Classic Nepal

Description

Trip Name	Classic Nepal	Trip Code	CN
Duration	14 Days	Support Vehicle	90%
Max. Altitude	2387 meters, Day 4 Daman	Min. Altitude	150meters, Day 6/7 Chitwan
Group Size	Minimum 4	Maximum –  16
Biking Hour	5 – 6 hours a day
Trip Grade:  C. Strenuous	Suitable for fit & confident riders. Fitness is more important than ethnical ability for trips of this level, and some specific training or preparation is recommended, e.g. running, cycling, swimming or aerobics two to three times a week (preferably cycling!)
Food Key	The meal inclusions are marked below each day’s trip note: B: Breakfast L: Lunch D: Dinner
Accommodation Key	The entry in bold at the end of each day indicates the type of accommodation normally used. CH: Comfortable Hotel, Lodge- twin rooms with en suite facilities, reliable electricity and water supply, good service and some added amenities SH: Standard Hotel, Lodge or Gite – no-frills hotel, usually with twin rooms and en suite facilities. Service and amenities are generally adequate. BH: Basic Hotel, Lodge or Gite, Mountain Hut, Village House – Can be communal, often consisting of just a bed and shared facilities. Bed linen not normally provided. Running water, toilets and electricity may be inconsistent or non-existent. Cleanliness is not always assured. Single Accommodation:  If you wish to have a single room, a single supplement of US$ ……………… is payable at time of booking. Please check day to day itinerary for more information. Unmatched Accommodation: In case of any unmatched clients, they will straight be categorized to the Single Supplement category and added to the Final Invoice.

 

The Himalayan kingdom of Nepal is one of the world’s most beautiful countries. From the highest point on the earth to the jungle lowlands along the Indian border, there is an incredible variety of scenery, including huge glaciers, alpine pastures, thick uninhabited forests and carefully terraced hillsides. Highlights of this trip include:

Visit many of the key sights                                                                                                                                    Dramatic flight across the Himalaya from Pokhara to Kathmandu                                                                      A stay in Royal Chitwan National Park                                                                                                                               Good variety of cycling routes, on tarmac and rough tracks                                                                        Agriculture –terrace farming’s, lowland vegetation and crops cultivation                                                 Flora and Fauna                                                                                                                                                                      Culture and People                                                                                                                                                                      Amazing old architecture

This trip gives you the opportunity to experience Nepal’s diversity in one of the most rewarding ways, by bike. Starting from Kathmandu we head into the Mahabharata mountains where you can experience the best Himalayan views in Nepal, from Dhaulagiri in the west to Everest in the in the East. From here, we bike down into the Terai, close to the border of India where you will visit small thatched villages and experience the ancient farming traditions. Once in the Terai, we visit the Chitwan National Park, one of Asia’s finest wildlife parks, where you can go on elephant safari in search of rhino and tiger, or take to the river in a dugout canoe. Refreshed from the comforts of our lodge we return to the mountains, cycling towards the mighty panorama of the Annapurna range and the sacred peak of Machhapuchhare (Fish Tail).

Arriving in Pokhara, we have some time to relax by the lake or to experience some trekking before biking the ‘Royal Trek’ and returning to Kathmandu by the scenic mountain flight. The Valley is the historic centre of Nepal, the place where kingdoms rose and fell, palaces and temples were built and rebuilt and Nepalese art and culture were developed and refined. The combination of some superb dirt tracks and more relaxing road sections, and the abundance of temples, monasteries and palaces, makes this both an exhilarating and fascinating place to cycle and indeed to end one of the most varied biking trips you could wish for.

Day 1: Kathmandu:                                                                                                                                                              Arrive in Kathmandu late afternoon and transfer to the hotel. Local hire bikes will be issued for anyone who requires them, and then you have some free time to either explore or relax. We will have a full briefing in the evening at dinner.                                                                                                                                                                                                        Guest House SH                                                                                                                                                                      Altitude: 1340m

