December is known to be the month of festivals and spreading positivity around you. And when it’s December, we know that celebration time is here; Christmas and New Year Celebration! And being the fun-freak team that we are, we couldn’t resist celebrating this festive time of the year. So, we, the Catch Wheels team decided to venture out for a trip to Bandipur, the living museum of Newari culture on our motorbikes to celebrate the Christmas 2017 and New Year 2018.
Bandipur tour was our first motorbike trip together. Riding to Bandipur, one of the most beautiful places in Nepal which is nearly 150 km away from Kathmandu was very exhilarating for us. There were altogether 4 bikes that day; two Apache RTR 200, one Bajaj Dominar 400, and one Bajaj Pulsar NS 160. We started off our journey on our bikes at around 7 in the morning on 23rd of December. We took a pretty protracted break for breakfast at Hamlet Restaurant in Dhading and continued our ride to Bandipur.
The roads were mostly pitched; the only off-road ride we had to face was of around a kilometer or two at Thankot, Kathmandu. The overall ride was pretty smooth. The best thing about this ride was that we could observe the beautiful scenery everywhere. We were in-between the hills and riding near the riverbed was simply breathtaking.
Observing the view and surroundings, we all reached Bandipur at around 1 P.M. Upon reaching Bandipur, we checked in to Hill’s Heaven Hotel. As we were there for only a day, we visited every place possible. We first went to Thani Mai Temple Viewpoint, from where we could see the whole Bandipur town. Then, off we went to Tundikhel, then, Khadga Devi Temple and finally visited a place called Tin Dhaara. As the main purpose of going there was to give ourselves a deserving rest, we didn’t roam around there much. We walked around the Bazaar for a while and spent some time there.
Next day, we left our hotel and headed towards Kathmandu; a long ride home. We didn’t stop until the next 100 km. Even though we rode that way on our way to Bandipur, the same scenery didn’t bother us a bit. The feeling of riding on a motorcycle and gazing at the landscape felt like a dream. After indulging ourselves in nature for a while, we stopped in Hamlet Restaurant for our lunch. After the lunch break, we were on our way back home. We reached Kalanki at around 3 P.M. and went our separate ways towards our respective homes.
So, overall, it was a memorable and venturous journey for us. And, as it was our first motorbike tour together, it added even more fun, and a new experience for all of us as well.
Bandipur is one of the most charming towns in Nepal; quiet, peaceful, beautiful and away from the crowd and the pollution of the Kathmandu valley. It is also known as the small Italy of Nepal and we could very well see why. Bandipur is definitely one of the best routes in Nepal to go for a bike ride. The environment is purely sound and serene.
From our experience, we would like to encourage all the thrill seekers to definitely visit Bandipur. The tranquility on offer there will take you to nirvana. Also, to the riders, the ride throughout the journey is so very worth it. The cool breeze that flows on your face while on the road adds even more to the already existing pleasure. So, we advise national and international tourists alike to definitely make an opening to their schedule to visit the beautiful Bandipur city.
Below is the first Motovlog from our Catch Wheels team. The people on the video are Sakin Shrestha, the co-founder of Catch Wheels, riding the Bajaj Dominar 400 with GoPro Hero 6 and Mahesh Maharjan riding TVS Apache RTR 200 with GoPro Hero 5. Enjoy watching our ride to Bandipur!!
As we are just starting off this project, suggestions, and support of our audiences are of utmost priority. So, please make sure to watch our videos and give us those invaluable feedbacks. We will ensure to keep our viewers satisfied by capturing even more of our beautiful country in our videos.
Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more Motovlogs and show us your love by following us on Facebook and Instagram.
Route: Kalanki – Balambu Marg – Nagdhunga – Naubise – Galchhi – Gajuri – Phisling – Kurintar – Dumre – Bandipur
Riders on this journey with their respective motorbikes:
Sakin Shrestha | Bajaj Dominar 400
Ashish Rai | Bajaj Pulsar NS 160
Mahesh Maharjan | Apache RTR 200
Tikaram Bhandari | Apache RTR 200