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Nepal's most magnificent and hair-raising highway, the Tribhuwan Rajpath (usually just called the Rajpath, which means "King's Way") heads west out of the Kathmandu Valley and then hurls itself, through an astounding series of switchbacks, straight over the Mahabharat Lek to the Tarai. En route it passes through lush stands of rhododendron and takes in superb views of the Himalaya. Mountain-bikers regard the road, and the culminating viewpoint of Daman , as something of a holy pilgrimage. The nearby Kulekhani Reservoir provides an interesting side trip. Built by Indian engineers in the mid-1950s, the Rajpath was the first highway to link Kathmandu to the outside world - before that, VIPs were carried to the capital by palanquin, and the prime ministers' automobiles had to be portered from India, fully assembled, by 200-strong teams of coolies. History has proved the route chosen by the Indians to be completely idiotic, however, and now even Nepalis avoid it, preferring to go the long way around via Narayanghat and Mugling. The road is in fact a perfect example of politically distorted aid. At the time, India was on the brink of war with China and preferred to make any route through Nepal as inconvenient as possible to reduce the risk of invasion. King Tribhuwan, who owed his crown to India, agreed to allow the road to be built right over the highest ridge in the entire area, rationalizing it by saying it would help in the development of remote villages. The road is very poorly served by public transport, making it a perfect route for a mountain bike or motorcycle: challenging, varied, scenic and almost devoid of traffic. Whether by bike or by bus, it's easiest to get to Daman from Kathmandu and then continue on to Hetauda and the Tarai, rather than vice versa. A good time to do this route is in April, when the rhododendrons are in bloom. The Rajpath is also famed for its many varieties of orchids , most of which bloom in March-June or in September-October.
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