Day 2: Cycle to Bhaktapur & drive till Godavari:                                                                                                                  After an early morning breakfast in Kathmandu, we cycle to the mediaeval town of Bhaktapur. We cycle through small villages to the mediaeval town of Bhaktapur. This beautiful city, now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the home of traditional art and architecture, historical monuments and craft works, pottery and weaving industries. A well-preserved ancient city, we will have time to explore its Newari temples and squares. After lunch in the square we drive to Godavari.                                                                                                                                                    Hotel SH (B & D)                                                                                                                                                                        Altitude: 1515m                                                                                                                                                                            Cycling Distance: 25km                                                                                                                                                                      Total Distance: 45kms

Day 3: Back roads to Dakkshinkali:                                                                                                                                          We start the day cycling to Bungamati, a 16th Century traditional Newari village south of Kathmandu. We have time to explore this wonderful rural town famous for its woodcarvers, before heading off towards Dakkshinkali. As we cycle we have time to take in the fantastic views of the Kathmandu Valley. We finally hit the paved road that leads all the way to Dakkshinkali. The road is paved but is quite narrow and often busy with people visiting the temple which is one of the most famous temples in the Kathmandu Valley. Dedicated to Kali, the goddess of power, ritual sacrifices are regularly made here. In the afternoon or evening we will visit the temple (though only Hindus are permitted inside). If there is time we can also hike to Pharping monastery.                                                                                                  Village Inn BH (B, L & D)                                                                                                                                                        Altitude: 1650m                                                                                                                                                                                    Distance: 33Km

Day 4: Climb to Daman:                                                                                                                                                  Today is probably the biggest challenge and one of the highlights of the trip. After breakfast we drive up to Humane Bhanjyang (11km) and then ride some exciting rough jeep trails that lead up and across the valley rim on to the Kulekhani Dam Site. This was completed in 1982 and was Nepal’s first major hydroelectric project. The ride is incredibly scenic and we cycle along a beautiful valley and pass through pine forests and small villages before reaching Markhu. Here a picturesque lake provides the perfect backdrop for our lunch break. We then continue riding towards Daman, at first on rough tracks and then we finally meet the main road called the Tribhuvan Highway. For the enthusiastic group members there is a final challenging 14km road climb to Daman. The road winds up and up through magnificent forest. Watch out for the sting in the tail at the end of the day. Our hotel is about another 4km past the view tower in Daman itself! The climb is well worth the effort – our simple hotel enjoys a spectacular mountainside location, with a superb outlook on the Himalayas. Daman also happens to be the highest point in the valley at 2387m and offers an unimpeded view of the entire Himalayan range. On a clear day you can see all the way from Everest in the east to Dhaulagiri in the west.                                                                                                Resort SH (B, L & D)                                                                                                                                                                  Altitude: 2385m                                                                                                                                                                              Total Distance: 65km

Day 5: Downhill to Hetauda:                                                                                                                                                         If it is clear, it is well worth getting up for the sunrise. Wrap up warm as it can be cold here in the early morning especially in autumn. From the hotel view tower we get spectacular sunrise views across much of the Nepal Himalaya. We can see all the way from the Annapurna’s in the west of Nepal, past the Manaslu, Langtang and Jugal Himal all the way to the mountains around Everest you can even spot Everest on a really clear day.

After breakfast we set off for a gentle but beautiful hike to a nearby small Tibetan monastery, inhabited by Bhutanese monks, before returning to the hotel for lunch. With our appetites satisfied we saddle up for the exciting ride down to Hetauda in the Terai, the lowland area of Nepal. The ride today is all on surfaced roads and begins with a descent towards the plains of Northern India offering 2030m of downhill over 53km. The road makes lots of sharp turns and bends, so although the views are fantastic please ride with caution. The descent takes us through rhododendron (the Nepalese national flower), pine forests and past wonderful terraced hillsides typical of Nepal. As we descend we pass a series of small towns in the lowlands where the land has been extensively farmed for crops. The road is busier as we continue riding towards the city of Hetauda, a busy and bustling Indian style city. Our hotel here is very simple.        Resort BH (B, L & D)                                                                                                                                                                Altitude: 345m                                                                                                                                                                    Distance: 53kms

