The thunder was rumbling and the clouds were closing in as we made our way up towards Gosaikunda Lake. We stopped for a much-needed lunch break at the one and only lodge in Laurebina and took shelter from the looming weather. The dining hall of the lodge offered little respite as the winds picked up... Continue Reading →
Trekking in Langtang: 3 years after the earthquake
My friends and I chose to go trekking in the Langtang region of Nepal, an area that was badly affected by the 2015 earthquake. After a significant reduction in visitor numbers in the season following the earthquake this seemed like a perfect area in which to give some tourist support rather than the over-subscribed Everest... Continue Reading →
Nepali Life: A fishing trip to Begnas Tal
It was a beautiful, peaceful evening over Begnas Tal as we putt-putted our way down to the lakeshore on DB Sir’s scooter. The peace being shattered momentarily as creaks emanated from the scooter and DB Sir asked me how much I weighed… The Nepalese are not shy. DB Sir (named for his profession as a... Continue Reading →
Nepali life: A typical drive from Solu to Kathmandu
We had finished our trek in Dhap, a small village comprising a house, a lodge and a shop. Dhap is located along the road from Salleri to Okaldunga, the main road for access to Solukhumbu and for those trekkers heading to Everest Base Camp who opt out of taking the short, yet perilous, flight to... Continue Reading →
Nepali Life: A Sherpa wedding and mitini ceremony
I set out from Kathmandu having been given instructions to get to Chahabil Chowk by 5am to catch a Jeep to Paplu and from there to ask for directions to Loding, in Solukhumbu. My friend’s cousin was getting married and due to being busy elsewhere (cycling here) I had to make my own way to... Continue Reading →
Cycling the back roads from Kathmandu to Pokhara
As so often seems to be the case, I found myself killing time in Kathmandu. Even for me there are only so many cappuccinos I can drink while pretending to plan my future. Instead I decided to visit my friends near Pokhara, and what better way to get there than by bicycle. I had cycled... Continue Reading →
Tour de’ Lumbini – Pedal for Peace
Having left Swayambunath at around 8am we arrived in Hetauda at 8:30pm, hot, tired and dusty, having lost several cyclists to accidents in the dark. Day one of the Tour de’ Lumbini had finally finished… A friend of mine had roped me into joining the Tour de’ Lumbini, a 4-day, 360km cycle rally, from Kathmandu... Continue Reading →
Shut your eyes and go: a guide to cycling the roads of Nepal
Early on in my days of cycle touring across India I was given some advice about cycling on Indian roads by a local Punjabi in Hoshiarpur: There are laws, but nobody follows them. There are rules, but nobody knows what they are. Take your own path. In Nepal, the same principles apply. The roads are... Continue Reading →
Messing about on the river in Nepal
The car picked us up from the hotel at a respectable 7:30am. This was already a novelty – private transport in something other than a clapped-out, rickety, old, 1980s Ford Fiesta. We drove through a maze of steep, narrow residential streets making our way out of the Kathmandu Valley to the main Prithivi Highway. After... Continue Reading →
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