Why don’t they make more properties like the Old Inn at Bandipur? It is a charming property, with some of the best interiors I have ever seen. Each nook and corner seems to be a labour of love and great taste. It is like an aesthetic exposition of Nepali / Tibetan handicrafts. And the place has character with wooden steps [...]
As a part of the Great Himalayan Drive, I reached Banbassa on the Nepal border – my first international crossing by car. So what if it’s Nepal – Indians never regard Nepal as a ‘foreign’ country. Anyway, this is how I went over the line (Note: These rules are applicable only for Indian Nationals driving cars registered in India):
Have you fancied driving across to Nepal in your own car? It is not a big deal at all as I discovered when I undertook the Great Himalayan Drive recently. You can actually start very early, cross the border around noon, and be out for a jungle safari in the Shuklaphanta National Park in the afternoon. Or leave comfortably, cross [...]
Limited edition prints of this image are for sale. Ordering info is given at the end of the post. Click on the image for a larger view. I took this image while driving around the town of Tansen in Nepal in 2010. This house was in one of the many unmarked villages in the region, and stood out for its [...]
Few properties in the world can match the setting of Fish Tail Lodge in Pokhara in Nepal. With the Fewa Tal (lake) on one side, and a forest cover on the other, it is an island of delight. Accentuated with the imposing Machhapuchre (meaning Fish Tail) peak almost at touching distance towering over it.
Ever since Nepal made front page news for its political troubles, it has been struck off as a holiday destination by most Indians. But surely Nepal’s charms must still be holding good? Ajay Jain hit the road in his SUV to re-discover Nepal he last visited in the 1980s as a school boy. And came back giving a thumbs up [...]
On my recent trip to Nepal, I stopped my car to ponder over something a few miles out of Pokhara. Just then the conductor of a passing bus told me I had run over a chicken in a village I had just crossed. Don’t think I did. Just then two youths on a motorcycle came over and said the same [...]
That’s it. Time to head back to Delhi to mark the end of the first phase of The Great Himalayan Drive. I started from Thimphu, spent the following night in Siliguri in West Bengal and then another two at the Chitwan National Park. The last night was spent at Bardia National Park where I did another afternoon safari.
[View more photos on Facebook even if you are not a member] When my guide at the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve promised to show me the Flying Foxes, I had no idea what to expect. He did not even give me a chance to ask what species they were. Unlike other birds and wildlife, he guaranteed I will spot them. [...]
[Check out more photos on Facebook even if you are not a member] There are few trains in the world to match this. It starts in Janakpur in Nepal and goes across the border to the Indian town of Jaynagar, 28 km (17 miles) away. Each leg is a over three hours long; in fact, there are tow trains that [...]
[See more photos on Facebook even if you are not a member] Valentine’s Day can be a lonely affair for many. When it is for a wild male elephant on heat during its mating season, it could spell bad news. The morning of day 18 of the Great Himalayan Drive started with animated excitement all around Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge, [...]
This is one restaurant you may visit but not order anything for yourself. And if you want to see the patrons having a meal, do so discreetly lest you disturb them. Welcome to the Jatayu Restaurant meant exclusively for vultures located at the Nawalparasi district adjacent to the buffer zone of the Chitwan National Park in Nepal. Run by the [...]
Valentine’s Day is a day of hugs and kisses from those who love you. Not one to be told there is no love lost between you and a rhinoceros. Out for a jungle walk in Chitwan National Park, I was hoping to see some exotic animals and birds up close and personal. Even a tiger if I am lucky – [...]
How interesting can journeys get? Very, if you are headed to Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge in Chitwan National Park in Nepal. I set out from Kathmandu to Tiger Tops, one of the few places to stay deep inside the forest. And possibly the best considering they have been the pioneers in wildlife tourism in Nepal for decades. The first challenge [...]
The Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu is generally regarded by Hindus as the most sacred of all temples devoted to Lord Shiva. Thousands of devotees visit the site every day from Nepal, India and other parts of the world. And on a special day like Shivratri, it is a sight to behold. I was lucky to be in Kathmandu when this [...]
Even when sin is for sale, there are no taboos in invoking the Gods to close a deal. Here is the not so surprising part: Walking around in Thamel in Kathmandu after sunset, I had a few boys come up to me and whispering if I would like to smoke hash. No thank you I said. And then one came [...]
Patan, the oldest of the cities (others being Kathmandu and Bakhtapur) in the Kathmandu Valley, is rightly deserving of its World Heritage status. Known as the ‘City of Fine Arts’ The structures in the Patan Darbar Square are dated 16th century onwards; most were built during the reign of King Siddhi Narsingh Malla (1618-1661 AD), the first independent Malla dynastry [...]
I set out from Gorkha for Chitwan National Park on a rainy morning – only to realize jungle safaris may not be possible in such weather. I decided to turn towards Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, a place I have been waiting 24 years to go back to. My previous trip was a family visit during school days. And my [...]
They say the Indian Army – and to a great extent even the British Army – would cease to be the forces they are if all the Gorkhas in their ranks were to be removed. Brave, loyal and fearless, Gorkhas are soldiers every nation would trust their security with. Their roots go to the town of Gorkha, a historical and [...]
I set out from Pokhara for the Chitwan National Park on Day 10 of the Great Himalayan Drive – not knowing that I would eventually take another week before I would reach this destination. The reason was Bandipur – without doubt a lesser known gem of Nepal Tourism. I was cruising along when I suddenly decided to swerve my car [...]
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