|
Despite being midway between Kathmandu and Pokhara, GORKHA (Gor- khaa) remains strangely untouristed, probably because of the former difficulty of getting there. That's no longer the case, however, as the 24-kilometre paved road up from Abu Khaireni makes it a relatively painless half-day's ride from Pokhara, Kathmandu or Chitwan, and the new Manakamana cable car takes most of the sweat out of hiking here. The government is devoting a large chunk of its tourism budget to sprucing up Gorkha's monuments, and there seems to be some vague notion of putting the town on the tourist map. But for the time being, at least, Gorkha is suspended in a happy halfway state, with just enough basic facilities to get by, yet still primitive enough to keep the crowds away. Cradle of a nation and the ancestral home of the Nepalese royal family, Gorkha occupies a central place in Nepalese history. The village itself is minuscule, but hunched on the hilltop above is its link with that splendid past, the Gorkha Durbar , an architectural tour de force worthy of the flamboyant Gorkha kings and the dynasty they founded. Unless you're setting straight off on a trek or just finishing one (the old Pokhara-Trisuli trail passes through Gorkha), you'll have to spend the night here. Think about staying longer: the Durbar and environs could easily soak up a day, and hikes around the area could keep you busy for another day or two. The hill climate is agreeable, the pace is easy and, for the moment at least, there's not an apple pie or pizza in sight. Direct bus services connect Gorkha with Kathmandu, Pokhara, Narayanghat, Sonauli and Birganj. Depending on where you're coming from, though, it might be easier to take a tourist bus for Pokhara or Kathmandu to Abu Khaireni and ride a local bus from there. All buses terminate at Gorkha's modest bus park at the lower edge of the village. If you're pedalling, bear in mind it's a 900-metre ascent from Abu Khaireni to Gorkha, and it gets steeper as you go. Note that the countryside around Gorkha is one of the strongholds of Nepal's Maoist insurgents , and Gorkha, being a district headquarters, has experienced some acts of violence. At the time of writing, police were strictly enforcing a 10pm curfew.
Your Tip for Gorkha
Help other backpackers! Write your own guides and backpacking tips to Gorkha - they will appear instantly on this page - Please only write a tip/guide to Gorkha - visit the main Gorkha forum to ask a question!
Please do not post links to your site here (they won't work) - please use the Gorkha webguide section below! Thanks.
|
