A trip to the remote far western region of Nepal

The far western region of Nepal is renowned for remoteness and isolation which hosts some of the most beautiful natural habitats and landscapes, far away from the human interference and man-made structures.

The first one is suklaphanta wildlife reserve is a protected area which resides some of the endangered species of the world. The beautiful grasslands found in this region is the grazing area for deer, Great one horned rhinoceros, elephant and many more. The high grass land also hosts many of the predators in the ecosystem some of which are leopard, Bengal tiger, monitor lizard etc. similarly, there are many birds found in this region, for the birdwatchers who really get excited in viewing exotic birds and some of which are: wood pecker, babblers like yellow eyed babbler, chestnut- capped babbler and jerdon’s babbler, grey headed fish eagle, darter, oriental pied hornbill and many more. One of the greatest creation of the nature, suklaphanta wildlife reserve is a place which must be visited.

An elevated plateau, khaptad is mostly grasslands between the alpine landscapes which consists of numerous landscapes which are not only eye catching but also hosts precious wildlife. Cherry on the top would be the flowers that blossom during the spring and autumn which covers the grassland and is breathtakingly beautiful. Due to the remoteness and the isolation which the region hosts, the natural habitat to the wildlife and the flora are well preserved and are left unaltered.

Bhimdutta is a city with an unconventional features which diverges from temple to casino. For Hindu followers and any travel enthusiast, bhimdutta is a religional and educational hub as the region hosts destination like Vishnu Temple (Kamal Mandir), Tikapur Park, Rautela(Baijnath Temple), Siddhanath Mandir(Temple), Chunepaani Taal(Lake), Jhulunge Pool (Bridge), Betkot Taal(lake) etc.

The far western region is the least visited region in Nepal, primarily due to the fact that the destination is hard to reach and the infrastructure for tourism is limited. This does not mean that the region is not to be visited as the region being less interfered by manmade structures defines the preservation of the landscapes and the natural habitat of the fauna. Many of the travel agencies have set the far western region as the center of attraction and offer packages which are attractive and reliable. Besides the beautiful landscapes and the extra ordinary wildlife, the opportunity to learn various cultures in such region is prominent which would be something new for the visitors.

Cycling: the alternate sightseeing adventure

One of the rapidly popularizing adventure sport in Nepal is, undoubtedly the cycling or mountain biking. Varying from extreme off-road mountain biking adventure to the cycling through paved paths along the landscapes, the sport gives you an immersive experience of the nature. With having established numerous rent house for cycles which could be extreme off-road mountain bikes or cycles just for wandering about the place, cycling has been the talk of the town all over Nepal.

Within the capital there are many cycling destinations which offer eye catching views along with easy to moderate level of difficulty. The slopes in the Kathmandu valley are considered easy as they are not that steep and the trails are well paved. However, for those who prefer high level of comfort and wish to pursue cycling just for the sake of sight-seeing, there are asphalt roads with low traffic and lustrous view. Some of the famous cycling tracks are Shivapuri National park which is the northern rim of the Kathmandu valley hosting dense forest and breezy climate. The trek is easy and can be pursued by all as there are no monster ascents and descents. The trail is well paved offering lowest bumps and discomforts.

Godavari roads are asphalt roads with slight ascents and descents along the way, which leads to the Godavari botanical garden. Having set the destination up to Godavari botanical garden is easy but there are longer and more difficult routes past the garden. The trail to Lele valley is however, little more challenging and lengthy. The trail ascends to more than 2000m at Tinpani Bhanjyang and later descends through Battedanda to Hetauda which fall in the Terai region.

Another popular cycling trials is the Lakuri Bhanjyang which is an intermediate level ride offering some of the best views of the Kathmandu valley and mountains on the northern region of the valley. This 30 km track leads through various terrains and paths. Along the track, the encounter of many religious destinations like Namobuddha can be found which would be ideal spot to visit during the event.

Nagarkot is the destination for many tourists to view the valley and mountains around the northern edge. However, cycling to Nagarkot is an experience in itself as there are about 4 ways to pursue the Ngarkot trail. The trail is molded by monster ascends and descends which would mean the rider must have strong leg muscles. Similarly, the trail of Kakani is similar to Nagarkot although the slopes are not that steep and can be pursued with less exertion.