Bandipur was a Newari trading post on the India–Tibet route, and when the highway went in below it the town was simply left alone. The result is a main street of eighteenth-century shophouses with no cars on it, a ridge-top view that runs from Dhaulagiri to Ganesh Himal, and absolutely nothing you are obliged to do.
How the two days go
- Day 1 — Drive up, the bazaar street in the late afternoon, Tundikhel for sunset
- Day 2 — Sunrise from the Thani Mai temple steps, the Siddha cave, afternoon onward transfer
Good to know
- It sits halfway between Kathmandu and Pokhara — no extra driving day required
- The Siddha cave is the largest in Nepal and is not lit; bring a torch
- The sunrise walk is 30 minutes of steps in the dark, and worth every one
