Dhulikhel

Friday, June 12, 2009

Dhulikhel is the administrative centre of Kavrepalanchok District, Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 9812 people in 1624 households.[1]Dhulikhel lies along the B.P Highway and Araniko Highway. Araniko Highway connects Kathmandu, Nepal's capital city with Tibet's border town of Kodari. Dhulikhel is located near the Himalayas at 1550m above sea level and is situated 30 km southeast of Kathmandu and 74 km southwest of Kodari. The people in the village are Newars, Bhramin, Chhettri, Tamang and Dalit. Drinking water in Dhulikhel is one of the best water in Nepal. It was made with the Help of the GermanNGO, German Technical Cooperation.


Dhulikhel has for many centuries been an important trading centre on the ancient commercial route linking Nepal to Tibet. Since time immemorial, people of Nepal travel to Tibet to bring home salt and gold. Likewise, the Tibetans every year with their flocks of sheep enter into Nepal during Dashain, the greatest Hindu festival. They purchased chilies and other daily necessities in Nepal and return to their homeland. In those days, a whole day walk from Kathmandu to Dhulikhel was comfortable for Tibet trippers with easily available of food and water at Dhulikhel at the evening for overnight stay. Even now, a bird's eye view from the resorts at Dhulikhel to the landscapes; highway to Tibet and horizons far to the Tibetan borders, clearly exhibits Dhulikhel as the gateway of Tibet. After adjoining with Tibet by motorable road in 1965, Dhulikhel got a face lift and developed as a tourist destination both for Tibet trippers and tourists. Dhulikhel is an ideal station to stop for overnight stay while going to Tibet and coming back to Kathmandu.


The Mountains - A Tourist Paradise: The spectacular snowfed mountains seen from Dhuklikhel must be one of the finest panoramic views in the world. When a blue haze covers the lower portion of the mountains, they seem to be floating in the air. With the snowy mountains on the backdrop, Dhulikhel is a stage of immense beauty and a paradise for nature lovers. Green inviting hills of which still virgin and some turned into beautifully carved agricultural terraces cater to the beholders' pleasure.

Geographically, the plains rise up gradually up to the green mountains and further into the snow capped Himalayas. The panorama offers a majestic undisturbed view of the Himalayan ranges stretching from Mount Annapurna in te far west to Mount Karolung in the Far East. More than twenty Himalayan peaks including Mt. Annapurna (8091 m), Mt. Ganesh Himal (7429 m), Mt. Langtang (7234 m), Mt. Phuribichyachu (6637 m), Mt. Gaurishanker (7134 m), Mt. Lhotse (2516 m) and many others can be seen in their full glory from the different vantage points in Dhulikhel. In short, it is the foremost point for the mountain-oriented sightseeing since time immemorial. The eco-himalayan atmosphere will surprise anyone an unforgettable experience in lifetime.

The Old Town: The oldest area of the town, the southern end, is an assembly of fine old Newari houses, often occupied by 20 or more members of the local extended families. They may not all have glazed windows, hot water or modern furniture, but they have dignity and a friendly atmosphere. Their most valuable assets are the beautifully carved windows and doors, fine examples of traditional Newari craftsmanship.

As one wanders down the traffic free narrow streets, one passes through a medieval city inhabited for at least five centuries and may have a feeling that he is in the garden of cultural theme park. The plan of the city is based on ancient Hindu planning doctrine with the position, shape, scale & dominance between buildings, temples, public squares all having their own meaning and harmony. There are organically developed compact settlements around Dhulikhel. These settlements in one hand conserved heat in the cold valley, and at the same time maximized land for agricultural use. One of such old settlements is Shrikhandapur, which lies 2 km west of the core city near the Kathmandu University, and is also a centuries old Newari settlement. The settlement is protected by Swet Bhairav (an incarnation of Lord Shiva) and Narayan (Vishnu) deties.

Temples: There are numerous temples in the town depicting an example of traditional and old Newari craftsmanship of Dhulikhel. These are important places of worship for local people. The core area of Dhulikhel has interesting narrow cobbled streets and lanes embedded with number of Hindu Shrines and a few Buddhist Stupa.

