to reach is to hire a taxi. The most economical way is to board one of the many buses that ply between Dhulikhel and Nammo Buddha. It takes any where between one to one and half hour to reach Nammo Buddha.

Shanti Ban & Kali temple : One can club both these attractions as they are hardly 10 mins away from each other by foot. Shanti Ban has a huge golden statue of Buddha over looking Dhulihkel. It is a very peaceful location and the doors to this place are open between 7 am to 4 pm. However, the caretaker of this place, a generous man, was very kind to let us in even though we reached a few minutes past 4 pm. A small temple dedicated to goddess Kali sits at the top of the hill. The views from here are stellar and if you want better views, climb the watch tower. This place can be reached either by foot or road. We tried both and despite the roads being very poor, road is the better option as climbing the stairs all the way up can be very tiring and exhausting.

Shiva Temple: One cannot miss the massive Shiva statue over looking the valley. This massive statue towering 143 feet is the world's biggest Shiva statue and grabs your attention even before you could reach Dhulikhel. The construction of this statue took almost 7 years.

We checked into Mirabel Hotel & Resorts and though this place comes highly recommended, there are several other better properties to stay in Dhulikhel. The rooms were over priced & their best room that comes at a premium price for the views do not offer great views. There is no 24 hours running hot water & even during the specified hours we did not get hot water. Pro: The service and food at the restaurant is phenomenally good. The views from hotel terrace, restaurant and gardens were breathtaking.

We highly recommend Dhulikhel Village Resort for stay, their garden & rooms offer fantastic views and are very nominally priced. This resort is a little in the interior making it even more peaceful and calm and just a few mins away from the foothills of Shanti Ban. Please note that this hotel too does not offer 24 hours running hot water.

While you are in Dhulikhel, at any cost do not miss this tiny restaurant called 'Ganapathi Cafe.' This place is on the way to Shanti Ban just as you exit the main road and head towards the market. Their service is exceptionally good, very nominally priced food above all lip smacking. Their fried momos are to die for, the other items to check out are egg fried rice, chicken fry and their different varieties of chutney, It also serves alcohol. The people here make you feel at home.

Next Stop Gorkha. 

Kathmandu City Of Heritage

We left the terai region behind us and headed to the high altitude mountain passes, destination - capital city of Nepal- Kathmandu. With all awe and excitement we started riding on ghat roads, maneuvering around hair pin bends, curvy mountain roads and steep slopes. The sheer joy of riding through clouds with near zero visibility and finger numbing temperature plus our bullets thump tearing through the thin mountain air made us cherish the moment.

Our eyes were treated to snow clad peaks, colorful flowers and ears to the soothing sound of a flowing river. As we were admiring God's charm on planet Earth, we stumbled upon a huge man-made suspension bridge connecting two hills across a river. We walked over to the other side of the hill and man!- it was a breath taking experience. This is the best part about being on road - you can stop where ever you want and check out interesting places. On the other side of the river, we treated ourselves with a piping hot cup of chai. The friendly locals bearing a smile on their face and children waving at us made our day.

Kathmandu being a tourist hub and home for the International airport, attracts hordes of people from all over the globe making the city very chaotic and the most over crowded place in the whole of Nepal that we have seen. On reaching we realized that the hype around Kathmandu's traffic turned out to be true. Traffic jams, bad roads and pollution masks are a way of living here. Taxis are the best mode of transportation here, but be prepared to cough out exorbitant amount of money. Irrespective of the distance, the fare they seem to ask is unfair. Taxis do not ply by meter or any set tariff. Feel free to bargain heavily before boarding.

This historic town has quite a few interesting places that are a must visit, like Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, Swayambhunath, Durbar Square etc.

Pashupatinath Temple: This UNESCO world heritage site, right in the heart of the city, on the banks of Bagmati river is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Make sure you are there for the evening Aarti that is performed at 6 pm. This elaborate Aarti is performed by three priests of the temple. Again, like Janakpur, they are completely in sync. The rituals, the offerings and the bhajans are so soothing and bring peace to the mind and soul. While on one side of the river bank, people gather together and sing along with the priest to please the gods and play for a prosperous life, on the other side of the bank, the mood is very mournful as you see people performing the last rites for their near and dear ones.

Boudhanath Temple: This is one of the most popular shrines in Kathmandu dedicated to Lord Shiva. This Stupa of Enlightenment is known as the mind nature of Buddhas of the three times- past, present and future. Here, you see the eyes on the Stupa which are a symbol of Method and Wisdom watching over in all directions. This could be one of the many best places in Kathmandu to get your perfect picture. The Buddhist schools around add more charm to the place. It is believed that people residing around this Stupa will never suffer from hunger, famine or any other unfavorable conditions. It is also widely known as "The Stupa That Answers All Prayers." This would also serve as a great place for souvenir hunting from any of the numerous shops around.

Swayambhunath Temple: Be prepared to test your stamina as you are greeted by a fleet of steep 365 steps to reach the temple. It is tiring, exciting and at the same time fun to sweat out and reach the top. As a reward, there are plenty of photo ops on the way to the temple. However, there is an alternative and less tiring route where taxis will circle around and drop you only mere meters away from the temple. From this point, you climb only a few steps and reach the shrine.