Day 6: Along Terai to Chitwan:                                                                                                                                                This morning we have the option to cycle or drive the along the fairly busy Mahendra Highway for 30km to Lothar Bridge. We then start riding off-road with lush forest on our right and the Rapti River on our left as we follow a narrow jeep track to Chitwan. We are now in the part of Nepal called the Terai, which is essentially a wide belt of fertile land bordered by the Himalayan foothills to the north and to the south by the Ganges River. Riding on ancient bullock-cart tracks we pass through neat mud-walled villages, vivid green paddy fields and mixed sub-tropical forests, criss-crossed by numerous rivers. We ride all the way to our hotel (if we cycle all the way from Hetauda we will arrive late afternoon and if we drive to Lothar Bridge we will arrive by lunchtime). The hotel is surrounded by jungle and is spectacularly located on the banks of the Rapti River, which borders the famous Royal Chitwan National Park. This peaceful and tranquil place is perfect after a day’s ride.                                                                            Jungle Lodge. SH (B, L & D)                                                                                                                                    Altitude: 150m                                                                                                                                                                      Distance: 70Km

Day 7: Chitwan:                                                                                                                                                                          Today we spend the whole day in and around the Chitwan National Park. The most popular way of seeing animals is on elephant back, and we will be very unlucky not to see at least the Indian one-horned rhinoceros and several species of deer. We also make a trip along the Rapti River in a dugout canoe, looking for crocodile and observing the many birds. The safari lodge has knowledgeable and helpful staffs, who accompany us on all the excursions.                  Jungle Lodge SH (B, L & D)                                                                                                                                              Altitude: 150m

Day 8: Further along the Terai to Lumbini:                                                                                                                After breakfast we start riding on jeep tracks towards the Tikauli forest through an area called Beezhazari Tal (which means 20,000 lakes). This area boasts over 130 species of plants as well as endangered species from the animal world; such as the royal Bengal tiger. We ride 8km through the forest passing one of the many lakes in the area. With the forest behind us, the scenery changes once again. For the later part of this morning we follow more dirt tracks with a vast area of farmland stretching before us. We then join the Mahendra Highway and ride as far as the busy town of Narayanghat, where we stop for a break. Surrounded by captivating scenery we continue on the main road to Kawasuti and stop for lunch. In the afternoon we load our bikes on to the vehicle and have a 130km drive to Lumbini.                                                                                                                                                                                            Hotel CH (B, L & D)                                                                                                                                                            Altitude: 95m                                                                                                                                                                                      Cycling Distance: 53Kms                                                                                                                                                            Total Distance: 192Kms

Day 9: Ride through villages to Butwal:                                                                                                                          Lumbini is the birthplace of Lord Buddha (623BC) and it is now a busy place of pilgrimage to Buddhists from many different countries. There are large gardens in Lumbini where there are a number of temples and monasteries built by Buddhists from all over the world. We spend some time in the morning walking round the gardens and visiting a couple of monasteries. We then head out of Lumbini on our bikes and have a wonderful easy off road ride through remote typical Indian style villages. The ride offers a real glimpse of rural life in this part of Nepal with haystacks and buffalo water holes and widespread fields. Single file we ride through narrow village alleyways before meeting the Mahendra Highway. We continue cycling on this road until Butwal, where we stay in a simple hotel.                              Hotel BH (B, L & D)                                                                                                                                                              Altitude: 140m                                                                                                                                                                                  Cycling Distance: 62Kms

Day 10: Ride up to Tansen:                                                                                                                                                After a hearty breakfast it is a beautiful uphill ride to Tansen on the Siddhartha Highway. The ride starts fairly gradually and the road snakes its way up a wonderful valley. Climbing all the time the first part is not steep. As we approach Tansen the gradient increases and the final ride into the town is quite steep. Of course out hotel is at the above the town! But what a view as we round the last corner a whole spectacular panoramic view of the Himalaya comes into view. Starting in the west we can see Dhaulagiri and the Annapurna’s. Then the famous fishtail mountain, Machhapuchhare comes into view followed by the Lamjung Himal and the Manaslu Himal. Situated at 1375m Tansen is a mediaeval hill town perched high above the Kali Gandaki River. It was once the seat of a powerful kingdom but is now a busy market town dominated by the rambling pink Tansen Durbar, the former seat of the Rana governor. Its entrance gate, Baggi Dhoka, is supposedly the largest and tallest gate in Nepal, with dimensions that allow the governor to make an impressive entry atop an elephant. This afternoon there should be time to walk down into the town and explore this interesting place.                                                                                                                        Hotel SH (B, L & D)                                                                                                                                                            Altitude: 1450m                                                                                                                                                                            Cycling Distance: 43Km

