Places to see: Outside Kathmandu Valley
Baglung is a city in western Nepal, and 275 km west of Kathmandu. It is the administrative headquarters of Baglung District and Dhawlagiri Zone. Baglung is the largest and most populous of the Tri-cities area of the Kali Gandaki valley composed of two other district headquarters Beni and Kushma. The total population of Baglung city is estimated to be close to 30,000. The Tri-cities area of the Kaligandaki valley is home to a population of 1, 32,783 permanent residents. Baglung is a major business, financial, educational and healthcare center for the people of Kali Gandaki valley. Baglung enjoys warm summers and mild winters. Rainfall is heavily affected by the Monsoon and most of it occurs during the months of Jun-Sep. Rest of the year is mostly dry and sunny. Snowfall is extremely rare though surrounding mountains see occasional snow during the winter months.
Places of Interest:
DOLAKHA:
The cultural lifestyle that is practiced by villagers, the panoramic views and the diverse natural wildlife that is located here offers a truly amazing adventure to embark on. Here visitors will find the seclusion, tranquility and quiet that is so hard to find in many tourist destinations in Nepal. Instead of nightclubs and throbbing music, Daman has the lull of the forests and peaceful songs of the nocturnal animals, with majestic sunsets and unforgettable moments of beauty.
DEVGHAT - Religious Retreat:
JANAKPUR - A holy city in Nepal
Tansen, an ancient hill town, with its architecture strongly influenced by Newari migrants from the Kathmandu valley is waiting to be discovered by the tourists. Situated at the southern slope of the Mahabharat range; about half way from the Indian border to Pokhara and the Himalayas, this town offers an opportunity to experience genuine Nepalese culture, away from westernized places like Thamel in Kathmandu or Lakeside in Pokhara. Old artistic Newari houses and cobbled streets shape the townscape. The town’s hill, Shreenagar, allows breathtaking views of the Himalayan range from Dhaulagiri in the west to Ganesh Himal in the east.
The name of the town ansen has its origin in Magar language, meaning northern settlement. Magars are one of the ethnic groups of Nepal having their own language, culture and history, and are assumed to be the first settlers in this area. Due to the diversity of the ethnic groups living in this area, one also finds a diversity of languages spoken. Although the main language is Nepali, in the core area the Newari community is partly using their own toungue as do the Magar people leaving in the surrounding villages. The main religion is Hinduism, followed by Buddhism. Tansen is the district administrations headquarter of Palpa district, one out of 75 districts in Nepal, and since 1957 a Municipality. It is itself often referred to as Palpa, and its people as Palpalis.
At an elevation of about 1350 meter above sea level the town experiences a pleasant climate throughout the year. The maximum temperature, even in pre-monsoon times, hardly exceeds 31° C and only in December/January the minimum temperature can fall below 10°C.
Tansen Town: the town of Tansen is prosperous looking-collection of red brick houses set on the steep hillside and is among the largest far-flung Newar trading posts scattered across the hills. Though the Newar community forms one of the major communities in this place now, the place originally belonged to the Magar community, one of the most delightful ethnic groups of Nepal.
Tundikhel: the large plateau in the southeast part of the town, near the bus park, is the best starting point to discover the fascinating destinations of the town. The former kings of Palpa made this artificial plateau when they needed a drilling and parade ground. Today Tundikhel is a popular gathering place for people to chat, walk and play in the afternoon. A statue of King Birendra marks the southwest corner of the Tundikhel; the building at the north side is the town hall.
Amar Ganj Ganesh Temple: is a beautiful three-storey pagoda style temple. The rest house of the temple that has space to shelter thousand people has been converted into a school. On the premises of the school, there is an old small one-storey temple of Bhairab. The mask of Bhairab, which is worshipped here, was snatched from Kathmandu by Mukunda Sen, King of Palpa. To get here one needs to follow the northeast path from Tundikhel.
Amar Narayan Temple: is one of the largest temples in Tansen. The whole temple complex, including the temples, the ponds and the park was built under the reign of Amar Sing Thapa, the first governor of Palpa. According to a legend, a holy spring is hidden under the three-storey pagoda style Narayan Temple. The two other temples of the ensemble are dedicated to Vishnu and to Shiva. The remarkable huge dry stone masonry wall surrounding the whole premises is called The Great Wall of Palpa. One can get here by taking a west path from Tundikhel and then turn right to get to the temple at its upper end.