Not just Swayambhunath, the huge temple complex has many a small temples dedicated to different Gods in the Hindu mythology. This temple is also known as the Monkey Temple as there are too many of them living in the vicinity. The highlight is the small monastery within the complex where one can see monks perform their daily rituals. It was heartening to see the monks play different dharma musical instruments to create a state of mind for inviting or summoning the deities.

Also, hidden in one corner of the complex is a huge 7th Century Monolithic statue of Dipanker Buddha.

Durbar Square is where you go to treat your taste buds with the street food of Kathmandu. Alongside catching a glimpse of another World Heritage Site, the fried chicken momos and masala chai are a must try.

Gambling is legal in Nepal and Kathmandu has a few famous casinos. We tried our luck at the Casino Royale. This casino has slot machines, blackjack, poker and roulette tables plus a dance bar to entertain the guests. The staff was very friendly and helpful. This being our first experience in a casino, the staff answered all our silly doubts with a smile on their face.

We checked into Hotel Encounter in Thamel, this property is in the heart of  Kathmandu and in a bustling shopping bazaar. All must visit places are not very far. They have decent parking, good service, complimentary breakfast and a good restaurant. The rooms are comfortable with 24 hours running hot water . The corner rooms offer brilliant views. Since the place is in the heart of the city, getting in and out can be a little time consuming. 

Keeping Kathmandu as your base you can do quite a few day trips and if you prefer stay a couple of nights at Dhulikhel, Gorkha, Pokhara, Chitwan, Bandipur & Bhaktapur. 

Into the Wild- Chitwan National Park.

With excitement levels sky high we left to the much hyped and anticipated Royal Chitwan National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site, one of the many in Nepal and the first in our bucket list. The morning welcomed us with thick fog, mist and dew settling on our numb fingers. The roads were amazing to ride on with thick jungle on either side, the climate was very pleasant making the ride even more charming.

For the entire stretch of 200 km we were in awe with Nature's beauty. There were green pastures, beautiful paddy fields, rivers cutting through mountains, snow clad mountain peaks & forests all along the way.

Chitwan is the place to be if you want to experience the life of Tarzan. The massive park is blessed with grasslands, a perfect habitat for the One horned Rhino & Royal Bengal Tiger, wetlands - that attracts plenty of local and migratory birds plus the lurking and silent killer - the crocodile. The park is also home for massive sal trees. This park guarantees a perfect jungle experience & the safaris are not just limited to jeep but also offer the popular elephant safari, canoe ride & the adventurous jungle trek. It was our very first experience to take an elephant safari in a national park and it was brilliant. The best part about an elephant safari is that it lets you venture deep into the forest and gives you a glimpse of the wildlife in their natural habitat.

Unlike the national parks in India, Chitwan UNESCO  World heritage site, lets you experience dense jungle. The scrubs are really thick & green virtually making it impossible to see any barren land. There are plenty of massive trees in the park towering several meters high making it difficult for sun rays to penetrate through. The pride of the park is the One Horned Rhino which is endangered.

Chitwan offers a very unique and thrilling experience - 'jungle trek.' We ventured into the jungle by foot in search of wildlife. As thrilling, exciting and adventurous as it may seem and sound, this is a very dangerous trek. The trek lasts for 2 to 3 hours and during this time we spotted wild boars, deer, birds and toward the fag end of the trek, our guide spotted a massive Rhino grazing. We tip toed and inched closer towards the rhino. What an experience that was, we had an adrenal rush and felt a chill in our spine as we were mere meters away from this massive creature. We stood there admiring this wonderful creature and our hearts felt heavy at the though that this animal species is being mercilessly hunted down for their horn which is falsely believed to cure terminal illness and boost fertility.

Be warned before signing up for this trek as it is very common for Rhinos and bears to charge at unsuspected tourists. You can neither outrun nor outfight these creatures. Also, Rhinos and bears killing humans inside the National park is not unheard of. If all of this is not scary enough, during our trek we saw fresh pug marks of a fully grown tigress. We were told by our guide that we were in her territory.

Canoeing in Narayani river - If you are an avid bird watcher this ride is something that you will absolutely love. The manual powered canoe floats effortlessly in the river and is ideal for bird watching. Commonly seen birds are kingfisher, egrets, ibis, stork, hornbill, pond heron, lapwing etc. No matter how tempted you might be, do not put your hand in water. Do so only if are willing to lose it to one of the many crocodiles in the river.

Elephant Breeding

Right after the canoe ride, we visited the Elephant Breeding center. This was initiated as the population of elephants in Nepal is decreasing rapidly. It is said to be one of the only 2 Breeding centers in the world. You get a chance to watch Elephant calves ranging from a few days to a couple of years.

We checked into Chitwan adventure resort, there are several nice thing to say about this place. Being foodies we enjoyed their food and they never compromised on the lavish spread and quality. The resort is beautifully done with great aesthetics. If you are hopelessly romantic, this resort is the one for you as it offers a chance to gaze at the stars from the sit out. The rooms are spacious and clean. There is plenty of greenery around the resort. They have expert guides and it was with their expertise that we were able to spot a rhino during jungle trek. The service is outstanding and they were kind enough to provide our friends free pick up from Sauraha chowk. They take extremely good care of their guests.

Next Stop Kathmandu.