In the centre of the old town is the Narayan Temple with its yellow metal roofs. It is dedicated to Lord Krishna whose birthday is joyfully celebrated here in August. Alongside is the Harisiddhi Temple whose God responds to the worshippers' problems and sees their right and wrong doings. Both the temples are adorned with profuese wood carvings and fronted by two Garudas in quite different attitude. Bhagwati Temple situated at the top of the western part of the town is considered as one of the best place to see around Dhulikhel and also to enjoy the best mountain views. The GaukhureshworMahadev Temple is about 20 minutes walk to the east of the town near Tundikhel Recreation Park and is located in a peaceful and quite environment. Further up hill, one reaches, within half an hour trek, the Bhagwati (Kali) Temple. This is a beautiful pagoda that one can see on the skyline as one drives into Dhulikhel.

Sports and Entertainments in Nepal

Nepal offers thrilling activities including entertainment sports. Mingling with adventurous trips, it offers many places of enjoyment as well as allure travellers to enjoy their holidays. They can enjoy the rustic by simply beholding spectacular sights and partaking in the activities of exotic cultures, in cities like Kathmandu and Pokhara some entertainment is on par with western world.

Movies
In Nepal filmmaking was started around 1862. Nepali film has a larger than life story, multiple songs and dances, mostly used the local scene, story about the Nepalese society and reunion of the main hero/protagonist of the story. Watching Nepali film is enjoyable and many filmmakers in Nepal have tried to make social conscious films even with popular genres. Watching Nepali film one can get different experience.

Culture Shows
In Nepal in every hotels and restaurants you can see the cultural shows performed by the local people. It is performed by the local artist of the particular area in the hotel premises or at any fixed place. They offer classical and folk dance. It is performed usually by the evening followed by the dinner.

Dining
Kathmandu has wide range of hotels and guesthouse. It offers dinning varieties from the quality service of five star menus to roadside cafes experience. The price range is easily affordable for most visitors in Nepal. Different varieties of food are found in Kathmandu. Many hotels and restaurants in Kathmandu have improved in a great way than before. Indian, Chinese, continental and other varieties of food are available which satisfied the visitors. In Nepal visitors enjoy the authentic taste of indigenous cuisines in the ethnic ambience of Nepali restaurants. Outside the Kathmandu valley there is wide range of top hotels and restaurants which offers varieties of dining.

Many hotels and restaurants performed traditional songs and dance by local artists during meals. Mostly in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan traditional songs and dances are performed.

Nepal does not have the most active nightlife, yet it does exist and the young at heart will certainly be satisfied with the selection. Nepal's nightlife is focused around tourist areas, particularly Thamel in Kathmandu. The nightlife in Nepal has something to offer everyone.

Whilst most restaurants close at around 10:00 pm, many bars and clubs remain open until the early hours of the morning. A very popular form of nighttime entertainment in Nepal are the casinos. Kathmandu has four casinos situated at the top hotels. Casinos provide a variety of entertainment twenty-four hours a day. Most up-scale restaurants will present cultural shows for their patrons. Such shows feature brightly colored costumes with local music, songs and dances. The cultural shows usually begin at about 7:00pm. One of the most popular classical and folk dance groups in Nepal is the Himalchuli cultural group who are hosted at the Festival Restaurant and Bar. Look out for sign boards placed outside of restaurants advertising upcoming shows.

Various local bands play at venues in Kathmandu and Pokhara. Discotheques are very popular amongst tourist in Nepal and are a great way to just let go. You should note however that contact between men and women is frowned upon, therefore most dancing takes place with groups of the same sex. There are many bars and pubs in the Thamel area, each has its own character and theme.

Movie theaters in Nepal show only Bollywood Hindi movies, usually without English subtitles. Some people still enjoy going to watch such features as a cultural experience and you are sure to enjoy the vibrant colors and music. New venues have begun showing English language movies, however, they tend to be very far behind the western market. Certain restaurants in Thamel show movies on televisions that have just been released. You will have to eat at the restaurant to take advantage of this service. Signs are usually put up advertising the movies that are to be on display. Foreign language subtitled films can be viewed at the Russian Cultural Center at Kamal Pokhari.

Be sure to keep safe when enjoying the nightlife in Nepal and avoid any bars that may have a bad element. Let the adventures of daytime extend into night, by taking advantage of the various facets of Nepal's nightlife.

Canyoning in Nepal

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Canyoning/Canyoneering is an adventure sport that involves traveling down creeks or streams within a canyon by a variety of means including hiking, scrambling, wading, boulder hopping, rock climbing, abseiling and rappelling using safe techniques.

Canyoning is comprehensive package for experiencing adventure that requires technical skills of stream navigation, rope and canyoning gears work and preparedness for risk minimization. Your safety depends on your judgment based on competent instruction, experience and a realistic assessment of abilities and understanding of current canyon conditions.

