Getting There

By Road: Drive from Pokhara or Kathmandu to arrive at Dumre Bazaar by midday, and then it’s about a half hour bus ride to Bandipur Bazaar from Piple, 1 km west of Dumre. From Dumre , one can find the local rides shuttling between Dumre and Bandipur.

Via the Ancient route: If you are adventurous, then the hike through the historical route “Bandipur Old Trail”, made famous by the song “Bandipur Ukali Lamo” by late king Mahendra, will take you about two hours. It ends in Tundhikhel , and a short five-minute walk will take you to the heart of Bandipur : Bandipur Bazaar.

Via the Siddha Cave: If you want to take the less travelled route to Bandipur with the visual delights of the caves and the Bandipur hillside, then this route is highly recommended. It starts from Bimalnagar and takes you past tha siddha cave, probably the biggest cave in the Himalaya, and will get you to Bandipur in about an hour and a half.

Accommodations

Quality accommodation is available at the hotels and resorts in Bandipur .For budget travelers; home stay is available in several old Newar homes that provide bed and breakfast.

PLACES TO VISIT

The Inner Tour

Bandipur Bazaar

The heart of Bandipur is the medieval-looking Bandipur Bazaar that sweeps in a gentle curve along the top of the hill in an east- west axis. The stone –paved main street is lined with compact town houses with ornate windows and doorways and roofs of tin or slate. All along the street, a covered veranda extends is front of the rows of house providing shade in summer sun and monsoon rain|

Tundikhel

Tundikhel , a field to the northern end of Bandipur’s main Bazaar , is an excellent vantage point for viewing the Marsyangdi valley (below 500 m) and the magnificent Himalayan Range ( above 8000m ) in a single frame. It includes the spectacular peaks of Dhaulagiri, Machhapuchhre, Langtang, Manaslu and Ganesh Himal, among others. The legendary Gorkha Palace and the famous Manakamana Peak are clearly visible from here .Other sights include Bimalnagar and Dumre Bazaar.

Thani Mai (Purano Kot)

Purano Kot, originally a fort, lies at a distance of about 500 m to the west of the main bazaar.It takes about twenty minutes of easy and gentle climbing to reach the top.There is a small temple nearby containing a number of old statues. Next to it stands a newly built temple of Thanithan Mai. The local people believe that praying to the god Mahadev at this spot during a drought will bring rain. Since this spot lies on a hilltop above the bazaar, it provides stunning views of the mountains and the bazaar especially at sunrise and sunset.