Day 11: Over the hills to Pokhara:                                                                                                                                    We get up early today for the spectacular sunrise from the hotel. North the Himalaya stretch across the horizon and the snowcapped peaks tower above us. South the middle hills disappear in the mist down to India. After breakfast it’s back onto the bikes for the ride to Pokhara. We start by descending very steeply through the narrow winding streets of the old Tansen village, before meeting the Siddhartha Highway. We continue our descent on a wide paved road that twists and turns all the way to Ramdi. It can get quite cold on the descent in autumn so we stop at Ramdi for a cup of hot sweet Nepali chiya (Tea). A bridge takes us across the Kali Gandaki River and we now have a gentle climb towards Ghalyang. The road undulates most of the way to our lunch stop. We ride as far as Waling where we load our bikes onto the vehicle. We drive for about an hour and then there is the option of riding the last 14km into Pokhara. Weather permitting, there should be spectacular views of the famous Machhapuchhare Peak, (‘Fishtail’ mountain), and the main Annapurna range rising up to 8091m. On reaching Pokhara we check into the hotel where we will be based for the next two nights.                                                                                                                                                      Resort CH (B & L)                                                                                                                                                                Altitude: 820m                                                                                                                                                                          Cycling Distance: 55Km                                                                                                                                                            Total Distance: 140Km

Day 12: Trek to Kalikistan, ride back to Pokhara:                                                                                                        Pokhara lies at the bottom of a wide valley directly beneath the Annapurna range. If Kathmandu and its valley are the architectural treasure of Nepal, then Pokhara is nature’s equivalent. At only 804 meters above sea level it is set amongst semi-tropical plants and has a delightfully temperate climate. Machhapuchhare and the Annapurna range of mountains dominate the skyline especially in the mornings, and the town is a great place to relax. Today a combination of hiking and biking sees us embarking on a section of the ‘Royal Trek’, so-named because Prince Charles once covered this route. Essentially we will follow the ridge line offering superb backdrop of Annapurna IV. We drive 20kms east out of Pokhara to Begnas Lake, where we set off on foot towards Kalikistan. The path winds up above the lake and climbs through mixed forest and through small traditional Nepali villages. We walk for about 3.5 hours to Kalikistan (9km), where we will meet up with the bikes. From here we descend 22km back into Pokhara. We follow the road through Pokhara old town and back to the hotel. The rest of the day is free to explore the lakeside – there are shops selling handicrafts as well as restaurants and cafes dotted along the lakeside or you may want to take a taxi to the Gorkha Museum or even hire a boat to go rowing on the lake.                                                                                Resort SH (B & L)                                                                                                                                                          Altitude: 820m                                                                                                                                                                            Cycling Distance: 22Km                                                                                                                                                          Hiking Distance: approx. 9Km  

Day 13: Fly to Kathmandu:                                                                                                                                                            We take a 25-30 minutes flight to Kathmandu. We will get to see breath taking views of the Himalayas on a clear day. We will be transferred to the hotel. Farewell dinner in the evening.                                                                                      Guest House SH (B)                                                                                                                                                              Altitude: 1340m

Day 14: Departure

Group Size: Minimum 4 Pax                                                                                                                                                              Tour Cost per Person in US$:

No. of people	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
US$ per person	1825	1795	1770	1745	1720	1755	1725	1695	1665	1635	1600	1565

 

COST INCLUDES                                                                                                                                                                      Biking guide with mechanical and first-aid backup                                                                                                                      Bed and breakfast in Kathmandu and Pokhara                                                                                                                              All meals and accommodation during biking days                                                                                                                        All safari activities in Chitwan National Park                                                                                                                                    Flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu                                                                                                                                                  All ground transfers                                                                                                                                                                        Support vehicle                                                                                                                                                                            Mineral water during biking

COST EXCLUDES                                                                                                                                                              Mountain bikes with helmet and water bottle                                                                                                                          Soft/hard drinks                                                                                                                                                                                    Insurance                                                                                                                                                                                  Emergency evacuation                                                                                                                                                                    Other items of personal nature                                                                                                                                                      Expenses incurred during rescue services                                                                                                                            Services not mentioned herein