Sita Pati: near Ason Tole, is the most popular square in Tansen. The square is named after the white octagonal shaped building, which lies in the middle of the square. The Sital Pati was built under the order of Khadga Shamsher, governor of Palpa. Khadga Shamsher, an ambitious politician, was exiled from Kathmandu after plotting against the prime minister.
The south corner of the square leads to ggi Dhoka, the main gate to the Tansen Durbar, the former palace and today's district administrations headquarter. There still exists a room called the throne hall in the Durbar’s second floor. Baggi Dhoka is the gater where the chariouts of religious festivals have to pass through. The fine woodcarvings on the buildings on both sides of the gate represent the fine Newari craftsmanship. This Baggi Dhoka leads to the palace grounds. The right route leads to the Bhagwati Temple that was built in 1815 by Col. Ujir Singh Thapa to commemorate the victory over the British-Indian troops in the battle of Butwal.
The gate opposite to the palace leads to Makhan Tole, the main bazaar of Tansen that focuses the town’s commercial activity, notably the sale of Dhaka cloth. Of woven cotton or muslin, this cloth is characterized by jagged, linear designs originally made famous in Bangladesh. With principal colours of red, black and white, the cloth is used to make saris as well as topis, the hat that is an integral part of the national dress for men.
Taksar: is another interesting place of the town, where for centuries the famous bronze and brass works of Tansen were produced. One can have a look at how the famous ancient articles such as Karuwa, Hukka, Antee etc are produced.
Shreenagar hill: at 1525 meter high, is about an hour uphill from the town center. While climbing this hill, one can not only enjoy a breath-taking panoramic view of the Himalayas running from Dhaulagiri in the west to Ganesh Himal in the east, but also get pleasure of passing through peaceful forest, pine plantation and deciduous forest with a lot of beautiful rhododendron flowers. There is a statue of Buddha at the eastern end of Shreenagar ridge. It takes about half an hour to reach this statue. Thai monks donated the Buddha statue with the monkey and elephant. It commemorates a part of Buddha’s life. According to legends, when Buddha was meditating in a jungle for roughly three months, a monkey and an elephant served him in many ways. ![]() Situated at the Terai plains of the southern Nepal, Lumbini is the place where Siddhartha Gautam, the Shakya Prince and the ultimate Buddha, the Enlightened One, was born in 623 BC. The sacred place, marked by a stone pillar erected by Emperor Ashoka of India in 249 BC, is listed as one of the World Heritage Sites.
The Lumbini Museum, located in the Cultural Zone, contains Mauryan and Kushana coins, religious manuscripts, terra-cotta gragments, and stones and metal sculptures. It also possesses an extensive collection of stamps from various countries depicting Lumbini and Buddha.
Phewa Lake: the second largest lake in the kingdom, roughly measuring 1.5km by 4 km, is the center of all attractions in Pokhara. The enchanting lake is an idyllic playground. Brightly painted wooden boats and sailboats can be rented on reasonable cost around lakeside. The lake is neither deep nor particularly clean, but the water is warm and swimming is pleasant if you don’t think about the probable pollution. The eastern shoreline of the lake, popularly known as Lakeside or Baidam, consists of seemingly endless strips of lodges, restaurants, bookshops and souvenir shops. One of the fascinating parts of lakeside is the splendid view of the mountains, especially when the still water reflects the peaks, creating a double image.
Barahi Temple: this is the most important religious monument in Pokhara. Built almost in the middle of Phewa Lake, the two storied pagoda is dedicated to the boar manifestation of Ajima, Devotees can be seen, especially on Saturdays, carrying male animals and fowl across the lake to be sacrificed to the deity.
World Peace Pagoda: the pagoda is a massive Buddhist stupa and is situated on top of a hill on the southern shore of Phewa lake. Besides being an impressive sight in itself, the shrine is a great vantage point which offers spectacular views of the Annapurna range and Pokhara city. You can get there by crossing the lake by boat and then hiking up the hill.
Seti Gandaki: flowing through the city, the boisterous river runs completely underground at places. Amazingly, at certain points the river appears hardly two meters wide. But its depth is quite beyond imagination-over 20 meters. Mahendra Pul, a small bridge near the old Mission Hospital, provides a perfect view of the river’s dreadful rush and the deep gorge made by its powerful flow.
