Kasto Majja

Description

Trip Name	Kasto Majja	Tour Code	KM
Duration	10 Days (Ktm. – Ktm.)	Support Vehicle	70%
Maximum Altitude	1965 meters Chisapani	Minimum Altitude	1340 meters Kathmandu
Bikking Hour	5 – 6 hours a day	Luggage Transfer	Yes
Group Size	Minimum – 04	Maximum – 15
Trip Grade D. Tough	Long cycling days and tougher terrain (for both on- and off-road trips) were requiring specific experience of more demanding and technical cycling. Vehicle support may be more limited. You should be very confident of your physical condition and bike handling skills.
Food Key	The meal inclusions are marked below each day’s trip note:                                    B: Breakfast                                                                                                                                              L: Lunch                                                                                                                                                    D: Dinner

 

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$ 250 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.

Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, has over three million populations and is the meeting point for a dozen different ethnic groups. Surrounded by beautiful mountains on all sides, the northern and eastern sides are the most spectacular with the great Himalayas – Ganesh Himal, Langtang, Dorje Lakpa, Everest, etc. – suspended on the skyline. Kathmandu valley constitutes three major ancient and historical cities called Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur with thousands of temples, monuments, statues, palaces, stupas and monasteries. Kathmandu valley has many cultures, traditions and values that cannot be found in the other parts of the world. Thamel, the tourist district of Kathmandu, is a shopper’s paradise with every imaginable Nepalese handicraft available at reasonable prices – plus good food and night-life to boost!

Kathmandu valley has innumerable biking options for bikers. Depending upon one’s ability and time limit, one can make own itinerary varying from a day tour to 14 days or more. If you want to ride the circumference of the valley it will take nearly 14 days and here’s our suggested itinerary.

Itinerary

DAY 01, Kathmandu:                                                                                                                                                        Arriving in Kathmandu & transfer to the Guest House in Thamel, a tourist district offering numerous bars, shops and restaurants and an instant taste of Nepali life. In the afternoon we will sort out our bikes and over dinner there will be a tour briefing.                                                                                                                                                                                    Guest House SH                                                                                                                                                            Altitude: 1340 meters

Day 02, Kakani:                                                                                                                                                                  Approx. 9 am we ride out of Kathmandu from our hotel, though the busting back streets of Thamel. Leaving the city behind we arrive at the Nagarjun Forest (the Queen’s Forest) where we head off-road, starting with good wide undulating track before a long 10km climb up through the jungle. Your efforts are rewarded by spectacular views over the valley and a superb fine trail descent down the backside of the mountain. At the bottom we transfer or for the seriously fit ride the last 22km on the back road up to Kakani. Guesthouse, set in a reserve at 2000m, enjoys stunning views of Ganesh and Langtang Himal and the valley of Likhu Khola (River) 1000m below.                      Guest House BH (B/L/D)                                                                                                                                      Distance: 55 kilometers                                                                                                                                                              Altitude: 1900 meters

Day 03, Budhanilkantha (Sleeping Vishnu):                                                                                                            Head off on one of the best trails in the valley (which was used as the Mountain Bike Championship course) down towards Budhanilkantha (Sleeping Vishnu) on wide undulating jeep track and some single track and pass through the Shivapuri forest to the Buddhanilkantha, a remarkable 5th century statue of the Lord Vishnu, reclining on the coil of the snake king in the middle of small pond. Your efforts are rewarded by spectacular panoramic mountain views of Ganesh and Langtang Himal on the way and moreover by a night at a true resort established in a rural setting with culturally rich and naturally pristine environment whose garden harbors nearly 75 species of birds and 2000 flowering trees and shrubs.                                                                                                                                                Resort CH (B/L/D)                                                                                                                                                                  Altitude: 1400 meters                                                                                                                                                            Distance: 30 kilometers

DAY 04, Chisapani:                                                                                                                                                                  We start with a steep upward ride (approx 7 km) on paved and off road through the Shivapuri Reserve. Part of the route is on the Helambu trekking trail. Our final destination is Chisopani (which means cold water in Nepali), which rounds off a challenging day. Again today’s lodge enjoys outstanding and closest views of the panoramic mountain ranges- this is one of the best outlooks within the valley region. 40 km.                                                                                      Tea House BH (B/L/D)                                                                                                                                              Distance: 37 kilometers                                                                                                                                                      Altitude: 1965 meters

DAY 05, Nagarkot:                                                                                                                                                                  From Chisopani, we take the same route into the north-east corner of the Kathmandu Valley, then it is on to a mix of single and jeep track to wind our way to Nagarkot. Our route will depend on the condition of the trails. A short steep climb into Nagarkot will reward you with a comfortable and peaceful surrounding of hotel on the valley rim. Enjoy the spectacular view of the Himalayas and sunset from the hotel. This is where a part of the biking movie ‘Retreat’ was filmed.                                                                                                                                                                                      Hotel SH (B/L/D)                                                                                                                                                              Distance: 35 kilometers                                                                                                                                                              Altitude: 1965 meters

