BANDIPUR AND MANAKAMANA - NEPAL

After leaving Pokhara the most obvious destination was Chitwan but first I wanted to have a look at 2 small places off the main highway. The first was Bandipur which was several miles up a steep winding road.


As with most of Nepal it was loads of walking up steep hills for some great scenery. The first evening I walked to the top of a nearby hill with a Banker from Kathmandu who I met on the bus.


On my full day there it was more walking, on the way to the top of the peak I wanted to go to I got lost and ended up walking round it instead.


Walking round the town itself was like going back in time 500 years. Both nights there was no power at all and I was in bed well before 9pm. There was only a handful of other tourists about but the place is trying to open itself up to far more.


I got to Manakamana early for the cable car ride to the top. There were even cars for the goats but they only get a one way ticket!!!!!!!!!!!!!!






Being such an important place for the locals there were thousands of people at the top. I couldn't believe that I was the only westerner there.


After looking round the town and the temple I escaped the crowds to the hills around the top.


By about 4pm I had seen everything but had already paid for a room which was grim compaired to Bandipur. At night there was the usual powercuts. There were flames coming from the electric wires outside my room at one point which was a bit worrying.

I was kept awake most of the night by stray dogs and went back down the cable car to Chitwan the following morning.