Devi's Fall: locally known as Patale Chhango, Devi’s fall is an awesome waterfall lying about 2 km south-west of Pokhara airport on the highway to Tansen. An interesting modern legend says that a foreigner named David was skinny-dipping in the Pardi Khola when the floodgates of the dam were opened, sweeping him into an underground passage beneath the fall, never to be seen again.
Gupteswar Gupha: a sacred cave lies 2 km from Pokhara airport on the Siddhartha Highway leading southwest from the city. The entrance is right across from Devis fall and the cave is almost 3km long. It has some big hall-size rooms and some passages where you have to crawl on all fours. This cave holds special value for Hindus since a phallic symbol of Lord Shiva is preserved here in the condition it was discovered. An entrance fee of Rs 5 is charged and taking pictures inside the cave is prohibited.
Mahendra Gupha: locally called Chamero Odhaar, is the large limestone cave. Shepherd boys are said to have discovered it around 1950. A two hour walk to the north of Pokhara, it is best to bring your own torch to see the stalactites and stalagmites, although most of them have been carved out by souvenir hunters.
The Old Bazar: Pokhara’s traditional bazaar is colorful and so are its ethnically diverse traders. In its temples and monuments we can see ties to the Newar architecture of the Kathmandu Valley. Located about 4 km from Lakeside, the markets original charm is alive and well.
Bindbyabasini Temple: is the center of religious activity in the old bazaar. It is dedicated to Goddess Bhagwati, yet another manifestation of shakti. Worshippers flock here to perform sacrifices, and especially on Saturdays the park like grounds take on a festive fare.
The name Chitwan is a composite of Sanskrit words “cita” meaning heart and “vana” meaning jungle or forest. Thus, Chitwan actually means the Heart of te Jungle.Chitwan falls among one of the seventy-five districts of Nepal. It is located in the western part of Narayani Zone with Bharatupur, being the seventh largest city of Nepal and it also serves as the headquarters. The district takes its name from the Chitwan Valley, one of Nepal’s Inner Terai valleys between the Mahabharat and Siwalik ranges, both considered foothills of the Himalayas. The Royal Chitwan National Park, was also listed in the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1973.The wildlife and the landscape are not as breathtaking as those found in Africa but still, the experience will stand out.
The place gets steamy from March-June, with peak temperature reaching 43°C in the shade. Short grass makes February-May the best game-viewing season, but the autumn months are gorgeous, with Himalayan views, and in winter December-January, Chitwan is pleasantly warm compared to Kathmandu. The monsoon season July-August s intense, with pounding rain, swollen rivers and luxuriant vegetation. While the rain isn’t constant, the humidity is all pervasive.
Narayangarh, on the bank of Narayani River, is the main town with numerous shopping zones where people come from all over the district and neighbouring districts. Now there are about 40 Village Development Committees and one sub-metropolitan city – Bharatupur and a municipality Ratnanagar each of which has more than nine wards or urban areas. Chitwan is one of the few remaining undisturbed vestiges of the Terai region, which formerly extended over the foothills of Nepal. Chitwan is also famous for agriculture as the soil in Chitwan is very fertile.
Places of Interest in Chitwan: Though one can visit neighboring Tharu villages in Chitwan, the major interesting focus of Chitwan is still the exploration of the Chitwan National Park. The flora and fauna of Chitwan makes it a great place for nature lovers. Chitwan has over 50 different species of mammals, 400 different species of birds, and 65 different types of butterflies in its hardwood Sal forests, revering vegetation and elephant grass savannah. More than 70 different species of grass grow here. There are many species of birds, crocodiles, rhinos, sloth bears, tigers and monkeys. The elephants you will see walking through the village are domesticated and used for taking tourists on sightseeing excursions. Of course it would not be Nepal without the usual cows, goats, and stray dogs roaming the village as well. Rhino sightings less than a half-mile from the village are not uncommon.
Elephant Ride:
Jeep Safari:
Canoeing:
Jungle Walk:
For those who want a more extended experience, and are there for more than a couple of days, overnight jungle hike deeper into the jungle can be rewarding. Most do a two night hike where you can camp inside the designated camping spots inside the park. You may have to rent your camping gear in Kathmandu, because there aren’t really any such facilities in Sauraha itself.