DAY 06, Nagarkot:                                                                                                                                                                Early morning farm activity awake us and we can enjoy the sunrise views from the terrace. Today we explore the trails around Nagarkot or you can take a rest day. There are numerous off-road routes possible today either road, or wide dirt track. We have a choice of day rides ending at the medieval town of Bhaktapur for lunch then time to look around before we transfer back up the hill to Nagarkot, or ride up the road if you wish. Bhaktapur is an old restored city full of temples and courtyards. Also it’s possible to visit Changu Narayan, a must for those interested in culture – the ancient temple complex here, which includes the oldest Hindu temple in the valley where in the sixth & seventh centuries, Newari stone masons made carvings of Lord Vishnu. The stone table standing on the west side of the temple is said to be the earliest known inscription in Kathmandu Valley. It depicts King Mandev’s military conquests in the fifth century. It’s on the way and enjoys commanding views over the valley and its fine statues are the best outside the National Museum.                                                                                                                                                          Hotel  SH (B/L/D)                                                                                                                                                              Distance: 20 kilometers                                                                                                                                                          Altitude: 1965 meters

Day 07, Nagarkot-Dhulikhel:                                                                                                                                      Descent through terraced paddy fields and small villages that lead us to the Indrawati River. We will stop to take photos as the Himalayas are right behind us all the way down and also make offerings at the local temples to help ensure that we remember those technical skills when we need them. After 1000m of downhill a jeep road leads us to the Friendship Highway, the main road to Tibet. We have lunch in a secret spot by the river before the long climb back up to the valley rim. We have the choice to continue our ride on the paved road of Friendship highway or off road. For most this is best done in the support vehicle.                                                                                                            Resort SH (B, L & D)                                                                                                                                                            Altitude: 1500 meters                                                                                                                                                                    Total distance: 55 kilometers

Day 08, Dhulikhel – Balthali via Namo-Buddha:                                                                                                        We leave Dhulikhel on a dirt trail climbing and descending two hills before reaching the Buddhist pilgrimage site of Namo Buddha. According to legend it was here that Buddha, in a previous incarnation, offered his flesh to a hungry tigress. A stone statue marks the site; there is an active monastery closed by. We follow the picturesque view along rich; you can enjoy fantastic view of the valley and Mountain View in clear day.                                                                  Hotel CH (B/L/D)                                                                                                                                                              Total distance: Approx 27 kilometers                                                                                                                              Altitude: 1800 meters

Day 09, Balthali – Kathmandu via Lubhu Sisneri:                                                                                                  Start with a jeep track down to the ancient city of Panauti, where Lord Buddha lived as a prince prior his offering to the tigress. This special village-truly lost in time-is rarely visited by tourists. Indresara Mahadev Temple is the oldest surviving dated temple in Nepal believed that it was constructed in 1294. 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 single trail to reach the summit of Kathmandu valley’s eastern rim known as the Lakhure Bhanjyang (1930m). This is probably the oldest route east out of Kathmandu valley, connecting the ancient cities of the valley with Panauti. Views of the Himalayas are more than compensated. From the saddle, the descent is on switch-backed jeep track. After an hour and a 500m descent, we come upon Sisneri, a quiet valley village. The ethnicity of the people change as we descend from Tamangs, Thakuries and Chhetris to lowland Newari farmers. A short distance beyond Sisneri is our pickup point for the drive back to Kathmandu.                                                                                                        Hotel (SH) (B/L)                                                                                                                                                                    Distance: 40 kilometers                                                                                                                                                          Altitude: 1340 meters

Day 10:  Departure or start optional program.

No. of people	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
US$ per person	1290	$1275	$1260	1245	$1230	$1215	$1205	$1200	$1180	$1165	1150	1140

Cost Includes:                                                                                                                                                                            All Entrance and Park fees                                                                                                                                                                Support vehicle (70%)                                                                                                                                                                        Biking Guide with mechanical backup                                                                                                                                          Food & Accommodation on twin sharing and full board basis during biking                                                                              Bed and breakfast basis in Kathmandu                                                                                                                                      Mineral water during biking only

Cost Excludes:                                                                                                                                                                Mountain bike, helmet and accessories.                                                                                                                                Insurance                                                                                                                                                                                          Emergency evacuation fees                                                                                                                                                                Soft and Hard drinks                                                                                                                                                                          Any items of personal interests                                                                                                                                                Services not mentioned herein