DHULIKHEL, HILL TOWN EAST OF KATHMANDU:

The hill resort of Dhulikhel lies 32km to the east of kathmandu on the Arniko Highway that leads to Tibet. In the old days, Dhulikhel flourished as a trading center handling commerce between Kathmandu and Lhasa. Today, it delights visitors with its enchanting cultural heritageand stunning Himalayan views.

THE TOWN:

Dhulikhel ( Population 9812m and altitude 1,440m) is a small hill station with a long history.Records show that it has been around for more than 500 years. The artistic skills and urban ethos of its Newar inhabitants have created a place of charm and beauty. Atreets lines with bare-brick houses, carved wooden windows, sloping tile roofs, pagoda temples and sacred statues everywhere. You will think you have wondered into a cultural theme park.The major places of workship here are the Narayan and Harisiddhi temple, which are adorned withprofuse woodcarvings. The Gorhureswor Mahadev temple a 30 monutes walk to the eastern part oftown, is a peaceful and scenic spot. The Bhagwati temple is situated at a height in thewestern part of Dhulikhel and dominated the skyline. From here, you can get a beautifulvista of the town and surrounding areas. You can enjoy spectacular sun set viewing from this highest point of Dhulikhel hill station.

THE VIEW:

There are many vintage points in Dhulikhel, which offer a panorama of Himalaya that willleave you spell bound. Looking out over low hills and valleys, the mountains rise up in an extended are stretching from the far right. More than 20 Himalayas peaks, including Annapurna(8091m), Ganesh (7429m), Langtang (7234m), Phurbi Chyachu (6637m), Gauri Shanker(7134m) and Lhotse(8516m) can be seen in all their glory. You should get up early in the morning to watch the forst rays of the summit gazing kaleidoscopic scene.

ACTIVITIES:

The most popular activity for visitors in Dhulikhel is doing nothing for somthing more strenuous,we recommend bird watching. You can sit back in your hotel garden and admore the winged creaturesfluttering from tree to tree. The forest around Dhulikhel harbor many species of exotic birds andobserving them is wonderful past time. For adventure, there is hiking around the countryside,visiting nearby pilgrimage sites and mountains biking. Walking trails pass through Tamangvillages and terraced fields providing you an insight into rural Nepal. The shrine of Namura of Namo Buddha, where the Buddha in a past life is said to have offered his ownflesh to a starving tigress, is four -five hours on foot. The senter of attraction at the villagepf Panauti(two-four hours walk) is the temple of Indreswar Mahadev the oldest existing Pagoda structure in the Kingdom.

MOUNTAIN BIKING:

It is a joy with hill trails and rough roads radiating in all directions from Dhulikhelsome popular routes are Dhulikhel-panauti-Dhulikhel, Dhulikhel-Banepa-Nala-Dhulikhel and Dhulikhel-Namura-Dapcha-Panauti-Banepa-Dhulikhel. Rafting on the Sun Koshi river,25km away, is another exciting diversion.