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KAKANI ( Kaa -kuh-nee), the closest mountain viewpoint to Kathmandu, straddles the valley's northwestern rim at an elevation of 2070m. Like Nagarkot, Kakani is essentially a tourist invention, as opposed to a town, with mountain views and not much else. It's much less developed than Nagarkot, and the views are somewhat inferior, but it makes a nice halt along the Trisuli road, particularly if you're biking. At least one Kathmandu company (Karnali Travel & Tours) operates a tourist minibus service to Kakani (1hr; Rs200). Trisuli-bound public buses drop you off at a gap in the valley rim, 24km from Kathmandu, from where it's 4km up a paved side road (there are shortcuts) that passes a large police training college en route. In the days of Prithvi Narayan Shah, the Kakani pass was the Kathmandu Valley's Achilles' heel - by controlling it, he was able to besiege the valley for two years - and this installation, like that of Nagarkot, is a vestige of the days of hand-to-hand combat, when hilltop positions provided military superiority. Limited accommodation makes Kakani a marginal destination. At the time of writing, the only halfway decent place to stay was the overpriced Kakani Tara Gaon Resort (tel 290812; en suite US$20-40, discounts for stays of more than one night), just beyond the police college. It's fairly run-down and unwelcoming, but does feature a marvellous back lawn where you can lounge like a sahib, with the Ganesh and Langtang Himals splashed across the horizon and the Likhu Khola coursing through the valley 1000m below. If you're not choosy, you can stay much more cheaply (up to Rs140 [US$2]) in one of the houses just below the Tara Gaon. Over the years a couple of other competitors to the Tara Gaon have tried to make a go of it in Kakani, but haven't lasted; perhaps the establishment of a tourist bus service will encourage others to start up. (Either that, or the lack of accommodation and visitors will put an end to tourist buses.) For food , the Tara Gaon serves palatable lunches. Other than the mountains, Kakani is short on sights. The yellow building next door to the Tara Gaon is the former British Resident's bungalow, whose grounds once boasted a miniature golf course. During the Rana era, when Residents were prohibited from travelling outside the Kathmandu Valley, this was their window on the rest of Nepal; it's still owned by the British Embassy, and maintained for use by Gurkha officers. Occupying a high point further to the east, the well-tended Kakani Memorial Park honours those who died in a 1992 Thai airliner crash north of here. From Kakani you can walk back to Balaju in three or four hours. Follow the dirt road east from Kakani past an agricultural station, then bear right and contour beneath the ridge before bending south and down along a spur. After passing a set of stupas, look for a fork to the left leading to Dharamthali and Balaju. By mountain bike , you can ride down to Budhanilkantha, a half-day descent requiring a good bike. Head east past the agricultural station and keep to the ridge: you'll have to carry your bike for about 2km before joining the Shivapuri Watershed road, which contours down to Budhanilkantha. You'll have to pay Rs250 to enter the watershed.
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