Nagarkot
Set on a ridge northeast of Bhaktapur, NAGARKOT (1950m) has a classic panorama of the Himalayas. While the view isn’t as expansive as from Daman, and the area not as interesting as Dhulikhel, Nagarkot is easy to get to from Kathmandu and you don’t have to stay in an expensive hotel to get a fantastic vista from your window.
The first tourists to visit here are thought to have been a troop of Punjabi mercenaries recruited to defend the Valley against Prithvi Narayan’s troops. Stationed at the now-vanished ridgetop fort, they quickly succumbed to the “mountain air”, proving drunkenly incapable when the Gurkha invaders finally arrived. Since then, numerous guesthouses have sprouted along some two kilometres of ridge. Taking in the sunrise and sunset views is the standard activity, though there’s also a wealth of hiking and biking opportunities.
The view from Nagarkot
Most hotels in Nagarkot have good views, but they’re even better from the view tower at the highest southern point of the ridge (2164m), an hour’s walk from the centre along a tarmac road. When you get here you’ll understand why Nagarkot has been the site of a fort (kot) since Rana times: this hilltop controlled the eastern entrance to the Kathmandu Valley and the vital trade route to Tibet. There’s still a large army training base here, though relations with the community are strained after a drunken soldier killed eleven locals in 2005.
The view is dominated by the Langtang range, which on good days looms alarmingly close above a wall of dark rock. Haze usually obscures anything west of Ganesh Himal, though you can sometimes see Himchuli and even Annapurna. The view to the east is even more weather-dependent, and the mountains of Khumbu rarely appear as more than a rose-tinted dawn haze. On a good day, Everest can be seen, but only from high up, near the view tower: it’s the second peak left of the rounded M-shaped mountain.
On peak-season mornings the area becomes something of a tourist circus; for more peace, and equally good views, stop off at one of the grassy mounds just short of the tower. Nearer to the hotel area, there are good views from the tiny Mahakali shrine, from where the only obstructions are the ever-growing towers of Hotel View Point and Peaceful Cottage: good viewpoints themselves, they are accessible to non-guests, generally for free.
The Arniko Highway
Leaving the Kathmandu Valley through a gap at its eastern edge, Nepal’s only road to the Tibet border is the Arniko Highway (or Arniko Rajmarg). Constructed by the Chinese in the mid-1960s – to long-standing rival India’s great distress – the highway is a busy conduit for lorry-loads of Chinese goods by way of Lhasa. The first stop along the highway is Banepa, which together with Nala and Panauti once comprised a short-lived independent kingdom east of the Kathmandu Valley.
Adventure resorts on the Bhote Koshi
The raging Bhote Koshi’s reputation as one of the most extreme rafting rivers in Nepal, and the fact that there’s actually only about a day’s worth of rafting to be done, attracts a young, thrill-seeking crowd. The big rafting operators have been quick to develop the trend and, as well as the classic rafting trip, now offer mountain-biking, trekking, bungee-jumping and canyoning expeditions. Three major companies base their operations in attractive tented resort camps that – even if you’re not intent on throwing yourself downriver on a raft, or off a bridge attached to an elastic rope – make excellent bases for exploring the valley or just chilling out. Prices usually come as part of packages including activities, transport and meals.
Borderland Resort At the bottom of the gorge 9km north of Barhabise t 01 470 1295, w borderlandresorts.com; map. Ultimate Descents’ well-established resort is a sedate, relaxing place with three classes of tents, a pool and nice gardens.
The Last Resort t 01 470 0525, w thelastresort.com.np; map. Furthest north of the Bhote Koshi adventure resorts, Ultimate Rivers’ Last Resort has the most spectacular location, accessed by a footbridge suspended 160m above the gorge. The bridge also serves as the launching point for their bungee jump, one of the world’s highest. If the bungee doesn’t sate your appetite, you can always try the canyon swing as well. This is the funkiest of the three resorts, with the smartest tents, beautifully landscaped grounds, sauna, plunge pool and massage options, plus a sociable bar.
Sukute Beach Adventure Resort t 01 435 6644, w equatorexpeditionsnepal.com; map. Equator Expeditions’ Bhote Koshi resort is the closest to Kathmandu, sitting alongside a wide, relatively gentle stretch of the Sun Koshi between Dolalghat and the Balephi bridge. A mix of safari tents and rooms overlook a sandy stretch of the riverbank, and there’s an attractive swimming pool, restaurant and pool table.
Dhulikhel
DHULIKHEL is justly famous as a well-preserved Newari town, mountain viewpoint, and hiking and biking hub, though its popularity is waning as modernization takes its toll. Located 5km east of Banepa, just beyond the Kathmandu Valley rim, it sits at the relatively low elevation of 1550m, and is now something of a boomtown. It’s home to Kathmandu University and one of Nepal’s best public hospitals; meanwhile, its location on the new 158km route to Sindhulimadi and the eastern Terai seems likely to turn the place into one of Nepal’s principal transport junctions.
Old Dhulikhel
Old Dhulikhel starts immediately to the west of Mahendra Chowk, the main square at the newer, east end of town. A traditional Newari settlement, this area is comprised almost exclusively of four- and five-storey brick mansions, many with ornate wooden lattices in place of glass windows, some affecting Neoclassical detailing imported from Europe during the Rana regime. The older buildings, held together only by mud mortar, show some serious cracks from the infamous 1934 earthquake; Dhulikhel also experienced damage during a 1988 quake centred near Dharan in the Terai.
Highlights include the central square of Narayanthan, containing a temple to Narayan and a smaller one to Harisiddhi (both emanations of Vishnu), and the Bhagwati Mandir, set at the high point of the village with partial mountain views.
The sunrise walk
The most popular activity in Dhulikhel is hiking to the high point southeast of town in time for a sunrise over the peaks. To get to the top, take the road leading east from Mahendra Chowk for about 1km, passing a big recreation area on the left, and then go right at the next fork. Cyclists will have to stay on this graded road, but hikers can climb the more direct flights of steps. On foot, allow about 45 minutes from Dhulikhel to the top, as well as plenty of time for gawking at the numerous birds and butterflies – look out for the racquet-tailed drongos and turtle doves. The summit (1715m) is marked by a small Kali shrine and, unfortunately, a small military base and a microwave tower; a viewing platform was being built at the time of writing, and there is a café close by. The peaks from Ganesh Himal to Everest are visible from here, and the sight of Dhulikhel’s old town is pretty wonderful, too.
On the way back down you can call in at a small, mossy temple complex, hidden down a flagstone path that angles off to the left just past the Snow View Guest House. The main temple, known as the Gokureshwar Mahadev Mandir, contains a large bronze linga.