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Namo Buddha
Cycling Tour in Nepal
This is one of our most exciting
trips that takes you through the
medieval town of Bhaktapur and
to a beautiful spot on a hilltop
with one of the most amazing
views of the snowy peaks of the
Himalayas. It then wheels
through another beautiful town
of Dhulikhel before pedaling off
the dirt road towards a Buddhist
holy site of Namo Buddha where
legend says that one of the
incarnations of the Buddha fed
his own flesh to a hungry
tigress. |
Trip at a
glance |
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Duration:
2 Nights / 3 Days
Accommodation:
..
Transport:
--
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Activities:
Cycling
Group size:
Minimum - 1
Grading:
Hard
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Day 1: |
Kathmandu - Bhaktapur - Nagarkot
(38 km.)
After an early breakfast in
Kathmandu, we ride due east to
the medieval town of Bhaktapur.
Bhaktapur is an ancient city,
full of Newari culture. There
are many temples and squares
here that we will have time to
explore. From here we head
Northeast to Nagarkot on an
excellent and quiet tarmac road.
We gradually climb 20km to
Nagarkot, on the valley rim,
passing steeply terraced
farmland and houses that seem to
be clinging to the hillside.
When we reach the summit we will
be able to see the Himalayan
range, and on a good day, Mount
Everest. We stay in a guesthouse
on the ridge. |
Day 2: |
Nagarkot - Dhulikhel - Namo
Buddha (34km)
We ride downhill leaving
Nagarkot behind to reach
Bhaktapur. Then we leave for
Dhulikhel on a dirt trail
climbing and descending two
hills before reaching the holy
Buddhist site of Namo Buddha.
According to legend it was here
that Buddha, in a previous
incarnation, fed his flesh to a
hungry tigress as an offering. A
stone statue marks the site;
there is an active monastery
close by. We follow the
picturesque view along tarmac
and dirt roads back to Dhulikhel.
We spend a night at Dhulikhel.
Enjoy sunrise in the morning. |
Day 3: |
Dhulikhel - Kathmandu via Lubhu
Sisneri
We ride on jeep track to the
ancient city of Panauti, where
Lord Buddha once lived as a
prince. This special
village-truly lost in time-is
rarely visited by tourists.
Indreswor Mahadev Temple in
Panauti is the oldest surviving
temple in Nepal, believed to be
constructed in 1294A.D. Climbing
west, we follow a jeep track
along the meandering Roshi
river. Beyond the town of
Madhuban, we enter into a narrow
pristine valley ascending 300m
on superb trail to reach the
summit of Kathmandu Valley's
eastern rim known as Lakhuri
Bhanjyang. This is probably the
oldest route east out of
Kathmandu Valley, connecting the
ancient cities of the valley
with Panauti. What a grunt! But
the views of the Himalayas are
more than compensate. From the
saddle, the descent is on
switch-backed jeep track. After
an hour and a 500m descent, we
come to Sisneri, a quiet valley
village. The ethnicity of the
people change as we descend from
Tamangs, Thakuries and Chhetris
to lowland Newari farmers. We
then cycle the last part of our
journey from Sisneri to
Kathmandu city making a quick
round-about through Patan Durbar
Square. |
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