Outskirts

Nagarkot

NAGARKOT Located 30 km to the east of Kathmandu on the valley rim, Nagarkot is for those on the lookout for Himalayan scenery and rural serenity. Nagarkot, situated at an elevation of 2,175 m, provides a panorama of five of the world’s 10 tallest peaks - Everest (8,848 m), Lhotse (8,516 m), Cho Oyu (8,201 m), Makalu (8,463 m) and Manaslu (8,163 m) - and many other lesser summits. Visitors also go to Nagarkot to watch the stunning sunrise and sunset.It is a favorite weekend getaway for Kathmanduites to beat the heat during summers and to enjoy, if there is, the snowfall during winters. The accessibility, only 30 to 45 minutes’ drive from Kathmandu, and tourist facilities, play a part.Surrounded by terraced hillsides and picturesque houses, the hilltop resort is an idyllic escape – far from the noise and din of Kathmandu’s city life. Bird watching is a joy in the forests here. Short hiking options abound. You can take a walk down from Nagarkot along a ridge to the temple of Changu Narayan – with views of Sankhu village to the right and Bhaktapur to the left. Another trail leads south from Nagarkot to Nala and Banepa on the Arniko Highway to the Tibetan border.

DHULIKHEL

Dhulikhel is about an hour’s drive east of Kathmandu along the Arniko Highway leading to Tibet, China. Banepa, passed en route, was once the capital of a 14th-century kingdom that boasted diplomatic relations with China’s Ming emperors. Dhulikhel was an important trade post, and you can see an impressive vista of the snowy central Himalayas making a backdrop to the gentle hills.Dhulikhel is central to a number of day excursions such as an early morning 30-minute hike up to the Bhagawati Temple for an unforgettable sunrise over the Himalayas. Trails lead along the ridge north of the town. A leisurely all-day hike can be undertaken to visit Namo Buddha, a sacred site that has drawn reverent pilgrims for many centuries. Legend tells that the Buddha sacrificed his body here to feed a starving tigress and her cubs. A carved stone slab on the top of the hill depicts the moving story, a lesson in compassion and selfless giving. A dirt road (sometimes suitable for vehicles) leads from Dhulikhel to Namo Buddha via Kavre - a pleasant roundtrip walk of eight hours.

DAMAN It is another place worth going for a pan-Himalayan view. Located 75 km at 2,400 m, to the southwest of the Kathmandu Valley, on the Tribhuvan Highway, Daman offers a full 400 km of ice-cast peaks – from Dhaulagiri to Everest. The Palung Valley, with its jigsaw patterned terraces stretches to the north and west. There is a small Buddhist monastery tended by monks and nuns about an hour’s walk from the viewpoint.KAKANI Tansen can be visited at any time of the year. While the climate of Palpa varies from tropical to moderate, Tansen is moderate to warm with temperatures between 28 degree Celsius maximum in summer and 8 degrees Celsius minimum in the winter. The months of June and July have maximum rain.

CLIMATE

The climate is cool in summer with snow in places like Daman and Nagarkot in winter.

ACCESS/ACCOMMODATION

You can take regular passenger vehicles or hire a private car to Nagarkot, Dhulikhel, Daman and Kakani from Kathmandu. Good hotels and resorts are available in all four places.