Elephant Polo:
Elephant polo is one of the rare adventure sports only played in Nepal. The World Elephant Polo Association (WEPA) organizes this tournament annually in airfield of Meghauli Chitwan. This Game is somehow similar to the Horse Polo but it is played riding on the elephant with the longer sticks. Four players from each team plays this game on 140 X 70 meters pitch with a standard size polo ball. It consists 20-minutes (10 minuets each) of playing time with the interval of 15 minutes. Several teams from all over the world like Scotland, Thailand, England and Hong Kong including Nepal participates on this exciting game. This tournament is usually organized during the late November to early December Click here for Chitwan Package Tour
The picturesque village of Kodari lies in an area of exquisite beauty to the border between Nepal and Tibet. As the starting point of the ancient Trans Himalayan Caravan Route, which is considered to be the Nepalese equivalent of the Chinese Silk Route, Kodari is steeped in fascinating history, legends and folktales of the intrepid early pioneers that established a trade route between the two countries. Merchants on their way to Lhasa would head north when leaving Kodari, cross the Kuti pass and then turn east to begin the perilous high-altitude journey over the Tibetan plateau. Kodari remains an important Nepal-Tibet trading post. Traveling to Kodari from Kathmandu is an adventure in itself. Tourists generally make use of shared taxis or local buses to make this scenic, and sometimes hair-raising, journey. The road twists and turns at seemingly impossible angles as it ascends to Kodari, and those who can bear to tear their eyes away from the narrow road and the horn-blowing bus-driver, will be rewarded with views of indescribable beauty.
While Kodari is by no means a large town, it is geared up to catering for tourists making their way to and from neighboring Tibet. There is a good selection of well priced accommodation and a number of activities to enjoy and sights to see Adventure seekers may want to try out the highest bungee jump in Asia, situated a stone’s throw away from Kodari, the famous Tatopani hot water spring, with its therapeutic properties, is located just three kilometers from Kodari – perfect for soothing the muscles after an adventure filled day.
The Friendship Bridge that crosses a deep gorge to join Nepal and Tibet is unique in a number of ways. In Tibet vehicles are required to keep to the right, while in Nepal traffic drives on the left, so halfway across the bridge drivers have to change from right to left and vice versa. The halfway mark on the Friendship Bridge also marks a change in time zones, with Tibet being two hours and fifteen minutes ahead of Nepal. So you may leave Nepal at 1200 hr and arrive in Tibet at 1415 hr and yet have only moved a couple of hundred meters. Regular travelers of the route are no doubt accustomed to this, but for first time visitors it can be quite disorientating. There is little doubt that travelling to Kodari in Nepal will be a memorable experience.
The beautiful Saligramam, or as its popularly known Muktinath, is a sacred pilgrimage site regarded highly in both the Hindu and Buddhist beliefs. From here, at a height of 3,710 meters, the world seems to open up in all its glory with stunning views of the magnificent Himalayan Mountains. There are many legends that tell how the holy shrine of Muktinath rose up on its own accord amongst seven others, which include Srirangam, Triupati, Sri Mushnam, Thottadri, Naimisaranyam, Pushkaram and Badrinath. The holy shrine is also considered to be part of the 108 vaishnava shrines found here.
Most people wishing to travel to Muktinath will start their journey at Kathmandu from where they will take a quick flight or catch an excruciatingly long bus ride to Pokhara. Pokhara is the starting point for the trek up to the Muktinath and the climb up the mountain is incredibly beautiful and worthwhile. At the foot of the Thorong La mountain pass, you will find the Muktinath temple complete with beautiful craftsmanship and mystical aura. The holy temples feature 108 different waterspouts which is probably why the Buddhists call it Chumig Gyatsa, Tibetan for “Hundred Waters”. The different elements of earth, fire and water are artistically combined at this sacred place of worship to create a special atmosphere where one truly feels that they can find salvation. Hence the Hindus call the temple “Mukti Kshetra” which means plave of salvation.
It is interesting to note that Muktinath is considered to be one of the 24 Tantric places in the Tibetan Buddhist faith. According to tradition, Guru Rinpoche, who founded the Tibetan faith, stopped here to worship the Dakinis or sky dancing goddesses on his way to Tibet. For Hindus the importance of the shrine is a bit different. Hindu Vashanavites consider the Muktinath shrine to be one of the 108 holy places where a person should worship lord Vishnu. Whatever you believe, a trip to the Muktinath temple and shrine is definitely worth a visit. It features stunning water features, breath taking views and a man-sized idol of gold. Keep in mind that the best time to visit is between March and June since weather conditions at other times of the year make travel here difficult. As if the temple itself wasn’t enough, you will also see a number of great attractions along the way. So start making your plans to hike to the Muktinath Temple in Nepal. |