Dhulikhel

Introducing Dhulikhel

Only 3km southeast of Banepa (32km from Kathmandu) is the interesting small town of Dhulikhel. It's popular as a Himalayan viewpoint, in part because the road to Dhulikhel is an easier route than the steep and winding road to Nagarkot, but also because Dhulikhel is a real Newari town, not just a tourist resort. It's also a good centre for short day treks - many visitors come here to stretch their legs before setting off on longer treks.

The peaks on view stretch from Langtang Lirung (7246m) in the east, through Dorje Lakpa (6966m) to the huge bulk of Gauri Shankar (7145m) and nearby Melungtse (7181m) and as far as Numbur (5945m) in the east.

A new highway from Dhulikhel to Sindhuli is being finalised with Japanese assistance and will considerably shorten the travelling time between Kathmandu and the towns of the eastern Terai. What an increase in heavy vehicle traffic will do for the peaceful ambience of Dhulikhel - and the narrow and already inadequately engineered Arniko Hwy back to Kathmandu - is not yet clear. Construction was seriously delayed in 2002; every time the government workers laid some tarmac, Maoist rebels would creep up in the middle of the night and blow it up!

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009