Abseil canyoning activity is becoming increasingly popular in the world and many young rivers of Nepal are ideal for canyoning.

We provide site briefing, travel arrangement, lunch box/kitchen, canyoning gears and field guides.

Bungy Jumping in Nepal

BUNGY JUMPING If you thought bungy jumping was restricted to some places in Europe, New Zealand and America, it's time you got and update. The sport has finally found a natural home in the highest mountain range in the world. The ultimate thrill of a bungy jump can now be experienced in Nepal at perhaps the best site in the world.

Nepal's first bungy jumping site is situated 160m over the wild Bhote Kosi river, and located close to the Nepal-Tibet border, a three-hour bus ride from Kathmandu. As can be arranged on arrival in Kathmandu. As of now, there is only one agency offering this sport. The jump, at 160m, was designed by one of New Zealand's leading bungy consultants, and is operated by some of the most experienced jump masters in the business. It's mishap-proof. The agency takes safety "very, very seriously".

Location:

Less than 3 hours outside Kathmandu by Ultimate Bungy Shuttle. You will travel the Arniko (Kathmandu/Lhasa) Highway to within 12km of the Tibet Border and the famous Friendship Bridge.


The Gorge:

Ultimate Bungy Nepal takes place on a 166m wide steel suspension bridge over the Bhoti Kosi River.

The Bridge:

Swiss designed, specially for bungy jumping with a 4x saftey factor. The bridge has a loading factor of 250kg per running meter. This means that the bridge will hold 250 x 166 = 41,500kg or 4.5 tonnes. And... those are Swiss measurements! * Over 6000 meters of steel wire was used to build the bridge * Longest suspension bridge in Nepal * The bridge joins two sides of a great valley. Before its construction, locals walked five hours to cross this river gorge.

Rates

The rate is $75 per jump. Nepalese are entitled to 30% discount.

Mountain Biking

Mountain Bikes tours to Nepal and Tibet. Main aspect of this tours are specially designed to take you deep into the culture and lifestyle of the local people and show you the best trails in the Himalayas, where most mountain bikers rarely get a chance to ride. Mountain biking in Nepal has been gaining much popularity among the adventure enthusiasts from around the world over the past few years.

Nepal has now achieved worldwide recognition as one of the best mountain biking destinations. The reason being that it is a mountainous country with diverse landscapes and breathtaking natural beauty. Our highest priorities in all our Nepal biking trips are safety, quality and enjoyment. You will ride on these wild and challenging trails through some of the most stunning scenic and cultural landscapes in the world. With the stunning backdrop of the Himalayan ranges, the extreme valleys and old forests of the rugged middle hills, the charming terraced fields and bright smiles in the timeless villages, you will remember this journey for its unique beauty as well as its challenging mountain biking terrain.
Mountain Biking in the Himalayas
Trip NameDaysGradeCost
Mountain Biking in the Himalayas21Moderate plus$US1,965

Paragliding in Pokhara


In Nepal different adventure travelling offers some exciting paragliding tours in Nepal. Paragliding in the Himalayan region is a truly wonderful and fulfilling experience for the adventure seeker. Experience the unparalleled scenic grandeur as you soar over villages, monasteries, temples, lakes and jungle, while sharing airspace with Himalayan griffins, eagles, and kites.



Paragliding is a seasonal sport; the flying season in Nepal commences in November, and runs through to February, the best months being November and December. Pokhara is becoming one of the world's best destinations for tourists to experience the Himalayas and is one of the world's best locations for Paragliding.


Tandem Flying requires a trained pilot flying with a passenger. It is your solution to experience paragliding without extensive training. Two separate harnesses are attached to the wing. The paragliding harness is designed for comfort and safety. You can sit back, take pictures and enjoy the freedom of flying like a bird. This exciting short flight trip can be completed pre/post trekking when you have a rest day in Pokhara. For details please make an inquiry or book this tandem flight now.


There are 2 kinds of tandem flights:

Fewa Lake and Mountain view (cost US$ 100)

It take off from Sarangkot, while you are flying you will see the Mountain views, villages, river and lake.

Time:- 25-45 Minute (Dependant on weather conditions)


Cross Country (Cost US$ 150)

It's background will be the Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and Manaslu among others. This flight gives you the chance to have a longer and unique flying experience.

Time: 1-2 Hours